Westminster's Chris Bassler named Ravens Coach of the Week

Chris Bassler, varsity head football coach of the Westminster Owls, has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 23rd year of existence, Bassler is the seventh recipient of the award in 2019.

Last Friday, the Owls (5-2) hosted the Century (Sykesville, Md.) Knights and earned their third-consecutive shutout win this season with a 35-0 victory.

Behind two rushing scores from junior RB Erick Stranko, another by senior WR Ben Flowers, and a touchdown pass from junior QB Luke Jorgensen to Flowers, the Owls built a 28-0 halftime lead. Late in the fourth quarter, Stranko found the endzone for a third time with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Bassler’s team has won by a combined score of 113-0 over the past three weeks, and this defeat of the Knights was the Owls’ ninth in a row over their Carroll County foe.

“We have really stressed playing great fundamental, gap-conscious defense this year, and we’ve put a premium on proper tackling,” Bassler stated. “It’s really starting to pay off for us, and the guys are buying into it. Each week we play now, we are obviously competing against our opponent, but we’re also competing against ourselves to keep this shutout streak going.”

Westminster visits the Liberty (Sykesville, Md.) Lions this Friday (10/25), with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. This contest will decide the Carroll County championship with both teams entering the game undefeated in conference play (4-0).

Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his student-athletes. All 10 Coach of the Week winners receive a $2,000 donation to their school’s football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. In addition, each coach will attend the Ravens-Jets game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 12 for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.

These initiatives are just one piece of Ravens RISE, the team’s football outreach program presented by MedStar Sports Medicine. Ravens RISE impacts a range of area football players from youth to high school, providing them with a year-round opportunity to “Play Like A Raven” through clinics, tournaments, grants, ticket donations and exclusive opportunities to play at M&T Bank Stadium and interact with Ravens players and coaches.