Three Decades of Maryland Football: Baltimore Touchdown Club Senior All-Star Classic Turns 30

From an idea shared by a group of Maryland high school football coaches in 1996 to more than 3,000 players taking the field, the BTC Senior All-Star Classic celebrates its 30th anniversary Dec. 12 at Guilford Park High School

Thirty years. More than 3,000 players. Generations of coaches. Countless families, schools and communities.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Baltimore Touchdown Club will celebrate three decades of Maryland high school football when the 30th annual BTC Senior All-Star Football Classic kicks off at Guilford Park High School in Howard County.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Maryland's longest-running high school football all-star game will once again bring together outstanding seniors from across the state, but this year's Classic will be about more than the players taking the field.

It will celebrate everyone who helped build a Maryland football tradition that began in 1996.

It Started With an Idea

Thirty years ago, Maryland coaching legend Mike Working brought together a group of high school football coaches around a straightforward idea: Give Maryland's best senior football players an opportunity to compete together one final time.

Working joined with legendary Maryland coaches Roger Wrenn, Obie Barnes and Ben Eaton of Dunbar High School to help establish a coalition devoted to promoting and advancing high school football throughout the state.

The Senior All-Star Classic became its centerpiece.

What began with one football game eventually grew into the Baltimore Touchdown Club of today.

The BTC now conducts coaching clinics, Big Man Camps, Junior Showcase Banquets, all-star games, 7-on-7 jamborees and coaching development sessions. It has also played a significant role in building Team Maryland for the prestigious Big 33 Football Classic in Pennsylvania.

Yet the Senior All-Star Classic remains at the heart of the organization's mission.

More Than 3,000 Players Have Taken the Field

Across three decades, more than 3,000 Maryland high school football players have been selected to participate in the Senior All-Star Classic.

Many continued their careers in college football. Some reached the highest levels of the college game, and others ultimately earned opportunities on NFL rosters.

But the Classic has never been exclusively about where a player goes next.

It is about where he came from.

Every player selected gets another opportunity to represent his school, his coaches, his teammates and his community while sharing the field with many of Maryland's best senior football players.

"The goal of the Baltimore Touchdown Club has always been simple — to help showcase student-athletes in the Maryland high school football arena," Game Director Scott Ripley said.

Erxleben, Bannister to Lead 2026 Teams

Two veteran Maryland high school football coaches will lead the teams in the 30th anniversary game.

South River head coach Steve Erxleben will lead the Baltimore Team, while Hammond head coach Jonathan Bannister will coach the Metro Team.

They join a long list of Maryland coaches who have helped shape the history of the Classic.

That history will be recognized during halftime Dec. 12, when the Baltimore Touchdown Club honors former head coaches who have led teams in the event over the past three decades.

A Weekend Celebrating Maryland Football

The anniversary celebration will extend beyond Saturday's game.

The Baltimore Touchdown Club will host a special Media Day ahead of the Classic, giving selected players an opportunity to be introduced and recognized before taking the field.

On Friday evening, former coaches and guests will gather for a pregame dinner celebrating the people who have contributed to the BTC and the Senior All-Star Classic.

Then comes Saturday.

Players representing programs from across Maryland will take the field at Guilford Park with the opportunity to add their names to a tradition stretching back three decades.

Continuing the BTC Mission

Under President Doug DuVal, who has led the organization for 15 years, the Baltimore Touchdown Club has continued to expand its presence and relationships throughout Maryland football.

The BTC has developed connections with college football programs, high school athletic directors and coaches, youth football organizations, policymakers and corporate partners.

Its relationships have included the Baltimore Ravens, Under Armour, Riddell and numerous other organizations and businesses that support football throughout Maryland.

Those partnerships have helped the BTC pursue the same mission its founders envisioned in 1996: supporting Maryland's players and coaches while promoting high school football across the state.

Thirty years later, that mission continues.

30th Annual Baltimore Touchdown Club Senior All-Star Football Classic

Date: Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.

Location: Guilford Park High School, Howard County, Maryland

Baltimore Team Head Coach: Steve Erxleben, South River High School

Metro Team Head Coach: Jonathan Bannister, Hammond High School

Livestream: Gilman TVPlay-by-Play: Gary Stein, CBS "Stein on Sports"

Tickets: Available online through BaltimoreTouchdownClub.com

For 30 years, the Senior All-Star Classic has provided Maryland football players with one final opportunity to represent their schools.

On Dec. 12, the next generation will take its turn — while the Baltimore Touchdown Club celebrates everyone who helped make the previous three decades possible.