Bowie's Kaffa Looks for Increased Role

Bowie resident Morris Kaffa, after a strong high school career at Archbishop Carroll High, said he heard from the football coaches at Division I-AA programs such as Georgetown, Towson, James Madison and William and Mary.

Towson, JMU and William and Mary are part of the Colonial Athletic Association, considered the top league in the country at that level. JMU won a national title in 2004 and William and Mary is annually one of the top programs in the CAA.

But Kaffa ended up at Division III McDaniel in Carroll County in part, he said, due to low SAT scores.

Now he is ready for his second season at the school and this year he hopes to see more playing time under veteran head coach Tim Keating.

And Kaffa, whose family lives in the Fairwood section of Bowie near Rt. 450, hopes McDaniel can improve on a 5-5 overall record from last year.

"I am excited because of the younger guys we have on the team," Kaffa told Patch earlier this week. "As we mature I think we will get better."

Kaffa saw limited action at running back as a freshman and also played on special teams for McDaniel.

He hopes to see more playing time this year for the Green Terror, which began practice on Sunday. "It is still up for grabs," he said of playing time. "Hopefully I will get a lot of action."

Classes begin in late August at McDaniel, where Kaffa is studying business.

Kaffa also considered smaller schools such as Bridgewater College in Virginia, Salisbury University and Wesley, a Division III power in Delaware.

He also visited Shepherd, a Division II program in West Virginia. But now he is ready for his second year at McDaniel, which plays in the Centennial Conference and begins the season at home Sept. 3 against Catholic.

"I think we can be one of the top teams (in the conference) and compete for the championship," he said. "Our young guys who were productive last year ... we are more mature."

The new running backs coach for McDaniel is Tony Vinson, a former Towson University standout who saw action in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.

Other fall college athletes with Bowie ties include Yewande Balogun, a resident of Bowie who is a goalie for the women's soccer team at the University of Maryland.

She started all 23 games last year and allowed just 20 goals, with 71 saves, as the Terps were 18-2-3. She played in high school at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt.

The Terps begin the season at home Friday night against Minnesota.

Bowie resident Jim Lohr (Archbishop Spalding) is a senior defensive back at Frostburg State in football. Sherad Tucker of Bowie is a wide receiver at Frostburg after transferring from Prince George's Community College.

Bowie resident Ikechi Nnawuba (DeMatha Catholic High) is a defensive lineman at Salisbury. He had four tackles in one game last year and was named conference freshman of the week during the season.

, is a freshman defensive back on the roster at the University of Maryland. The Terps open the season at home Sept. 5 against Miami.

The Bowie State football roster includes Bowie High products William Bailey (junior cornerback) and Steve Marks, a sophomore offensive lineman.

Also on the team are Bowie residents Ridwan Cole (a junior wide receiver who played at Bladensburg High) and Devin Goode, a wide receiver who transferred from JMU.

Bowie State begins its season Sept. 3 at Assumption in Worcester, MA.