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This Friday is a marked day on the calendars of the Linganore High football team.

Immediately after winning the Class 4A North Region title, the Lancers (12-0) had the count, to the day, as to how long it had been since their first-round loss in the 2007 playoffs.

By Friday's 7 p.m. kickoff at the Oakdale campus against East Region champ Arundel (11-1), it will have been 378 days since that defeat.

In that time, Linganore has become one of only seven undefeated teams left in the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletics Association. They exorcised the previous playoff loss with a regular-season revenge win over Thomas Johnson. They managed to beat Westminster twice, the second time counting for a 48-20 playoff win. And they crushed Perry Hall 53-0 for the region title.

But in facing Arundel, they'll be taking on a team with a significantly shorter off-season – by a whole three weeks. The Wildcats were the 2007 state runner-up.

Both teams have racked up their shares of playoff accolades. Each has qualified for the postseason 13 times now, though Linganore's 21-8 playoff record is a little more storied than Arundel's 9-11.

Arundel has only one state championship in its history, back in 1975. They've been a finalist twice.

The Lancers are four-time state champions, including the 2003 run that was during head coach Rick Conner's second year. His first year was their third appearance as a runner-up.

And for those counting the days, it will have been 1,819 days since that state championship.

Arundel has had a remarkable season behind a high-flying attack, beating North County 49-15 in the semifinal and Severna Park 42-20 for the region title.

Quarterback Billy Cosh is the main threat, after throwing three touchdown passes in the region final, all after running in the first score of the game. He's thrown a state record 51 touchdown passes this year. Sean Fitzgerald caught two of those touchdown passes in the last game.

Alec Lemon presents a whole new set of problems for Linganore. Against Severna Park, he ran in one touchdown off a fumble recovery, and then rushed one in as a running back. He was responsible for another fumble recovery and two interceptions.

The Lancers have a solid counter on the ground, which moves at two speeds – rumble and dodge.

Zack Zwinak, the rumble setting, has barreled directly up field for most of his 1,016 yards.

Pat Balderson and Kevin Myers, their dodging speed options, have combined for over another 1,000 yards on the ground.

The quarterback situation has potential, in that the Lancers have Nick Marth and Ricky Conner combining for almost 1,000 air yards this year. Ryan Dixon has caught 736 yards worth of catches, turning his 38 grabs into 12 touchdowns.