Patrick Nixon knew the first thing that had to change when he accepted the offer to be Mervo’s football coach back in 2009.
That was the school’s weight room.
“We had next to nothing,” Nixon said. “It was a shame to even call that a weight room.”
Nixon convinced the administration at the time to invest in a new weight room.
“Not just for the football program,” he said, “but for the entire school if we wanted to have a quality athletic program.”
It helped lay the foundation for the Mustangs’ recent success on the gridiron. After a slow start under Nixon that included a winless first season, Mervo has been one of Maryland’s preeminent high school football programs during his tenure.
The Mustangs have posted nine straight winning seasons, going 90-18 during that span and winning the program’s only state titles in 2021 and 2023. Mervo has won at least nine games in seven of those nine seasons and lost more than three games only once.
And last season, the Mustangs won the Class 4A/3A state title — defeating North Point, 14-7, in the championship game — despite losing 14 of 22 starters from the previous season, including nine on defense.
As the Mustangs prepare to defend their championship this season, they will have to replace 10 starters on defense and six on offense, including the quarterback, running back and most of the receiving corps. Yet, they don’t expect their level of play to dip at all.
“Expectations are always high. They have not changed,” said Nixon, who is preparing for his 15th season at Mervo this fall.
At the center of all of this success has been the weight room, which was just recently renovated again, thanks in part to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. It’s the place where work ethic is instilled in Mervo’s players and winning habits are formed.
“It helps prevent injuries and makes for bigger, stronger players once the season starts,” Nixon said. “Our kids have really become dedicated to the weight room. They have been dedicated with their diet. We have been doing the little things right for a long time now. That’s going to lead to bigger things down the road.”
Mervo football has also benefited from the continuity on the coaching staff. Most of Nixon’s assistants have been with him since he accepted the job.
“We are able to maximize our kids’ talent because we kind of know how they fit in our system,” the coach said. “That helps us to accelerate the process for newer players. We know what we are looking for, and we are able to put the kids in the right places to be successful.”
When star receiver and Maryland commit Justin DeVaughn arrived at Mervo, he had very little football experience. He was predominantly a track and field athlete. During his freshman season on the football team, his coaches tried him at defensive end to see if his speed could help the team generate pressure on the quarterback.
“I got in there and got reps and got a couple of sacks and stuff like that. I wasn’t terrible,” DeVaughn said.
But it wasn’t long before both he and Nixon realized that his future was at wide receiver. As an undersized player, (6-foot, 160 pounds), DeVaughn could make a bigger impact for the Mustangs there.
“I wanted to catch the ball and use my speed in better ways,” said DeVaughn, who will play football and run track in college. He’s a Maryland high school state champion in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the high jump and the long jump.
As a junior last season, DeVaughn caught more than 50 passes, according to Nixon, including the game-winning touchdown in the state championship game.
DeVaughn expects to be even better this season, despite being the clear focal point and one of the few returning starters on offense. He says some of the new and untested starters will emerge as prominent players in their own right and not allow opposing defenses to focus strictly on him.
“I believe in my school,” DeVaughn said. “We just have to focus and put in the work. If we do that, everything else will take care of itself.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Patrick Nixon
Issue 288: August/September 2024
Originally published Aug. 14, 2024