Sharps, Meade football team honored at TD banquet

By Bill Wagner

Nobody cared more about the Touchdown Club of Annapolis than the late Tony Rubino.
Rubino was a founding member of the Touchdown Club who served tirelessly on the Board of Governors.”Tony Rubino was the heart and soul of the Touchdown Club. He‘s
one of the primary people who made this club what it is today,” Mike Busch said.
So noteworthy were Rubinoʼs contributions, the Touchdown Club, voted in 1990 to attach his name to the prestigious Silver Helmet Trophy.

Rubino died tragically in an auto accident in 1992. Yet his memory lives on each year at the Touchdown Club banquet because of the Tony Rubino Memorial Award/Silver Helmet Trophy.
Rubino would be pleased that the Touchdown Club’s football awards banquet continues as a major social
event in Annapolis. Last nightʼs 44th annual affair, held at the Loews Hotel, was a sellout for the second straight year and the crowd of 400 once again brought together community leaders, businessmen, politicians, teachers, football players and coaches. Meade High School senior Tanardo Sharps, dressed in a tuxedo, was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Memorial Trophy as the county’s top high school football player. Sharps gave thanks to his family, his parents, his offensive line and Meade coach Mark Frye.
Meade was also honored as County C lass 4A league champion.s Frye, Meade athletic director Sam Pandullo and several Meade assistants were also present to receive a plaque.

The highlight of the evening came when Joseph Rubino honored his father by presenting record-setting Navy quarterback Chris McCoy with the Silver Helmet. The younger Rubino, now 39 and a commander with the Department of Navy’s Otiice of Legislative Affairs, explained why his father devoted so much time to the Touchdown Club.

One of the greatest joys of his life was recognizing achievement. It absolutely warmed his heart to
come to this banquet each year and see good people from all levels of local football honored for their accomplishmentsf Rubino said.