As a freshman quarterback, Josh Ehrlich had his struggles learning the Broadneck football offense. That’s not uncommon for underclassmen. “I think he will be the first to tell you he didn’t understand our offense until halfway through the season,” Broadneck Football Coach Rob Harris says.
Still, Ehrlich played at level in 2018 that few freshmen reach. Ehrlich threw a school-record 35 touchdown passes, which amazed the Bruins’ coaching staff. The Bruins figure to be a legitimate threat for a Class 4A state championship with Ehrlich, now a junior, running the spread offense.
“His knowledge of the game and accuracy to where he wants to throw football are pretty phenomenal,” Harris says. “I have never seen someone like him and I don’t know if we’ll see someone like him again.”
It’s one thing to set a school record, but Harris and Ehrlich are eyeing a state record of 113 career touchdown passes set by Arundel’s Billy Cosh.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Ehrlich has 56 in two seasons, as the Bruins have posted a 22-2 record. “It’s a tremendous challenge to get that record,” says Ehrlich, the son of former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich. “Breaking it would be really cool. It would fun saying you had that record for the next 20 years. It’s a big goal, but the highest goal is to get that state championship.”
Colleges are certainly taking notice. He’s being recruited by Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, UConn, Dartmouth, and Rhode Island. Ehrlich doesn’t have a clear favorite and the list is only expected to grow significantly until he commits to a college—most likely as a senior.
College football is constantly talked about in the Ehrlich household. Bob played at Princeton and Josh’s brother, Drew, suited up for Villanova before transferring to Denison. “College football is a business,” young Ehrlich says. “It’s very cool that the big schools are talking to me. Quarterback is such a tough position to play at the college level. Whatever school falls in love with me, I will probably fall in love with them, too.”
Harris loves Ehrlich’s production. He threw for more than 2,000 yards as both a freshman and sophomore. Ehrlich also showed his quick feet by rushing for 451 yards last fall. He ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for four more and 288 yards in a 48-30 victory over South River in 2019.
During his freshman year, Ehrlich threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns in a 61-49 triumph over Arundel. The Bruins went 10-1 that season.
“He just makes plays,” Harris says of Ehrlich, who played for six years in the Cape St. Claire rec league before joining the varsity team at Broadneck. “He is crafty, athletic, and smart. His ability to play the game is off the charts.”
The 16-year-old Ehrlich has shown his athleticism since he’s also a starter in basketball and baseball. He earned a starting position last winter as a combo guard on the varsity basketball team and averaged 10 points and four assists per game.
“He is just one of our most competitive athletes,” Broadneck Boys Basketball Coach John Williams says. “He would draw the best player on the team. He took some big shots in key situations for us. To have that moxie as a sophomore is pretty hard to find.”
Ehrlich wants to major in political science in college. Father Bob Ehrlich also served as a U.S. congressman. And mother Kendal worked as an assistant state’s attorney in Anne Arundel County and now holds a position as Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
“I have an interest in politics because it runs in the family,” says Ehrlich, who carries a 3.7 grade-point-average. “All I hear about is politics from them. I am a good speaker. I am always debating and sharing my opinions with people. Politics would be the best place to debate and share my ideas on issues.”
