Arundel baseball coach Bernie Walter will be honored this weekend as a member of the inaugural class of inductees into the National High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Walter joins coaches from Nebraska, Florida, Illinois and Indiana, an Oklahoma state official, and the founders of the BCA, as the first members of the high school BCA Hall of Fame, with ceremonies to be held this weekend in Oklahoma City.

Walter's accomplishments are legion. He has won 652 games and 10 state championships in 34 years as Arundel coach, as well as a mythical national title in 1993. Walter has been named national Coach of the Year four times by various organizations and won a gold medal as coach of USA Baseball's Junior National team in 1988, as well as more than 1,700 other games as a summer baseball coach.

Posted by Milton Kent at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

After a 1-3 start, it didn't appear as if the South Carroll football team would make a lot of noise this season. But the Cavaliers won six of their next eight games, including two playoff games, to win the 1A North title.

That second half-resurgence has led to a meeting with reigning 1A state champion Dunbar in the state semifinal on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Poly. For Mihalko, in just his second year coaching the Cavaliers (7-5), just getting this far is an accomplishment.

"It’s very satisfying," Mihalko said. "I’m really proud to be a part of this with them and they work really hard so hopefully we can keep it going."

To keep it going, the Cavaliers will have to defeat a Poets team that is led by the most dangerous running back in Baltimore City in Tavon Austin. Austin, who already has scholarship offers from Maryland, Virginia, Rutgers and Boston College, isn’t Dunbar's only weapon, though.

Its passing game helps Austin to run free.

"They have a tremendous team with a lot of athletes that make a lot of plays," Mihalko said. "They haven’t thrown much but they have a lot of yards in the passing game. It really presents a big challenge for us and we’ll have our hands full."

The combination of Dunbar quarterback Jonathan Perry and wide receiver Sean Farr has been potent. The two have connected 38 times for 1,057 yards and 13 touchdowns.

While unseating the defending champs might be unlikely, Mihalko and his players consider it a success to be in the semifinals.

"It’s a great honor and a great tribute to our kids who work tremendously hard, and we weren’t expected to get to this point," Mihalko said. "They wanted to earn their goals and this is a great tribute to them."

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

We told you last month about the passing of John H. Cox, the former chairman of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's football committee. The association announced yesterday that it has established a sportsmanship award for next week's state championship games.

The "John H. Cox Respect the Game Football Award' will be presented to the school that exhibits the best sportsmanship among its players, coaches, cheerleaders, bands and fans. Ned Sparks, the MPSSAA's executive director, said observers will fan out through M&T Bank Stadium, the site of the title games, to note conduct in the stands, in addition to those watching on the field.

Cox, who was also an assistant superintendent of the Charles County school system, died Oct. 1 at the age of 60 after a long battle with cancer. He coached at his alma mater, La Plata, for nearly 10 years and was named state Football Coach of the Year in 1975.

In addition, the MPSSAA announced that the 3A championship game will take place next Thursday at 7 p.m., with the 4A game at the same time next Friday. Next Saturday's championship game doubleheader will have the 1A game at noon and the 2A game at 3:30 p.m.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

To date, Hereford (12-0) has charged through the 3A North state football playoffs like, well, the proverbial bull through a china shop. However, Friday's state semifinal against Lackey of Charles County, may be tougher than it appears on paper, if only because the Chargers are not your prototypical 7-5 team that just struggled to get into the playoffs and is on a tear.

Lackey, which had won eight straight games at one point in the season, had to forfeit three games because of the use of ineligible players, but still had enough points under the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's complicated system to make the playoffs at 5-5.

To their credit, the Chargers, who were seeded at the bottom of the 3A South region, had to win two road games to earn their way through the region and into Friday's game, but with defending 3A champion Friendly and Gwynn Park getting knocked out of the playoffs this year because of forfeits, it might not be a bad idea for the MPSSAA to tweak the system to disqualify any team from the postseason that has to forfeit more than two games, so as not to punish schools that play by the rules.

Posted by Milton Kent at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association and Comcast, the area's dominant cable carrier, today announced an arrangement that will initially air five championship games live, including next Friday's (Dec. 7) Class 4A football title match, with 13 other title games available through its On Demand service.

Comcast's CN8 channel will air the Dec. 7 football championship as well as the 2A and 4A boys basketball championship games on March 15 and the 3A/4A boys and girls lacrosse title games on May 21 live, and will stream them on www.CN8.tv.

In addition, Comcast will carry the 3A football championship game Dec. 6, as well as the 1A and 2A games on Dec. 8 on its On Demand on a delay, making them available for viewing over the succeeding two weeks.

The 1A and 3A boys basketball championship games, and all four girls basketball title games will appear on On Demand, as well as the other four boys and girls lacrosse matches.

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

A pre-game ritual by a high school football team in northeast Portland, Ore., has raised questions over whether the recognition of a culture's traditions should trump good sportsmanship.

Members of the Jefferson High School team have begun nearly every game this season by performing the haka, a traditional Polynesian dance. The dance was originally done by the seven team members who are from Tonga, which lies between New Zealand and Hawaii, but has spread to other players.

However, some opponents have complained that the dance, as performed, amounts to taunting, and the Oregon high school athletic association has directed game officials to assess a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The team voted to take the penalty as a show of solidarity.

The Jefferson team lost in the Oregon state playoffs over the weekend, so the question is moot for this year, but is sure to resurface next year.

Posted by Milton Kent at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Katherine Dunn:

Ever considered becoming a referee?

A few weeks ago, I wrote a story about the need for more referees to officiate high school field hockey and girls lacrosse around the metro area. That brought inquiries from a few women, one who was already licensed in Pennsylvania but had just moved here and wasn’t sure whom to contact to get back on the field.

Perhaps there are others who’d like to give it a try but don’t know how to go about becoming an official.

Of course, field hockey and girls lacrosse are not the only sports in need of more referees and umpires. If you’ve ever thought of officiating a high school sport — any high school sport — you can find out all you need to know from Bill Burroughs, the coordinator of officials for the Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association. You can e-mail him at bburroughs@msde.state.md.us.

Posted by Milton Kent at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The schedule for this weekend's Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's football eight state semifinals is out, with half of the 16 teams coming from the Baltimore area.

No. 1 River Hill will host its 2A semifinal game against Elkton Friday night. Second-ranked Dunbar will play South Carroll in a 1A semifinal at Poly Saturday afternoon.

No.4 Arundel will travel to Suitland for its 4A semifinal Saturday afternoon. Fifth-ranked Hereford will host Lackey Friday night in a 3A game.

Seventh-ranked Eastern Tech will host Clarksburg Friday at CCBC-Essex in the other 2A game. Joppatowne will travel to Western Maryland to meet Allegany in the other 1A semifinal.

Wilde Lake will go to Damascus Friday for its 3A semifinal game. The only semifinal not involving a local team is the 4A semifinal between Quince Orchard and Thomas Johnson Friday night.

We'll have more on the football playoffs throughout the week.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

During the playoffs, games typically become closer and tightly fought, because the clashes are between the best teams in the region.

The Hereford Bulls might be an exception.

They defeated Mervo, 63-0, in their 3A North semifinal. Putting up points has been a Bulls specialty this season. Led by running back Lonnie Liggins and a powerful and consistent offensive line, the Bulls have scored 506 points for an average of 46 points per game.

"To me, they’re the best team remaining in the state," Catonsville coach Rich Hambor said. "They’ve put together a state powerhouse in the last 10 years."

Hambor would know. The Comets played Hereford in the second week of the season, suffering a 56-0 pasting.

Catonsville will get a chance at redemption tonight at 7, when Hereford hosts the Comets in a 3A North regional final. Hereford coach Steve Turnbaugh is doing his best not to give Catonsville any bulletin board material, and to stress to his team not to look past the Comets.

"They’re an extremely good football team, and playing some of the best football of any team in the area right now as far as I’m concerned," Turnbaugh said. "It’s basically a new season. We played Catonsville in Week 2, but now it’s Week 12.

"Last time we saw them was nine weeks ago. Most of the kids can't remember what they did nine hours ago. We’re basing it on that."

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Pat O'Malley:

If third-ranked Loyola (8-1) defeats Calvert Hall (5-5) on Thanksgiving, the Dons and No. 8 Mount St. Joseph (6-4) would be co-champions of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference. Both teams would finish 4-1 in the conference.

We wrote last week how ridiculous it is that the A Conference doesn't have a championship game like the B Conference to settle it on the field. Instead, the A Conference has had tri and co-champions, even when head-to-head competition could separate the teams.

Mount St. Joseph beat Loyola, 24-7, in the regular season. Therefore, the Gaels should be the 2007 champs. They would be in any other league, except for the A Conference.

Posted by Milton Kent at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

From The Sun's Pat O' Malley:

The Herefords Bulls have been running wild this season.

Fifth-ranked Hereford, which plays host to Catonsville (8-3) Friday in the Class 3A North regional final, is 11-0, including a 56-0 rout of the Comets in the second game of the season. Their latest rout was 63-0 over Mervo (6-5) last Friday.

With Lonnie Liggins and Nick DePaola leading the charge, Hereford has scored 506 points in 11 games. That's an average of 46 points per game.

That's impressive. But the 1997 state champion Bulls of coach Steve Turnbaugh, who is 134-21 (.865) in 13 seasons, rung up a state record 602 points and a state record average of 46.31 points per game. Those are numbers the current Bulls can surpass if they go all the way and claim their fourth state championship (others were in 2002 and 2001).

It will take three more wins (regional, semifinals and final) to win the 3A crown, and the Bulls would need to average 32.3 points to finish with 603 points. That would make the Bulls 14-0 with an average of 43.1 points an outing.

To break the state record for average points, they would need to score 144 more points to give them 650 for the season, an average of 46.4. But that would take averaging 48 points in the last three games.

It all sounds good, but the number the Bulls covet most is 4, as in state titles.

Posted by Milton Kent at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Glenn Graham:

The state soccer championships, which concluded on Saturday, had something for everyone -- thrilling overtime wins, championships decided on penalty kicks for the first time, and cohesive team play to go with other stellar individual efforts. One such standout performance came in a losing cause by Loch Raven senior captain Steve Ehatt, whose Raiders came up one goal short in a 3-2 overtime loss to River Hill.

Ehatt, an All-Metro sweeper, was moved to the midfield and front line in the second half with the Raiders trailing, 2-0. His inspired play and high skill level was on display at a time when his team needed him most. He scored a goal, was tripped in the penalty area to give the Raiders a penalty kick that sent the game into overtime and created other scoring opportunities, which a talented River Hill defense thwarted.

Loch Raven coach Joe Fiedler said it all: "Steve, he's been four years of nothing but wound-up energy for us. And when you got a kid that plays like him, you could put him anywhere. That's what we did," After the game, in tears, Ehatt said: "Our team, all year, they played their hearts out and I loved all of them for it."

With so many negative events going on in sports, Ehatt's stellar play on the field and his genuine words afterward make you feel good about the games that are played and the people who play them.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

All but two of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's football regional finals will take place Friday night, in scheduling announced yesterday.

Most of the seedings held in last weekend's regional semifinals, with only two top seeds -- previously unbeaten Wicomico in the 2A East dropping a 42-35 decision to Parkside, and Sparrows Point falling, 43-6, to Catoctin in the 1A North -- losing in the first round.

In the 3A South, Lackey, which went 8-2 in the regular season before having to forfeit three games because of the use of an ineligible player, still had enough points under the MPSSAA's point system, to make the playoffs and were seeded fourth in the region, where they knocked off Chopticon, 21-3, on the road.

Here's the schedule for this weekend's playoff round, with the winners advancing to next weekend's state semifinals:

4A West
No. 1 Quince Orchard vs. No. 2 Sherwood
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Quince Orchard

4A North
No. 1 Perry Hall vs. No. 3 Thomas Johnson
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Perry Hall

4A South
No. 1 Suitland vs. No. 2 Parkdale
Saturday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m. at Suitland

4A East
No. 1 Arundel vs. No. 2 Broadneck
Friday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Arundel

3A West
No. 1 Damascus vs. No. 3 Seneca Valley
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Damascus

3A North
No. 1 Hereford vs. No. 2 Catonsville
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Hereford

3A South
No. 2 Westlake vs. Lackey
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Westlake

3A East
No. 1 North Harford vs. No. 2 Wilde Lake
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at North Harford

2A West
No. 1 Clarksburg vs. No. 3 Middletown
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Clarksburg

2A North
No. 1 Eastern Tech vs. No. 3 Edmondson
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at CCBC – Essex

2A South
No. 1 River Hill vs. No. 2 Patuxent
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at River Hill

2A East
No. 2 Elkton vs. No. 4 Parkside
Saturday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m. at Elkton

1A West
No. 1 Allegany vs. No. 2 Fort Hill
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Greenway Avenue Stadium

1A North
No. 3 South Carroll vs. No. 4 Catoctin
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at South Carroll

1A South
No. 1 Dunbar vs. No. 2 Surrattsville
Saturday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m. at Poly

1A East
No. 1 Joppatowne vs. No. 2 Snow Hill
Friday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. at Joppatowne

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Katherine Dunn:

Some final thoughts on the field hockey season…

No. 2 Severna Park, No. 5 Fallston and Century overcame significant glitches in their seasons to peak at the right time. None of them won their county or local conference championships on the way to the state finals.

Severna Park lost three games against Anne Arundel County foes, something that hadn’t happened since long before any of this year’s Falcons were even born, but rebounded to win a 17th state title in Class 4A.

Fallston suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to Rising Sun, which kept it from playing in the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference title game. The Cougars played three overtime games during the regular season and didn’t win any of them, but they won the one that counted -- 1-0 in double overtime over Bethesda-Chevy Chase in 3A for their 10th title.

Century lost its last three regular-season games, but avenged two of them in the regional playoffs before reaching the state final for the first time in school history. As coach Gayle Taylor said, “This is just the beginning” for the Knights."

*****
There’s no I in team even in the IAAM.

Perhaps the best overall team performance of the season came from Garrison Forest in winning the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship.

The Grizzlies end the season No. 1 thanks to a group of girls – more than half of whom are underclassmen – who bonded so well on the field that it was impossible to single out just one player. Liza Blue, Emily Cain and Alex Goldstein were named to the A Conference All-Star team, but five or six others could easily have joined them.

*****
Fallston’s field hockey team had the biggest, most boisterous cheering section of any team in a championship hockey game. A few hundred folks made the trip to Annapolis’ Broadneck High School for the state final.

“It’s incredible, our fan base,” said Cougars coach Alice Puckett. “We’ve had a great fall for all of our teams and it was so disappointing when girls soccer lost and boys soccer lost and girls volleyball, because we really felt like we were going to make a run at a lot of state titles. So the fact that they’re ending their season so disappointingly, because some of the better teams didn’t win, to come support us, just shows you what a great community. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

We're in the midst of a so-called early signing period for high school seniors through Wednesday, with basketball commitments drawing the most attention.

Yet, if you buy the writings of Sports Illustrated writer Seth Davis, seniors and/or their parents would do well not to sign a National Letter of Intent this week or at any other time.

Essentially, Davis makes the very astute case that signing a NLI places the signer at a distinct disadvantage and may not even be necessary. The advice may come too late for hoopsters, but with the football date coming in February, prospective college athletes and their parents would do well to read Davis and a signing letter carefully before making the commitment

- Milton Kent

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

The first day of practice for winter sports began yesterday, and the start of a season always brings a lot of questions for a team.

How good will we be? Will the new guys be able to contribute quickly enough? Will we accomplish all the goals we set?

Senior Jeff Braun believes the Winters Mill basketball team will have the right answers to those questions and be one of the best teams in Carroll County.

"We'll be good this year," Braun said. "Our team is just huge this year. We have a few guys that are 6-6 and 6-7. One of the guys is a D-1 player and the other is really good, too."

The Falcons have had a basketball program for only five years but have already reached a state final four (2006).

Braun is known for his success on the football field. He has accepted a football scholarship from West Virginia, and he'll play on the basketball team this year to help with his speed and agility going into next season. This will be Braun's first year playing high school basketball and he'll add to the outstanding size in the frontcourt at 6 feet 5, 320 pounds.

To beat the Falcons this year, teams may want to focus on the perimeter game.

Posted by Milton Kent at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

No. 8 Perry Hall boys soccer coach Dan Skelton knew he had a strong defense coming into the 4A North regional playoffs. The Gators registered 10 shutouts and conceded just six goals during the regular season.

But even he had to be impressed. Perry Hall gave up one goal in four games on the way to the 4A North regional title. In the last three games, the Gators didn't allow a goal.

"They’re the rock of this team," Skelton said. "They’ve been phenomenal as a unit, they’re communicating very well and as long as they continue to play well, we’ll be successful."

Perry Hall got strong performances on both sides of the ball in a 4-0 rout of Severna Park in the regional semifinal last Saturday. The Gators will face 4A West winner Magruder in the final tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Skelton said on Internet forums most fans were predicting a Severna Park-Magruder final. That was the type of spark his team needed.

"A lot of people were doubting us," Skelton said. "A lot of forums were not giving us a chance. We had a lot of fire and my guys played very strong."

Part of the reason for the team’s success is senior leadership. Chris Sokolis is a pure finisher on offense and Matt Swiderski balances the offense in the midfield.

The tenacious defense is led by seniors Josh Spivey, Nick Kuklane and Pete Schonk. Junior goalkeeper Zach Kane has kept the back of the net empty for most of the season.

The Gators will face a Magruder (18-0) team that has been playing inspired soccer all season. The team lost former coach Scott Alexander earlier this year to a brain tumor. Skelton knows how tough Magruder will be.

"Magruder is a very talented team. They play well together and have a lot to fight for," Skelton said. "But with the group of seniors I have, they want this last year to be a special year. They make sure all 11 guys are fighting and know if they do that we have a great chance of winning."

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As the football playoffs begin tonight around the state, it's worth noting that while Baltimore has long held a well deserved reputation as a high school hoops hotbed, the truth is, at least for this season, that the road to the championship of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's football tournament runs through Charm City and its suburbs.

To wit, Dunbar, River Hill and Hereford earned the top overall seeds in their respective classes, 1A, 2A and 3A, meaning that none of them has to board a bus for a playoff game until the state finals at M&T Bank Stadium three weeks hence.

While top-ranked River Hill and No.2 Dunbar earned their home-field advantages by relatively narrow margins, under the MPSSAA's complicated point system. fifth-ranked Hereford has a more than two-point lead over the closest rival from another region.

And let's not forget that half the state champions from last season, Dunbar and Edmondson, are from the Baltimore area and both are back to defend their titles.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association has rarely been accused of being a compassionate organization. Few governing bodies are, and at times that's understandable, for there are occasions when emotion can't dictate public policy.

All that said, the MPSSAA and its volleyball committee did the right thing in swapping the start times for Saturday's 4A and 3A state title matches, so that the 3A contest between top-ranked Reservoir and Huntingtown of Calvert County will now begin at 7:30 p.m., and the 4A contest, whose participants will be determined tonight, will start at 2:30 p.m.

The move essentially accommodates one person, Reservoir setter Tiffany Jacobson. Jacobson and her family are Seventh-Day Adventists, and the 6-foot-4 Jacobson would not have been permitted by her religion from playing Saturday until after sundown, which would have meant that she would not have been able to play at the original 2:30 time. Jacobson, her parents and Reservoir coach Carole Ferrante asked the MPSSAA at the beginning of the season for the change, a reasonable request since the Gators reached the state finals last year.

Why the MPSSAA waited until this week to make the change is not known, but at least it did, and for that, here are three words not often said about Maryland's answer to the NCAA:
Way to go!

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Pat O'Malley:

When is the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference going to have a football championship game, like the B Conference?

It's kind of ridiculous when you have tri-champions (2006) or co-champions in a six-team league, as will probably happen this season if No. 3-ranked Loyola (8-1, 4-1) defeats Calvert Hall (5-5, 2-4) in their 88th meeting on Thanksgiving.

The Dons would finish 5-1 in the conference and be co-champs with No. 10 Mount St. Joseph (6-4), which has already finished 5-1.

Had Gilman (4-5, 2-4) not defeated No. 9 McDonogh (6-4, 4-2), 21-14, in their 92nd meeting last week, there might have been another three-way championship with McDonogh joining the Gaels and Dons.

So, what is the A Conference brain trust waiting for: quadruple-champs before breaking down and holding a championship game? Why not make all six teams champions and be really politically correct?

You play all season for a chance to be a champion, and to have to share it? C'mon.

Posted by Milton Kent at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Pat O'Malley:

If you haven't seen Dunbar running back Tavon Austin, you owe it to yourself to do so in the playoffs or by next season (2008) -- before he takes his skills to the collegiate fields.

Austin is at least as good as any back that has ever played around here and probably is
the best ever. He has the moves and numbers to prove it and already has scholarship
offers from Maryland, Boston College and Rutgers.

Austin and the No. 2-ranked Poets (10-0) start defense of their Class 1A state crown against Forestville (6-3) of Prince George's County Saturday at 1 p.m. at Poly.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior enters the playoffs with 82 touchdowns (29 this season) and needs only six to surpass the state record -- 87 by Old Mill's Ryan Callahan (2003-05).

In career rushing yards, Austin has 4,598 (1,849 this season) and needs 1,323 to eclipse
the state record of 5,920 by Ben Tate, who played on the Eastern Shore (2003-05) at
Stephen Decatur and Snow Hill. Austin should smash that mark next season.

There have been so many gifted running backs through the years, among them Poly's Alvin Lee and Loyola's Henry Blaha in the mid '60s; Arundel's Louis Carter in the late '60s and early '70s; Annapolis' Donald "Turkey" Brown, Arundel's Troy ""Burner'' Turner and Wilde Lake's Rapheal Wall in the '80s; Annapolis' Rayvon Johnson, Meade's Tanardo Sharps, Randallstown's Larry Washington and Dunbar's Ali Culpepper in the '90s; Old Mill's Callahan and Eastern Tech's Dietrich Wright since 2000.

You can put Tavon Austin's name at the top of that list.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Glenn Graham:

The state soccer championships are set to run from Thursday through Saturday and, once again, Howard County will be well represented with four entries.

After going 4-for-4 in title games last year -- Hammond and Mount Hebron won boys titles, and River Hill and Glenelg claimed girls crowns -- the county has totaled a whopping 62 state championships (42 boys titles since 1969 and 20 girls titles since 1989).

Plenty of great storylines can be found this year.

Can the Wilde Lake girls team win its first crown in coach Dave Procida's last season? Can River Hill, which swept the boys and girls cross country state finals last Saturday, do the same in soccer this Saturday? Will the Glenelg girls, winners of the Class 2A state crown last year, come back and win the program's fifth title at the 1A ranks?

The county's long-standing success has come with plenty of constants -- with consistently strong coaching, outstanding feeder programs and a never-ending passion for the sport at the top of the list.

Posted by Milton Kent at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Katherine Dunn:

Every year’s field hockey state tournament is different, but one thing doesn’t often change. The Big Four usually qualify – and they often win.

Severna Park, Pocomoke, Fallston and Bethesda-Chevy Chase – the state’s most successful public school programs -- all played in this week’s finals. Three of them won: Severna Park in Class 4A, Fallston in 3A and Pocomoke in 1A. (Rising Sun claimed its fourth title in taking the Class 2A crown.)

Only BCC did not win and only because Fallston’s Caitlin Dempsey scored a goal with 3:11 left in double overtime. The teams came that close to being co-champs.

Of 126 state finals since the tournament started in 1975, the Big Four have played in 74 of them, claiming 55 titles – 17 for Severna Park, 15 for Pocomoke, 13 for BCC and 10 for Fallston. That’s 44 percent of the total.

Every year since 1992, at least one has won a title. Twice since then, all four have won in the same year. Six times, three won in the same year. Only four times since 1979 have all four been shut out in the same year.

Just as impressive is the combined number of wins for the four coaches – 1,256. Severna Park’s Lil Shelton has 479 wins in 32 years, Fallston’s Alice Puckett has 321 wins in 25 years. Pocomoke’s Susan Pusey has 235 in 16 years and BCC’s Amy Wood has 222 in 15 years.

The only thing that could top all that? A tournament of champions with all four.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The bulk of the fall team championships are still to be decided at this point, but the best title story of the season may have been written last night at South River, where the Severna Park field hockey team claimed its 17th Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association trophy.

The Falcons, who along with the Mount Hebron girls lacrosse team -- which has won 15 titles and 11 consecutive -- might be the most dynastic program in the state, yet they had to go further to protect their reign than in previous seasons.

For one thing, the Falcons lost three regular-season games this year, which hasn't happened since dinosaurs roamed the earth, leading to talk that the program had been passed by Broadneck and South River, which finished the regular season atop the area poll.

So, all Severna Park did during the tournament was avenge their losses against Broadneck and South River, both on the road, then knock off No.7 Westminster before beating defending Class 4A champion Quince Orchard 2-0 last night. The Falcons won the 3A title last year.

No wonder legendary coach Lil Shelton told The Sun's Katherine Dunn last night, "I told everybody, we're the comeback kids. I think we got counted out, because everybody in the county said: 'They've lost three games. They're not going to do anything.' Then we got it together and said: 'Yes, we are.' "

Indeed they did.

By the way, the MPSSAA announced this morning that the 1A championship game between Pocomoke and Poolesville and the 3A match between Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Fallston will be played tonight as scheduled at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively, at Broadneck, where the artificial turf field was damaged over the weekend by a fire set by vandals.

Posted by Milton Kent at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

The No. 9 Perry Hall (9-1) football team has 21 seniors. They’ve had a lot of success in their football careers, making it to the 4A North regional three times.

They’re 0-3 in those games, though.

"We’re where we wanted to be in the beginning of the year," offensive coordinator Brian Nagel said. "We’ve made it to the regional finals three straight years, but we’re 0-3 and we’re trying to change the fortune."

The Gators are on the right track again, clinching the No. 1 seed in the region after a 17-14 victory against Milford Mill last Friday.

Up 14-0, Milford Mill clamped down on defense and tied the score, 14-14, going into the fourth quarter. Perry Hall kicker Brett Ullman kicked a 29-yard field goal midway through the fourth to give Perry Hall its margin of victory.

The Gators are led offensively by Dave Stinebaugh, who is listed at tight end, but catches, runs and throws the ball. Mike Lang plays quarterback and his performance was key in the Gators' victory over the Millers. He finished 9-for-18 for 150 yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

The Gators are strong on defense, too, led by seniors who know what it’s like to advance deep in the playoffs. Seniors Sam Hunter and Justin Sanders anchor the defensive line, while senior linebacker Ryan Pittilo seems to be all over the field.

Perry Hall will face North Carroll, which has a strong quarterback of its own in Stefan Mitchell, at home on Friday at 7 p.m. Nagel believes this year’s team can finally get the title that has eluded Perry Hall the past three years.

"They’ve been through a lot this year," Nagel said, referring to his players. "They’re definitely fighters. If it comes down to it, I believe in my kids that they’ll pull it out."

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

In one of tonight's Class 1A Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association volleyball semifinal matches, there's a potential "Hoosiers" story line afoot, as Havre de Grace, the No.7 seed in the East region arrives with a 5-12 record, but find themselves two matches away from a state title.

The Warriors, who were seeded seventh in the region in the random part of the draw, earned their way to tonight's 8 p.m.meeting with South Carroll, by beating the top three seeds in their region, namely No. 2 Colonel Richardson, No. 3 Perryville and No.1 Bohemia Manor, all on the road. On the other side of the 1A draw, Glenelg will meet Boonsboro.

River Hill will take on North Hagerstown in one 2A semifinal tomorrow, while unbeaten Poly will meet Rising Sun in the other match. On Wednesday, top-ranked and unbeaten Reservoir will take on Towson in one semifinal, with the winner meeting the winner of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase-Huntingtown match.

The semifinals will culminate Thursday with Broadneck and Dulaney meeting in one match with the winner taking on the winner of the Eleanor Roosevelt-Wooton match in 4A. All semifinals this week, as well as all four finals will be staged at the Ritchie Coliseum in College Park.

The overwhelming story in the field hockey finals is Severna Park's quest for a third straight state title, and its 16th overall, when the Falcons meet defending 4A titlist Quince Orchard tonight at South River in the 4A championship game. In the 2A game, also at South River, Century will meet Rising Sun tonight, while tomorrow's 3A game will pit Fallston, looking for its 10th title, against Bethesda-Chevy Chase, with Pokemoke going for its fifth straight title and 15th overall, when it meets Poolesville in the 1A match.

As reported today by The Sun's Katherine Dunn, tonight's field hockey finals were moved to South River because of vandalism over the weekend on Broadneck's turf field.

According to Andy Warner, assistant director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, Broadneck's field is under repair and the 1A and 3A finals scheduled for tomorrow night are still planned for Broadneck. Any change will be announced by noon tomorrow.

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here are the seedings for the MPSSAA football playoffs. Date, time and site of each game are as follows:

4A West
No. 1 Quince Orchard vs. No. 4 Walt Whitman
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Quince Orchard HS

No. 2 Sherwood vs. No. 3 Magruder
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Sherwood HS

4A North
No. 1 Perry Hall vs. No. 4 North Carroll
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Perry Hall HS

No. 2 Linganore vs. No. 3 Thomas Johnson
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Linganore HS

4A South
No. 1 Suitland vs. No. 4 DuVal
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Suitland HS

No. 2 Parkdale vs. No. 3 Oxon Hill
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Parkdale HS

4A East
No. 1 Arundel vs. No. 4 North County
Friday, Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m.
Arundel HS

No. 2 Broadneck vs. No. 3 Old Mill
Friday, Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m.
Broadneck HS

3A West
No. 1 Damascus vs. No. 4 Kennedy
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Damascus HS

No. 2 Urbana vs. No. 3 Seneca Valley
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Urbana HS

3A North
No. 1 Hereford vs. No. 4 Mervo
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Hereford HS

No. 2 Catonsville vs. No. 3 Franklin
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Catonsville HS

3A South
No. 1 Lackey vs. No. 4 Chopticon
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Lackey HS

No. 2 Westlake vs. No. 3 Huntingtown
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Westlake HS

3A East
No. 1 North Harford vs. No. 4 Atholton
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
North Harford HS

No. 2 Wilde Lake vs. No. 3 Howard
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Wilde Lake HS

2A West
No. 1 Clarksburg vs. No. 4 Rockville
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Clarksburg HS

No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 3 Middletown
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Liberty HS

2A North
No. 1 Eastern Tech vs. No. 4 Poly
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
CCBC-Essex

No. 2 City College vs. No. 3 Edmondson
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
City College

2A South
No. 1 River Hill vs. No. 4 McDonough
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
River Hill HS

No. 2 Patuxent vs. No. 3 Douglass-PG
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Patuxent HS

2A East
No. 1 Wicomico vs. No. 4 Parkside
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
County Stadium, Salisbury

No. 2 Elkton vs. No. 3 Queen Anne's
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Elkton HS

1A West
No. 1 Allegany vs. No. 4 Boonsboro
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Greenway Avenue Stadium

No. 2 Fort Hill vs. No. 3 Smithsburg
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Greenway Avenue Stadium

1A North
No. 1 Sparrows Point vs. No. 4 Catoctin
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Sparrows Point HS

No. 2 Chesapeake-B vs. No. 3 South Carroll
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
CCBC-Dundalk

1A South
No. 1 Dunbar vs. No. 4 Forestville
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Poly Complex

No. 2 Surrattsville vs. No. 3 Digital Harbor
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m.
Surrattsville HS

1A East
No. 1 Joppatowne vs. No. 4 Havre de Grace
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Joppatowne HS

No. 2 Snow Hill vs. No. 3 Cambridge S/D
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Snow Hill HS

Posted by Jack Gibbons at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With all due respect to other weeks, this might be the best one on the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association calendar for the year, as champions in three sports -- soccer, field hockey and volleyball -- will be decided by the end of the weekend, weather permitting. And practices for the winter sports -- basketball, wrestling, indoor track and swimming -- begin for real.

The boys soccer titles will be decided Saturday in a quadruple-header at South River, and at least one championship, the 2A title, will go to a local team, as Loch Raven will meet River Hill at noon. Bel Air will take on Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the 3A title game at 5 p.m., and Perry Hall will meet Magruder in the 4A game at 7:30.

In girls soccer, Saturday's doubleheader at Broadneck will pit Baltimore County schools against their Howard County counterparts, with Sparrows Point meeting Glenelg in the 1A championship game at 5 p.m., and River Hill will battle Eastern Tech in the 2A match at 7:30. On Friday, also at Broadneck, Wilde Lake will take on Urbana in the 3A championship game at 5 p.m., and C. Milton Wright will meet Quince Orchard in the 4A game at 7:30 p.m.

We'll look at the field hockey and volleyball matchups later.

Posted by Milton Kent at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Glenn Graham:

Soccer fans, how many times have you seen a huge playoff game decided on penalty kicks with players standing around helplessly with their entire season on the line?

Although it appeared a distinct possibility, that wasn't the case Thursday night when the C. Milton Wright girls team edged Severna Park, 2-1, with a picture-perfect overtime goal that made for a fitting ending to a strong Class 4A state semifinal game.

Senior forward Lyndsie Ludwig was the ultimate hero with a fine diagonal run to find space on the left side and then an even better shot from 15 yards to find the far post. Fellow forward Kylie Galyen earned the assist, showing poise and vision to find Ludwig with a perfect pass to keep her on stride.

And it all started with Julia Brown winning a ball at midfield before finding Galyen.

"We've talked patience and presence over the ball all year long. Julia held the ball nicely, gave it to Kylie and she gave a great pass too Lyndsie, who's a great goal-scorer," Mustangs assistant coach Brent Ritz said after the game.

The Mustangs will go after their second state championship when they take on Quince Orchard next week.

Ludwig, who scored the game-winning goal as a sophomore to provide the Mustangs with their first state crown in 2005, is excited about the prospects of closing out her career in the state title game and thinks the artificial turf at host Broadneck High will enable the Mustangs to use their biggest asset -- team speed.

Date and time for the game have not been set.

Posted by Milton Kent at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

While some of the races to decide football playoff posts among Baltimore area teams in the 1A and 2A classes of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association are still fluid heading into the last weekend of the regular season, the races among the bigger schools in 3A or 4A are largely settled.

Arundel, Old Mill and Broadneck are virtually assured of playoff berths in 4A East, with one spot left to be decided between Severna Park (6-3) and North County (5-4), which are separated by .56. North County will travel to Meade (1-8) tonight, and Severna Park will close the season tomorrow at Broadneck (7-2).

In 3A, Atholton (6-3), which holds a .45 lead over Stephen Decatur for the fourth and final East region slot, goes to Hammond (1-8) tonight. In the North, Milford Mill (5-4) has a full point lead over Mervo (5-4) and a 1.43 lead over Patapsco (5-4), for the last playoff slot. However, the Millers have a tough road game against Perry Hall (8-1) and will play without two players who will miss the game tonight because of a mandated suspension after their roles in a fight last week. Mervo will host Reginald F. Lewis (3-6) tonight, while Patapsco will face Eastern Tech (9-0).

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

The Loch Raven boys soccer team needed no spark going into its 2A North regional final against Eastern Tech.

"We didn’t really need to get them up," Raiders coach Joe Fiedler said. "We lost to them early in the year even though we outshot them, 17-2. We lost on an own goal, so I didn’t have to say much."

Loch Raven outshot the Mavericks again, this time 22-5, with one of Steve Ehatt’s shots getting through to produce a 1-0 win.

Advancing to the state semifinals is becoming routine for the Raiders. This is the team’s fourth appearance in the state semifinals in the last five years. Last year they advanced to the 2A championship game, but were defeated by Hammond, 3-1.

That defeat has motivated Loch Raven’s seniors.

"The seniors feel that they’ve been there once," Fiedler said. "Now they want to get the prize."

Loch Raven meets Kent Island in the semifinals tomorrow at Washington College at 2:30 p.m.

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

After 79 minutes of play, that left the Owings Mills and Sparrows Point boys soccer teams tied at 1 in the 1A North regional title game, Eagles coach Bill Kaputa was thinking the game was going into extra time.

"In my mind, I was thinking about the strategy for overtime," Kaputa said. "Obviously, we were hoping we would close it out, but being tied up with a minute left usually the players are just trying not to make mistakes."

Actually, his players were thinking about how to score, and they succeeded, when Carlos Diaz passed to right midfielder Justin Delano. Delano fired from 25 yards out and, with the help of some strong winds, the ball went over the Sparrows Point keeper’s head and found the back of the net for a 2-1 Owings Mills victory.

The victory gave the Eagles the 1A North title. The last time Owings Mills won a regional title was before any of the current roster was born, back in 1986.

"They were going pretty crazy on the bus ride. They made T-shirts and everything," Kaputa said. "They put a banner up in the gym and all that stuff. The seniors are just going crazy. They were thrilled to get plaques and certificates and it’s really special for them."

Owings Mills plays Pocomoke tonight at Washington College at 7:30 in the 1A state semifinals.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here's what is known about the race for playoff spots in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's 2A North region heading into the last weekend of the football regular season: Eastern Tech and Poly are in. Everything else is up for grabs.

For now, City (7-2) holds the third slot, with a .05 lead over Randallstown (8-1), while Edmondson (7-2) is in fifth, trailing the Rams by just .01. Randallstown will host Calvert Hall (4-5) Saturday, and while the Cardinals are not members of the MPSSAA, they are classified as a 4A school for competition purposes, so the Rams could earn enough points from beating Calvert Hall to vault all the way to second and a first-round home game.

Meanwhile, Edmondson, the defending 2A state champion, will travel to Lake Clifton (2-7) a 3A school, tomorrow. As if the City-Poly series needed any more drama, their Saturday meeting at M&T Bank Stadium will likely decide whether the Engineers remain in second and host a first-round game next weekend or if City even makes the playoffs at all.

River Hill (9-0) has narrowed the gap behind Patuxent (9-0) at the top of the 2A South region to .45. The Hawks, who travel to Howard (7-2) tomorrow, could squeak through to claim home field throughout the regional playoffs, given that Patuxent's opponent tomorrow is winless Great Mills (0-9), and River Hill would claim more bonus points for its win than Patuxent would.

In the 1A class, Western Tech (4-5), which holds the fourth and final playoff spot in the North region by .11, will go to Owings Mills (0-9) while fifth place Catoctin (4-5) is at Brunswick (2-7). Dunbar (9-0) will not have to leave Baltimore City to defend its 1A championship if the Poets beat Patterson tomorrow. Digital Harbor (7-2) has locked up the school's first 1A South playoff spot, and may get a first-round home game with a win tomorrow against W.E.B DuBois (3-5) and a loss by Surrattsville (8-1), which is at Crossland (3-6) Saturday afternoon. Joppatowne (9-1) has wrapped up the top seed in the East region, while Havre de Grace (4-5) has a full point lead over Bohemia Manor (3-6) for fourth.

We'll look at the 3A and 4A races tomorrow.

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

Hereford’s Lonnie Liggins had a great week last week, playing fantastic in two games. In a 52-8 defeat of Woodlawn on Oct. 29, he had 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns and followed that up with 103 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns and an 83-yard kickoff return touchdown in a 49-28 victory against Dulaney on Nov. 3. He had only 18 total carries in the two games, meaning he averaged a touchdown for every three times he was handed the ball.

We'll have a look at the remaining area football playoff races in 1A and 2A later.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Parkville and Milford Mill, locked in tough races for Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association football playoff berths, will play their final regular-season games this weekend each without a pair of players -- the consequence of a fight at the end of their game last Saturday.

Ron Belinko, athletics coordinator for Baltimore County, said two players from each school were ejected from the contest, won by Milford Mill, 23-0. Under state public school rules, any player who is ejected from a game in any sport must sit out the next contest. Belinko saluted the two coaches, Reggie White of Milford Mill and Parkville's John Marquette, from keeping the fight from escalating.

In the current MPSSAA standings, Milford Mill (5-4) is just a point ahead of Mervo for the fourth and final 3A North region playoff spot, with a tough road game this week against Perry Hall. Parkville (5-4) trails Thomas Johnson by more than two points for the last 4A North playoff spot, with a home game Saturday against Woodlawn.

We'll take a look at the 2A North region race and other races of note tomorrow in this space.

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Katherine Dunn:

For the Westminster field hockey players, tonight’s state Class 4A semifinal against Severna Park is certainly a big game, but it has a whole lot more meaning for their coach, Mary Rivera. "It brings back a lot of memories,” she said.

When Rivera played for the Owls, Severna Park was one of their most intense rivals. She played the Falcons twice in the state Class 4A final with the Owls taking the 1996 title and the Falcons returning the favor in 1997.

Between 1984 and 2001, the Owls and the Falcons combined to win 15 of 18 Class 4A titles. The Owls won five, including a share of the 2001 title with Quince Orchard. The Falcons won 10. They met four times in the championship game and split those meetings.

That fueled one of the hottest cross-county rivalries in any sport at the time.

“Going into it, I don’t think we realized, being that young, that the rivalry was that strong,” said Rivera, whose maiden name is Dickensheets.

“After we lost to them (in the state semifinals in 1995), we developed it. We never liked to lose. We always knew they were a great team. Playing against a talented team that wanted to win as much as you wanted to win was nice.”

Although the Owls haven’t been to the state semifinals for five years, they remain one of the most successful programs in tournament history. Only three teams — Severna Park (25), Bethesda-Chevy Chase (21) and Pocomoke (21) — have made more appearances in the tournament than the Owls, who are in for the 19th time.

The Owls have won seven titles, the most recent in 2001. Severna Park has won 16, including three of the last four in Class 3A before moving back up to Class 4A this fall.

Rivera is trying to prepare her team much the way her coaches, Sue Hooper and Brenda Baker, prepared the Owls with tough practices and a little outside motivation.

“They always had someone come back and talk to us, so we got to meet other people who had played Severna Park and that’s how we got to know about [the rivalry]. They talk to us about their experiences in states and what an amazing feeling it is to win and what it feels like to lose.”

Rivera said she wants former teammate Carli Harris, now the head coach at Winters Mill, to talk with the Owls before tonight’s game.

“They listen to me, don’t get me wrong, but it’s different when you hear it from someone else,” said Rivera.

Tonight’s game begins at 7 at South River, where the No. 7 Owls (14-1) will be the underdogs. Still, they have allowed only two goals all season and nipped C. Milton Wright, 2-1 in overtime, for the North region title.

The No. 2 Falcons (14-3) have rebounded to avenge two of their three losses by knocking out No. 1 Broadneck and No. 2 South River last week to win the most competitive region in the state, the Class 4A East.

“I really don’t know much about Severna Park,” said Rivera, “but I expect a very good game. I feel it’s going to be close, more of a 1-0 game.”

That just might ignite the rivalry all over again.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Glenn Graham:

The playoff run enjoyed by the Pallotti girls soccer team in capturing its first Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship -- sealed by a 1-0 win over McDonogh on Sunday -- typified the Panthers' methodical ride to the top of the area's toughest league.

After enjoying success in the B Conference with a confident freshmen class in 2003, Pallotti moved up to the A ranks in 2004 and took its share of lumps. In 2005, the Panthers surprised some people, earning respect with a run to the semifinals. Last year, the ideal story would have been for that original freshmen class of five to leave as league champions, but Spalding had other ideas in claiming a 1-0 win in the title game.

So, hit hard by graduation, the 2007 Panthers were considered an afterthought with Spalding bringing back most of its gifted team, McDonogh's talented group one year older and John Carroll also in the mix.

Pallotti hit some bumps along the way, going 8-5-2 during the regular season to finish with the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Panthers took to the road and overcame an early surge from Institute of Notre Dame in the quarterfinals, went to top-seeded John Carroll and found a way to grind out a win in double overtime in the semifinals, and then stood firm against McDonogh in the title game.

All three playoff games were 1-0 finishes. Senior midfielder Randall Marshall, who scored the game-winning goals in the last two wins, had everything you needed to know written down on tape on her shoes: Annesia Faulkner, Ellie Vawter, Amy Strebin, Taryn Elman, Chelsea Elston. That was last year's senior class that made it all possible. "They gave us the confidence we needed," Marshall said after the game.

Posted by Jack Gibbons at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

In Randallstown’s game against Patapsco Friday night, quarterback Tashaun Stanfill-Perry was having the type of game that probably made him wish he never put on his football pads that day.
He was sacked for a safety, fumbled in the end zone for a Patapsco touchdown and threw an interception on the Rams' 10-yard line to set up another Patriots score.

"Our quarterback just had a horrendous first half," coach Albert Howard said. "He was resilient and fought back, though, and got our offense on track."

The senior sparked a comeback, finding Byron Eaton in the end zone in the third quarter to give Randallstown a 20-19 lead. He added another passing touchdown to his favorite target, Derek Flicking, to give the Rams a 28-19 victory.

It’s a good thing, too, because Randallstown (8-1) couldn’t afford to lose the game. As of Nov. 5, they sit in fourth place in the 2A North football standings with 70.11 points. The top four teams in the standings advance to the playoffs. Patapsco (5-4) is a 3A school and the Rams get bonus points for beating teams in larger divisions, enhancing their strength of schedule.

"We’re 8-1 and have had success this season, but besides Overlea, the teams we’ve been playing aren’t over .500," Howard said. "We were playing better, but not playing top-caliber opponents. The only team we played that was really good was Eastern Tech and we lost to them (23-0).

You get people saying, ‘We aren’t beating anyone, but last year we were 5-5 and playing tough teams. I’ll take an 8-1 every time."

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

The Towson boys soccer team has reached the 3A North regional final, after defeating Catonsville, 4-1, in the first round and Patterson, 5-0, in the second.

Playing in the regional final is hardly an unfamiliar setting for the Generals. This is the seventh straight time they've made it this far, winning state titles in 2003 and 2005.

"We have great history and tradition here," coach Randy Dase said. "We measure our success on states. We look at the regular season as scrimmages for the playoffs."

Towson struggled with its scoring toward the end of the season, posting a goal a game in its last four and dropping back-to-back games against Eastern Tech and Franklin. Towson will face the Indians again today at 5 p.m. in the regional final at Franklin. The teams have established a competitive history, and the regional final shouldn’t disappoint.

"It’s going to be tremendous challenge," Dase said. "This is a team that two years ago we beat in the regional finals and last year we upset them in the regional semis. The juniors and seniors on both teams have been banging heads the last couple years and the last couple seasons we’ve lost to them in the regular season and beat them in the playoffs. We’ll play that up to (our) kids a little bit."

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

We spend so much time getting caught up in the wins and losses, the goals and saves and the numbers of sports that we often forget that the games are played by and for humans. At their best, athletics have the potential to heal and transform and renew wounded broken spirits.

A big thanks to reader Jim Manchester for pointing out a wonderful story from The State newspaper in South Carolina on how the Summerville High School football team is helping one woman, the wife of one of nine firemen killed fighting a June blaze in Charleston, cope with her loss and go on with her life.

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Those who remember MTV's soapy and frankly rather silly foray into high school athletics, "Two-A-Days: Hoover High," will certainly recall Rush Propst, the bombastic coach who led the Alabama school's football team to a state title, while frightening parents all over the country with his antics.

Well, Propst resigned last week as coach amid reports of grade changing and preferential treatment for the players, as well as the use of an ineligible player and the revelation that members of the Hoover coaching staff spied on a rival before a game.

Remarkably, Propst will be allowed to finish out the season as coach, because apparently there is very little you could do as coach of an Alabama football team that would warrant being relieved of your duties before the end of the year. That is, besides losing.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Glenn Graham:

It is often said soccer can be a cruel game and an example came in McDonogh's well-deserved, but unconventional 1-0 win over defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champion Archbishop Spalding in Thursday's semifinal.

With scoring chances limited in a defensive battle mostly played in the middle of the field, overtime looked to be a given when a Spalding defender played a ball back to All-Metro senior goalkeeper Karen Blocker with less than three minutes to play. Over the course of Blocker's stellar four-year career, it has been a common and valuable asset for the Cavaliers to use her foot skills and field sense to relieve defensive pressure.

This time, though, McDonogh sophomore forward Hannah Franklin proved a disruption to Blocker's customary poised play. She got to Blocker just after the ball, jumping in front and deflecting Blocker's attempted clear, with the ball going backward into the goal. Blocker was understandably disappointed after the game, but she has so many more positive memories to look back on in her high school career than the abrupt ending.

In her four years, she posted 57 shutouts -- including 16 this season -- and played a major role in putting Spalding girls soccer on the map in the area's toughest league. With a 4.61 weighted grade-point average and 1,890 on her SAT's, Blocker is undecided about where she will attend college -- University of Pittsburgh, Boston University and Liberty University are at the top of her list -- but she will no doubt be somewhere next fall making big saves and recording more shutouts.

Posted by Jack Gibbons at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

On the surface, it must have appeared that the Smith Center (Kansas) football team was running up the score in Tuesday's playoff game, during which they outscored Plainville, 83-0, posting a national-record 72 points in the first quarter alone.

However, a subsequent story indicates that Smith Center coach Roger Barta went to extraordinary lengths to keep the score from getting even worse, pulling his first-team offense midway through the first quarter and the first-team defense at the end of the quarter, then ordering his players to fall at the five-yard line if it appeared they were going to score and kicking field goals on first-and-goal at the five.

Perhaps a certain NFL coach in the Northeast could take a lesson.

Posted by Milton Kent at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

The top two teams in the Baltimore City boys soccer league advanced to the regional semifinals in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association.

Poly, which was first in Baltimore City and got a No. 1 seed in the 2A North bracket, beat City, 6-3, while Patterson, which was second in Baltimore City and seeded No. 3 in the 3A North bracket, defeated Dundalk, 2-1. Poly plays Loch Raven next, and Patterson gets reigning regional champion Towson.

Many of the better soccer teams in the area are in Baltimore County, and Poly and City are hoping to fly under the radar in the playoffs.

"We think we have an advantage," Poly coach Nick Greer said. "In their eyes, since we’re a city school, we’ll be an underdog. If we limit our reservations early on and come out strong, we can shock them early and hopefully hold on to a lead."

Said Patterson coach Harry Martin: "A lot of county teams underestimate us a lot in the city. We’ll just try to keep it close and steal it in the second half."

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association playoff race in the 3A North region has settled into a four-team scrum with Franklin, Mervo, Patapsco and Milford Mill battling for two slots.

Franklin, which reached the regional final last year, has moved into third place, albeit with a 4-4 record. The Indians have winnable games against Woodlawn and Dulaney left on their schedule, and as both their opponents are 4A schools, they could solidify their playoff position.

Mervo (5-3), which is currently in fourth, has a must-win game tomorrow at City, before finishing up against Reginald F.Lewis next week. Patapsco (5-3) will have its hands full getting into fourth, as they will face Randallstown and Eastern Tech in their last two games. Meanwhile, Milford Mill (4-4) has equally tough sledding, with Parkville and Perry Hall on its schedule.

Speaking of Parkville (5-3), the Knights will need help to get past Thomas Johnson for the final 4A North playoff spot, while Perry Hall and North Carroll, both 7-1, are battling for second place in the region and a first-round home game.

Arundel, Old Mill, Broadneck and Severna Park appear to have locked down the four playoff spots in the 4A East region. Arundel has a shot to catch Quince Orchard for home field advantage throughout the 4A playoffs through the semifinal round, while Broadneck could overtake Old Mill for second place and home field in the first round.

Posted by Milton Kent at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Stefen Lovelace:

Gilman senior linebacker Joey Ehrmann committed to a full football scholarship with Wake Forest last week. He chose the Demon Deacons over scholarship offers from Syracuse, Duke and Iowa.

"I came to the conclusion that Wake is where I wanted to go and didn’t think I should wait," Ehrmann said.

Wake Forest plays a 4-3 defensive scheme, but the Deacons' defensive ends sometimes play the position like linebackers, which should suit Ehrmann’s skill set well.

"Their ends play a lot like outside linebackers and Joey will be able to get to the passer, which is what he does really well," Gilman coach Biff Poggi said. "The way they play their 4-3, they play it like a 3-4, so he’s going to be dynamite in that. He reminds me of [Seattle Seahawks defensive end] Patrick Kerney, when he went to the University of Virginia. I think that’s the kind of career he’s going to have there."

Wake Forest may be the right fit for Ehrmann, the son of former Colts defensive lineman Joe Ehrmann, for a number of reasons, including that he won’t be rushed into playing time.

"I think the good thing is that Wake is in a position where they can redshirt all their freshmen, and that’s really going to help Joey," Poggi said. "Wake’s a great choice for him."

Ehrmann added: "I’m going to need a couple years, but once I get the size and strength I feel like I can offer a lot of speed at linebacker and hopefully offer that combination of pass rush and pass coverage, which I’m going to play at outside linebacker."

An added bonus in going to Wake Forest is that it’s in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the University of Maryland. That means his coaches, teammates and friends at Gilman will get to see him play when he’s back in the state.

There’s no question where their allegiance lies, though.

"Our loyalty is with our players," Poggi said. "There’ll be no question where we’ll be sitting. We’ll be sitting with Black and Gold."

Posted by Milton Kent at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From The Sun's Katherine Dunn:

Anyone who counted out Severna Park’s field hockey team from contention for a regional championship just because the Falcons lost three regular-season games is — to put it mildly — looking a little foolish.

The Falcons haven’t won more state championships than any other hockey program -- 16 to date – by folding in the face of adversity. The bigger the adversity, the bigger the motivation to overcome it.

Tuesday night, they proved they could come back with a vengeance by upsetting No. 1 and Anne Arundel County champ Broadneck, 4-1, in a Class 4A East regional semifinal.

Now, the No. 5 Falcons take aim at another team that beat them during the regular season — No. 2 South River — in today’s 3:30 p.m. regional final at South River.

Lil Shelton, the only head coach the Falcons have ever had, said her players didn’t like hearing the scuttlebutt that they were done enough for the fork after losing three games in a single season for the first time since the early 1980s.

“It was tough for them, but they never let down at practice,” Shelton said. “They would have team meetings on their own to talk about it. I don’t know exactly what they talked about, but they want that state championship. They don’t like being the underdog and so many people said to them, ‘You are doing terrible this year. What happened to Severna Park?’ Every article that was written said how we weren’t in the county championship. That really wore on their nerves and they said, ‘We’ll come back.’”

The Falcons are snared in a Catch-22: winning just about all the time makes the rare losses big news. When the perennial No. 1 drops to No. 5, that gets attention.

“It’s not (the current players’) fault the bar was set that high and some of you all (the media) are doing that. They inherited that bar up there and they’re trying to live up to that,” Shelton said.

South River, with its exceptional defense, will be a high hurdle for the Falcons, but don’t count them out of what should be a close game, maybe even a shootout. Still, win or lose, the Falcons already have had a season the vast majority of local teams would envy.

Posted by Milton Kent at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)