Joppatowne got bad news yesterday about its appeal concerning an ineligible player. The appeal was denied by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, which means that unless the school decides to appeal directly to the Maryland Superintendent of Schools the forfeiture of 10 games last season and three this season will stand.

At Joppatowne, coach Bill Waibel and his staff have been working to hold together a team the coach described as "devastated" by the situation, which is this: A parent presented the school with a falsified lease to prove residency. Now, the entire team has to pay the price for that deception.

It means last year's 11-2 record, which included a 1A South regional championship and Class 1A state semifinal appearance, is wiped out. It also means this year's team, which had started 5-0 before having to forfeit its first three wins, no longer has the possibility of the rarely achieved undefeated record.

"Anyone would certainly condemn the parent's action," said MPSSAA executive director Ned Sparks. "It's inexcusable. But people sometimes do things without thinking about the consequences. It's not the first time something like this has happened in the state and probably not the last.

"Hopefully, it can become a learning experience, an example of what not to do, for the kids who were harmed. Fortunately, it looks like Joppatowne will still make the playoffs."

Both state and county officials voiced concern that residency documentation will become much more difficult to trace in the current economy, where jobs are being lost and families forced to relocate more often.

But none of that means much to the Joppatowne Mariners, who are suffering the consequences.

"They were devastated when we first heard of the problem and the forfeits," said Waibel. "I really wasn't sure where it would go from there, in terms of their demeanor. But I shouldn't be surprised [that they've kept their focus and kept winning]. They're really a special group of kids."

Waibel said there are about 22 players on his squad from last season, and while the whole team is upset at having that season wiped off the books, what has gotten to them most is having the first three wins of this season turned into losses through forfeit.

"It has been costly in terms of making the playoffs," Waibel said. "They know our chances of hosting playoff games has been lessened. Now, if we were 9-0, we'd have the highest point total in the state and be looking at a postseason in which we'd play at home until the championship game at M&T Bank Stadium if we continue to win. There was a pretty good chance we'd have been undefeated, which is a very rare and difficult thing to do.

"Initially they were crushed. It had been just so much hard work and it all seemed for nothing. And as a coaching staff we wear many hats. In some cases we're acting as role models. In some, in a few cases we do surrogate parenting. We take it a little harder. We're devastated for our players and we're concerned about the perception people have of our program. I'm concerned about the perception people have of my integrity and how they may now question it."

But Waibel, his coaching staff and his players have rallied to the challenge. The Mariners, Waibel believes, are actually playing better than they did before the problem came to light.

"Our coaches have rededicated themselves and our kids have rallied together," he said. "Yes, we're possibly better than before, but it is hard to measure and hard to say exactly why."

After a 30-6 victory over Rising Sun on Thursday, the Mariners are 6-3. They have one game left with 4A opponent C. Milton Wright. If they win it, they have a chance to be the 1A South No. 2 seed. If they lose, depending on what other teams do tonight, they could squeak in as the last seed at No. 4 or be out completely.

"We do control our destiny," said Waibel. "That's a good thing."

Asked if any other good things could come from the current situation and reminded that Sparks had suggested it could be a valued learning experience about truth or consequences, Waibel had to think for a few minutes.

"This is what I told our kids," he said. "Something very bad has happened beyond their control and sometime in the future something else will happen at an inconvenient time -- a loved one may die or the loss of a job, for example. In the overall picture, this is not that big a deal. But it is a good example of how you are going to deal with the situation 10, 20, 30 or 50 years from now. It will define the person you are.

"But regardless, we teach those things on a daily basis. We could have done without this lesson."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

A number of soccer and field hockey playoff games have been postponed until tomorrow.

Here's a rundown of the games that were reported:

The entire Class 4A North boys soccer schedule has been moved to tomorrow with Kenwood at Perry Hall, 5 p.m.; Westminster at Parkville, 3:30 p.m.; Linganore vs. C. Milton Wright at Harford CC, 7 p.m.; and Dulaney at North Carroll, 5 p.m.

In the Class 3A North region for girls soccer, Patterson at Towson and Franklin at Western will both be played tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

In the Class 3A East region, the Wilde Lake boys will host North Harford at 5 p.m. tomorrow and the girls will follow against Howard at 7. Atholton and Fallston boys will go tomorrow at 5 p.m.

In Class 3A North boys soccer, Dundalk at Towson moves to tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. In Class 1A North, the Pikesville girls will play host to Digital Harbor at 4 p.m. and the Panthers' boys game will follow vs. New Town at 6.

At North Carroll, the Panthers' field hockey game against Dulaney was moved to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow and the girls soccer game against Woodlawn is now scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow.

In Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference girls soccer play, Mercy's home game against Pallotti was moved to Notre Dame Prep with the game time still set for 3 p.m. today.

Please be sure to call your high schools for any other possible postponements.

-- Glenn Graham and Katherine Dunn

• This post was updated at 10:35 p.m.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I was typing in the boys and girls soccer playoff schedule yesterday when I came across one particular game -- Winters Mill at North Hagerstown in Class 2A West girls play -- that caught my eye and took me back to my earlier days as a prep reporter in 1994.

Back then, a tough North Carroll team was taking the long bus ride to Hagerstown to go up against North Hagerstown (the game was actually played at South Hagerstown) in an opening round playoff game that started at 7 p.m.

On tight deadline, the game was progressing just fine with the Panthers enjoying a 3-0 lead early in the second half. Then, all the craziness began. The Hubs came back with three goals to tie the game with eight minutes left. Just great, overtime was coming and so was my deadline.

But wait! North Carroll standout Christina Crouse saved the night by scoring a goal with six minutes left to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead. Game over, right? Guess again.

North Hagerstown ties the game, sends it to overtime and I'm writing another take and calling my editor in a panic about the situation. Finally, after two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods, the game goes to penalty kicks and North Carroll advances.

Trying to play catch up and get my story done, I was the last one out of the stadium. And everybody forgot that fact. I'll never forget tossing my computer and other stuff over the fence and then hopping over myself. You gotta love high school sports.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

No. 1 River Hill's struggle against No. 9 Wilde Lake in the rain and wind Saturday afternoon can be looked at in several ways and raises some questions.

Is Wilde Lake perhaps closer to River Hill's ability than one might think?

Is River Hill not quite as good as its previous gaudy scores would lend fans to believe?

Were the weather conditions a real equalizer?

Or is the fact River Hill was able to make a number of major mistakes, take on Wilde Lake and the weather conditions and still win 12-0 a sign that the Hawks are better than some of their critics think.

Certainly there were mistakes made that could have cost River Hill the game on a day like Saturday -- the failure to cover the kickoff simply being the most glaring. And River Hill was lucky -- lucky Wilde Lake's kicker missed a 33-yard field goal by inches, probably due to a puff of wind. And lucky its all-star running back Mike Campanaro had a bit more strength than Wilde Lake's Chaz Cousin-Lee at the end of a 28-yard reception and was able to pull down the Wildecat at the 5-yard line, or it might have been a completely different game.

But the fact River Hill's defense was able to stop Wilde Lake deep in its own territory and then open the inside holes for Campanaro for two major drives that ended in touchdowns, says a great deal about River Hill's resilience and resolve in difficult situations.

That's a good thing for the Hawks' coaching staff to know as they edge closer to the playoffs.

For Wilde Lake, the game was also a positive. The Wildecats didn't win, but when they look at the film, they'll find a lot of positives to take away from the afternoon matchup. Not least among them, the knowledge that they can go toe-to-toe with No. 1.

- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Please go see the Baltimore County varsity volleyball championship at Towson High School.

Just don't go on Monday night. The match is actually on Wednesday night.

In yesterday's high school sports schedule, we listed the match as happening Monday night and we apologize for that mistake.

Towson will play host to Dulaney for the title Wednesday night at 7.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Wow, South Carroll athletes sure can eat a lot of wings.

In the final first-round showdown of the Carroll County Buffalo Wild Wings challenge, the Cavaliers blew away the competition. Not only did they beat Century in Wednesday's head-to-head competition, but they ate nearly twice as much as any other county school during the opening round.

The Cavaliers earned $755.49 for their athletics department -- 15 percent of the proceeds from everything purchased with a specially-marked South Carroll coupon between 3 and 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Westminster restaurant. That really puts the pressure on the rest of the remaining field -- Francis Scott Key, North Carroll and Winters Mill -- for the next round. Key, the previous week's winner, earned $379.57 -- the second most in the competition.

South Carroll turned Wednesday afternoon's contest into an event, complete with cheerleaders, banners and their mascot. The Cavaliers move on to the winter round and will face Winters Mill on Jan. 28. Key will battle North Carroll on Feb. 11.

Coupons for the winter round, which can be copied as many times as needed, will be available beginning Nov. 1.

The two finalists go for the grand prize on April 15. While each school, win or lose, continues to earn 15 percent of the proceeds for its athletics department, one school will end up with the Buffalo Wild Wings Scholar Athlete Scholarship, worth 15 percent of the total take for all schools from all days of the competition. So far, it's worth $2,567.57.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It must be a big football game coming up at 1 p.m. tomorrow between No. 9 Wilde Lake and No. 1 River Hill because yesterday’s Wildecats’ practice was overpopulated by former Wilde Lake players and the word had spread all the way to California.

"I’m in L.A. and I’m getting e-mail about it," said Patrick Brown, who played tight end for the 1992 Wildecats. "The idea was that they’d show up at the end of the afternoon conditioning drills to help motivate the players for the big game and as a thank you to coach [Doug] DuVall, who’s coaching his last season."

More than 25 former players came to practice. Brown wished he could be with them, but he was on his way to an audition for a Kellogg’s commercial. Brown is an actor, who you might have seen in small parts in television series like Las Vegas, Boston Legal and The Wire. In March, he will be seen in Sandra Bullock’s new movie "All About Steve."

"I’ve been here four years and it takes 10 years to be an overnight success in this town," he said. "I’m going through the process."

Brown perseveres, a trait he learned while playing football.

The lessons learned playing for DuVall at Wilde Lake were the main point made yesterday by the former players.

Brent Guyton, The Baltimore Sun’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1991, who went on to play for UCLA, made a point about expectations.

"You leave everything you have on the field," said Guyton, who carries the memory of winning a state championship in the last game he ever played for the Wildecats. He told the current players they needed "to have the character to do that for themselves and for one another."

Also present was Keith Gonsouland, who played fullback from 1988 through the 1990 season. Gonsouland now coaches lacrosse at River Hill.

"Fifteen of my lacrosse players are on the River Hill football team," he said. "I’ll want both sides to do well, but quite honestly coach DuVall taught me the lessons of life. One of the biggest of those was to have character in the face of adversity and to take pride in who you are and what you do."

The idea of showing their support was generated by Jack Bradford, the 1985 team captain, and the players who showed up represented teams from 1974 to 2004.

When DuVall saw them, he cried.

"Must have been the wind in my eyes," he said, then admitted to his emotion. "That was amazing. Everybody in life should be so lucky as to have a moment like that. And it had such an impact on the kids."

When Brown was in high school, he had no idea how long-lived his interest in the school football team would be. In fact, he very well might not have even been on the team had it not been for his late friend Eric Sutton, who dragged him out of bed on the morning two-a-days began and simply made him try out and continue to go to practice.

"I thought I was more interested in hanging out and partying," said Brown. "But my old friend Eric, he was a linebacker for the 1991 class, made me go to practice and keep going."

And once he was there, he found motivation from DuVall, who many expect to be at his best tomorrow, when he gives his pre-game speech.

"I think this game is going to be a tough test," said Brown. "It sounds like River Hill is a new powerhouse in the area... But Coach DuVall’s love and passion for the game comes through in his pre-game speeches.

"He had us ready to pull down walls for him."

Brown said he couldn’t -- or just wouldn’t, actually -- give details of those speeches, because, "they were something we hold pretty close to our hearts." But Brown said he knows DuVall still finds great, motivational stories to tell.

"I will tell you this. he’ll talk about the ghosts in the uniforms they’re wearing," he said. "He’ll talk about the players of the past coming back from five state championships. Coach DuVall lets them know there were people before them who wore the same number and pads, who were willing to do everything they could to be the best."

Tomorrow, DuVall knows it will take everything Wilde Lake has to beat the best.

Asked if the appearance and speeches by his former players will make a difference in the way his current team plays, the coach thought for only a moment.

"I don’t know if it will make a difference in how we play," he said. "But I know it will make a difference in how they grow up."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Even though I have never seen a game in person, I always knew that men played field hockey. Every once in a while, you could catch a men’s game on the old Wide World of Sports or on Olympics coverage in the middle of the night.

It is a hugely popular sport for men in many parts of the world, but not here. So when boys periodically showed up wanting to play on girls high school field hockey teams, I always wondered why. As I imagine most people would wonder: Why would a high school boy want to play a "girls" sport?

That’s how I found out about John Kovach’s coed field hockey program at the Mater Amoris Montessori School in Ashton covered in today’s story: Coexist in harmony.

I spent the morning at the school a couple weeks ago, talking with Kovach and his young players. What I found may be the purest form of school sports I have ever seen.

Kovach, a former national team player who has a Master’s degree in physical education and coaching, uses field hockey as the school’s phys ed program. They play all year around. Although there is no league, there is competition. Each year, the older children, in grades four through six, vie for spots on the Ocelots team that goes to the California Cup.

They’re pretty good too. Over the years, the coed Ocelots have brought back two gold medals from the Cal Cup.

That morning a couple weeks ago, I saw one play that ranks right up there with anything I’ve seen in high school hockey this season. Two opponents converged on the ball just as Louis Eppel was getting there, so he jumped over their clashing sticks and, at the same time, as the ball bounced, he hit a reverse-stick deflection that sent the ball away from his opponents. Louis is 10 years old.

These boys and girls just like to play. The sport is prestigious at their school and it’s something everyone wants to do. Making the Cal Cup team is just about every child’s goal from the time he or she picks up a stick in first grade.

These kids aren’t worried about gender. They don’t understand why they can’t keep playing together at their next schools. They don’t know about Title IX, which will play a big part in separating them if they keep playing as they grow up.

They support and encourage each other, building something they all share, something they all value. They even get out there and shovel the snow off their turf field so they can keep playing through the winter.

What they learn, they take with them far from the hockey field.

Marcia Perez, the classroom teacher for the older children and a sort of assistant coach to Kovach, said the lessons last a lifetime.

"These kids are learning something at a really high level, so no matter what sport they play when they leave here, they carry that with them," said Perez. "There’s a sense of determination that they’re going to play as a good athlete, play fair, play as a team and all the things that to me are about leadership and being a good citizen. If they can’t play field hockey, they can go play soccer or lacrosse, but they will always be recognized as good athletes and also leaders on their teams."

Isn’t that what school sports are all about?

- Katherine Dunn

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Howard County cross country championships are being competed Thursday at 4 p.m. at Centennial High School, but River Hill girls coach Earl Lauer is already willing to speculate on the possibility of his No. 1 runner Katie Harman repeating as state champ.

Will Harman repeat?

"Yes," said Lauer, without hesitation.

A year ago Harman won the 3.1 miles in 19 minutes and 54 seconds. This year, she has been slow to round into form because of a heel injury that slowed her preseason training and early meet participation. But earlier this month she competed well at the Manhattan Invitational, where the best runners in the country assembled. She finished the 2.5-mile course in 15:30, which she described as, "OK," and earned a 50th-place finish.

And Lauer said she ran particularly well in the team’s tri-meet last week, though she didn’t win.

Lauer said Harman has been working hard without overstressing her heel, and believes she is ready for the postseason competition, even if Century’s Maura Linde runs well.

"Linde is the outdoor mile and two-mile champ," said Lauer. "She ran real well this summer, but she has dropped out of her last two races with some hamstring issues. So, that’s all we needed, was a little crack. That’s got to play mentally, because she hasn’t really run Katie this year and we know how strong we are. I think she’s already ahead of that 19:54 pace. She’s cruising, she looks so strong."

But Linde, he said, has to be thinking overtime.

"She has to be wondering, ‘Is it going to hurt again at two miles?’," he said. "That’s good, I like to have opposing runners with questions about our ability and their own. We know what we can do. And I have a lot of confidence in Katie. ... She’s proven and running well right now."

As for Harman, she thinks River Hill’s entire team has a chance to repeat as champions.

"Everyone on the varsity is so serious, because we want to win state’s [again] this year as a team," she said. "Everyone is focused and gets along so well. I played lacrosse my sophomore year and soccer, so I know what teams are like and this is probably one of the tightest I’ve ever played on."

- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The regional and state playoffs are fast approaching in high school fall sports, which is a particularly exciting time for students who get the chance to support their teams on the biggest stages.

It also can be an expensive time. Last fall, I was in the stands covering a regional championship soccer game on a Friday afternoon when I overheard a student/fan on the phone saying how she couldn’t go to the football game later that night. Basically, she had to choose between which game to attend because she couldn’t afford both.

This season, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) is charging anywhere from $5 to $8 for most of the fall sports playoffs (regional play was mostly $5, state play was from $6 to $8) with children under 7 getting in free.

The money the MPSSAA receives from the gate helps defray the cost of team transportation, officials, awards and venue rental.

It’s no doubt a costly venture and the MPSSAA does a great job putting on a fine show, but isn’t there some way to make sure every student that wants to come and cheer on his/her school has that opportunity?

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In round three of the Carroll County Buffalo Wild Wings challenge Wednesday, Francis Scott Key earned the most money so far, bringing in $379.57 for its athletics program. The Eagles beat out Liberty, which earned $317.03, and will move on to face North Carroll in the winter round on Feb. 11.

Tomorrow's competition pits South Carroll against Century with the winner advancing to face Westminster on Jan. 28.

Through the first three weeks, the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Westminster has donated $1,767.54 to county schools' athletics programs -- giving each school 15 percent of the total check for purchases made with specially-marked coupons. Every Wednesday this month between 3 and 10 p.m., two schools face off with the winner advancing to round two.

At the end of the competition, the spring round between the two finalists, Buffalo Wild Wings will present the winning school's athletics department with a scholarship worth 15 percent of the total proceeds from the entire competition.

Coupons for the second round will be available Nov. 1. They will be sent to each school and will be available on gatorclaw.com/bwwcoupon. They can be copied as many times as you want.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association has released the draws for the boys and girls state soccer tournaments. Regional first-round hames begin Friday. The state semifinals will be played the weekend of Nov. 7-8, and the state finals will be at UMBC on Nov. 13-15.

To view the brackets, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

No. 1 River Hill won again Friday night, crushing No. 12 Marriotts Ridge, 41-0, to improve its record to 7-0.

No. 2-ranked Loyola won Saturday afternoon, 20-7, over No. 6 Mount St. Joseph. The Dons' starting quarterback Leon Kinnard put his team up 7-0 on a 7-yard run before leaving the game with a broken leg.

It will be interesting to see what happens now with Loyola. Will the Dons continue to win by dominating their opposition? And, if they do, will the debate over who is really the best team in the area -- River Hill or Loyola -- intensify?

The debate has raged for two seasons now.

A year ago, it was River Hill No. 1 and Dunbar No. 2, but Dunbar was often said to have a tougher schedule than River Hill. Both teams finished undefeated.

This season, with River Hill ranked No. 1 and Loyola No. 2, it's the same argument.

Loyola plays in the very well-respected Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, while River Hill competes in Howard County, which is deemed not to be as competitive from top to bottom as the MIAA.

But River Hill just keeps winning -- and winning big. The Hawks have lost just one game in their last 35. And at River Hill, the Hawks work just as hard in their practices as any other team and put up big numbers to back up their claims. The 41 points they scored against The Baltimore Sun's No. 12-ranked team was their smallest score this season, but the game wasn't close.

At practice, the day before playing Marriotts Ridge, junior right tackle Max Coale admitted the debate and the seeming lack of respect for the Hawks is getting to be a little frustrating.

"We can only play as hard as we can play," Coale said. "If people don't believe in us, OK. We do. We'd love to play Loyola."

Last season, the only close game River Hill had, the only game in which it did not lead from start to finish, was the state championship game it won by seven points against Eastern Tech, currently ranked No. 5.

"That win felt so good," Coale said. "We got behind and even our fans wondered if we had enough spirit to get back up on the horse."

The Hawks had the spirit and if Coale is any example, they haven't lost any of it this season.

"We work our tails off," he said. "We deserve respect because we work our tails off to get it."

Loyola does, too. The debate will continue.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Any high school coach that wants to reinforce to his team the importance of never giving up can use the Boston Red Sox's performance last night as an ideal example.

In the ongoing American League Championship Series, the defending champs were down three games to one against the Tampa Bay Rays and losing 7-0 in the seventh inning with elimination staring right in their faces. The Red Sox were drubbed, 9-1, in the Game 3 and 13-4 in Game 4, and could have easily packed it in.

Instead, they scored four runs in the seventh, three runs to tie the score in the eighth and won the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth.

A big key to this valuable lesson is the fact the Red Sox had been in the situation before and found a way to succeed. In 2004, they trailed the New York Yankees three games to none and last year, against the Cleveland Indians, were down three games to one before coming back to win the pennant and go on to win the World Series.

Can they do it again this year, still down three games to two? Who knows. But at least they gave themselves an opportunity to do so.

Earlier this fall season, the South River girls soccer team surrendered a late goal on a penalty kick at Severna Park that could have gone either way, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. No player on the current South River roster had ever beaten Severna Park at the point, but that didn't deter the Seahawks' effort in the final minutes. They had a great chance to score with a couple minutes left, but the shot went just high.

Then, with less than one minute left in regulation, the Seahawks scored to send the game into overtime. They scored again and left Severna Park smiling and with a valuable lesson learned.

South River is currently 10-1-2, likely to play in the county championship game and also primed for a strong run in the state playoffs. Should they ever trail by a goal late, they know they can come back because they have done it before.

- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The undefeated and top-ranked River Hill (6-0) football team was running through practice yesterday evening, getting ready for its meeting with No. 12 Marriotts Ridge at the Hawks' home field in Clarksville.

It was raining, but coach Brian Van Deusen's team didn't seem to notice. That's how concentrated the players are on tonight's 7 p.m. game.

"Marriotts Ridge is 12th in the state," said River Hill's junior right tackle Max Coale. "They're probably our first real formidable rival."

The Hawks' center and nose tackle, Sean Hull, was equally respectiful.

"It's a really big game to us," said Hull. "They're really the first team we've played with a winning record. They played Wilde Lake, which is a really good team, and they only lost to them by one."

The Hawks say Marriotts Ridge is a more balanced team than any they've played so far.

"They've got a good running back, good receivers and a lot of different formations to cover," said Hull.

So do all these words of praise mean River Hill expects a close, challenging, down-to-the-wire nail-biter tonight?

"No," said Hull. "Our coaches have prepared us really well this week. We've got a lot of new offensive plays. We've scored more than 50 points in four of our last five games. I don't think they're going to stop our offense."

Added Coale: "Our defense will step up. I don't think it will be a tight game. We are overly prepared. We've watched so much film of their games from this year and last year, we know plays we know they can run that they haven't even run yet."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association has released the draw for all four classifications in the state field hockey tournament. Regional first-round games begin Tuesday. The state semifinals will be played Nov. 3 and 5, and the state finals are scheduled for Nov. 8 at Washington College.

To view the brackets, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When it was learned last week that Joppatowne High School’s undefeated football team would have to forfeit its first three victories due to an ineligible player, Joppatowne alum Eric Hamburg, a first-team defense All-Harford County selection in 2003, e-mailed about his unhappiness with the penalty.

Hamburg, currently a U.S. Army contractor working at Aberdeen Proving Ground, said he understands the situation, but doesn’t believe the entire football team should be punished for a personal mistake. Curious about his continued loyalty to his old school, we asked him a few questions. This is what he had to say:

What weight class did you wrestle?

I wrestled the 135- to 140-pound weight class. I would often wrestle up a weight class during dual-meets to meet the opposing team’s good wrestler. I was a consistent, 20-wins-a-year wrestler. I didn’t wrestle my senior year because of having to shed weight and it became a health risk. After all, running in a trash bag and sweating it out in the boiler room doesn’t really help one’s health. Do I regret not wrestling my senior year? Of course. I was looked upon as a kid that wasted his talent.

Have you made it to any Joppatowne football games this season?

I have not made it to any Joppatowne football games this season, but I did attend a couple games last season.

How do you follow your team?

I follow my team by talking to former players on the phone that I played with in the past. Also, last year my stepbrother J.R. Myers played for the Mariners.

What do you think the penalty should be for an ineligible player?

I think that the penalty for an ineligible player should be [that] the county should pay the opposing school the money that was funded for that student to attend that school. Another idea would be to suspend the player for that year. When I say opposing school, I mean fund the school that the kid was and/or is supposed to attend.

You say the entire team shouldn't be punished for the misdeed of one. What about the idea of winning or losing as a team -- one for all and all for one, good or bad?

I think it would be totally different if we were talking about a player throwing his helmet or vandalizing other team’s facilities, but that's not the case. This isn't about winning or losing. This is about kids that have practiced hard and dedicated themselves in the classroom to stay academically eligible and being punished for one's selfishness.

Not knowing the circumstances of the situation -- besides the basic fact that a player was ineligible because of where he lives -- it's difficult to know whether Joppatowne should get a pass. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why?

I know of the situation and, after knowing the circumstances, the appeal should most definitely be granted. I just think that the MPSSAA should take certain cases into consideration. For example, if a kid was in a hostile environment at home and moved during the season to live with a grandmother outside the district and didn’t change his address, how can that be overlooked? You never know if it's a temporary thing or a permanent move.

***

Joppatowne, which would be 6-0 after having battered Bel Air, 41-0, last Friday, is appealing the three forfeits. Now 3-3 and ranked No. 15 in The Baltimore Sun’s poll, the Mariners play at North Harford tonight.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Every once in a while, I hear an athlete or a coach complain about a long bus trip to a game. Few ever use a long ride or a traffic jam as an excuse for a poor performance, but, I agree, it’s still an annoyance to sit on a bus for an hour or two. I know. I get caught in the same traffic and I hate it too.

When that happens, I usually think about my nieces who play high schools sports in northern Minnesota. Their town, Bemidji, is a four-hour drive north of Minneapolis. It has just one high school. The closest high school to them – and their nearest athletics opponent – is in Grand Rapids. That’s 75 miles away.

Chelsea, the ace softball pitcher and a senior this year, has probably spent more time on a bus traveling to games in three seasons of softball than any athlete around here who plays three sports.

Her sister Jessica, an 8th grader who already plays on Bemidji’s JV volleyball team, could log well over 10,000 miles on a bus by the time she graduates, because she plays three sports.

Think that’s an exaggeration? Consider Jess’s last eight days.

Since Oct. 7, Jess has played three away matches -- the closest yesterday at Lake of the Woods. That’s about 102 driving miles and more than two hours from home – one way! She left Bemidji High School at 1:30 p.m. and wasn’t expected back until 11:30 or midnight. (That included a stop to eat on the way home, of course.)

Saturday, her team played in a tournament at Alexandria, which is more than 130 miles away, but they drove down on Friday and spent the night. On Oct. 7, she played at East Grand Forks, 115 miles from home.

For those three matches alone, Jess’s team logged about 700 miles and spent around 16 hours on the bus without ever leaving northern Minnesota.

That’s how it is for many high school teams in the Midwest. Sure they don’t have to put up with the traffic, but boy do they roll up the mileage.

By comparison, some of the longest league treks for local teams don’t seem so far. St. Mary’s in Annapolis to John Carroll in Bel Air is about 57 miles. Liberty in Eldersburg to North Hagerstown is about 60 miles. The winner seems to be John Carroll to St. John’s-College Prep in Frederick at about 77 driving miles.

Next time I go to the ends of our coverage area -- Southern, Francis Scott Key or North Harford -- I’ll just be glad they’re as close as they are. I’d rather wear out my car traveling to and from Bemidji during the summer.

- Katherine Dunn

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Today's slate is stacked with quality soccer games and two of the best can be found in Anne Arundel County.

On the boys side, Severna Park travels to Chesapeake at 5 p.m. in what could turn out to be a preview of the upcoming county championship game. The visiting Falcons (7-1) have won four straight, including a 2-1 win over Broadneck last week, while the Cougars are 9-0.

On the girls side, Arundel visits South River at 7 p.m. with both teams unbeaten in the county. The Wildcats (10-1) are 8-0 in the league, while South River (9-1-1) is 7-0-1.

-- Glenn Graham

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High school athletes have big appetites and in Carroll County, they're filling up on wings -- especially the North Carroll Panthers. They won last week's county Wild Wings showdown, earning the most money so far.

The Panthers earned $353.66 for their athletic program by bringing in their coupons Wednesday to the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Westminster. Their competition, Carroll Christian, earned $114.66.

North Carroll moves on to the winter round, joining Winters Mills which had already advanced.

Tomorrow’s showdown pits Liberty against Francis Scott Key. Bring your coupons to the restaurant between 3 and 10 p.m. and each school will receive 15 percent of the total check for its athletic department. The winner moves on to the winter round. Next week, Century and South Carroll will face off.

After the spring round, Buffalo Wild Wings will donate a scholarship to the winning school worth 15 percent of all the proceeds from the entire contest.

-- Katherine Dunn

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Arundel varsity football coach Chuck Markiewicz got his 157th career victory Friday night in a palm-sweating, 20-19 victory. Getting number 157 ties Markiewicz with Annapolis' late, great coach Al Laramore for the most wins in Anne Arundel County history.

Last night, Markiewicz said if he gets the record all to himself next week against 4-2 Severna Park, he won't see it as a major personal achievement, though "it is flattering." But Markiewicz added, "It's no accident either. I've had good people working with me for a long time and we work pretty hard at [winning]."

If you look at the Top 5 in The Baltimore Sun's football poll, you'll see teams consistently scoring 40 and 50 points. Some of them, like River Hill, Loyola and Dunbar, have been doing it consistently for several years.

No. 10-ranked Arundel, 5-1, has been averaging 35 points a game for no less than 10 years. It may go a long way in accounting for those 157 victories.

"We plan for the year ahead every year," said Markiewicz. "We don't believe in having a good team one-in-three years. We believe in having a good team every year."

Markiewicz said there is no excuse for not having a good team.

"I don't know what the philosophies are at other schools," he said. "But it's your job as a coach to look forward and prepare your team to be ready, [no matter how many seniors you might lose to graduation.] A perfect example came against Annapolis. We have a guard who is a junior. We know he will be starting next season, so we put him into that game and got him quality minutes in a close game. It wasn't mop-up time."

Winning and scoring a lot of points isn't a trend at Arundel. It's a tradition.

-- Sandra McKee

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It's the midway point of the high school football season, a good time to take a closer look at the region playoff standings. With the top four teams in each region qualifying for the postseason, there's plenty of tight races in a number of classifications.

Class 3A North looks like it will go down to the wire with a number of teams scrambling to gain one of the coveted four playoff spots. Milford Mill, with its 5-0 record and 46 points, is the only seemingly sure bet. After that, it's a logjam: Franklin (27 points), Hereford (27), Patterson (25), Lake Clifton (24) and Patapsco (21) all take 3-2 marks into this weekend's play.

The game to watch tonight is Franklin at Perry Hall, which is in a battle of its own in Class 4A North. The Gators (5-0 with 45 points) are in second between Linganore (5-0, 46) and Westminster (5-0, 40). Those two teams will meet each other tonight at Linganore.

In Class 3A East, first-place Wilde Lake (5-0, 40) plays host to second-place Howard (4-1, 30) with Annapolis and Fallston both close behind with 3-2 marks and 28 points.

- Glenn Graham

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Oakland Mills senior Nate Frimpong was the subject of a Howard County Q&A. The native of Brighton, England, moved to Columbia in 2006 and he has been kicking footballs since. Last week, he kicked a 41-yard field goal with three seconds left that earned his team its first victory of the season.

Frimpong has a 3.4 grade point average in his honors classes and he is 3-for-3 with field goals of 35, 37 and 41 yards going into Friday night's home game against Mt. Hebron.

Here are a few more comments from Frimpong that did not make the Howard County section of The Baltimore Sun.

How different is it kicking a football from kicking a soccer ball?

"Kicking the ball is different because of the shape of it, your position on the ball and, obviously, you’re trying to get it higher than you would a soccer ball – and straight. Most of the time, when I’m trying to kick a soccer ball, I’m trying to curve it. With a football I’m trying to get it as straight as possible.

"It’s not hard, it’s just a different technique to learn. It’s not harder. I’d say it is easier. Because of the shape of the football you can get it a lot higher. After awhile, you pick up what you have to do. I kick it a third of the way up with my laces and drive my foot straight through it."

Is it the power or the follow-through that gets the distance?

"I think it’s the follow-through and where I hit it. If I hit it too low, it’s going to go too high and if I hit it too high, it’s not going to go as high. There’s a perfect sweet spot when I hit it and I know it has the distance because of the way it feels."

Do you wear soccer or football cleats?

"Soccer cleats. They’re a lot more shaped around my foot and a lot lighter. I have a pair, size 12 that fit my feet perfect. "

Are you looking for a football scholarship as a kicker?

"Yeah. I’ve not been contacted yet, but the coaches say that it could happen. That’s what I’m aiming for."

What do you want to major in?

"Architectural design. I’ve always liked drawing and designing houses. My father was a realtor for many years in London. I like looking at architecture that [hasn't] been finished yet, like apartment complexes or condos. How it looks from paper to the actual inside of the building. You have to be specific in details. Math, a couple of the sciences – like physics.

Do you have a hobby?

"Drawing, designing and traveling."

I heard from your coach that you are well traveled. Where have you been?

"Most places in Europe, Africa, Gibraltar, Ghana, Egypt, Israel. I’m going to Las Vegas in November to watch a boxing fight with my dad. And just last summer we toured Asia, Hong Kong, China and Thailand. My dad went on a business trip two years ago and really liked it. It was really nice. The food was really nice. The people were really friendly. We were there 3 1/2 weeks. We were looked after very well and saw all the sights tourists see and the real parts, behind the scenes. They’re not used to seeing black people there, but they were really friendly. It wasn’t a racist thing, it was a surprise thing. You could see it on their faces. Me and my dad were walking through one mall with two of his Chinese friends and people were literally like shocked. ... They just stare really hard. Some little kids really had never seen a black person before.

"A place near China, called Macau, it’s like the new Vegas. My dad has been to both and he said Macau is looking bigger and better than Vegas and it’s amazing how quickly the buildings are going up. And in Hong Kong we saw some apartments and bars and restaurants [that] are like on the 60th floor with waterfalls and pools outside. We looked at a couple of new apartment complexes opening up, too."

What schools would you like to attend?

"In state, definitely Morgan State. Maybe Penn State. It may be too big, but if a football scholarship came, I’d look at the big schools. If not, something smaller, like Morgan."

Do you get a lot of comments about your accent?

"When I first came here it was obviously hard and irritating at times. ‘Talk to me, Talk to me.’ Or they would deliberately make me repeat stuff, just to hear it again. Now, it’s not so bad. It’s just something I bring to the table."

-- Sandra McKee

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The topic of area high school rankings is a hot one (check out Stefen Lovelace's story 'The numbers game' in today's edition) and there will no doubt be a debate next week in the boys soccer Top 15 poll after No. 3 Marriotts Ridge knocked off No. 1 River Hill, 3-1, on Tuesday.

Should the Mustangs, who got the deed done of knocking off the top-ranked team, make the jump to No. 1? Or should No. 2 McDonogh, which has rolled off nine straight impressive wins since losing early to Perry Hall (and thus losing its preseason No. 1 ranking) regain the top spot?

Here's a quick look at the two teams' body of work to date:

• Marriotts Ridge is 9-0 with an 8-0 mark in Howard County play. The Mustangs have scored 32 goals and allowed seven. Their win over River Hill was the second ranked opponent they've defeated this season. Last week, they knocked off Mount Hebron, 2-0.

• As for McDonogh, the Eagles were upset by Perry Hall, 2-1 in overtime, in their third game, but have played near flawless ball since. They are 10-0 in the powerful Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and nine of their 12 wins have come against an opponent that is or has been ranked in the poll.

Who do you think deserves to be No. 1?

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Towson cross country runner Rachel Pillion talks about her athletic career and her summer mission trip to El Salvador in a Q&A in today's Varsity section. A runner since elementary school, Pillion shares a few more of her thoughts on racing, on this weekend's rescheduled Bull Run and on her future:

When did you get serious about running?

All through high school I think each year I get a little more serious, but after last year I think I got more serious in my junior year track, outdoor season.

Is that why you won a state championship in track (3,200 meters)?

I guess so. I think after I had the success at counties, I kind of was motivated to win regionals and then I saw that I probably had a chance at states.

It sounds like the field at Saturday's Bull Run will be smaller and not quite as strong. Are you disappointed in that?

We were going to be in the medium (schools) race so we probably wouldn’t have run against them.

Now you're running in the elite race with some of the big guns. Do you like that?

Yeah. I’m actually excited now that we might be in with different teams that we weren’t going to be with before.

Do you prepare differently for the Hereford course with all those hills?

Yeah, you have to really mentally prepare for that course. Everyone has the same training but a really a big portion of it is mental. We do a lot of hills for it, not as much speed work.

Do you like that course?

It’s one of my favorite courses, the scenery’s so pretty and I like that it’s one loop and not two loops where you’re repeating. I really don’t like that.

How about the difficulty of it?

I do like the challenge and even though everyone makes such a big deal about The Dip, there’s so many hills on the course and that’s what makes it really difficult, not just The Dip.

What’s the greatest mental challenge in running a cross country course?

I think just knowing that you have another mile and whether you can go faster or negative splits and also just wondering if people are going to catch you. Are you going to get passed?

What do you think about when you’re out there putting in the long mileage in training?

When I go on long runs by myself, I listen to my Ipod. I really like to run to music. I like upbeat songs. It's fun when some songs get faster and some slower.

Do you have a program that you use for your long runs?

I usually just put it on shuffle, because I never know what mood I’m going to be in.

What kind of music do you have on there?

I like a lot of pop and hip-hop songs. Techno’s good.

Which do you like better, cross country or track?

Cross country. A lot of the people who do cross country don’t do track, so I really like how closely knit our team is in cross country. I think track’s more individual, so everyone’s kind of doing their own thing sometimes. I just like the three miles a lot more and I like that it’s fall and cold.

Do you want to run in college?

Yeah, I was kind of in limbo sort of. I didn’t know if I wanted to or not but now I think I do. I can’t imagine myself not running.

What made you think twice?

Just if I go to a bigger school, I don’t know if I’d be able to keep up if it’s like Division I but also because there’s so much school work. I didn’t know if it would be too overwhelming, but it seems like they have a lot of stuff for athletes like study halls and tutors to help you.

-- Katherine Dunn

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Archbishop Spalding girls soccer coach Bob Dieterle started his coaching career like so many others. When his daughter was old enough to sign up for soccer, the recreation league team needed a volunteer and he was the one to raise his hand.

Soon after, coaching became a passion and he went on to start a Crofton travel team in the prestigious Washington Area Girls Soccer (WAGS) program with his current assistant Bob Wagner.

When some of his club players asked him to help out at Spalding, he couldn't say no.

After spending the 2001 season as an assistant coach, he took over an average-at-best program in the above-average Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference and quickly took the Cavaliers to new heights, reaching the pinnacle in 2006 when the program won its first league championship and went 19-0-2.

In his seventh season, Dieterle is one win shy of 100 with the Cavaliers taking on Seton Keough on Thursday.

-- Glenn Graham

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As the fall season winds down toward county championships that begin next week, close races aren’t uncommon. But perhaps the closest has been in Baltimore County field hockey’s Heron Division, the stronger of the county’s two divisions.

Of 10 games involving two of the top five teams in the division -- including two games that don’t officially count toward the division standings -- none has been decided by more than a single goal.

Hereford, Towson, Catonsville, Dulaney and Loch Raven have played one nailbiter after another this fall. Of their 10 games, four went to penalty-stroke shootouts, one was decided in overtime and the other five were one-goal games.

Unfortunately, only two can advance to the county championship game.

No. 9 Hereford is certainly in after sweeping all four of the others and going unbeaten in the division with just one game left. The second spot is still up for grabs.

Defending county champ and No. 10 Towson is in good position, currently standing second with its only division loss to Hereford. However, two division games remain for the Generals -- one of them with Catonsville on Friday.

With two division losses each, Catonsville and Dulaney are still in the running. In addition to Towson, the Comets also have Loch Raven to play on Saturday. The Raiders, with three division losses are out of the race by the closest of margins -- all of their losses came in shootouts.

-- Katherine Dunn

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Call it the old vs. the new or the established vs. the up-and-coming.

The River Hill boys soccer team, defending Class 2A state champions and winners of eight total, visits still-wet-behind-the-ears Marriotts Ridge this afternoon in a Howard County showdown between two of the top teams in the area. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in Marriottsville.

The visiting Hawks (6-0-1) are No. 1 in the area with five consecutive shutouts. The host Mustangs, who are in their third varsity season, are No. 3 and 8-0 -- having outscored their opponents by an impressive 29-6 margin.

It could easily be argued that this is the biggest regular-season game to date, of any sport, for the home team. After starting the season at No. 10 in the preseason poll, the Mustangs have methodically climbed to No. 3 with strong play from midfielder Phil Martinelli and impressive work in goal from Paul Killian.

The Hawks have been in plenty of big games over the years and have a talented offense led by midfielder Jake Pace and forward Jon Talbot. Expect an electric atmosphere with the stands packed and 80 minutes or more of quality soccer.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Wings for bats ... and balls ... and college

Wednesdays this month feature a whole new kind of athletic competition in Carroll County -- who can eat the most wings.

Or at least which school’s student body can raise the most money for its athletics department by eating the most wings and other menu items at the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Westminster.

This Wednesday, North Carroll and Carroll Christian will go at it.

The students and fans who bring in the most coupons for their school between 3 and 10 p.m. will advance to the winter round. Each school will receive 15 percent of its total sales for the evening.

Considering how much food high school kids can put away, you realize this isn’t just for a few bucks.

Last week, Winters Mill took on Westminster and each school earned nearly $300. Winters Mill won, edging the Owls by just $9.39. Winters Mill will get $295.13 and Westminster, $285.74.

The contest is the brainchild of Doug Weatherholtz, the Buffalo Wild Wings manager and a former North Carroll soccer player. He said he was sitting in a meeting about other promotional contests when he started thinking about how to get high schools kids involved.

"We get a ton of high school kids in there after sporting events," Weatherholtz said. "We have a bar and we have older patrons, of course, but we mainly cater to that high-school age group. I just knew this was a good idea all the way around. Everyone wins."

The rest of the month features Francis Scott Key vs. Liberty on Oct. 15 and South Carroll vs. Century on Oct. 22.

Each school has coupons (or they can be downloaded from gatorclaw.com/bwwcoupon) and they can be copied as many times as needed. (By the way parents, alcohol does not count.)

The four fall winners go on to the winter round with two schools advancing to a final spring showdown. The school that wins the finale will receive a scholarship worth 15 percent of all the money taken in by the promotion. Weatherholtz said he will leave it up to the winning school to determine how to select the scholarship winner.

"Every (Wild Wings franchise) around the country has a focus on putting something back into the community," Weatherholtz said. "Two of these schools will get to make 15 percent (of the proceeds) three times ... and these kids are not only our future employees but we hope they will be our guests for life."

-- Katherine Dunn

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High school football teams and their fans need a glass-half-full attitude and a lot of fortitude.

I've thought that ever since I was a cheerleader at Shepherdstown High School in West Virginia, where our football team usually managed one win a season -- if we were lucky. It was the same with our basketball team. We were a very small school, 350 students from grades seven through 12. My graduating class had just 49 kids, and I don't think half of them were boys.

I hadn't thought about it in a long time, but the memory came back this weekend after watching McDonogh play against Loyola Saturday afternoon, losing 55-14, and then peeking at the Eagles' upcoming schedule.

McDonogh was 2-2 before Saturday, ranked No. 12 in The Baltimore Sun's poll and in need of a win. Instead, the Eagles -- like every other team that has played Loyola this season -- got clobbered.

Still, McDonogh's players were still trying at the end of the game and their fans were still cheering (as much as they could, given the situation). And the Eagles' coach said he was proud of his team, and should have been.

"Our kids didn't quit," said coach Dom Damico. "Our kids scraped and played hard all the way -- and that's how I'll grade the film."

McDonogh plays in the MIAA, a league that is considered one of the toughest from top to bottom in the state.

"It's the beauty of this league," said Loyola coach Brian Abbott, whose team is 6-0. "This league is just tough. We could get beat in every game we play. In this league you know any Saturday be ready to play or you're going to get beat."

Saturday, every mistake McDonogh made Loyola turned into a touchdown and every mistake Loyola made McDonogh turned into touchdowns. The problem was Loyola didn't make many mistakes.

"They're like a Division III college team," said Damico. "We can't play at that level right now."

McDonogh is a developing team and has a schedule Damico estimates to be the "second-toughest in the state."

If it hadn't been before Saturday, it sure became so then. But the Eagles have to put the Dons behind them in a hurry, because sixth-ranked Mt. St. Joseph is next, followed by the well-respected Georgetown Prep (3-2) on consecutive Saturdays. Then come St. Paul's (3-2) and Archbishop Curley (4-2) the two Fridays after that. And, finally, the Eagles wrap up their season Saturday, Nov. 8, against No. 8 Gilman (4-1).

To some, it might look like a nightmare waiting to happen. But high school coaches, their players and their fans are tough and resilient.

"Our defensive line is weak up front because we don't have enough players at that (the top) level," said Damico. "But they're scrappy players and they didn't quit (against Loyola). What we need to do is go into the next game and build on that."

I love the attitude. I love the effort. It is a big part of what makes high school sports so appealing. Everyone can't be like unbeaten River Hill and Loyola, but everyone can relate to McDonogh and strive for the perfection of those top teams.

- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Throughout the golf season in Howard County, girls had the opportunity to play on their own teams for the first time.

Today, the best of them will be back on the golf course playing in the District 5 championships at Timbers of Troy in co-ed play. Eventually, separate competition for girls may also arrive on the district and state levels, but for now it is only on the county level that Howard County girls have had their own teams.

Was it a good idea?

River Hill coach Matt Graves and Atholton coach John Engelkemier both think the plan worked.

"I think it’s the smartest thing the county has ever done," said Engelkemier. "This year I had four girls try out, just enough to make a team. Next year I expect to triple that."

And Graves pointed out, "There is so much scholarship money for girl golfers out there that goes unused around the state. This could help girls find a way to go to college at a discounted price. I have a daughter, Gabby, age 4. If one day this could help her get a scholarship, with me making a teacher’s salary, I’m all for it."

At Centennial, where coach Ron Martin coached his girls team to the county championship Wednesday, there was not quite so much effervescence. He agreed, however, that it's a good thing that the number of girls participating in the county event had climbed from seven last year to 31 this year.

"There are pluses and minuses," said Martin, whose team is anchored by Audra McShane. She was recognized as the best girl golfer in the county even before she won the individual title Wednesday, and she's also called the best golfer, boy or girl, at Centennial by her coach.

"Audra likes and benefits from competition and for 90 percent of the season she had no competition," said Martin. "She’d tee off and spend the rest of the time at a hole looking behind her. She would have been much better off playing this season against the boys."

Martin also pointed out the difficulty schools had assembling enough players for separate girls teams. At Centennial, he had only four girls try out and was one of just nine of the county’s 12 high schools that was able to field a complete team -- and some of those were "iffy."

At Marriotts Ridge, where No. 1 girl golfer Jenna Albright played on the boys team the year before, the junior said she also missed the constant competition that came in co-ed matches. But she added she had found great satisfaction in being a positive influence on other girls for the future.

"There are girls who golf who didn’t come out for the team," she said. "I don’t know why they didn’t. But I think they will next year. I’ve been telling everyone how much fun it has been to play with the girls team and that there is no need to feel the intimidation that some girls might feel playing on a co-ed team with boys."

Golf coaches recruiting for a girls team during this season were at a disadvantage, Graves points out. Because tryouts started before school began, it was difficult to get the word out about the team.

"I started with two girls and then approached the volleyball and field hockey coaches, asking them to tell girls who were cut from those teams that I was looking for players," he said. "I got two that way."

Girls golf in Howard County is a work in progress. And even Martin agrees, "You’ve got to start somewhere. Heck, we [the county] didn’t even have boys golf until four years ago."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

All my interviews for today's story on Meade quarterback Raymond Cotton were already finished on Sunday when I tuned in to the Redskins-Cowboys game.

As Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell dropped back and threw a strike to Santana Moss, the light bulb went on. Cotton wears No. 17 and so does Campbell. Cotton is set to go to Auburn and Campbell had an illustrious career at the Southeastern Conference powerhouse before becoming a first-round draft pick for Washington. Both guys are 6 feet 4 -- big, athletic quarterbacks with strong arms.

The similarities are obvious and Cotton is often compared to Campbell. It was an obvious connection, right? So I called Raymond back and asked him if Campbell was the quarterback he most looked up to.

He said: "No, he's a real good quarterback and everything, but 17 was just the number one of my coaches gave me."

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Thursday's Varsity page includes a Q&A with Poly soccer sweeper Nick Halkias, who comes from a soccer family. His father played professional soccer in his native Greece and his twin brother, George, also plays on the Engineers’ defense. Older brother, Stavros, 19, played football at Poly. Here are more of Nick’s thoughts on soccer and his Greek heritage:

When did soccer become one of your passions?

Around 13. I played competitively and I love the sport, but I started getting into many other sports and I learned to love those sports as well.

What was it about soccer that it finally became your passion?

I find it to be the sport where it takes more of a team to win it. As soon as that whistle blows, it’s a team effort. Your coach might yell something to you from time to time, but you have so much emotion going on and so much adrenaline, you completely ignore that sometimes. But I think it also takes -- I don’t want to undermine football because football takes a lot of physical strength and endurance – but soccer definitely takes the most endurance, because who knows how many miles you run during a game.

What other sports have you played?

I started playing football when I was in the fifth grade. Then in sixth grade, I started playing basketball. I was just a fast learner and became good at it and then I started playing basketball competitively outside of school and I still do. I wrestle for school.

What kind of basketball team do you play for?

It’s called GOYA, Greek Orthodox Youth Association, and what it is is a church league. It consists of Greek kids or you don’t have to have a Greek background, you just have to be a Greek Orthodox Christian. It’s very large. It exists in the whole country. It’s very competitive. People think, ‘Oh you play in a church league,’ but these kids come from DeMatha and all these large schools and it’s hard-nosed.

Have you always been competitive?

Most definitely. I am ridiculously competitive. People say winning isn’t everything, I mean it’s not and there are more important things than winning, but it definitely feels good (laughs).

Are you one of those guys who’s competitive at everything?

Yeah. I play a lot of pick-up football and I play a lot of pick-up basketball and I just want to perform my best.

Are your brothers that competitive too?

Both of my brothers. Sometimes you just play a free-for-all basketball or soccer. Even when it comes down to video games, it’s competitive.

Do you want to play college soccer?

Do I want to? I am dreaming about it.

Are you looking at local colleges mostly?

Towson, UMBC. I don’t want to get in over my head, but I think if I play to my full potential and if I train some more I can make a Division I soccer team. With the coaching, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to get better, but I have no problem playing anywhere else. It’s not like I’m a big shot and only want to play Division I. It’s not like that at all. I just want to play soccer. I would be so grateful just for a partial scholarship.

What are you thinking of majoring in?

I want to get into kinesiology, athletic training, but if I go further in soccer then let it happen, because that’s a dream. If I had the chance, I would play in Greece, because to play in Greece it’s not like in the U.S. You don’t get drafted. You go there and you show what you’ve got and they will tell you right on the spot if you’re good enough. To go to Greece would be like a dream come true.

Do you enjoy having that multicultural background?

It’s what I’m most proud of. Being 100 percent Greek is just the greatest feeling in the world. Of course, I have dreams of playing nationally for Greece. As soon as you’re born, you already have a passion for soccer and all sports in general, seeing that the Greeks are the inventors of the Olympics. I’m just blessed. My father’s from Athens and my mother is from Macedonia.

Are you parents your models?

Yes. They’re the hardest workers in the world, raising three children, working non-stop. My mom works two jobs ... My dad telling me his stories about how he used to play, but back then it was just soccer. All professional meant was that you were skilled enough, you were probably one of the most highly-skilled players in Greece and you had the privilege to play, but now you see players getting ridiculous amounts of money. Back then, that didn’t exist. My father, now, he works like a dog. All he thinks about is us. Same with my mother.

-- Katherine Dunn

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