When the state football championship games are played later this week, Dunbar will go into M&T Bank Stadium with the distinction of being the only area team to have improved its scoring and defensive numbers in the postseason.

The Poets averaged 42.3 points in 10 regular season games, while allowing 9.8 points ( 6.6 over the past nine). In postseason play, their production has increased by about a touchdown per game, at 48.9 points, while the defense has cut a point from the oppositions' total, to 8.7.

"Everyone looks at our skill players," said Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith after his team's 48-12 victory Saturday over Catoctin. "But it is our offensive and defensive lines that are the key. We have five guys [on each side of the ball] dedicated to doing what they have to do and they are controlling the game."

Also on Saturday, top-ranked and defending 2A state champion River Hill will face No. 4 Eastern Tech, as each put their 13-0 records on the line at 3:30 p.m. This game is a rematch of last season's thriller that River Hill won, 14-7.

No. 3 Dunbar (12-1) faces Allegany County's Fort Hill (11-1), which comes in with a strong reputation, in the 1A final at noon Sudnay. Dunbar is the two-time defending champion and looking to become only the second team in the metro area to win three straight titles.

If it does, it will join No. 6 Wilde Lake (2-1), which did it from from 1990 to 1992. The Wildecats are going for their sixth state title overall, this time in 3A competition against Charles County's Westlake (10-2).

So far, in games involving area teams, none of the games leading up to these finals have been close. The primary reason for that appears to be the potent offenses of each team, but the defenses should not be overlooked.

Of the four area teams, only Wilde Lake has allowed its opposition to score in double digits, giving up an average of 12.5 points during the regular season and continuing the trend in the postseason, allowing 15.0.

River Hill was the area's highest scoring team in the regular season, with a 46.4 points per game average, and it also had the stingiest defense, with six shutouts and a 2.8 points-per-game average. But in the postseason, the Hawks' scoring has been held down to 29.7 points in three playoff games, and its points allowed number has increased to 8.7.

River Hill's opponent Saturday, Eastern Tech has also seen its scoring numbers drop, from 41.5 a game to 31.3, while its defense has remained tight, allowing 5.8 points in the regular season and 6.0 in postseason.

Dunbar though, continues to be on the upswing. The question is: Can the Poets control the offensive and defensive lines for one more game and bring home its third straight 1A title?

Catoctin coach Doug Williams didn't seem to have much doubt after his team's 48-12 loss Saturday.

"All I can say is that Fort Hill better come prepared to play four quarters," he said. "Dunbar is the real deal."

Though Smith said going back to the championship game for a third time will be like "going home for us," there is no chance the coach will allow his team to take anything for granted. Saturday's game was just over when he gathered his players around him and bellowed:

"They [Fort Hill] want it [the championship]," he said, so all his players could hear. "They want it and they're going to bring it. Is it understood? IS . . IT . . UNDERSTOOD?"

The Poets, who played their semifinal game on the Poly football field, voiced their understanding and then did a group cheer before running to their bus for the ride back to Dunbar.

"There are a lot of us seniors on this team," said linebacker Horace Miller, one of 27 seniors. "We want to go out with a bang and leave it all on the field. We've been well prepared all season. ... It doesn't matter who is in the game, all it is is football. So long as we keep doing what we're told to do and what we do in practice we'll have success."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Century football coach Terry Shermeyer has no doubts about what he and his 10th-ranked team are getting into tonight when they take on No. 1 River Hill in the Class 2A state semifinal.

"River Hill is a huge test," said Shermeyer, whose team is 12-0, just like River Hill. "They have all kinds of athletes. It's a big, big test. Our toughest assignment will be to stop No. 5."

No. 5 is Michael Campanaro, who has run for 1,704 yards on 186 carries. No one has stopped him yet. But Shermeyer said he has a couple of good inside linebackers that he will direct to keep the plays to the inside.

"We just have to try to contain them," Shermeyer said. "And then we have to try to score. They're very dangerous on offense and they've only given up 40 total points on defense."

Shermeyer didn't look that upset by the prospect. He's a coach who relishes a good challenge, which is stated with an exclamation point when you look at the way he has brought the Knights along over the past four seasons.

From a losing team to a .500 team to its first winning record -- which has turned out to be a perfect record -- so far.

"Our strength is our offense," he said. "We're going to play our game. We have a balanced offense, running and passing. We may need some extra pass protection, but it's too late to put in something new."

Century's leading rusher is Cory Anderlik, who has run for 1,139 yards on 183 carries, and it's best all-around athlete is Luke Wright, the second leading rusher, the top receiver, top kickoff returner and second-leading scorer.

"No one has wanted to kick to him all season," said Shermeyer. "Teams have been kicking short to keep it away from him and we've had great field position because of it. But I don't expect that to be the case in this game. River Hill has a lot of good, fast athletes on its coverage team, so, again, we'll just have to see how it plays out."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Hereford Bulls will travel to Wilde Lake in Columbia Friday for their Class 3A state semifinal football game with the Wildecats, and Bulls coach Steve Turnbaugh couldn't be happier.

"I'm extremely proud of my team," he said yesterday at the MPSSAA luncheon for semifinalists at M&T Bank Stadium. "In years past, we've gotten to this point very easily. But this year, it was a challenge every week."

This is Hereford's 10th trip to the semifinals. It has advanced to the finals five times, including last year, and won the state championship three times, the last time in 2002, when it was competing as a 2A school.

There was a point this season when Turnbaugh wasn't at all sure his team would even make it into the playoffs.

"After we lost to Perry Hall, we were 2-2, at the bottom of our region," Turnbaugh remembered. "A lot of people counted us out. The bar is set very high up there, and 2-2 was not taken very well.

"But the kids had a real good meeting. They re-established our goals, and we've been on a mission ever since. They've really come together to right the ship. We're here now and we'll do everything we can to win. ... It's a credit to our team to be in this position. We had to overcome a lot of challenges every week."

The challenges, it seems, just keep coming. Turnbaugh said one of his key senior players, running back/linebacker Hasani Cromwell, went out with a broken bone in his foot during practice Monday.

"As usual, it's our curse," he said. "Last year, right before the state championship game, we lost our starting nose guard.

"It's difficult to prepare for these games. We're leery about just walking through a practice because of the timing aspect. But in pads you risk getting someone injured. Hasani got his foot stepped on. It doesn't take much to break a little bone in your foot."

Turnbaugh said the Bulls have battled injuries all year, and he anticipates another of his players stepping up to do the job.

"We've got very talented kids waiting in the wings," he said.

Hereford is 10-2 and ranked No. 7 in The Baltimore Sun poll, while Wilde Lake is 11-1 and ranked No. 6.

- Sandra McKee

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Calvert Hall honored its 12 student-athletes headed to college to play lacrosse or baseball with a signing ceremony last week in the school’s George Young Hall, said Doug Heidrick, the school’s director of communications.

Signing for baseball: Brent Bieker, Mount Aloysius; Patrick Blair, Wake Forest; Evan Cain, East Stroudsburg; Michael Trionfo, Towson.

Signing for lacrosse: Tyler Adelsberger, Ohio State; Brian Carr, Detroit Mercy; Patrick Fanshaw, Loyola; Ryan Gutowski, Bucknell; Joe Impallaria, UMBC; Chris Lightner, Johns Hopkins; Jason McFadden, Georgetown; and Mike Scheeler, Maryland.

Photo: front row, left to right, Trionfo, Cain, Blair, Scheeler, Carr, Lightner; back row, Bieker, Impallaria, Gutowski, McFadden, Fanshaw. (Photo courtesy of Doug Heidrick.)

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Last week, my colleague Glenn Graham reflected on the soccer season, so, of course, I started thinking about the highlights of field hockey season. Before jumping into the winter season full time, here are the top games that come to mind for me. They ended up being the ones that sorted out the top teams: No. 1 Severna Park, No. 2 Fallston, No. 3 Garrison Forest and No. 4 Broadneck. (The rankings given next are from the day of the game.)

Sept. 13: No. 2 Severna Park 3, No. 5 Fallston 0: The Falcons, who were supposed to be rebuilding, came blasting out of the gate with this impressive victory at Roland Park’s Sally Nyborg Tournament. Ashley Dalisera made eight saves for the Falcons, who fought off a barrage of Cougars penalty corners in the second half.

Sept. 19: No. 5 Fallston 3, No. 1 Garrison Forest 1: In perhaps the strangest turn of events I’ve ever seen in a game, the Cougars’ fine performance was overshadowed as two Grizzlies were taken to the hospital by ambulance during the game. Bayley Mullan was hit in the forehead with a ball and Sarah Krolus suffered a severe asthma attack. Both were released from the hospital later that same day. For the Cougars, Lindsey Puckett had two goals and an assist and Jenn Ward had one of each.

Oct. 20: No. 4 Broadneck 2, No. 1 Severna Park 0: After falling to the Falcons during the regular season, the Bruins claimed a second straight Anne Arundel County title on goals from Lyndsi Jackson and Paige Duncan as well as nine saves from goalie Maddie Koch.

Oct. 30: No. 2 Severna Park 3, No. 1 Broadneck 2 OT: The Bruins' reign didn’t last long, as the Falcons came back to take the Class 3A East region title on Cassie Ballard’s game-winning goal. The Falcons would go on to outscore their two state tournament opponents, 10-0, for their 18th crown.

Nov. 2: No. 4 Garrison Forest 4, No. 11 Archbishop Spalding 0: Fully loaded, the Grizzlies rolled to their second straight Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference title. The Grizzlies posted their 18th shutout in 20 games.

Nov. 8: No. 2 Fallston 4, Atholton 3: In a thriller full of strategy and outstanding scoring plays on both sides, the Cougars got the game winner from Krissy Fusco for their 11th state title.
--Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

This past weekend's football games were played in frigid weather. There was snow on the ground at several games and at some, like Wilde Lake, there was a nonstop gale-like wind and snow bursts that might have made the crowd -- those hardy fans who sat like blocks of ice on metal bleachers -- think it had momentarily been transported to the North Pole.

It made sense that everyone not playing in the football game was bundled up with multiple layers of clothing. But there was one, let us say deviant, on the sidelines.

That would be Wilde Lake coach Doug Duvall.

At first glance Duvall looked normal enough. He had on a heavy parka with hood pulled tight at the neck. But if you saw him from a distance, and let your eyes travel down to his legs, well, Duvall was wearing shorts.

What was he thinking?

"In 1985 we played Glenelg and we lost," Duvall said. "That was a cold night and I had long pants on. It was my fault we lost. I made a couple bad decisions. It was a loss that could have kept us out of the postseason. And I told my kids after that game, if they won the next game I'd never wear long pants to a game again.

"We won the next game and went to the playoffs."

It would turn out to be Duvall's and Wilde Lake's first state championship season.

"I'm cold," said Duvall, whose teams now have five state championships and are in the state semifinals for the eighth time. "But I can never wear long pants at a game again."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tonight might be the River Hill Hawks' toughest night on the football field.

It's the 2A South Regional final game and the 11-0 Hawks are playing Frederick Douglass of Prince George's County.

Douglass presents an interesting challenge. The Eagles compiled six shutouts during the regular season, just as River Hill did. The Eagles aren't perfect, like River Hill, but their two losses were by the narrowest of margins, 14-12 at Fort Hill, and 9-6 in a home game against Friendly.

Douglass coach J.C. Pinkney has said his team is peaking at the right time, and last week it upset No. 2 seed North Point, 32-10, and held running back Arlando Scott, who averaged more than 200 yards in each of two previous games, to 23 yards on 13 carries. The entire North Point team rushed for less than 50 total yards. The Douglass defense has given up more than 17 points in a game just once.

All of which should make River Hill wary. And it does. Hawks coach Brian Van Deusen acknowledges Douglass "is a tough program, one of the tougher teams we've played and it is going to be another difficult test."

A positive for River Hill is that its All-County kicker Scott Trench is expected to be back. Trench injured his knee four games ago. And while Amir Shahegh has been an able substitute, there is no denying the additional weaponry Trench brings to the game. In seven games this season, he's kicked off 57 times and the opposing teams have been forced to take touchbacks on half of them.

"We still have to check his leg strength," Van Deusen said earlier this week. "But he's definitely a weapon. It's a big game. And he'll be suited up."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The recently-completed boys and girls soccer seasons brought some fine all-around play, standout performances and great moments. Here's a look at a few that imediately come to mind.

Sept. 11: South River girls 2, Severna Park 1 (2 OT) -- The visiting Seahawks were stunned by a late penalty kick that gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead, but rallied with a goal from Kari Cunard with two minutes left to send the game into overtime, when senior Christine Flanagan made good with a chance in front for the come-from-behind win. It was the first time Flanagan and her senior class had ever defeated Severna Park.

Sept. 13: Perry Hall boys 2, McDonogh 1 (OT) -- Defender Ray Rogowski scored on a header in overtime to give the Gators the upset win over top-ranked McDonogh. It would mark the only loss for the Eagles, who went on to finish the season with a 20-1 mark and capture their second straight MIAA A Conference crown. The Gators would go on to reach the Class 4A state title game.

Nov. 10: McDonogh boys 6, Mount St. Joseph 1: In the MIAA A Conference title game, midfielder Mamadou Kansaye would steal the show with an electrifying two-goal, two-assist performance. The Eagles finished a perfect 16-0 in league play.

Nov. 15: River Hill girls 3, Eastern Tech 3 (River Hill wins the Class 2A state championship on penlaty kicks): In a rematch of last year's title game, the Hawks came away with their third straight title in dramatic fashion. They rallied from an early two-goal deficit, again trailed by a goal until senior Semret Seyoum scored in the final minute to send the game into overtime. The game came down to penalty kicks with Eastern Tech goalie Amanda Walters and River Hill counterpart Carylynne Hudson slapping hands as each went in and out of the goal. Seyoum would find the lower left corner to secure the victory for the Hawks in the season's most emotional game.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When I talked with Eastern Tech soccer player Amber Womack on Monday, I was concerned that she still might be a little down after the Mavericks lost the state Class 2A championship Saturday in a penalty-kick shootout. It couldn’t have been easy for the senior, a first-team All-State selection, who played exceptionally well in scoring all three of the Mavericks’ goals in regulation, but then had to sit out the PKs because she cramped up in double overtime and couldn’t get subbed back into the game.

However, Womack, 17, had a very mature reaction to the loss, focusing on how well her team played and realizing that sometimes things just don’t go your way. When we talked on Monday, she had moved on and was already focused on basketball. She even said she preferred going to a shootout -- risking a loss for a chance to win -- rather than ending the game as co-champs.

In today’s Q&A in the Varsity section of The Baltimore Sun we talked mostly about soccer, but here are a few more comments from Womack on subjects other than sports.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Through hard work and determination you can do anything, but you also have to be willing to help yourself. You can never help someone or try to make them better if they’re not willing to help themselves, so it starts with you. If you want something, you’ve got to work hard for it and you have to put out just as much as you’re going to take in.

What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

We should be thankful for all the things that are given us, things God has provided for us, but I think because of TV and everything, along with Christmas, Thanksgiving kind of gets misrepresented for what it really stands for. Obviously Christmas doesn’t really stand for Santa and people don’t realize the real value any more, but at the same time, when you’re brought together as a family, you’re thankful for that.

You’re very involved in your church, Fountain Baptist Church on Monument Street. What are some of the things you do there?

Our church does a lot of things for the community. We have something our pastor is trying to do. It’s called Vision 2015, and he wants to have a summer program for students in Baltimore City schools and locally around our church for them to do classes. If their parents can’t take them, we’ll provide rides and take them to school. We also had an election committee which went out to homes near our church and helped people register to vote and we had a sign up at the church. The beginning of August every year, we collect school supplies for the kids who aren’t fortunate enough and we’ll send them out to the city schools.

What’s your most prized possession and why?

I have a charm necklace. It’s in a diamond shape but it’s my birthstone, which is an amethyst and my dad gave it to my mother when I was born. When I was growing up my mom would always wear it on her neck and I’d be like, “Mom when can I have it? When can I have it?” and she’d be like, “Soon enough.” For my birthday my sophomore year, my 16th birthday, they gave it to me, but I keep it in a box. I’m afraid to wear it, because I don’t want to lose it.

--Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

When Emily Berman played volleyball at Towson six years ago, she had no aspirations of becoming a coach.

Then, after a shoulder injury ended her playing career during her sophomore year at UMBC, she need to earn some money, so she took a job coaching club volleyball. The rest just fell in line.

Good players don’t always evolve into good coaches, but Berman seems to be on her way. In her first season as a head coach, she guided the Generals to the Baltimore County championship and to the state Class 3A title game. She plans to stick around a while.

“I really, really like it,” said Berman, who also teaches English at Towson. “I love teaching, but it’s through the extracurricular activities that you really get to know the kids.”

Last fall, Berman assisted long-time head coach and mentor Jayne Lacy and when Lacy retired, Berman took over the team she had led to the state championship in 2001 as an All-Metro power hitter.

“I couldn’t play anymore … but I loved the game so much and it’s done unbelievable things for me. I met some of my best friends. I got to play in college. I got to see places. I just wanted to give that chance and that opportunity back, so I started coaching and Jayne said, ‘Hey can you come help me out for a little bit?’ and here I am.”

Berman seems to have made a smooth transition to coaching despite her youth.

“When I came in, I was worried they wouldn’t take me seriously,” she said. “I’m only 23. I’m young and some of them are 17, so that’s not much of an age difference. I think they appreciate my knowledge and they also appreciate my proximity to their age.”

She can still see things from the players' perspective, so she's developing her own style with that in mind, a style shaped by the coaches she has had throughout her career.

“I’ve had so many coaches, not only in volleyball but in other sports and I know how I reacted to certain methods of coaching and I think more than anything, I know what I don’t want to be like. (As a player) sometimes I felt like I was being personally attacked by coaches and it’s an awful feeling. I played sports to have fun.

“These girls in high school, it means so much to them to beat the Dulaneys, to beat the Catonsvilles where they don’t need to be personally attacked, they need to be encouraged. More than anything I tried to encourage and next year, I know I’ll try to encourage even more.”

That sounds pretty encouraging for the future of the Generals’ program.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When Asya Bussie and Akeema Richards signed with West Virginia last week, it was a potentially great basketball combination brought together first on the Maryland Magic Amateur Athletic Union team in the summer of 2006.

Bussie, a 6-foot-5 center for Seton Keough, and Richards, a 5-foot-8 guard for Western, were All-Metro first-team selections last season. Each has already scored more than 1,000 career points heading into her senior season.

Playing together on the same AAU team showed glimmers of the chemistry that should shine through during their four years as Mountaineers. Each can complement the other.

While Bussie can be dominating in the paint at both ends and can also run the floor, Richards loves to drive to the hoop and can also whip off some terrific passes.

“There is so much potential,” said Seton Keough coach Jackie Boswell, who coached both girls with the Magic.

“Akeema knows how to score and the good thing about having a 6-foot-5 kid down there is she can clean up whenever she misses,” said Boswell. “I see them being a good defensive duo as well. I don’t know West Virginia’s style, but we were able to trap with those kids and let Asya get the steal.”

The two visited West Virginia together and are looking forward to playing together.

“It was fun playing with her,” said Bussie. “She was the point guard and she knows how to get the ball in to the post.”

Both girls said it would be nice to have someone they know on campus when they get there -- both on the court and off.

“Since we’ve played together, we do have some kind of chemistry,” said Richards. “She’s big. She can handle the passes in there, and I guess it makes it more comfortable for me. I really don’t know anybody else there.”

While both girls like the basketball program, they were also happy with the way the school fits into their career plans. Both are planning to go into the medical field.

Bussie said she wants to be a dentist and West Virginia has a dental school. Richards plans to become a pediatrician and said she liked that there is a children’s hospital on the campus.

-- Katherine Dunn

Top photo courtesy of Laura Bisceglia: Asya Bussie (left) is shown with Seton Keough coach Jackie Boswell.

Bottom photo courtesy of Sandra Jones: Akeema Richards (right) signs a letter of intent to play for West Virginia as her parents, Debra (left) and Anderson, watch.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

St. Paul’s Bailey Webster added to her long list of volleyball accolades today when she was selected an Under Armour All-American.

The 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter, who signed last week with Texas, was one of 24 girls selected nationwide and she had been invited to play in the Under Armour All-America High School Volleyball Match and Skills Competition in Omaha, Neb., on Dec. 21.

Last year’s All-Metro Player of the Year and Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Webster was named the No. 1 recruit in the nation earlier this month by PrepVolleyball.com. She averaged 7.1 kills this season in leading the Gators to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference regular-season title and the runner-up spot in the tournament. According to John Tawa, of PrepVolleyball.com, she is one of a handful of players being considered for Gatorade National Player of the Year.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In the Nov. 6 edition, two of my colleagues -- Sandra McKee and Kathy Dunn -- squared off in a faceoff about the pros and cons of penalty kicks deciding state championships in high school soccer. In the past few days, I watched two quality girls teams in Sparrows Point and Eastern Tech and two on the boys side -- Fallston and Liberty -- see their special seasons come to an end in bitter disappointment because they didn't have better aim than their respective opponents after playing 100 minutes of soccer.
My take on the question? NO WAY!
The bottom line is, the better team always doesn't leave with the first-place trophy and penalty kicks -- when it is one player vs. one player -- shouldn't determine a team's fate for an entire season.
After losing to Glenelg, 2-0, in last year's 1A title game, Sparrows Point caught up this season, playing on even terms against the Gladiators through 100 minutes of play. River Hill and Eastern Tech played an instant classic last year with the Hawks scoring a goal in the final minute of double overtime to claim the top prize. This year's rematch upped last year's game -- Eastern Tech taking a 2-0 lead and then a 3-2 lead before the Hawks battling back to tie the game in the final minute. Then, with less than three minutes left in the second overtime, Eastern tech senior standout Amber Womack, who scored all three goals during regulation, cramped up and had to leave the game. Because she wasn't on the field at the end of the overtime, she couldn't participate in the penalty kicks.
The Liberty boys were hoping to send head coach Ed DeVincent out with another state title in his last season as coach did everythig they could but put a goal away as they controlled the majority of the second half against J.M. Bennett in the Class 2A boys title game. Liberty fell, 5-3, in penalty kicks.
Fallston had the same bad luck against Tuscarora in the 3A game, playing a solid game but losing 4-2 in the shootout.
The biggest impression I was left with watching all that soccer over the weekend came following the Eastern Tech-River Hill game when a number of the Mavericks sat in the press conference, crying in disappointment after working so hard to get back to the title game in hopes of a different outcome.
They, too, were champions in my book that day.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Pikesville's football team is the No. 2 seed in the Class 1A North Region, and it did something Friday night that it had never done before in the school's 30-year-plus history.

It won a playoff game. It beat No. 3 seed New Town, 22-18.

There were similar celebrations elsewhere, including at Fallston and Century high schools, where those football teams also won postseason games for the first time in their schools' histories -- 32 years at Fallston and eight years at Century.

Pikesville's postseason performance will continue Friday, as the Panthers host No. 4 seed Catoctin, which was a surprising 34-0 winner over No. 1 seed Chesapeake-Baltimore, for the 1A North championship.

Pikesville's performance in finally winning a postseason game is wonderful, but it takes on added significance when considering that the Panthers, who were 6-4 in the regular season, weren't on anyone's radar at the start of this year.

The team was 2-8 a year ago and during the offseason officials hired a new coach, Jamie Willis, a 39-year-old who was taking on his first head coaching job.

Willis will tell you he "just got lucky." But the more he talks, the more the suspicion grows that it was more than that.

Coming into a school without much football tradition, Willis came with a plan he had put together during his time as an assistant coach, most recently at Long Reach in Columbia.

"It was to let the kids know how much I care about them," he said. "To let them know that I will stick by them, no matter what happens, on and off the football field. That I will be there for them. No matter what happens, I'll stick.

"My kids know I love them. They know that. And I've told them if they work hard and play hard, they'll reap the rewards, and that's what they're doing now."

But Willis said what makes him even more proud is that his players care about each other beyond football.

"That's more important than anything on the football field," he said. "More important than just winning. I want them to be the best people they can be. I think that's more important than anything, and if that helps them to succeed on the football field and move along in life, that's all I can hope for."

The icing on the cake, however, would be another win Friday, when the Panthers have the opportunity to win their first regional football championship.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The two Fallston soccer teams were on the wrong end of the scoreboard in last night's state championship games -- the boys losing to Tuscarora on penalty kicks and the girls falling, 2-0, to a talented Bethesda-Chevy Chase team. It was a tough night for the Cougar faithful and the hurt is probably still lingering today. What is often lost when any team loses in a state championship game is the successful season it had, the ride that came with getting to a state title game and the bonding and learning that takes place along the way. Following last night's game, Fallston boys coach Chris Hoover passionately talked about his 11 seniors, how they all came together as one and bought into the system from their days as freshmen. Because Tuscarora managed to put two more penalty kicks away doesn't change the success the Cougars enjoyed and the character-building journey that took place to get to play on the season's last day.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Arundel’s girls basketball team has enjoyed great success recently and three girls who have contributed to that will go on to make their own success at separate colleges. All-Metro center Simone Egwu has signed with Virginia, second-team All-Metro guard Ashley Davis with Drexel, and guard Ebonee Jones with La Salle.

Last year, the trio played a big part in the No. 3 Wildcats’ 22-6 season that included the runner-up spot in the state Clas 4A final and the Anne Arundel County championship. They again will be among the prime contributors as the Wildcats surely will rank among the area’s top girls teams when they begin practice Saturday.

Egwu, 6-feet-3, shot 62.3 percent from the field and averaged 16.1 points last season as the No. 3 Wildcats won their sixth straight Anne Arundel County championship. Also a force on defense, she averaged 6.2 defensive rebounds among her 10.4 season average.

Davis, 5-feet-9 and exceptionally quick, has excellent range on her jump shot. She averged 14.1 points and 3.1 assists. It's hard to beat the Wildcats when she's hot.

Jones, a multitalented 5-foot09 guard, averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds last season. In the regional final, a 77-54 win over South River, she had 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

--Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When was the last time a Howard County boys soccer team did not make an appearance in a state title game?

Jimmy Carter was in office as our 39th president. The Oakland Raiders actually had a good football team, beating Minnesota to win the Super Bowl. The New York Yankees were winning a World Series with Reggie Jackson hitting homers. The average cost of a house was $54,200; gas was 62 cents per gallon; and you could send a birthday card with a 13-cent stamp. The Fonz was doing his thing in prime time on "Happy Days" and Darth Vader was battling Luke Skywalker in the first "Star Wars."

The year was 1977 when Wilde Lake fell in the state semifinal round, where Marriotts Ridge was eliminated this year by J.M. Bennett, 1-0 to end a 30-year run of state championship appearances.

In those 30 years, Howard County won a whopping 41 state titles and also had eight runner-up finishes. Oakland Mills sets the bar with 12 crowns, River Hill's title last year gave the Hawks eight with Centennial right behind at seven.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by Ron Fritz at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

North Carroll High School coach Jeff Oeming had his hands full this season. So full that he might have simply not worried about The Baltimore Sun's request to keep the sports staff informed about how his team was doing.

But every Monday or Tuesday morning the email arrived containing the team stats from the previous weekend's game. And then this week, the final compilation.

Doesn't sound like a big deal. And if it had been any of The Sun's Top 15 teams it wouldn't have been, because when a team is doing well, a coach wants everyone to know and doesn't mind showing off the stats.

But North Carroll wasn't doing well. It won just two of 10 games this season. A true disappointment for a team that was 8-2 the year before and had gone to the playoffs for the first time 30 years.

But Oeming kept sending his stats.

"I'm proud of my team," he said in way of explanation on the phone last night. "We played a very tough schedule. We had injuries. And we seemed to stumble out of the gate. But we led or came from behind to lead in six of our 10 games. We just weren't very big and it seemed to wear on us as the games went on. We just couldn't put them away or extend our leads."

In 32 years of coaching, three at North Carroll, Oeming said this was the worst season he can remember - and not just because of losing games. At the end of this school year, North Carroll will lose half of its student body to newly built Manchester Valley

"It was unique," Oeming said. "We were coming off our first playoff year and looking at the impending split of our student body. Teams lose their seniors at the end of every years, but a lot of the younger players we had this year knew it would be their last season here, too. Many of them had parents who had played here, whose entire families had gone to school here."

Next year, half of North Carroll's ninth and 10th grades will be at Manchester.

"It was an unusual season and our players played with a lot of pride in our school," said the coach.

North Carroll was anchored by three-year starter, senior Dylan Ewen, who played offensive tackle and filled in wherever needed on the defensive line, "He was all over the place," said Oeming, who also got sound play from senior quarterback Casey Mann and two fast senior receivers, Zach Westfall and Carlyle Smith, who showed good speed to the outside.

"Usually, right now you're looking at your ninth graders, your freshmen and junior varsity and starting to make plans for what you want to get done in the off season," said the coach who expects his team will be classified as 2A next season. "But a lot of these guys aren't going to be here. They're going to be going to a brand new school."

What next year holds is unclear, but Oeming said he knows he can count on one important thing next season, a group of players with spirit who will take pride in their school.

Under the circumstances, who could ask for more.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Tim Wheatley at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Taking a look at what promises to be a great next few days of soccer with the state championship games starting tomorrow through Saturday, two of the girls games – Sparrows Point vs. Glenelg in the Class 1A final at 7:30 Friday, and River Hill vs. Eastern Tech at noon, Saturday in 2A – caught my eye.

Both games are rematches of tightly contested finals last season, with Glenelg coming away with a 2-0 win over the Pointers, and River Hill prevailing over Eastern Tech, 2-1, in the final minute of the second overtime.

Which teams have the advantage: The defending champions, because they know they’ve done it before, or the hungry runner-up teams that came so close last year?

In the 1A final, Sparrows Point coach Conrad Snyder is confident last year’s experience can push his team over the top as they seek their first-ever state crown. The Pointers have been to the state title game in four of the past five years.

Experience is working for the Pointers this year as they bring back a senior-laden team, while the defending champ Gladiators have eight new starters.

After River Hill edged Eastern Tech last year, both of the teams’ coaches came together after the game and said, "See you next year." This year’s game is filled with star power. Eastern Tech has a fast and aggressive one-two scoring punch in seniors Brittany Rhodes and Amber Womack, with senior Rachel Traeser and junior Kelsey Ports controlling the middle. The Hawks, who have won six state crowns and are looking to make it three straight, are balanced with Brittany Yancey, Anna Kim and Kathryn Rodgers doing much of the scoring, and senior defender Amy Song’s long throw constantly putting pressure on opposing teams’ penalty areas.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When local girls lacrosse players began contemplating the future of their athletic careers, quite a few of them looked south – as far south as possible.

As Amanda O’Leary, head coach of Florida’s brand-new women's lacrosse program, collects the paperwork this week from her first signing class, a lot of those letters of intent will come from Baltimore girls.

Look in The Baltimore Sun today at the chart of girls lacrosse players who are signing this week and you will see Florida come up an awful lot.

One reason is that Florida has more spots available as a new fully funded program that will debut in the spring of 2010. For players who want to go to a warm climate, Florida is the jackpot. There’s no other Division I women’s program south of North Carolina.

Some players, of course, prefer established programs, and the local powerhouses certainly got their share of talent. But with new Division I programs popping up every year, other girls want to get in on the ground floor. The girls headed to Gainesville next year come from some of the area’s best programs, including John Carroll, Severna Park, McDonogh and Mount Hebron.

Ask McDonogh’s Kitty Cullen, an All-Metro midfielder last spring, why she chose Florida and she says, "I don’t know where to begin."

Cullen was so impressed that she committed to the Gators last January.

"I guess no other schools really compared to it," she said. "They offered everything I could have imagined. I just saw how the athletes got treated there, and I also wanted to be a part of a new program."

O’Leary knew the kind of talent she would find in the Baltimore area, having recruited here while at Yale. At first, she wasn’t sure she could draw the blue-chip players to a start-up program, despite all the amenities already in place at a big-time sports school.

"The exciting part of this is knowing we can go after the best of the best and they’re going to come here. You always worry with a new program that you don’t have the facilities to show them or the former student-athletes for them to meet. They just have to believe in the dream," she said, adding that when the Gators finally take the field, they will do so in a new lacrosse-only facility.

Cullen said the girls who have committed to Florida, including her McDonogh teammate Colby Rhea, have gotten together a few times to get to know each other. They are all looking forward to building the program in Gainesville.

"We will go down in history with the program," Cullen said, "and [O’Leary] got a lot of good players, so I think as we get older and with a little experience, we’ll be really good."

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by Andy Knobel at 5:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Archbishop Spalding sophomore goalie Jocelyn McCoy was named the ESPN RISE National Soccer Player of the Week after leading the No. 1 Cavaliers to their second Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship in three years. McCoy played a big role in the Cavaliers' 2-0 win over previous-No. 1 McDonogh in the title game on Nov. 3. The Cavaliers posted 13 shutouts in their 19-1-3 season. McCoy, who had big shoes to fill after four-year standout Karen Blocker graduated, shined in her first year as a starter.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

While the public schools are preparing to go into the state playoffs Friday, Loyola coach Brian Abbott has a little over two weeks to think about and prepare his team for what amounts to a championship game on Thanksgiving Day against Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association rival Calvert Hall.

"I'm nervous," he said. "I'm nervous before every game, and we both have a long time to prepare for each other."

It's difficult to believe that Loyola, with its perfect 10-0 record, has not already claimed the coveted MIAA A Conference title as theirs alone. But the Dons, 4-0 in league play, still have to beat Calvert Hall to take sole possession of the A Conference crown.

If they stumble, they will have to share the championship with Mount St. Joseph, which is 7-2 overall, but 4-1 in A Conference play. The fact Loyola is the team that gave the Gaels their one conference loss carries no weight.

Sharing the title is not an unfamiliar position. Loyola and Mount St. Joseph were co-champions last season, after the Gaels presented the Dons with their only loss of the season.

"There are only six teams in the A Conference," said Abbott. "Going on the overall record is the only fair way to do it."

The same system applies to the C Conference, where St. John's Catholic Prep (8-2, 5-0) had the best regular season record among the four conference teams. Meanwhile, the B Conference, in which nine teams compete, will be decided during a playoff game at 6 p.m. Saturday between St. Paul's and St. Mary's at Towson University.

Abbott is surprisingly accepting of the situation, something many would not be given his passion for the title.

"Winning the MIAA A Conference title, it's equivalent to any state title," he said. "The competition is so strong that winning it is an incredible achievement."

No matter what happens, Abbott believes his team has already had an amazing and successful season.

"This is a great group of guys and this season has taught them so much about overcoming adversity," he said. "We endured the death of our kicker [Dennis Wolford] and an injury to our quarterback [Leon Kinnard to a broken leg]. We've had a lot to overcome. But these young men have worked hard."

And now, while public school teams are preparing to kick off in the first round of regional play, Loyola will be working hard to prepare for the game that could bring them their third consecutive MIAA title -- shared or not. It might seem like a forgone conclusion that Loyola will beat Calvert Hall and claim the crown as theirs alone. After all, the Dons have won 19 of the past 23 meetings and Calvert Hall is experiencing an off season at 4-6.

But Abbott said: "Numbers aren't important when you're dealing with a rivalry and a great deal of emotion."

Victory, he said, will come to the team that is the smartest.

"It comes down to the maturity of your team," he said. "It comes down to who believes in themselves, who works hard and well together. That's the team that will win, not the immature one that thinks victory comes just because of the name on the jersey. The immature lose, while the team that doesn't expect to win -- and works hard to win -- does."

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Ray Frager at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association announced the matchups and schedule for the regional playoffs yesterday.

To view the brackets, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It’s not every day you see field hockey games with scores of 5-1, 4-3 or 6-0. It’s even more surprising to see those numbers in the state finals.

There were so many goals scored Saturday at Washington College, that records were tied or broken all day. The day-long tally of 20 goals was the highest total ever for the state finals. In the past, teams had reached 15 goals three times, most recently in 1997.

The day got off to a blistering start when Pocomoke beat Glenelg, 5-1, in Class 1A. The Warriors’ five goals tied the record for most goals by a winning team in a final while the total of six tied the record for most goals by both teams.

But both those records would last only a few hours.

Fallston’s 4-3 win over Atholton in Class 3A set a new mark for most goals by both teams in a title game. In the day’s finale, Severna Park torched Quince Orchard, 6-0 in Class 4A, for the most goals by one team.

Only one game was close all day, Kent Island’s 1-0 win over Winters Mill.

No one seems to have an answer for why so many goals were scored this year. The games were played on artificial turf, but they have been for the past few years at Broadneck or Maryland. There have been dominating performances in the past, of course, but that usually meant a 3-0 or 3-1 win.

It may have been just one of those things. It’s tough to play teams like Severna Park, with 18 state titles, and Pocomoke, with 16, when you don’t have the same level of skill and experience. With their track records, those teams draw dedicated players who focus on field hockey over other sports.

Fallston has a similar tradition, winning its 11th state crown, and few would have predicted that Atholton would push them right to the finish. But Atholton proved that underdogs can be in the fight, especially when they score three goals.

While it’s more exciting to watch a close game, it’s also fun to see a lot of goals in a sport that’s usually very low scoring.

We may never see that many goals in a state hockey tournament again, so it was nice to see all that offense for a change.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association football playoff schedule is set to begin Friday with 64 total teams taking part in 16 regions.

It has already been a wonderful season for these teams and their fans. They've seen great football from the expected powers and from the unexpected. They've seen teams face adversity and overcome it. And they've seen unbelievable achievements.

No. 1 ranked River Hill completed its third straight undefeated regular season.

Century, which had not had a winning season in its eight-year history, not only had a winning season, but also an undefeated one.

In fact, all together, 11 teams will enter postseason play with unblemished regular-season records.

Joppatowne would have made it a dozen, except for learning it had an ineligible player that caused the forfeit of its first three victories this season. It was a blow that could have wound up eliminating the Mariners from postseason competition, but Joppatowne just kept winning and wound up 7-3 and the No. 2 seed in Class 1A East.

In another quirk, in the 1A West, Smithsburg went 10-0 but is the No. 2 seed behind 8-1 Fort Hill because of the MPSSAA's point qualifying system.

Eight other teams flirted with perfection, going 9-1, including Dunbar, which was picked No. 1 in The Baltimore Sun's preseason poll, but lost by a single point, 33-32, to Gwynn Park in its season opener. The Poets chewed on that loss all season, using it as inspiration to manhandle every other team they played.

For their efforts, they've maintained the No. 3 ranking in The Sun's poll all season and earned the No. 1 seed in 1A South.

And at Fallston, the Cougars went 7-3 and made the playoffs for the first time in that school's 31-year varsity history. They're seeded No. 2 in 3A East. Wilde Lake is No. 1 in longtime coach Doug DuVall's last season.

Given what we've already seen, the state playoffs promise a rollicking good time.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Andy Knobel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

For a supporter of Fallston High School athletics, you can't ask for much more than tomorrow's full plate of action. Field and courts all over Maryland will be filled with Cougars' orange. The day starts at Centennial where the No. 4 Fallston volleyball team will take on the Eagles for the Class 3A East region championship. From there, the No. 8 boys soccer team will be at North County High to take on La Plata in the Class 3A state semifinal game. At Washington College, the No. 2 Cougars field hockey team will chase after the program's 11th state championship when it plays Atholton at 4 p.m. And finally, No. 2 girls soccer team closes out the long day with a 7:30 state semifinal game against Northern at North Point High School. Gas prices went down just in time!

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Early tomorrow morning, I will make the long trek to Chestertown to watch five local teams go after state field hockey championships at Washington College.

The season's final day will tell a tale of two kinds of teams – perennial powerhouses and those with first-time title hopes.

No. 1 Severna Park and No. 2 Fallston are regulars in the state finals and together have collected 27 state championship trophies. No team has more than Severna Park with 17.

Pocomoke, from the Eastern Shore, has a similar story with 15 state crowns. While many teams move up and down in classification over the years, Pocomoke has remained in Class 1A and, if the Warriors win tomorrow, they will own exactly half of the 1A titles ever contested.

Severna Park's 17 championships have come in Class 4A and Class 3A. Fallston has 10 from Class 3A and 2A. Bethesda-Chevy Chase, which Fallston beat in Wednesday’s semifinal, has won 13 titles and the Barons have won in 4A, 3A and 2A.

The local first-time hopefuls all have been to the state tournament before. They just haven’t taken home the trophy yet. No. 9 Glenelg, No. 11 Winters Mill and Atholton each face a tough opponent, but upsets certainly happen. That’s why they play the game.

One team after its first title is actually favored: Kent Island in Class 2A. The Buccaneers proved to Baltimore-area hockey fans that they are a force to be reckoned with when they beat No. 10 Archbishop Spalding and tied No. 4 Broadneck at Broadneck's early-season tournament.

Glenelg and Pocomoke kick off action at 11 a.m. in Class 1A, followed by Winters Mill-Kent Island in Class 2A at 1:30, Fallston-Atholton in 3A at 4 and Severna Park-Quince Orchard in the finale, 4A at 6:30.

--Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It was May four years ago that Century High School football coach Tony Shermeyer followed his athletic director over to the local middle school to talk to the eighth-graders about fall sports at Century.

"There were a lot more of them that day than there are here now," Shermeyer said. "I have about 16 left. But I told them that day that if they worked hard and stayed together they could have a really good football team. I told them what they had to do in the weight room to make themselves better and those kids listened to me and did the work. Now, they're reaping the rewards."

Century (9-0) plays local 2A West rival Liberty (7-2) tonight with the possibility of claiming a perfect regular season record.

Whether the Knights earn a 10-0 mark or not, this season is already historic. It is the first time in Century's eight-year history that it has a winning record. It's previous best came two years ago, when these same players went 5-5.

And, on a personal note, Shermeyer and his wife became parents for the first time three months ago, when Noah arrived.

"I drive 45 minutes to work to be with my football team," said Shermeyer. "Then I drive 45 minutes home at the end of the day and have the added joy of seeing his face."

Ranked No. 13 in this week's Baltimore Sun poll, Century is experiencing a raucous autumn.

In the last four years, Shermeyer has seen his team go from 1-9 to 5-5 to 4-6 to 9-0 and seen the enthusiasm in the communities of Sykesville and Eldersburg rise exponentially.

"Both towns have gotten excited about this," said Shermeyer. "And here at the school, there is a whole lot more school spirit. You see kids taking pride in wearing the green and white football shirts. Every Monday morning, when they make announcements, they talk about our football team's victory, and at the end of every day, the person making the end of the day announcements encourages everyone to come to the game Friday night."

Century's Varsity Club has put together a tailgate party to increase the celebratory atmosphere before tonight's game.

"There's a lot of buzz," said Shermeyer.

The coach is creating some buzz of his own. He is nearly self-taught.

Shermeyer attended DeLone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa., and played football for one year in college at Kutztown University before leaving to coach his alma mater for two years. He then went to Mount St. Mary's where he got his teaching degree, but The Mount has no football team.

"I've modeled my coaching after my high school coach, Dennis Frew," said Shermeyer, who came to Century when it opened in 2001 and took over as head coach four years ago. "He was someone I looked up to because of the way he treated the kids. He left a big impression on me."

Before the start of this season, Shermeyer moved last year's quarterback, senior Luke Wright to wide receiver, and moved receiver Josh Bordner, a junior, to quarterback.

"We've just taken off since then," said Shermeyer, who credits Bordner and seniors Wright, running back Cory Anderlik, OG/DT Matt Bodnar and C/DT Nick Wolcott and FB/LB Mike Conway as being key to the team's success.

"Luke, Josh and Cory make our offense go," said the coach. "Matt and Nick are leaders in the off season and strong and quick on the line and Mike Conway does all the dirty work. He's like having another lineman in the backfield and Mike and Cory lead our defense at their linebacker positions."

Tonight, if Century wins, it will be the No. 1 seed in its 2A West region and probably be looking at a rematch with Liberty, currently the No. 4 seed. Should Liberty win tonight, Century could slip to No. 2 and Liberty move up to No. 3, which would again pit the two area rivals in a rematch.

"There's a slight chance we could play someone else," said Shermeyer. "But whatever happens doesn't matter. The important thing is we're going to be in the playoffs for the first time in our history. And it's all because those eighth graders listened to me and then put in the hard work necessary to get better."

- Sandra McKee

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Archbiship Curley gets the first chance to knock off the No. 1 McDonogh soccer team when it visits the defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference? Eagles this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the league semifinals. In the other semifinal, Gilman travels to Mount St. Joseph, with the two winners meeting in the title game on Monday at Johns Hopkins.

McDoogh (18-1 overall and 16-0 in the league) has been overwhelming opponents with equal parts of steady offense and strong defense. The Eagles have posted 13 straight shutouts wins and 15 overall, outscoring their opponents by a 62-7 margin for the season, with their only blemish coming against Perry Hall, a 2-1 overtime setback, on Sept. 13.

Julian Griggs, Mamdou Kansaye and Jeremy Kirkwood provide creativity on offense with Joe Vidmar, Marquez Fernandez and Joe Meyer providing the glue on defense. Vidmar is the only senior in the bunch.

Curley promises to give the Eagles a good test in a rematch of last year's title game. The Friars, led by defender Oumar Ballo, have stayed the closest with the Eagles during the regular season, with two 1-0 setbacks.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Mac Kennedy, director of alumni affairs at Boys' Latin sends this tidbit along about the upcoming Hall of Fame inductions:

"On Thursday evening, November 6, The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland will induct its second group of alumni into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The event will take place in the Julian S. Smith Alumni House at 6 p.m. This year’s group includes longtime basketball coach at Boys’ Latin Hugh Gelston ’56, Tom Mitchell ’56, Matt Toth ’61, Ron Regan ’64, Robert Carter ’64, Butch Hilliard ’64, Bruce Regan ’66, John Brizendine ’66, Doug Hilbert ’66, Todd Guntner ’72, Frank Betley ’72, and Charlie Stieff ’74. Stieff and Bruce Regan were winners of the C. Markland Kelly Award while in high school. The award is given to the state’s best high school lacrosse player. Mitchell is a member of the Naval Academy’s Hall of Fame and Ron Regan was previously inducted into the Washington College Hall of Fame. Hilliard is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame."

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by Tim Wheatley at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

City junior forwards C.J. Fair and Jordan Latham gave oral committments today.

Fair, a 6-foot-8 All-Metro selection last season, committed to Syracuse, while Latham, 6-7, is bound for Xavier.

Fair averaged 20.3 points and six rebounds per game last season for the 10th-ranked Knights (20-4).

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It’s a matter of opinion which is the more difficult accomplishment in the private school girls athletic league – winning the regular season title or winning the tournament title.

I can see it both ways. It’s tough to come out ahead in a 14- or 16-game season that includes a lot of teams pretty evenly matched. It’s not easy to win those three games at tournament time either when every team is primed and even one with a losing record can get hot and take out a favorite as Notre Dame Prep’s field hockey team did in beating Bryn Mawr last week.

That makes it all the more remarkable when a team wins both in the same season. And still more remarkable when all three teams in the same sport win both. How about winning both and going undefeated in your conference?

That almost never happens even for one team, but all three Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland field hockey teams did it this season.

After winning the regular season titles, Garrison Forest, McDonogh and Mercy won their respective A, B and C Conference tournament championships yesterday. Not one of them lost a game to a conference opponent and Mercy did not lose a game at all.

I’m not sure that kind of triple triumph will happen ever again.

-- Katherine Dunn

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Nice to know there can still be a surprise delivered at a high school football game.

Friday night at Poly, where No. 3 Dunbar was hosting No. 15 Edmondson the crowd was surprised to see a helicopter circling the playing field during an injury time out midway through the second quarter.

The timing added to the suspense, because Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith had just minutes before called for an ambulance for Edmondson's No. 54 Willie Little, who had been on the ground for some time after the previous play before moving. How serious was the injury? When the helicopter came into view, some fans wondered if it was the Medevac Unit flying in to hasten Little's delivery to the hospital.

But Little's injury turned out to be a foot injury, not life-threatening in nature.

The helicopter, it turned out was delivering University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen to the game.

"You made quite an entrance," he was told. "There was already a timeout for an injured player."

"I heard about that," he said. "But I'm hard to miss anyway."

Friedgen said it was a perfect night for football. Cold and crisp. Under the lights.

"It's fun to get out and see the kids play, having a good time and competing against each other," he said.

He had come to see several players he was interested in recruiting. Dunbar's Tavon Austin obviously among them.

"We're looking at several guys on both teams," he said.

Could he say who?

"I can't," he said. "It's illegal. But we have a kid on Edmondson who has committed to us."

Do we know who that is?

"You may know, but I can't tell you," he said, declining to name Edmondson's senior defensive end and linebacker David MacKall. "It's against the rules. That's the way they are."

We keep reading Austin has visited Michigan, is going to visit North Carolina and West Virginia. Is he coming to see you guys?

"I don't know that yet," said Friedgen.

Will you get to talk to him here after the game?

"It''s against the rules to talk to him until his coach releases him after the game," Friedgen said. "By that time, he'll probably be on the bus."

So Friedgen's mission was to make an appearance, just to let those players on the field who knew of Maryland's interest in them see just how interested the Maryland coach is.

On a chilly October night, rather than drive less than 50 miles from the Maryland campus, he took the trouble to helicopter in. It was a surprising and very impressive sight.

Sandra McKee

Posted by Ron Fritz at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)