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