Severna Park senior pitcher Dylan Taylor became only the second player in school history to have his number retired Wednesday night at the Falcons' Spring Banquet.

Taylor went 9-0 this season and pitched the Falcons to the Class 4A state championship and a No. 2 ranking in The Baltimore Sun's final baseball poll of the season.

Taylor's No. 17 joins the No. 5 of Chris Crum, Severna Park's storied two-way player who was the No. 3 hitter and No. 1 pitcher for the Falcons' 2003 and 2005 3A state championship teams and never lost a game.

Coach Jim McCandless said that while Taylor will be away at college next spring, there will be a special ceremony to formally retire No. 17 and hang it and No. 5 on the team's outfield fence.

"It doesn't happen very often," McCandless said. "Dylan deserves this honor. Both these young men are pretty special."

McCandless said Taylor overcame adversity as a sophomore when he "got caught up in the realization that he was playing on the varsity team. He got kind of in shock that he was getting that experience as a sophomore and he struggled with his control.

"But he handled that by working harder on his fundamentals and his mental makeup until this year he believed, like we did, that he could be the most dominating pitcher in Maryland."

Taylor also has been selected for the Gieco Financial Brooks Robinson Senior All-Star Game at Camden Yards on Sunday, June 14. The top seniors in Maryland will play at approximately 4 p.m., immediately following that day's Orioles game.

The North and South teams will be composed of public and private school players.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Dulaney's Carolyn Chandler and Severna Park's Adam Robert Chaput have been named the recipients of $2,500 scholarships awarded annually to two local high school golfers by the George E. Sonnenfeld Foundation, Inc.

Chandler, a Phoenix resident, is a four-time Baltimore County champion and a two-time district champion.

Chaput, a Severna Park resident, has been on the Falcons team for three years and was team captain as a senior.

In addition to playing golf, both student athletes maintained high grade-point averages.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In the middle of the basketball season, I blogged about a hidden gem I was impressed with from Howard County: Hammond senior point guard Chris Baker.

The second-team All-Metro selection, a four-year standout who averaged 20.7 points as a senior, has recently signed a national letter of intent to play at Missouri Southern.

Baker, listed as 5-feet-10, 181 pounds, surpassed the 1,000-point plateau in his four-year career and brought positive intangibles to the floor with leadership and energy for the Golden Bears. This season, he also averaged 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 5.4 assists.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The boys lacrosse season came to an end Wednesday night when South River wrapped up the Class 4A-3A state title with a sturdy 11-5 win over Urbana.

The week left plenty of lasting impressions.

Let's start with the best, and that was No. 1 Gilman, who came out fast in Monday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game against talented Calvert Hall and simply overwhelmed the Cardinals with a faster pace and determined approach that netted a surprisingly comfortable 13-7 win. After losing by a goal to Loyola in last year's title game, the senior-dominated Greyhounds were not to be denied, despite the fact that every team in the country's best league was gunning for them.

The B Conference title game -- Annapolis Area Christian's thrilling 14-13 double overtime win against John Carroll -- featured seven ties and an impressive first half from Eagles senior Matt Soldano, who scored all five of his team's goals unassisted to stake the would-be champs to a 5-3 halftime lead. Soldano went on to finish with seven goals and one assist.

Among the publc schools, Pikesville's impressive run to the Class 2A-1A championship -- a 6-5 win over Queen Anne's -- featured a gritty 17-save effort from goalie Erick Zarzecki. When teammate Max Kinkoff described Zarzecki as a 'brick wall' in the post-game news conference, adding how confident the team also played knowing he was behind them, you could see in Zarzecki's face how much that meant to him. The big kid was smiling and even blushing a bit.

And how about South River, who overcame a sluggish first half against Urbana and played their best quarter of the season -- five unanswered goals in the third en route to the comfortable win -- when it was needed the most. I watched the Seahawks beat Severna Park for the first time in 17 tries to capture the Anne Arundel County championship, and the fans swarmed the field like the team won the state title. The Seahawks made sure to give their strong supporters the chance to celebrate again with Wednesday night's impressive performance.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After watching Fallston’s girls basketball team upset highly favored Paint Branch in the Class 3A state final two months ago, I thought it would be a long time before I saw anything that impressive in a state tournament.

Leave it to another team of Fallston girls to prove me wrong.

In one of the most dominating performances in state lacrosse tournament history, the No. 14 Cougars rolled over No. 3 Mount Hebron, 16-1, Tuesday night at UMBC. It was their first state lacrosse title just as it had been their first state basketball title.

Two players – Monica Fischer and McKenzie Hannahs – played on both teams and also played in the state final with the soccer team last fall. Several lacrosse players -- including Jenn Ward and Roxy Raab, who combined for nine goals against Mount Hebron -- played on the state championship field hockey team.

While it has been a banner school year for the Cougars girls – their softball team reached the state semifinal Tuesday night before dropping a 1-0 game to Northern of Calvert County and their volleyball team made it unbeaten to the regional final before falling to eventual state champ Centennial – the performances of the undefeated basketball team and the 17-2 lacrosse team were remarkable in how they overcame such heavily favored opponents.

There never seemed to be a doubt among the players that they were going to win, although I would venture to guess that few others gave them a chance in either game. I figured they had a shot at the lacrosse title but only in a close game -- and that feeling certainly came from watching what the basketball team did.

Mike McTeague, who coached both the basketball (filling in for Vern Brown) and the lacrosse teams, didn’t really expect those endings either, sitting down at both post title-game press conferences to ask something like, “OK, so who here expected that would happen?”

McTeague, in his fourth season as lacrosse coach, gave all the credit to the players.

“Like basketball, the thing that surprised me about these girls,” he said, “… is coming in here against a team that’s won 15 state championships – basketball we were playing a team that had five state championships coming back for back-to-back – it’s tough to get girls to believe that they can win. It’s one thing to have talent, but you have to have the personalities and I was so lucky as a coach to have two teams that had that kind of personality that they took the floor as competitors. They believe they’re going to win, if they play hard, they’re going to win. To believe that is half the battle, especially against legendary teams like the ones we played.”

Fischer, an All-Metro soccer player who hit key three-pointers and finished with 14 points in the 65-62 basketball win, contributed two goals and a handful of caused turnovers in a stellar midfield performance during the lacrosse final.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year, three state championships – two winning and one finalist,” Fischer said. “My teammates were great, working well together and the coaches were phenomenal. Only three losses all year, it’s an amazing way to go out ending my high school career.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Former St. Frances basketball player Aric Brooks announced Tuesday on 1370 AM that he is transferring from Jacksonville to Morgan State.

Brooks was a second-team All-Metro selection in 2007. The 6-6 forward averaged 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 14.7 minutes in 63 games during his two seasons with the Dolphins.

Morgan State made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance this year, losing to second seed Oklahoma in the first round.

Click here for audio of Brooks discussing his decision with Rob Long on 1370 AM.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Atholton senior baseball player Wes Hand and his family wanted to make a clarification on something that appeared in a Q&A with him in the May 10 edition of the Howard County section of The Baltimore Sun.

Hand said he had not pursued a baseball scholarship and had chosen Villanova because of its chemistry department and because of the academic community's commitment to community service, something he has enjoyed taking part in through his local catholic church.

When asked if he would then be attending Villanova on an academic scholarship he said yes, but pointed out ""Villanova did not offer the best financial aid package" and that he had spent a lot of time debating if the school that was his first choice "would be worth the additional financial burden."

He decided yes.

But when he and his parents saw the story, they decided they wanted to further clarify Hand's financial support from Villanova.

"We do believe it is important to point out that there was apparently some miscommunication as to his attending Villanova University on an academic scholarship (in photo line and in several paragraphs)," said Dave Hand, Wes' father. "Wes was fortunate to be accepted to several fine schools, and although his grades and SATs were good, he did only receive some minor scholarship monies to Villanova and other schools (less to his first choice Villanova than to most others)."

Now, the record is straight.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It has become a rite of passage this time of year, a virtual lock that could practically be guaranteed before the softball season begins: Chesapeake-AA vs. Broadneck in the Class 4A East region softball championship.

The previous two seasons, Chesapeake has avenged losses in the regular season and Anne Arundel County championship game to beat the Bruins and go on to win the state championship.

This year, Broadneck is ranked No. 1 with a 17-0 mark, including a win over the No. 3 Cougars (16-2) during the regular season. The two teams shared the county championship because rain cancelled the game.

As I write, Broadneck is getting its home field ready for a 4 p.m. scheduled start.

This year's game promises to again include the same talent with some added intrigue. For Chesapeake, two-time All-Metro Player of the Year Lauren Gibson, who has back-to-back no-hitters in the past two state titles games, will close out arguably the finest career in softball-rich Anne Arundel County history. On the Broadneck side, the Bruins have been on a successful season-long mission to honor their former coach, Jim Ware, who passed away unexpectedly last summer.

The past two years, this has been the state title game with Chesapeake and Broadneck, for the most part, clearly the best two teams in the entire class. After the Cougars got past the Bruins last year, they dominated the action at states, including a 7-0 win over Sherwood in the championship game.

This year appears to be no different. Along with Gibson, the Cougars bring senior second baseman Kelly Hickman, who has produced plenty of big hits in this storied rivalry. The Bruins have an equally dangerous lineup featuring the area's most potent one-two attack in junior pitchers/shortstops Kourtney Salvarola and Ashley Thomas.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The spring season is coming to an end with a number of teams looking to close out banner seasons. A few stand out above the rest:

The McDonogh girls lacrosse team is 18-1 heading into Thursday's Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinals and have been dominant this season against area competition.

Can the Gilman boys lacrosse team, which had one midseason hiccup against Boys' Latin, snag the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship that eluded the team by one goal last year?

In softball, No. 1 Broadneck and No. 2 Seton Keough will try to complete perfect seasons.

The fall season had Dunbar, Loyola and River Hill dominate on the gridiron, Centennial finish perfect in volleyball and the McDonogh boys soccer team go undefeated in the demanding IAAM A Conference.

The winter season brought flawless basketball seasons by the Lake Clifton boys and the Fallston girls. The St. Frances boys basketball team deserves a mention with a sweep of the MIAA and Baltimore Catholic League titles.

Those are just a few of the teams that quickly come to mind. Which other teams belong in this group? What are the important elements in the making of a great team? And which team leads the impressive pack this school year and why?

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Instant replay might be coming to a high school state championship basketball game near you next winter. Then again, it might not.

The National Federation of State High School Associations has approved instant replay for last-second shots in state basketball finals, but it will be up to each state’s association whether to adopt it.

Approving instant replay is one thing. Implementing it is another. Not many state high school championships have TV crews the likes of CBS Sports.

Sure, instant replay would come in handy when no one saw exactly where the shooter’s foot was along the three-point arc or if the ball left the shooter’s hand before the buzzer sounded. It was approved only for use during the final seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime and only if the shot made a difference in the game’s outcome.

Still, the big question is can cameras catch all of that at a high school basketball championship.

Ned Sparks, executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, said there are many logistical considerations to be worked out, but that instant replay will be on the agenda for the boys and girls basketball committee meetings in the fall.

“We have an agreement with Scholastic Sports Network who will be video streaming our games, so we will have a recording of it,” Sparks said. “Now, how many cameras do you have, how many angles do you have, do you have the foot on the line or not on the line, was [the camera] on the shooter or on the basket, can you use audible sound, all that kind of stuff. I don’t know."

Sparks said many issues will have to be considered, especially whether Scholastic Sports Network would be able to provide the kind of video the viewer wants to see as well as the kind of video aimed at the shooter’s foot or the shooter’s hand as the clock runs out. He also said there would need to be a monitor by the court, so the video could be played back quickly.

“How many times would you ever use it?” Sparks asked. “But, of course, if ever you needed it, you’d probably want to have it. We’ve got to sort it all out.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When lacrosse season began back in March, Severna Park’s Sarah Lloyd never envisioned herself as a goalkeeper. She figured to be a key player in the midfield for the Falcons, who were coming off two straight unbeaten state championship seasons.

But Lloyd suffered a stress fracture in a leg early in the season and until a few weeks ago was relegated to the sidelines. She watched as the Falcons lost three regular-season games for the first time in a long while. The area where the Falcons needed the most help was in the goal.
“I wasn’t up to running speed yet, so I thought, why not try goalie,” said Lloyd, also a state champion swimmer.

That has worked out very well for the Falcons as Lloyd made six saves in helping them beat South River and start their march back toward the top. Monday night, she made some terrific stops among her eight saves as the No. 13 Falcons avenged an early season loss to No. 3 Broadneck, 17-9, and advanced to Wednesday night’s Class 4A-3A East regional final. They will host No. 10 South River at 5 p.m.

Lloyd, a junior, was one of the big differences in the Falcons being able to turn the tables on the Bruins.

“She’s so athletic,” Falcons defender Lelan Bailey said. “She has great reaction time and great field sense. As a midfielder, she saw the whole field and that makes her even better as a goalie because she can see the open girls.”

Falcons coach Carin Peterson agreed that Lloyd’s athleticism has helped her come along so quickly.

“She’s just a pure athlete,” Peterson said. “I could put her anywhere on the field and tell her to do anything and everything and she’d walk on and have no problem picking it up, and that’s probably any sport. You tell her to go play golf and she’d probably be one of the best golfers out there."

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

For Loyola senior attackman Trevor Dauses, it was one of those games a player simply never forgets.

The two-time defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champ Dons were mired in a four-game losing streak and trailed 9-4 against rival Boys' Latin on April 30. But the Dons scored six straight goals -- Dauses providing the game-winner in double overtime with his fifth of the game to go with an assist.

Should the Dons find a way to successfully defend their championship in this talented field that's the game they will look back on.

Defending that crown starts at 4:15 this afternoon with a visit to ... you guessed it: Boys' Latin in the quarterfinal round.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

C. Vivian Stringer, head women’s basketball coach at Rutgers University and soon-to-be inductee in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, will deliver the keynote address at the 69th Annual McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards Banquet Monday at the Marriott’s Hunt Valley Inn.

A total of 118 high school senior boys and girls, two of whom will be honored as the 2009 Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship winners, have been chosen to represent 72 Baltimore area public, private, parochial and independent schools. The scholarship, valued at $36,000 over four academic years, will be presented to one male and one female athlete selected as the top Unsung Heroes.

The awards recognize unselfish team play and honor those who contribute substantially to the success of their teams without receiving acclaim. The banquet will salute deserving male football players and female basketball players.

Here is an alphabetical listing by school of each of the 118 players (girls listed first) nominated for the 2009 Unsung Heroes Awards:

Archbishop Curley H.S. Aaron Hatton

Archbishop Spalding H.S. Katie Vautier, Christopher Haines

Baltimore City College H.S. Victoria Mitchell , Jamal Harper

Baltimore Lutheran School Lindsay Hamilton, Ryan McNamara

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Shenika Johnson, Jeremiah Harrison

Boys' Latin School Chris Floccare

The Bryn Mawr School Anne Thomas

Calvert Hall College H.S. Delano Frazer

The Cardinal Gibbons School Don Gould, III

Carver Vo-Tech H.S. Montez Washington

The Catholic H.S. of Baltimore Christine Peck

Catonsville H.S. Shelby Polk, Brandon Vanek

Chesapeake H.S. Natalie Elardo , Michael Nolan

Digital Harbor H.S. Tiana Mitchell, Shelby Paige, Jr.

Dr. Samuel L. Banks H.S. Brittany Simon, Isiah Scott

Dulaney H.S. Raven Anderson Marcus Moore

Dunbar H.S. Tamicka Smithson, Antonio Brown, Jr.

Dundalk H.S. Michelle Vega, Eliuth Delcid

Eastern Technical H.S. Amber Womack, Cameron Jordan

Edmondson/Westside H.S. Brittany Moore, Chance McCree

Forest Park H.S. Dazmen Murphy, Tyshiek Tyler-White

Franklin H.S. Anna Roth, Joseph Gibson

Frederick Douglass H.S. Kyla Jimenez, Edward Harrell

Friends School Charlotte Heyrman, David Ball

Garrison Forest School Julian Hamer

Gilman School Whitt Kelly

Hereford H.S. Brittany Lewis, Rich Nodonly

Institute of Notre Dame Megan Campbell

The John Carroll School Mia Puopolo, Ryan Owens

Kenwood H.S. Amber Dollinger, Dalanté Jones

Lake Clifton/Eastern H.S. Kevin Johnson, Jr.

Lansdowne H.S. Lauren Drechsler, Anthony Vaughan

Loch Raven H.S. Sarah Buxbaum, Jonathin Burley

Loyola Blakefield Shannon Klein

Maryvale Preparatory School Stephanie Glavaris

McDonogh School Moriah Young, Milton Gholston

Mercy H.S. Melinda Kane

Mergenthaler Vo-Tech H.S. Amor Venable, Randy Williams

Milford Mill Academy Keisha Webster , Miles Banks

Mount de Sales Academy Sara Bishop

Mount St. Joseph H.S. Frederick Hindman, Jr.

New Town H.S. Jasmine Fountain, Clement Bankole

Northwestern H.S. Latisha Drummond-Bey, Jimmy Kellam

Notre Dame Preparatory School Kelsi Bozel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Allyson White

Overlea H.S. Leah Johnson, Terrell Howard

Owings Mills H.S. Jennifer Narod, Ross Gothelf

Park School She'Tiel Coley

Parkville H.S. Maci Johnson, Kenyone Malone

Patapsco H.S. Megan Heath, Leroy Williams

Patterson H.S. Melva Gardner, Bobby McNeil, Jr.

Perry Hall H.S. Stacey Jones, Fernando Said

Pikesville H.S. Emily Fine, Nnaemeka Odunze

Randallstown H.S. T'Arra Cutting , Nimrod Davis, IV

Reginald F. Lewis H.S. Kiona Hart, Brandon Bolden

Roland Park Country School Jackie Kell

Seton Keough H.S. Carly Read

Severn School Leanne Hug, Daniel Wayson

Southside Academy Alicia Rouzer, Unique Traynham

Southwestern H.S. Antionette Whitehead, Stevie Dowridge

Sparrows Point H.S. Gabrielle Antalffy, Kevin Willett

St. Frances Academy Jaquata Scott

St. Mary's H.S. Emily Slear, Sam DuQuette

St. Paul's School Lance Devin Roberts

St. Paul's School for Girls Maria Kafarakis,

St. Timothy's School Ronnette Seeney

Towson H.S. Amber Brown, Judson Bleser

W.E.B. DuBois Senior H.S. Roshawn Harrington, Davin Williams

Walbrook H.S. Khristina Jenkins, Donavin Brayboy

Western H.S. Keirah Hicks

Western STES Shanae Mincy, Jarvies Page

Woodlawn H.S. Lawrynn Brooks, Isaiah Oliver

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary School Association-sanctioned state baseball playoffs were to start Friday with all teams participating. But the fact everyone gets in the tournament left some teams and fans feeling less than well served.

“It’s durn if you do and durn if you don’t,” said Samuel L. Banks coach Sam Brown, whose team finished the regular season 8-3, but wound up as the 10th seed in the 2A-North region. “It’s upsetting to do so well and then be penalized because we could not get 14 games played because of the rain.

“But my kids have been strong. They say it doesn’t matter; we’ll just go out and play whoever we have to play. And I’m happy. They made great strides this season going from about 5-8 last year to 8-3. But you would hope they wouldn’t get penalized because of the weather.”

Earlier this week MPSSAA executive director Ned Sparks told The Sun the executive committee decided about two weeks ago to hold the minimum at 14 games played in order to be seeded.

"We’d already had a lot of rain by the time the committee met and an overwhelming majority of schools got their games in. Some played 17," Sparks said. "A Saturday a couple of weeks ago was sunny and teams scurried to play doubleheaders at two different sites. They were diligent."

Sparks did allow some teams, especially in Baltimore City, where teams like Dunbar play at fields not located on school property, and others play on fields over which they have no control in terms of field maintenance, have unusual problems.

But his remarks drew comments from several readers. One had this to say:

“I just wanted to make a comment about Ned Sparks and how out of touch he is with the children of this day and age and what difficulties a school like Dunbar, and Catonsville or any school would have playing two games on a Saturday,” said Philip Popielski. “I guess he forgets what it [was like] to be a kid in high school, especially the juniors and seniors. Maybe Ned never needed to work or have a second job. Or maybe he never needed to take spring SAT tests, scheduled around proms etc.

"Due diligence, I bet some city schools don’t even have access to the fields they use during the week.”

Some schools don’t. Dunbar, for instance, plays its games in a city park and is dependent on the city’s grounds personnel to make their field playable, something that didn’t happen last week when the 9-0 Poets were struggling to meet the 14-game requirement. They, like Samuel L. Banks, didn’t reach 14 games either, through no fault of their own.

Dunbar is now seeded No. 6 in the 1A-North region. If it wins in round one, it will face Pikesville, 5-11, which got a first round bye. And if it wins that game it could face No. 2 seed Sparrows Point, 6-9, which joyfully accepted the No. 2 seed and the accompanying first-round rest day.

Pikesville, 5-11, is seeded No. 3. It got a bye, too.

There is a little quirkiness in all the regions and we can cheer the good fortune of teams that struggled all season who have been given a chance at new life. And we may say, as Sparks did, “Everyone will have the chance to play and win.”

But who wouldn’t want to see a team that earned a good, winning record be rewarded for its achievement and get that first-round bye instead of being in position for an early upset, like Bel Air, 11-2, is.

The Harford County team came up one game short and is the No. 8 seed in the 3A-East. It will play Meade (3-15) in the first round and then face No. 1 seed Stephen Decatur in the second. In 2A-North, Lansdowne, 1-13, this season is the No. 3 seed.

Perhaps next year if the monsoon season hits during the baseball season the MPSSAA can be a little more nimble and figure out a way to fairly treat teams that have proven themselves all season, made a sincere effort to play their games, but were left short not by their own careless approach, but by Mother Nature.

"Physically, it was impossible for us to play any more games," said Banks athletic director Carol Ansell. "We're very limited by our resources and we had so many cancellations, there just wasn't enough time."

City groundskeepers came regularly to the Samuel L. Banks school to work on the field, but Brown, the coach, said their equipment simply sunk into the wet earth.

"With all the rain we had the field was soaking wet," said Brown. "There was no way we could play. You hope for a lot better.”

The Banks team was to play Friday at Edmondson in the tournament’s first round, but guess what? The field was too wet. Now they’ll try to get the game in Saturday at noon at Poly.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

There has long been a debate over the value of county championship games in the different sports played throughout the school year, but there is no doubt which side of the argument the Severna Park baseball team is on.

Credit coach Jim McCandless and his staff for their dogged work in getting the team's field ready on short notice Thursday, enabling the No. 3 Falcons and No. 10 North County to get in a quality championship game that could have easily been canceled due to this week's rainy weather.

Patience was the key. The game was moved from Joe Cannon Stadium to Severna Park and was scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m., but a quick rain shower in the early afternoon pushed it back to 5 p.m. while more work was done on the infield.

At any point prior to the start the game could have been called, and with the playoffs approaching, it would not have been made up.

Had that happened, Severna Park senior outfielder Tom McCarthy wouldn't have a lasting memory. In the fourth inning of the Falcons' 7-5 win over the Knights, McCarthy cleared the fence in right for a three-run homer that was the first of his baseball career.

After the game, McCarthy was asked: First ever, even Little League?

"Yep," he said with a smile.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Under Armour boys and girls lacrosse All-Americans were announced today with 90 players selected for the fourth-annual Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic on June 27 at Towson University.

This year's game features players from 12 states and Washington, D.C. The No. 3 Gilman boys had a record five players -- Jack Doyle, Davey Emala, Marcus Holman, Greg McBride, Harry Prevas -- selected while the No. 1 McDonogh girls had four players -- Kitty Cullen, Molly Fernandez, Katie Matz and Colby Rhea.

The girls game will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 8 p.m. The boys game will be televised live on ESPNU.

For complete rosters, click here.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference playoffs are fast approaching and the race is wide open with a deep and talented field. Last year, Gilman became the clear favorite as it took an undefeated record into the playoffs -- reaching the title game before being upset by defending champ Loyola. This year? Who knows. No. 1 Calvert Hall appeared to be grabbing hold of the 'team to beat' tag -- taking an 8-0 league mark and a 10-7 lead into the late stages of Tuesday's showdown against visiting Gilman. But the No. 3 Greyhounds scored seven of the next eight goal en route to a 14-12 win that knocked the Cardinals off their perch. Calvert Hall (12-2 overall) and Gilman (12-1) are both 8-1 in the conference with St. Mary's (12-1) in the running for first place with a 7-1 mark in league play. Boys' Latin (13-3, 6-3) are plain and simple dangerous -- proof coming with its upset win over previously undefeated Gilman a couple weeks back. Loyola (9-6, 5-4) warrants automatic respect as two-time defending champs. On Thursday, Calvert Hall travels to St. Mary's for a 4 p.m. start.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Fallston junior Jess Harlee, who led the Cougars basketball team to the Class 3A state championship in March, has orally committed to play basketball for West Virginia in 2010-11.

A 6-foot All-Metro forward, Harlee had one of the most impressive individual performances in state girls basketball history in leading the Cougars (28-0) to a 65-62 title-game win over Paint Branch. She scored 28 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, when she went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line and hit two clutch free throws with 3.3 seconds left.

When Harlee gets to Morgantown, she will join two other All-Metro players who have signed to play with the Mountaineers next season, Player of the Year Asya Bussie from Seton Keough, and Akeema Richards from Western.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tuesday night's District V boys and girls lacrosse championship games between the Anne Arundel County champs and the Howard County champs was a pilot program to make sure everything runs smoothly before District V championships in every sport beginning next fall.

For the most part, everything seemed to run well despite the rain, but one thing that has to be fixed is getting an experienced person to run the clock during the girls game. When the game started, the gentleman running the clock had no idea when to stop it, so he stopped it on more whistles than he should have. One of my colleagues in the press box had to explain to him when to stop the clock and when to let it run.

As a result, the scoreboard clock was running 45 seconds behind the official time in the first half, so as Broadneck was setting up for one final shot, time ran out with 45 seconds still showing on the clock. Fortunately it did not affect the final score Tuesday night because the Bruins defeated Mount Hebron, 11-9, but it certainly could affect the outcome of a game.

I can't blame the gentleman running the clock. He did the job he was asked to do as best he could. But someone who knew what he or she was doing should have been in place from the start. In the second half, a young lady took over the clock and she knew the rules.

In the future, county school officials should be sure they have an experienced timer. If not, next time, it just might be a factor in deciding which team wins the championship. This should not happen at any game much less a showcase game like this one.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

If you've been to any IAAM girls lacrosse games this season, they probably seem a little longer to you. Or if you've checked out some of the scores -- such as McDonogh 18, Maryvale 14 last week -- that probably seems like a lot of goals.

You're right on both accounts.

The IAAM games technically are no longer this season than they were last. The clock still runs for 50 minutes, but for the first time, the clock stops on every goal. That can add about 30 or 40 seconds per goal to the time it takes to complete the game. That also gives the players more time to score goals.

While some scores remain in single digits, most of the IAAM games this season have moved into double digits and some with 15 or more goals even in competitive contests -- something we almost never saw in the past.

I haven't heard any major complaints, just one comment that a game was very long, so, as the season winds down, it seems to be a good move.

For one thing, it brings the statistics of the private school players more in line with those of their public school peers. The public schools have been playing with clocks stopping for goals for as long as I can remember and their scores were almost always much higher.

It also makes it a little easier for teams to adjust when public school teams meet private school teams, because everyone is on the same page. And the players are better prepared for college, where the clocks stops even more often than it does on the high school level.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The nominees for this year's McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards were announced today. The 118 girls basketball players and football players will be honored at the 69th annual McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards Banquet Monday night at the Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn.

Two of the nominees will be selected to receive the Charles Perry McCormick Scholarships, worth $36,000 each over the course of their four-year college careers. One girl and one boy will be selected.

The banquet will feature a keynote speech from C. Vivian Stringer, the head coach of the women's basketball team at Rutgers. Stringer has over 800 career victories and is only the third women's college basketball coach to reach that milestone. She will soon be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Following are the nominees:

Archbishop Curley: Aaron Hatton
Archbishop Spalding: Katie Vautier, Christopher Haines
Baltimore City College: Victoria Mitchell, Jamal Harper
Baltimore Lutheran: Lindsay Hamilton, Ryan McNamara
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute: Shenika Johnson, Jeremiah Harrison
Samuel L. Banks: Brittany Simon, Isiah Scott
Boys' Latin: Chris Floccare
Bryn Mawr: Anne Thomas
Calvert Hall: Delano Frazer
Cardinal Gibbons: Don Gould III
Carver Vo-Tech: Montez Washington
Catholic: Christine Peck
Catonsville: Shelby Polk, Brandon Vanek
Chesapeake-BC: Natalie Elardo, Michael Nolan
Digital Harbor: Tiana Mitchell, Shelby Paige Jr.
Frederick Douglass: Kyla Jimenez, Edward Harrell
W.E.B. DuBois: Roshawn Harrington, Davin Williams
Dulaney: Raven Anderson, Marcus Moore
Dunbar: Tamicka Smithson, Antonio Brown Jr.
Dundalk: Michelle Vega, Eliuth Delcid
Eastern Tech: Amber Womack, Cameron Jordan
Edmondson: Brittany Moore, Chance McCree
Forest Park: Dazmen Murphy, Tyshiek Tyler-White
Franklin: Anna Roth, Joseph Gibson
Friends: Charlotte Heyrman, David Ball
Garrison Forest: Julian Hamer
Gilman: Whitt Kelly
Hereford: Brittany Lewis, Rich Nodonly
Institute of Notre Dame: Megan Campbell
John Carroll: Mia Puopolo, Ryan Owens
Kenwood: Amber Dollinger, Dalanté Jones
Lake Clifton: Kevin Johnson Jr.
Lansdowne: Lauren Drechsler, Anthony Vaughan
Reginald F. Lewis: Kiona Hart, Brandon Bolden
Loch Raven: Sarah Buxbaum, Jonathin Burley
Loyola: Shannon Klein
Maryvale: Stephanie Glavaris
McDonogh: Moriah Young, Milton Gholston
Mercy: Melinda Kane
Mervo: Amor Venable, Randy Williams
Milford Mill: Keisha Webster, Miles Banks
Mount Carmel: Allyson White
Mount de Sales: Sara Bishop
Mount St. Joseph: Frederick Hindman Jr.
New Town: Jasmine Fountain, Clement Bankole
Northwestern: Latisha Drummond-Bey, Jimmy Kellam
Notre Dame Prep: Kelsi Bozel
Overlea: Leah Johnson, Terrell Howard
Owings Mills: Jennifer Narod, Ross Gothelf
Park: She'Tiel Coley
Parkville: Maci Johnson, Kenyone Malone
Patapsco: Megan Heath, Leroy Williams
Patterson: Melva Gardner, Bobby McNeil Jr.
Perry Hall: Stacey Jones, Fernando Said
Pikesville: Emily Fine, Nnaemeka Odunze
Randallstown: T'Arra Cutting, Nimrod Davis IV
Roland Park: Jackie Kell
Seton Keough: Carly Read
Severn: Leanne Hug, Daniel Wayson
Southside: Alicia Rouze, Unique Traynham
Southwestern: Antionette Whitehead, Stevie Dowridge
Sparrows Point: Gabrielle Antalffy, Kevin Willett
St. Frances: Jaquata Scott
St. Mary's: Emily Slear, Sam DuQuette
St. Paul's: Lance Devin Roberts
St. Paul's School for Girls: Maria Kafarakis
St. Timothy's: Ronnette Seeney
Towson: Amber Brown, Judson Bleser
Walbrook: Khristina Jenkins, Donavin Brayboy
Western: Keirah Hicks
Western Tech: Shanae Mincy, Jarvies Page
Woodlawn: Lawrynn Brooks, Isaiah Oliver

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Aberdeen senior Chris Hoffman, who came to the wrestling mats as a high school freshman and went on to become the winningest wrestler in school history, has accepted a scholarship from American International.

"I've signed them [the papers] and we're mailing them tomorrow [Tuesday]," said Hoffman, who won 142 matches for the Aberdeen Eagles and placed third in the 119-pound class each of the past two years in the 3A-4A state tournament.

"I visited the school and I just loved everything about it," he said.

Hoffman has a 3.2 grade-point-average and plans to study criminal justice. He said one of the most appealing aspects of the Massachusetts school, besides the campus facilities and the people, was the fact the school offers a strong tutoring program.

"I'm going to do very well there," said Hoffman. "They have everything in place."

As for wrestling, Hoffman said that while he started participating in the sport relatively late, it came naturally to him.

"I was good at it from the beginning," he said. "And then I worked hard at it all year long. The sport pushed me to be tough and get better."

Aberdeen coach Craig Rollins said Hoffman was recruited from the football team by his predecessor, Dick Slutzky. And noted Hoffman's best trait has been his willingness to "bust his tail. He worked hard in season and out," said Rollins. "He has the character and inner drive to succeed."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Old Mill assistant wrestling coach Art Saumenig, who also runs the Central Maryland Wrestling Club during the summer, is putting together a high school team for the Salisbury Duals Memorial weekend, May 22-25. Weigh-ins are Friday, wrestling Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The cost is $125, which includes registration, singlet, shirt and shorts. The weights are "high school plus 3."

Anyone interested in participating should call him as soon as possible at 443-928-4996. Saumenig said he wants to have the team finalized by next week.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

There has been so much rain this spring that you just get to the point where you have to laugh, especially after this postponement announcement from Eastern Tech athletic director Larry Hall at 8:32 Monday morning:

"Not much sense in prolonging the inevitable, we will not be playing softball at Eastern Tech today.

"However, since the rain may continue, we have arranged for goals to be placed in the appropriate areas of each diamond, and we will play water polo. Please have the girls bring life jackets and they should also write their jersey numbers on their right shoulder in permanent marker. Lifeguards will be on duty. "

That about says it all.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Hereford boys lacrosse team will travel to Catonsville for a 3:45 p.m. start Monday to determine which team will advance to Tuesday's Baltimore County championship game against Towson.

Monday's game was originally set to be played at Hereford, but the weather conditions moved the game to Catonsville's artificial turf.

The Baltimore County championship game is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at CCBC-Essex.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In Tuesday night's District V lacrosse championships, the boys game will be played at 5 p.m. at North County High School followed by the girls game at approximately 6:45 p.m. Game times had been reported earlier as being the opposite.

These title games, which pit the Anne Arundel County champion vs. the Howard County champion, feature South River vs. Marriotts Ridge in the boys game and Broadneck vs.Mount Hebron in the girls game.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)