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.