Each week, the community will have an opportunity to vote on who they believe should receive the top game ball as Player of the Week. The results of each poll will be published in the following week’s game balls.

Last week’s results

Atholton cross country freshman Cameron Martinez was named the Howard County athlete of the week for Oct. 27-Nov. 2 with 25.37% of the vote, followed by Glenelg field hockey’s Cate Staley (22.91%) and Mt. Hebron girls soccer’s Sam Bucchioni (20.44%).

Martinez was initially selected after finishing as the runner-up in the Class 3A South Regional with a time of 16 minutes, 59.62 seconds.

This week’s 10 game balls

Here is the list for Nov. 3-9

Note: The poll to vote is located at the bottom of the story. Make sure to cast your vote ahead of next week’s new nominees.

Andrew Adams, Guilford Park, football

Adams displayed his big-play ability in the Panthers’ commanding 48-0 opening round playoff win over Chopticon. He finished with five receptions for a game-high 153 yards to ignite the explosive passing game. Through 10 games, Adams, a dynamic weapon averaging 25.5 yards per reception, has 24 catches, 613 yards and three touchdowns.

Anna Fiedler, Howard, volleyball

Fiedler played an important role in Howard’s wins over Centennial and Chesapeake-AA to advance to the state semifinals. She finished with five kills against the Eagles and elevated her play against the Cougars with a team-high 18 kills.

Avery Hubbard, Glenelg, volleyball

Hubbard is leading the Gladiators’ attack in her senior season and one of the key players guiding them to the state finals. Through 61 sets played this season, she is the team leader in kills (206), second in blocks (21), third in digs (126) and tied for fourth in aces (20).

Caroline Latchis, Glenelg, field hockey

Latchis stepped up when her team needed in it most in the state semifinals. She scored a team-high two goals in the 3-2 win over Kent Island, including the go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining to send the Gladiators to the Class 2A state final.

Angela Lei, Reservoir, volleyball

Lei has been of the Gators’ leaders all season and continued her strong play in a five-set regional final win over Sherwood and a sweep of Northern-Calvert in the state semifinals. She finished with 12 kills and six digs against the Warriors and added six kills against Northern.

Maddie McShea, Mt. Hebron, girls soccer

McShea is playing some of her best soccer of the season deep in the playoffs. She scored a goal in the state quarterfinal win over Hereford and also netted the game-winning goal in double overtime of the Vikings’ 2-1 true road win in the state semifinals over Kent Island.

Ian Radtke, Centennial, boys soccer

Radtke was all over the field and creating opportunities for the Eagles in their 3-1 state semifinal win over Tuscarora. He scored the go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute on a header and is tied for second on the team in goals (seven) and assists (four).

Trinity Shackelford, Glenelg, field hockey

Shackelford was a brick wall in net for Glenelg in its 2-1 state championship win over Manchester Valley. The senior finished with double-digit saves, including several clutch saves down the stretch with the game tied in the fourth quarter. She concludes her career having started every game the last four years, highlighted by three state titles and a phenomenal 19-1 record in the postseason.

Tito Tokunboh-Salako, Glenelg, boys soccer

Last year’s Howard County leading scorer, Tokunboh-Salako is finding his stride once again. He netted a pair of goals in the opening seven minutes of Glenelg’s commanding 3-0 state semifinal win over Hereford. The senior has scored in eight straight games and will look to extend that trend as Glenelg faces Fallston in the 2A state final on Thursday night.

Drew Wilschke, Centennial, boys soccer

Wilschke netted the all-important insurance goal for Centennial in the 73rd minute of its state semifinal win. The senior is tied for the team’s second leading scorer with seven goals and four assists this season as the Eagles enter the 3A state final against Stephen Decatur on Saturday afternoon.

Note: All statistics and information included is submitted by coaches. Please send in statistics and scores information to mdscores@baltsun.com and jsteinberg@baltsun.com. Please also send game ball nominations to jsteinberg@baltsun.com with an athlete’s name and class year as well their total statistics for that week’s games.

Between firing aces and diving all over the floor for critical digs that kept rallies alive, Ball powered a 12-point stretch that flipped the Lions’ eight-point deficit into a four-point lead.

“I actually told one of my teammates, ‘Wow, I’m really tired from serving that much,'” Ball said. “She said, ‘Just serve five more and then we’ll be good.’ So, I think seeing the finish line and seeing my team feed off my serves made me feel like I just had to keep pushing. If I missed my serve, that energy was just going to crash down. So, I wanted to keep that energy up.”

Howard’s extended run quieted a capacity Arundel crowd and powered the second-seeded Lions to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of the sixth-seeded Wildcats. The Lions (19-0) advance to the state finals for the first since 1980 when they claimed the program’s only state championship. A tough challenge awaits as they’ll face top-seed and undefeated North Hagerstown at APG Federal Credit Union Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“Practically unbelievable. Being down that big to a quality team like Arundel and to believe in ourselves in the way that the whole team did,” Howard coach Grant Scott said of Ball’s service run. “She’s the heart of this team, so for her to go back on the line and push 10-plus points in Game 3 of a state semifinal against a quality opponent, I couldn’t be prouder of her and my team.”

Despite having swept the Wildcats during the regular season, Howard knew taking down Arundel in its home gym would be no easy task. The Wildcats (14-5) buzzed with energy from the support of passionate fans and gave the Lions everything they could handle. Junior setter Imagine Peltier closed out an all-important first set with an ace, which briefly quelled the excitement of the electric crowd.

“We really tried to focus on ignoring the crowd,” Peltier said. “We knew that there was going to be a giant crowd. We did our best to try and block it out, just focus on ourselves, on our energy, keeping us together and not focusing on the external stuff.”

The second set was also neck-and-neck with each side mounting an answer whenever one built slight separation. Down the stretch, Howard and Arundel exchanged three-point spurts, which tied the score at 23.

Yet again, the Lions elevated their level in a defining moment. Peltier capped off the second set with another ace, placing it on the floor in front of several diving Wildcats.

In a win or go home moment, Arundel burst out of the gates in the third. The Wildcats stymied Howard’s attack and jumped out to a 7-1 lead and built the advantage to eight late in the set.

However, Howard displayed its championship DNA and roared back to officially move one step closer to its ultimate goal.

Scott first identified this could be a special group and championship caliber team two years ago. He saw the potential of the now veterans as underclassmen, which began coming to the forefront last year with the Lions reaching the state semifinals. Now, the Lions are taking that potential to new heights and doing so in dominant fashion. Including the Bel Air Tournament where it played five best-of-three matches, Howard has dropped just one of its 68 sets this season.

The Lions can beat you in a variety of ways with a diverse attack, stout defense and consistent serve-and-receive.

Each of those elements will be tested in the state final on Saturday with Howard wholeheartedly embracing its toughest challenge yet. Howard and North Hagerstown are familiar with one another having faced in a tournament last season.

One team will leave that contest with a banner hanging in their gym and the unique distinction of closing out a perfect season. Howard is hoping to be that group and accomplish something no Lions team has done in 45 years.

“It means so much,” Ball said. “All the years that I’ve been playing here, we’ve had a good team, we just haven’t been able to execute when it really matters. I think this team really learned from those past mistakes. We kept our energy up, because we see the banners at our school and we see how there hasn’t been a state championship one. Our saying is that we want to put a banner on the wall. That’s what we’re going to try and do on Saturday.”

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

The Blazers never trailed in the match before recording a 25-22, 25-11, 25-20 victory in the Class 1A semifinals. Clear Spring (15-5) will play for its third state championship in four years on Saturday at noon at Harford Community College against Harford County’s Patterson Mill.

“We knew going into the game that they were going to be a tough team,” South Carroll senior Elaina Murphy said. “I think for the most part our biggest challenge was our serve receive. They had some pretty tough serves and we couldn’t handle it.”

The best set for the Cavs (14-2) was the first. After trailing most of the set, South Carroll rallied from a 21-15 deficit using the service of Morgan Taylor. Taylor served five straight service winners, and Murphy and Jenna Todd contributed kills to go on a 5-0 run to tie the set at 21 apiece. That, in turn, forced a time out by Blazers coach Jessica Custer.

The Blazers looked like a different team after the time out. Clear went on a 4-1 run to close out the set and record a 25-22 win.

South Carroll struggled mightily in the second set. After cutting the deficit to just one at 7-6, Clear Spring’s Ella Wagner went on a serving run of her own, recording five service winners including two aces to extend the lead to 12-6. Even after Cavs coach Kristine Keck called a time out, South Carroll continued its slide. A combination of Cavs mistakes and excellent ball placement lead to South Carroll only recording five more points and dropping the second set 25-11.

“I think our energy fell off in the second set,” senior Gabriella Deyo said. “That ultimately affected our play for the rest of that set. It was a mental thing, and I think that was our biggest challenge today.”

The third set was much closer. After a service error by Clear Spring, the Cavs trailed 20-17 late in the set. Clear Spring then got an ace by Kaisy Custer and kills by Juliet Hodge and two by Olivia Smith to end the set 25-20 and take the match.

The loss ends the career of South Carroll’s Murphy. The senior will leave as one of the greatest players in South Carroll history. She has already been named county Player of the Year by the coaches for three consecutive seasons and should win it again this year.

“I just blessed to have played these four years and stayed healthy and played with these awesome girls,” Murphy said. “It’s been a fun ride.”

Keck was just proud of the effort her team, which is losing seven seniors, showed throughout the year.

“We had an incredible season,” Keck said. “I think these girls preformed to the best of their abilities. The reason they were so successful is that they worked as a team and they trusted each other. That brought us further than maybe their athletic ability indicated it would.”

No. 13 Reservoir falls in Class 3A semifinals

In the Class 3A volleyball semifinals, Washington County’s North Hagerstown (23-0) used 28 kills from Marquette-bound senior Caydence Doolan to defeat No. 13 Reservoir (19-3), 25-19, 15-18, 25-13 at Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick

The Hubs will play Howard/Arundel on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Harford Community College. North Hagerstown will be playing for their fourth consecutive state title.

Doolan was almost a one-person show and kept the Gators off their game all night with her thundering kills.

Reservoir, which has overachieved this season after getting hit hard by graduation, just had no answer for Doolan. North Hagerstown also did a good job of taking advantage of serving errors and unforced errors by Reservoir. The Gators made several runs, and even cut the lead to 20-17 in the first set, but the Hubs were just too much.

In an interesting side note, the last Maryland school to beat North Hagerstown was Reservoir. The Gators did that in the state semifinals in 2021.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. 

They danced and mouthed along as coach Josh Wagener relayed the plan for what became the winning set to the team huddle. That energy carried over into the third set, players still dancing and singing to the melody as they waited for the opening serve. Their looseness came in handy when CMIT-North crawled back from a large deficit to take a late lead. A Wagener timeout reminded his players of the goal, and Patterson Mill pulled back ahead to complete its straight set victory, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22 and clinch a state championship appearance.

“It means the world to all of them to make it to that Saturday,” Wagener said. “That’s the first major goal. I know it means the world. Being so close for so many years, and most of them have been with the varsity for at least three years, just means so much for the whole program.”

This stage has been the ceiling for Patterson Mill in recent years. The Huskies have reached the state semifinal round four years in a row but lost in each of the last three. This year was different because of the senior class that experienced all of those heartbreaks.

“I’ve been with these girls for years, you know the buttons to hit,” Wagener said. “I just put it all in perspective. We’ve been here for four years in a row and came so close, and now we’re a couple points away. You just gotta push. I could see them getting tired and just didn’t want it to go to a fourth set.”

Their experience showed in Tuesday’s win. Patterson Mill controlled the first two sets with big early leads they maintained throughout and fended off a late CMIT-North surge in the final moments.

Patterson Mill will face Clear Spring, a three-set victor over South Carroll in the other 1A semifinal, in Saturday’s state title game at Harford Community College. Until then, practices will be kept light and fun, Wagener said. Just like how they play when it matters.

Bel Air falls to 17-time state champion

The Bobcats knew what they were up against.

Williamsport, the dominant Washington County squad, has controlled the Class 2A girls volleyball bracket for years. The defending state champions’ path back to the top this year took them through Bel Air, which lost in straight sets 25-20, 25-18, 25-22 to end its season Tuesday night in a Class 2A state semifinal on its home court.

“They were just a really good team,” senior right side Annalise Lewis said. “We could have executed better, but at the end of the day, we still played an amazing game. It was our own mistakes, little mistakes.”

Coach Dave Simon felt Tuesday was Bel Air’s first of two state championship games, the next coming Saturday if the Bobcats were to win. Instead, they couldn’t get past the semifinal round for the third time in seven years.

At the center of this year’s team was Lewis. Bel Air’s offense funneled through the imposing senior. “Every time she goes up, you can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen,” Simon said. She was a focal point again in the loss, leading comebacks that fell just short after Bel Air started each set in an early hole that proved too steep to climb out of.

“Just the people,” Lewis said when asked what she’ll remember most about the program. “You can’t get any better than this.”

“Annalise is a true leader,” Simon added. “She’s a great person, loves her teammates, does all the little things right, everything you’d want in a captain. She really ignites us and gets the fire started. And we want to keep it burning.”

Bel Air seems to reload every year, replacing county players of the year with ease to fuel its next deep postseason run. Last season, it was Anna Kane. This season was Lewis’ turn. There’s some underclassmen Simon has his eye on to take over in 2026. He’s confident his Bobcats will be back.

“We’ll kind of have to hit the reset button, to a degree,” Simon said. “We’re not starting from scratch. We’ll remain competitive.”

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

She was swarmed by teammates as the Gladiators finished off a 20-25, 25-21, 27-25, 25-22 Class 2A state semifinal win over Calvert.

Glenelg advances to the 2A final for the first time since the program’s last state championship in 2021 and will face Williamsport on Saturday at APG Federal Credit Union Arena.

“I didn’t even have any thoughts in that moment, I was just like, ‘We’re going to states,'” Hubbard said, holding back tears. “I love these girls so much. To be able to do it with them, means so much to me. That’s all that was going through my head. ‘This is my family and we’re going to states.’ I was so proud of everyone.”

Hubbard and fellow senior Isard Bernades spearheaded the attack throughout. Junior setter Jessica Li keyed the offense with 47 assists and put the ball in advantageous positions for the Gladiators hitters time and time again. Bernades and Hubbard were vocal throughout the match, particularly in the first set when the Gladiators struggled.

However, the Gladiators are no stranger to overcoming adversity entering the state semifinals with back-to-back five-set road wins over No. 9 River Hill and Kent Island.

“I’m always telling the players to stay focused, don’t get distracted,” said Glenelg coach Nick Sharp, who took over for Christopher Fox at the end of the regular season. “One play at a time, don’t get discouraged. Trust your teammates, never give up. Play the play. What can you say about a win like tonight. I couldn’t be prouder. They’re tough, they’ve got good mental fortitude and good discipline.”

All even at one set apiece, the Gladiators appeared destined for an easy third set win with a 23-18 lead. However, the Cavaliers roared back with six consecutive points to take a one-point lead and were serving for the set.

Despite making some errors on the prior points, the Gladiators reset and Bernades delivered a clutch kill to even the score at 24. Shortly after, Hubbard sealed the pivotal third set win with another kill.

“I just try to keep my cool,” Bernades said. “I was telling everyone to, ‘Calm down and not get too frantic. Don’t be too comfortable.’ Just try and get the ball up as best as you can, so that we can make it better.”

The deciding set was back-and-forth with the noise in the gym increasing to deafening levels. The Gladiators fed into that energy, often playing their best when the energy in the gym is at its highest.

Glenelg wanted to be diving all over the floor, emphatically encouraging one another to raise their level and strive to reach a stage they’ve never reached before. Bernades trusted her teammates more as the match wore on, which empowered everyone to play their best.

For Hubbard and Bernades, Arundel’s gym was a house of horrors of sorts. Their last deep postseason run as sophomores ended in that gym, a loss in the state semifinals to Arundel. Neither standout senior had won a match in that gym, but they picked an ideal time to secure a victory in what could have been their final high school match.

“I wanted to change that pattern of never having won on this court,” Hubbard said. “That’s what was going through my head. Don’t think, ‘Oh, it’s going to be another loss on this court, that sucks. No, change the momentum. Don’t think of this gym as a haunted area, think of it as something where you change the pattern.'”

Heading to the season’s pinnacle, Glenelg hasn’t done so without its fair share of adversity. The Gladiators’ coaching change at the conclusion of the regular season only further fueled their fire.

Glenelg knew many outside the program didn’t expect them to reach this portion of the season with many figuring their season would end in the regional final to River Hill. However, the Gladiators were committed to proving those doubters wrong and rallying around one another.

“I’m just looking forward to playing with my teammates one last time,” Bernades said. “I’m really excited that we’re going to be playing in states for our last game. It makes me really emotional to think about because a lot of people doubted us. We went through hell and back.”

While the belief from those around them may have faded, Glenelg’s confidence never wavered. The Gladiators displayed championship resolve and resilience and are looking to continue the theme of firsts by culminating the 2025 season with this group’s first state title and the program’s sixth state championship.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23. 

A year ago, the Bruins thoroughly routed Perry Hall in the state semifinal round. They jittered with confidence — after such carnage, how could the last obstacle to their state crown pose any threat?

By the end of their straight-set loss in the championship game, they knew the answer.

After sweeping Churchill (25-13, 25-22, 25-18) on Tuesday, the Bruins have never felt more ready to hoist a state trophy. They’ll face the winner of Richard Montgomery/Urbana on Saturday at AFGFCU Arena.

“It feels like we earned it more,” senior setter Sydney Lawrence said. “We prepared a lot for that game and our hard work really showed out there today.”

Defeat seasoned Broadneck. At the beginning of the fall, coach Tracey Regalbuto assumed the season would always boil down to her girls, Churchill, Urbana and Richard Montgomery. Even when the Bruins dropped losses to Annapolis Area Christian School and Howard, or gave up two sets to Severna Park and Arundel, the coach felt they were testing out different plays or strategies that simply didn’t pan out. No scientist throws out the whole mission if one experiment fails.

“Every set we lose, every match we lose is in preparation for playoffs,” she said. “I know we’re not failing. All season, we’ve been prepping for this.”

The Bruins (17-3) flattened Churchill in the first set on Urbana High’s floor. The Bulldogs complained to officials that the ball itself felt rock-hard.

Broadneck didn’t disagree, but junior setter Barrett Bolter shrugged. They both had to use the same ball, after all, and with a 6-0 lead and 25-13 win, the volleyball could’ve been a 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale for all it mattered.

Still, Bolter and Lawrence assumed the Bulldogs were still feeling out the competition and settling into their own play style.

They were right.

The Churchill front row flickered to life, buying its first tie at three points apiece, then four before surging ahead by the serve of freshman Angela Zhang. Suddenly, it was the Bulldogs peppering Broadneck’s floor with hard hits, aces and a kill. The Bruins long ago earned their reputation for their blocking abilities, but in this set, Churchill beat them at their own game.

After the Bulldogs secured another point on a two-minute volley, 12-7, Regalbuto drew her players in to talk. All she ever has to do, she said, is remind them that it was a playoff game and watch the transformation unfold.

“We knew how we play,” Bolter said. “We started playing our game, too. We knew how to beat them.”

A subsequent service error handed Broadneck the ball once more. Lawrence anchored them from the service line and helped shave some of the margin down to three points.

When Broadneck earned a side out again, it handed Bolter the ball. It wasn’t just that she knew how to deliver a scorching serve. Even the coaches told her that her penchant for giving every one of her teammates high-fives after each point instilled a comforting atmosphere.

Once they felt comfortable, they could regain their confidence.

“Having two setters on the court is also super helpful in every chaotic play,” Bolter said, gesturing to Lawrence.

Churchill over hit its serve receives, quickly placing control back in Broadneck hands, 18-17. Once the Bruins tasted victory in the air again, they wouldn’t let it pass them by.

Though the Bulldogs kept it a close game until the very end of the frame – even tying it up at 22 – the Bruins kept composure.

Senior Kennedy Smith’s kill secured the set point, and Churchill called timeout. It was clear in the strained looks they all exchanged that if they didn’t win then, they wouldn’t win at all.

Together, Smith and senior Addison Britton met them at the net and blocked those hopes from coming true.

Senior Anna Graves marked each one of those second-set runs with at least one kill. She figured she might as well break in the third set the same way.

Regalbuto quipped she would’ve liked a slightly cleaner ending. The Bulldogs gave a death rattle, scoring six after Broadneck hit the match point. But Broadneck had already dropped Churchill into such an insurmountable, double-digit ditch that even when its foes whittled the lead down to 24-18, all the Bruins needed was one good hit to advance. Freshman Camryn Bedell was happy to oblige.

“Playing better people makes us better,” Bolter said. “This helped us, for sure.”

Have a news tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram. 

Here are some of the biggest games and contests throughout Howard County fall sports for the week of Nov. 10-15.

Football

No. 3 Atholton at No. 2 Westminster, Class 3A North, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Raiders (6-3) hit the road to take on one of Carroll County’s top teams. Atholton will look to advance to the state quarterfinals and sustain its high-powered offense, averaging 31.6 points per game.

No. 4 Glenelg at No. 1 Oakland Mills, 2A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6

The Scorpions (9-1) are hosting Glenelg in a rematch from Week 5 of the regular season. Oakland Mills dominated in that contest with a 50-6 win, leaning on its explosive rushing attack. Meanwhile, Glenelg (6-4) looks to bounce back from that lopsided defeat and extend its season into the state quarterfinals.

No. 3 Stephen Decatur at No. 2 Guilford Park, 3A South, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6

The Panthers (10-0) are coming off the program’s first playoff win and facing one of their most difficult tests of the season. Guilford Park welcomes in a talented Stephen Decatur team that is two-time defending 2A state champions and on an eight-game winning streak.

No. 3 Frederick at No. 2 Marriotts Ridge, 4A/3A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Mustangs (6-4) are coming off consecutive 41-point games in the regular-season finale over Hammond and the opening-round playoff win over Governor Thomas Johnson. Marriotts Ridge will need to keep up that offensive momentum against a tough Frederick team.

No. 3 River Hill at No. 2 Howard, 2A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Lions (7-3) ended their three-game losing streak with a dominant opening round playoff win over Long Reach. River Hill (7-3) enters playing terrific football on a seven-game winning streak, averaging 44 points per game over that stretch.

Boys Soccer

No. 3 Fallston vs No. 1 Glenelg, 2A State Final, Thursday at 5 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

Glenelg (16-0) is one win away from perfection and back in the state title game for the first time since 2022. The Gladiators dominated in the state semifinals and face a Fallston team that is also returning to the state final for the first time since 2022. Fallston won a thrilling state semifinal over county rival C. Milton Wright in penalty kicks.

No. 2 Centennial vs No. 1 Stephen Decatur, 3A State Final, Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

Centennial (14-1-1) is rolling right now and showcased its resilience in a 3-1 state semifinal win over Tuscarora. The Eagles are vying for the program’s first state title since 1995. Meanwhile, Stephen Decatur is coming off a dramatic 3-2 double overtime win over Sherwood in the state semifinals.

Girls soccer

No. 4 Mt. Hebron vs. No. 6 Century, 2A State Final, Friday at 7:30 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

The Vikings (11-2-2) are making their fourth appearance in the state final in the past five years and aiming for the program’s second state title. Mt. Hebron has a stout defense and is coming off an impressive true road win in the state semifinals over Kent Island.

Volleyball

No. 6 Glenelg vs No. 4 Williamsport, 2A State Final, Saturday at noon at APG Federal Credit Union Arena

The Gladiators (14-4) took down second seed Calvert in four sets on Tuesday night. They’re facing Williamsport, the defending 2A state champs on Saturday and are vying for the program’s first state title since 2021.

No. 2 Howard vs No. 1 North Hagerstown, 3A State Final, Saturday at 2 p.m. at APG Federal Credit Union Arena

The Lions (19-0) swept sixth seed Arundel in a close contest in a true road state semifinal on Tuesday night. Howard aims to close out an undefeated season and capture just the program’s second state title and first since 1980.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23. 

The Hawks won the Class 2A crown with 75 points, outpacing Hereford (110), claiming their first state since 2019. Meanwhile, the Centennial boys continued building a dynasty by winning a third straight state championship with 77 points, defeating Sherwood (84).

For River Hill, this year’s states performance is the culmination of persistent growth under coach Chad Boothe.

“Words alone just don’t say how proud I am,” Boothe said. “My top three runners, they’re all seniors. This is now my fourth-year as head coach. I had these guys as freshman and got to watch them grow and become more mature, better runners, just all-around better people. To see the accumulation of it all put together was wonderful.”

After finishing as the county-runner up and winning the 2A West Regional, the Hawks entered the state championships with the expectation to win. However, they were well aware of the challenge that Hereford, Glenelg and Poolesville posed.

With that in mind, River Hill traveled to Hereford a week before the state championships and ran as a team with a slow pace through the course twice. The Hawks do that before states every year to better understand race strategy and the mental and physical stamina necessary for critical race points.

River Hill effectively executed its pre-race plan, led by seniors Noah Levy, Lucas Chiang and Breyen Solowski-Kampherstei, who were the team’s top three finishers. All three runners steadily improved their time each season at Hereford, which pushed the Hawks to a championship level.

While River Hill’s group experienced its first state title, the Eagles seniors added to an already stacked trophy case. Centennial entered Saturday as the presumptive favorites after winning both counties and regionals.

However, the Eagles don’t necessarily think about those championship expectations placed upon them. Rather, Centennial merely focuses on hard work and doing its best every single day.

Their constant success at states is a byproduct of that approach. When outside pressure does arise, the Eagles rely on the collective and remain close. An experienced group with four of their five top runners being seniors, coaches Kevin McCoy and Chris Graff begin each meet with an innate comfort.

That comfortability comes from their practice habits, but also the fact they’ve learned from those who’ve come before them. Seniors Jason Oberly, Harper Koening, Ian Doll and John Arrington impart wisdom to the team’s younger runners, which was once given to them as underclassmen. Their culture of passing the torch is a vital theme to Centennial’s cross country dynasty in establishing itself as one of the state’s best programs.

“For this group, it’s impressive from Chris and I’s perspective to be able to watch collectively how inspired they are and how they’re bringing these younger kids in and putting them under their wing to continue the longevity,” McCoy said. “I tell the kids all the time, ‘Every year is a different chapter, every kid is a different chapter in this big book that we’re going to write together.’

“They all feel a little different, they all have their little nuances to them. They all have their little specialness, but for sure this is for them. They are an absolute pleasure to work with. I love these kids to death. I am so happy they were able to go out there and show how amazing we know that they are.”

Several Howard County individuals net top-20 finishes

Outside of the team success, several Howard County runners also delivered strong individual performances. In 2A, Hammond junior Trevor Miyagishima concluded a phenomenal junior season by winning the state title with a time of 16 minutes, 37.52 seconds.

Wilde Lake sophomore Wesley Zaron (sixth place), Long Reach sophomore Pierce Eatough (12th) and Levy (13th) all finished in the top 15, while Chiang and Solowski-Kampherstei finished 17th and 19th, respectively. Glenelg boys also finished fourth in 2A.

Meanwhile in 3A boys, Howard County had seven top-20 finishers led by Oberly (ninth), Koenig (12th), Marriotts Ridge’s Zachary Cratin (14th), Doll (15th), Oakland Mills’ Shamar Johnson (16th), Atholton’s Cameron Martinez (18th) and Arrington (19th).

In 3A girls, Centennial junior Kaylee Beal led the way and powered the Eagles girls to a state runner-up finish. The Howard County champion finished sixth as the top county finisher in her classification, followed by Howard’s Eleanor Zadora-Smierciak (13th), Marriotts Ridge’s Anya Subramaniam (18th), Howard’s Claire Sivitz (19th) and Marriotts Ridge’s Emma Floyd (20th).

River Hill senior Alyssa Mattes capped off an impressive career with a runner-up finish in 2A with a time of 19:23.61. Glenelg’s Kate Love (7th), Mt. Hebron’s Lily Davis (12th), River Hill’s Ayla Sanderoff (13th) and Glenelg’s Alexa Hester (18th) all performed well in a strong day of competition for Howard County overall where the River Hill and Glenelg girls finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

“We start every season like aiming to win a state championship and it doesn’t always happen, but it’s happened more than it hasn’t happened in recent years,” Hereford coach Adam Hittner said.

Coming off a runner-up finish last year, the Bulls did it with a new cast of talented harriers.

Sophomore Dempsey Nelson was third overall (20 minutes, 11 seconds) and junior Charlie Brill was fourth (20:11.05), while sophomore Kylie Jacobson, the Baltimore County champion, was sixth (20:32.56) behind Eastern Tech freshman Evette Otieno (fifth, 20:27.82).

“[Nelson, Brill and Jacobson] have been great for us all year,” Hittner said.

Brill was the only one who ran in the state meet last year when she finished 29th in 21:34.50.

Rounding out the top seven for the Bulls were senior Juliette Verderaime (30th, 22:27.57), and sophomores Brenna Hubbell (31st, 22:27.57), Isabella Messina (39th, 22:57.59) and Addison Abraskin (61st, 24:13.48).

“It’s a whole new team, but the expectations continue to be the same,” Hittner said. “That front three — Kylie and Dempsey have never run cross country before and behind them Brenna and Isabella were on JV for us last year and got some experience. And Addison didn’t have a great race because she has been fighting injury the last couple weeks, so she is fighting through it, but she was on JV last year and she was our third or fourth runner on our JV team and she was our fourth best runner most of this year. 

“So these kids just like really grew like improved tremendously from ninth grade to 10th grade because they became full-time runners. They ran cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, they trained over the summer and they’ve really wanted to keep that legacy going.”

The Bulls finished with 62 points, ahead of second-place North Harford (81). The title was the seventh for Hittner and the 16th overall for the girls.

Patience was the key to the race for the top trio.

“They work together really well,” Hittner said. “For the first half of the race they started off a little further back because some of the early pace was pretty hot, they stayed back a little bit, but they were top 10 probably a half-mile or three-quarters of a mile in, and they just methodically worked their way forward and they just did a really nice job solidifying that front end for us and helping us get that team title.”

The race was won by Century’s Taylor Colson (19:10.64) and she was trailed by River Hill’s Alyssa Mattes (19:23.61). It was Colson’s second championship in three years, also winning as a freshman in 2023.

Last year, Hereford produced the second-place finisher in Sylvia Snider, but the runner-up team showing left it’s mark.

“All of us took it a little personally when we didn’t win last year. We like to win and even with Sylvia graduating and to lose a runner of Sylvia’s caliber at the front end and to then win a state championship the next year after having lost with Sylvia leading the charge, was a pretty remarkable turnaround,” Hittner said.

The Hereford girls weren’t the only Baltimore County girls making waves.

The finest performance came in the Class 1A race where senior Maren Blanks took the top prize with a personal record time of 20:31.38. Her teammates — Anna Bibo (sixth, 21:44.03), Cara Domsic (38th, 24:34.77), Mia Hager (42nd, 25:10.14) and Meara Parker (66th, 27:26.38) — helped them to fourth in the team race (130 points) won by Liberty (61).

In Class 4A, the Dulaney girls were sixth with 170 points in the meet won by Bethesda-Chevy Chase and BCC’s Nya Stoian (19:44.02).

Dulaney’s top seven included: Catherine Campbell (12th, 20:27.13), Nicole Lin (24th, 21:12.50), Kathryn Delaney (41st, 21:39.32), Alya Chawaf (54th, personal record 22:05.26), Nicole Valekha (62nd, 22:18.55), Chloe Preheim (73rd, 22:47) and Heidi Greten (87th, 23:20.05).

In the Class 3A girls race, the Towson girls were 17th with 408 points. Freshman Emalee Houston was 43rd (21:43.02). Catonsville didn’t field a complete squad, but they were led by senior Olivia Virago (32nd, 21:19.34).

Hereford boys are runners-up for first time since 2012

Hereford sophomore Eli Aitken took fourth place in the Class 2A boys race to lead the Bulls to second place with 110 points in the race won by River Hill (75). It’s the Bulls’ highest finish in 13 years.

“A very smart race which is what we talked about, just being under control, being calm and relaxed,” Hittner said. “He struggled at Bull Run, but he ran with so much more confidence and was so much more comfortable. He’s learned so much about cross country and I think he’s really excited that his races for the foreseeable future are going to be very flat and nothing but left turns.”

Aitken, the Baltimore County champion, negotiated the 5,000-meter course in 16:49.66. Hammond’s Trevor Miyagishma won in 16:37.52.

“We came into it knowing their was a four-team battle and I felt like River Hill was the favorite,” Hittner said. “We had seen Poolesville twice this year and we had seen Glenelg once and we hadn’t beaten neither of them but we were really close with them the last time and I felt like we had the possibility of winning, but River Hill ran better than I expected and they gave us no opportunity to try and chase them down. But we did really well to beat Glenelg and Poolesville to get that second-place finish which we were really proud of.”

Hereford’s squad included: James Wyatt (10th, 17:19.33), Katahdin McClure (24th, 17:46.90), Nate Berkowitz (39th, 18:26.34), Nick House (56th, 18:46.49), Tommy Hanlon (60th, 18:56.09) and Matthew Lowing (72nd, 19:12.08).

In the Class 3A race, the Baltimore County and regional champion Catonsville boys placed eighth with 247 points.

Senior Sebastian Wautel ran a personal best 17:42.76 and took 38th. Matt Foster was 39th (17:43.98), followed by Ever Fielding (49th, 17:51.83), Aidan Foster (79th, 18:23.18), Connor Bateman (82nd, 18:29.48), Oliver Graves-Abe (11th, 18:45.12) and Anderson King (155th, 20:27.25).

Towson’s 13th-place result was led by junior Andrew Robinson (46th, 17:46.88).

In the Class 4A boys race, Dulaney was seventh. They were led by senior Oliver Katz (17th, 17:17.15). Chris Martin (27th, 17:20.42), Luke Sales (51st, 17:58.17), Sean Lookingbill (53rd, 18:00.42), Cole Kardian (59th, 18:03.13), Bryce Mickles (73rd, 18:25.31) and Ethan Sappe (127th, 19:46.75) rounded out the squad.

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