Ex-Hopkins lacrosse star Wood to coach Severn boys team

Brian Wood, a former St. Mary's High and Johns Hopkins standout who will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in November, has been named coach of the Severn boys lacrosse team.

"While his lacrosse success is that of legendary status, he is more importantly a great person who models the qualities we strive to teach our students," Doug Lagarde, Severn's new headmaster, said of Wood.

Wood, 41, succeeds Andy Hilgartner, who resigned after one season to return to McDonogh.

Wood, who has coached youth lacrosse and has two sons at Severn, led Johns Hopkins to NCAA championships in 1984, 1985 and 1987 and was a four-time All-America attackman.

At St. Mary's, Wood was a four-time All-County attackman, three-time All-Metro pick and The Sun's All-Metro Player of the Year as a senior in 1983.

More boys lacrosse -- Joe Keenan, who coached Annapolis to a Class 3A-2A state title in 2003 and was 79-22 (.782) in six seasons, resigned to return to his alma mater, St. Mary's, as a teacher and likely an assistant coach.

Baseball -- McDonogh's Joe Yermal, a second-team All-Metro first baseman-pitcher who is headed to Charlotte, was named Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Maryland. Yermal, 6 feet 5, batted .436 with six homers and 20 RBIs and was 3-4 with one save and a 2.89 ERA. The Orioles selected Yermal in the 39th round of last week's major league amateur draft.