Notebook

Girls soccer

Comets' Boller moves seamlessly to goalie

Going into her final high school soccer season at Catonsville, Emily Boller's plan was to score goals as a returning forward for the No. 13 Comets.

As it turns out, she has stopped them instead.

When starting goalie Kelli Beard, a junior, dislocated her shoulder in the fourth game, Boller, who hadn't played in goal since her grade-school days, suddenly found herself there.

"It was kind of the running joke that she was our backup goalie because we just had one goalkeeper with experience," Catonsville coach James Fitzpatrick said.

Drawing on her childhood days, Boller has looked right at home. It started in that first game, when, in overtime against No. 8 Hereford, she immediately made a diving save that helped preserve a 1-1 tie. The teams will meet again in the Baltimore County championship game Tuesday at Franklin. Game time is set for 5 p.m.

Boller is 8-1 this season with 63 saves to just six goals allowed, earning six shutouts.

"It was really nerve-racking at first because it's such a different position - you see the game different. But I just wanted to help my team," she said.

Fitzpatrick said Boller has done that and so much more.

"It's such a selfless act, and she never complained once," he said. "She accepted the responsibility that this was the way she can help the team. She's been able to come up with the big save time and time again for us."

- Glenn Graham

Football

Unbeatens vie for MIAA 'B' lead

Boys' Latin football coach Ritchie Schell has no doubt about which team is favored leading up to Friday's clash of unbeaten teams with No. 9 Archbishop Spalding.

"We're definitely the underdogs in this," Schell said. "What's on the line is that whoever wins this game is in the [Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference] championship regardless of what happens in the last two games. Just to play a game of this magnitude is what I've been hoping for. Really, there's no pressure on us. There may be some pressure on them; they're ranked in the state poll [No. 25]."

And Spalding has that season-opening 14-7 win over No. 11 Calvert Hall, which looked even better after the Cardinals rocked then-No. 2 Gilman, 21-12.

While the Lakers, who host the 3:45 p.m. game, draw motivation from wanting to knock off a ranked team, the Cavaliers will be out to avenge last season's 22-19 loss - a game they played without top running back K.K. Smith.

Both teams have a lot going for them. Both 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the conference, they are solid on offense and defense. They are also similar in offensive style, relying on the running game but capable of striking through the air.

Schell and Spalding coach Mike Whittles concur on two critical elements: the running game and the line play.

The Cavaliers look to a pair of junior running backs: Smith, who has rushed for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns, and J.D. Izon, who has 318 yards and four touchdowns but can be just as threatening. Senior Patrick Steele leads the Lakers with more than 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Steele likes to tuck in behind fullback Drew White, whom Whittles singled out while talking about Boys' Latin's sizable offensive line.

"They're big, and they look pretty strong. Our line is just going to have to play extremely well against that line. They do a nice job blocking, and they've got [White], who does a good job, and then Steele runs hard," Whittles said.

The Cavaliers' trio of 6-foot-1, 180-pound Chris Neutzling; 6-0, 210-pound Luke Caldwell; and 6-1, 235-pound Nick Allen will take on a Lakers line that Schell said averages more than 250 pounds and includes 6-2, 270-pound Stephen Andes and 6-5, 280-pound Greg Pyke.

"The big key to playing Spalding, quite frankly, is to stop their two running backs, K.K. and Izon," Schell said. "We've got to make them drive down the middle of the field and make them earn everything they get. It sounds cliche, but they're a big-play team. Those two kids can break it open."

- Katherine Dunn

Cross country

Record-setting Saint

Lutheran's Cory Armes has plenty of motivation to go unbeaten this cross country season and break four course records.

The senior was not happy about finishing eighth in last year's MIAA B Conference championship. He lost only one other race all season, but he just had one of those days in the title meet.

"He trained really hard over the summer," Saints coach Jim Carter said. "He was really disappointed by his championship meet last year. He just had a bad day. Over the summer, he ran between 300 and 400 miles. He's really dedicated. He wanted to be undefeated this year."

So far, so good.

Armes, who has run cross country for seven years at Lutheran and was All-Conference as a sophomore, has won every race this fall. Last week, he set a course record at St. John's Catholic Prep. He also lowered the mark at Cardinal Gibbons and bettered his own record on his home course. He set a Lutheran record of 18 minutes, 26 seconds on Sept. 8 and then dropped it to 18:06 on Sept. 22.

- Katherine Dunn