Notebook

Football

Undefeated Forest Park quietly leaving a 'legacy,' coach says

With eight undefeated football teams remaining in the Baltimore area, there's sure to be one that gets overlooked. That one is Forest Park.

The Foresters are quietly rolling along in Baltimore City's Division II, turning last season's 2-8 record into this season's 7-0 start. With no big stars and no huge victory margins, the Foresters are winning in true team fashion, and that's just the strategy first-year head coach Damon Bomar is looking for.

Friday's victory over Southwestern was their closest yet, 18-12 in triple overtime. Senior running back Angelo Lewis scored the game-winning touchdown, and senior defensive end Andrew Allen had two sacks on Southwestern's ensuing series to clinch the win.

Commitment, determination and discipline have been keys to the turnaround, said Bomar, also the school's athletic director. He has tried to instill those virtues in his players since weight training began in June.

"I saw them buy into it early when we had weight training in January and more kids came out," Bomar said. "We're mostly senior-oriented and we had some juniors, and the same kids are excelling on the field now because of weight training. I tip my hat to them. I tell them I'm proud of them and that this team is going to leave a legacy at Forest Park."

Along with Lewis and Allen, other two-way seniors are leading the way: Chidi Flowers (wide receiver-free safety), Pat Makall (running back-linebacker), Evan Rose (wide receiver-cornerback) and James Queen (lineman).

Bomar practices what he preaches when he talks about a team strategy. He has the same approach with his coaching staff, Sean Markley, Shawn Waller and Dwayne Barnes. They all played golf together Sunday.

"It's funny because we're all so tight," Bomar said. "They're always praising me, and I say, 'No, it's all of us collectively.' ... I want to make sure these kids understand we did this collectively - the players, the coaching staff, the administration and the students as well."

The Foresters finish the season at home against Douglass on Friday and Lake Clifton on Nov. 6. The regular-season finale with the Lakers could be the Division II championship game because both teams remain unbeaten in the division.

- Katherine Dunn

Girls soccer

Mustangs primed for playoffs

Fresh off Monday's 2-0 win over Harford Tech in the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference girls soccer championship, C. Milton Wright is playing its best ball when it counts the most.

The No. 15 Mustangs (10-4-1) hope the trend continues in the coming Class 3A North regional playoffs. But they know it won't be easy with Baltimore County powers Hereford and Catonsville in the way of a trip to the state tournament.

The team has leaned on its experienced defense, led by goalie Rachel Sakamoto (eight shutouts), and balanced offense. Kellie McKiney leads the way with six goals and four assists.

"We wanted to - midway through the year - to really step it up, and we've been able to do that," C. Milton Wright coach Paul Austin said. "We've got a lot of experience in the back, but midfield and forward we didn't have a lot of game experience at the start. So you can see we've kind of matured a little bit, which is good to see. We know we've got some Baltimore County teams that have had excellent seasons, so we'll see what happens."

- Glenn Graham

Field hockey

Strong example for Generals

In July, Towson's Victoria Van Natten tore her anterior cruciate ligament making a cut in a New Jersey lacrosse tournament. She listened as three of four doctors told her to forget about field hockey in the fall. Surgery was necessary, they said, and she would not be ready.

"I never give up on something," Van Natten said. "I had my heart set on it. I'd been on varsity field hockey since my sophomore year, and I didn't want to miss my senior year."

Van Natten, an attacker for the 8-5 Generals, continued on and after a month of physical therapy took the advice of the doctor who said she didn't need surgery.

Her knee got stronger. Van Natten's teammates, in anticipation of her recovery and in recognition of her spirit, voted her team captain even before they knew whether she would be able to play.

Three weeks into the season, Van Natten was back on the field wearing a knee brace. Now, going into the Generals' 3A North regional quarterfinal game against Patapsco on Thursday, she is the team's second-leading scorer.

- Sandra McKee