Archbishop Curley

BOYS TRACK Performer of the Year Jamin Gallman Poly Despite battling bronchitis for much of the season, Gallman had another fine campaign. The senior got sick in the early weeks of the season and collapsed in the Baltimore City championship. But he continued to compete, doing well in the regionals and eventually taking second in the 400 at the state meet. Gallman also ran on the 1,600-meter relay team that broke a 22-year-old Class 2A record. Coach of the Year Steve Williams Poly After winning an indoor state title, the Engineers came close to taking another one outdoors.

Girls Hope Battista South River, field hockey The defensive leader for the No. 1 Seahawks, Battista led her team to two victories last week, including a 2-0 win over then-No. 2 Bryn Mawr. With Battista orchestrating the defense, the Seahawks have allowed only three goals in their 10-0 season. In Friday night's win over the Mawrtians, Battista shut out speedy forward Sarah Cole and helped the Seahawks fight off 14 Bryn Mawr penalty corners and 11 shots. A field hockey player since fourth grade, Battista is considering playing in college.

With nine sophomores on a 13-player roster, a first-time head coach and a four-win season the previous year, Cardinal Gibbons couldn't have entered 1999 with many more bleak prospects.Two months, endless practice and 17 wins later, the Crusaders stand a win away from the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship after knocking off defending champion Chapelgate, 10-1, yesterday in the second round at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans.They have a bye into Thursday's championship round against the winner of today's game between St. Mary's and Chapelgate.

Recalling a defeat from two days earlier, Calvert Hall pitcher Ryan Kyle said yesterday, "Any time you score nine runs in a game, you should win."The third-ranked, defending champion Cardinals (8-2, 3-1 league) needed fewer than that in Kyle's 6-2 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference win over visiting McDonogh.Still, the victory served as little consolation to Monday's 12-9 loss at No. 19 Loyola."That [Loyola game] was a battle -- them hitting the ball, us hitting the ball.

With nine sophomores on a 13-player roster, a first-time head coach and a four-win season the previous year, Cardinal Gibbons couldn't have entered 1999 with many more bleak prospects.Two months, endless practice and 17 wins later, the Crusaders stand a win away from the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship after knocking off defending champion Chapelgate, 10-1, yesterday in the second round at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans.They have a bye into Thursday's championship round against the winner of today's game between St. Mary's and Chapelgate.

Lining the fields for his summer-league coach yesterday morning, Severna Park's Tony Dokoupil said he envisioned going deep later at the Crown High School All-Star Game at Oriole Park.Said Dokoupil: "I told [my coach] I was going to swing out of my shoes on every pitch."The Falcons senior did just that, giving himself the memory of a lifetime by taking Kevin Damiano's low fastball into the left-field seats to help his South team beat the North, 3-2, in the 18th annual game matching the state's top seniors from public and private schools.

A prayer went out over the public address system at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore yesterday for a senior who has contracted bacterial meningitis. Officials also sent letters home, alerting parents of the student's illness.Students and members of the staff and faculty at Western Maryland College in Westminster were also notified because the student, Michael Petr, stayed there overnight April 9 after touring the college with plans of possibly enrolling in the fall. More than 80 people have visited the campus health center over the past three days to receive antibiotics.

Archbishop Curley's Dan Popera has stepped down as the Friars' basketball coach after 25 seasons, the school has announced.Popera was named All-Metro Coach of the Year by The Sun in 1978 and was Maryland Scholastic Association C Conference Coach of the Year in 1989.Popera will remain on the school's faculty as chairman of its business department and as an accounting teacher.He also will continue running the summer basketball camp.Assistant athletic director Matthew Keller is part of a committee searching for a successor.

Mike Whittles, longtime Severna Park Green Hornets youth coach, has been named Archbishop Spalding's new football coach.Whittles succeeds John Moscato, who was not retained after two seasons and an overall record of 11-9, including 8-6 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference.Moscato, a youth coach in Baltimore County before taking Spalding's post in 1997, and the school had "philosophical differences," said athletic director Lee Dove, who announced Whittles' hiring.

For the third time in four years, Hyattsville's DeMatha captured the Maryland Independent Schools championship at McDonogh School in Owings Mill last night.The Stags finished with 272 1/2 points, 30 points more than second-place Archbishop Curley. Calvert Hall finished third with 171 1/2 points."I think putting eight in the finals was the key to our success," DeMatha coach Richard Messier said. "Although we didn't have four of the eight win, we had some very close matches and I'm very happy with that."

FOOTBALL Franklin at Catonsville WHEN: : Tonight, 7 OUTLOOK: : The Comets (2-0) are coming off an impressive 14-0 win over Milford Mill to face an Indians team (2-0) capable of making big plays. Franklin's Navassa Brown and Zach Silverberg have combined for 664 total yards and eight touchdowns in lopsided victories over Bel Air and New Town. For Catonsville, Travis Vasco has 222 rushing yards and Brian Smith has four rushing touchdowns, but the Comets' defense, led by All-Metro linebacker Tyler Weedon (three sacks)

Women's lacrosse U.S. routs England to advance to championship vs. Australia The United States defeated England, 20-3, in the semifinals of the Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup on Thursday in Prague and will advance to the gold-medal game Saturday at 9 a.m. against defending champion Australia, which won the 2005 event by beating the Americans in the final in Annapolis. Katie Rowan led all scorers Thursday with three goals and five assists. Starting U.S. goalie Devon Wills had three saves in the first half, and Megan Huether (Maryvale Prep)

Graham Bazell * Atholton * The senior is perhaps the best distance runner in the state. He won the Class 3A state title in cross country and took the 1,600-meter crown indoors. Bazell combines with teammate Michael Lynch to give the Raiders a formidable duo in distance. Eric Franklin * Archbishop Curley * He played a big role in the Friars winning last spring's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association team title. The senior was undefeated in the 110-meter hurdles last spring. Justin Gross * McDonogh * The junior won the 55-meter hurdles plus the long and triple jumps during the MIAA indoor title meet and can also run relays.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Marquez Fernandez McDonogh, defender Fernandez was one of the main cogs in McDonogh's 20-1 season and second consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship. Fernandez is considered one of the top high school players in the nation. A defender, he moved forward to score 10 goals and anchored the back line for the Eagles, who had 16 shutouts. The junior also had the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Archbishop Curley in the conference semifinals.

Player of the Year Greg McBride, Gilman McBride was a force all season for the Greyhounds. The forward often got the attention of two or sometimes three opposing players in the attacking third of the field. He finished with 17 goals and 12 assists, helping Gilman reach the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinals. McBride scored the winning goal in Gilman's 2-0 victory over John Carroll in the MIAA quarterfinals before the team lost to Mount St. Joseph in the semifinals.

Kevin Beck Atholton * Described as "a beast" by fellow competitors, the junior went 39-1 last year while winning the Class 4A-3A state title in the 103-pound weight class. Certified for the 112-pound class, he will start the season at 119. Avi Friedman Owings Mills * He capped a perfect season and 2A-1A state title with a junior national title at 103 pounds. The senior was 38-0 last season and is 75-4 in his two varsity seasons. Frank Goodwin Mount St. Joseph * He went 49-5 with 28 pins at 112 a year ago and finished runner-up at nationals.

266 All-purpose yards gained by Poly's John Marcus on rushes, punt returns and kickoff returns in Friday's 48-0 victory over Carver. He scored four touchdowns and had two conversions. 302 Career victories for McDonogh girls soccer coach Maurice Boylan Jr. after Tuesday's 4-0 victory over Notre Dame Prep. Boylan, who amassed some of those varsity victories at Park and Maryvale, is in his 18th season with the Eagles. 527 Rushing yards gained by Archbishop Curley in last week's 47-34 victory over St. Paul's.

With the help of an early goal and some sturdy play from senior goalkeeper Zach Kane, the No. 7 Perry Hall boys soccer team earned its way to overtime against top-ranked McDonogh yesterday. Which team wanted it more from there? Perry Hall senior defender Ray Rogowski provided a pinpoint answer. Rogowski flicked home Phil Saunders' long throw, finding the top far post with less than two minutes to play in the second overtime, giving the Gators a 2-1 win at the McDonogh Tournament. Perry Hall bounced back from its 3-0 loss to Archbishop Curley in Friday's tournament opener and improved to 2-1 this season, while the Eagles fell to 3-1. "I was waiting at the post because Phil has a big throw and I knew he could get it there because we've worked on it so much in practice," Rogowski said.

FOOTBALL No. 3 Loyola @No. 10 Edmondson When: Saturday, 1 p.m. Outlook: Loyola opened its season in style Sunday, as senior quarterback Leon Kinnard threw three touchdown passes to lead his team to a 42-0 win over Gonzaga (D.C.) on the road. The Dons should get a stiffer test this week against Edmondson, which opened its season Friday with a 16-7 win over Friendly of Prince George's County. Junior QB Jerry Lovelocke threw for 134 yards and a touchdown for the Red Storm, which finished 9-3 a year ago. The Sun's pick: Loyola Football Thomas Johnson@ No. 7 Mount St. Joseph When: Saturday, 1 p.m. Outlook: After last weekend's season-opening 14-0 win over Archbishop Spalding in a game that was tougher than expected, the Gaels will face a Thomas Johnson team that won 10 games and advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals a year ago, and put up 35 points in Friday's win over Northeast.

OUMAR BALLO * Archbishop Curley, defense * Few players can dominate a game in the back, but the gifted junior sweeper does just that with fine size, speed and skills to go with smart decision-making. GEATON CALTABIANO * Mount St. Joseph, midfield * One of the area's most creative midfielders, the dynamic junior will be in the middle of the Gaels' success on offense this fall. JOHN CONNOLLY * Archbishop Curley, goalkeeper * The ultimate safety valve, the four-year senior is sound tactically, keeps the Friars' back line organized and has the invaluable experience of playing in the past two MIAA A Conference title games.