Athleticism

Athleticism was the keynote when the Ravens jockeyed for position and an extra pick on the first day of the NFL draft. They got a converted tight end in the second round with the hope Chris Chester will restore depth to their interior offensive line. They took Division I-AA cornerback David Pittman in the third round with the hope he can fill the critical nickel back spot on defense. What the Ravens really hope is that Chester and Pittman are quick studies on a team that can use their contributions this season.

The most memorable play in Maryland's victory over Virginia was foreshadowed on an August afternoon when Stefon Diggs settled under a kickoff during training camp. Diggs caught the ball on the 2, hesitated, then burst up the middle and angled left for a 98-yard touchdown. It was just an intrasquad scrimmage, but the play demonstrated not only the freshman's speed, but a knack for finding seams in kickoff coverage. He typically pauses after fielding kicks - a tactic that allows him to survey the field.

As a movie, "The Bodyguard" isn't much, but as a ghost story, it's eerie. The ghost that haunts it belongs to Steve McQueen, whose white-jazz coolness turned him into an American icon in such films as "The Magnificent Seven," "Papillon," "The Great Escape" and the great "Bullitt" not so very long ago.The script of "The Bodyguard" was written by a very young Lawrence Kasdan in 1975 expressly for McQueen, who was otherwise occupied, dying of cancer at the...

CONVERTING IN TWO-MINUTE DRILL On the first series of a two-minute exercise, the first offense marched 70 yards, capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The possession was aided by a pass-interference call on cornerback Chykie Brown in the end zone. PAGING A TIGHT END With Ed Dickson injured during the early portion of practice and Dennis Pitta sidelined by a broken bone in his right hand, Davon Drew, Billy Bajema and Matt Balasavage had a chance to shine in an expanded role.

Cole Field House highlight 5 -- Games remaining Feb. 7, 1995: Maryland topples No. 1 North Carolina, 86-73, behind 21 points each from Duane Simpkins and Johnny Rhodes. Cole finale: March 3 vs. Virginia He said it "He reminds me of Buck Williams. He's got that kind of size and quality athleticism." Steve Robinson, Florida State coach, on Terps forward Chris Wilcox

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Those who have followed Adam Morrison's career consider him somewhat of a throwback. The high-scoring Gonzaga forward makes up with moxie what he lacks in athleticism. The high-release jumper is sweet and true. Screens are used to set up defenders. Invariably, the comparison is to Larry Bird. NBA draft Tomorrow, 7 p.m., ESPN

Josh Muskin, Francis Scott Key SPORT LACROSSE BOYS STATS -- Muskin is a second-year starter on defense after playing long-stick midfielder as a sophomore. He excels at one-on-one defense. SIDELINES -- The senior, who has grown into one of the county's premier defensemen, also is a golfer. Last fall, Muskin was the lone member of the Eagles to earn All-Piedmont Conference honors on the links, and he spends his summers helping a junior golf program at a local driving range. Muskin said athleticism runs in his family, with his mother, Dee, a former lacrosse and field hockey player at Pikesville.

Thori Staples is moving up the national women's soccer charts with a bullet.After finishing off an impressive college debut at North Carolina State, she was honored as Soccer America magazine's National Freshman of the Year earlier this month.And the Joppatowne graduate is still on the rise.Two weeks ago, she earned a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team. The only college freshman selected to the 18-woman squad, Staples will begin competition this week at the Cypress Cup in Cypress, Greece.

From this week's Q&A: Matt: Would someone please explain to me why Dave Neal gets so much playing time? He's too slow to guard anyone, too short to play inside and too bad a shooter to be a real threat to hit an outside jumper. Don't get me wrong - I respect and appreciate the effort and hustle but this isn't rec league basketball. Don Markus: Gary Williams has always been loyal, sometimes to a fault, to his veteran players. It goes back to Williams' own playing career in College Park when he was benched for an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game against South Carolina.

Tradition won over athleticism last night, as Severna Park outlasted previously unbeaten Arundel, 3-2, for the Anne Arundel County volleyball championship at Meade High School. No. 5 Severna Park (11-4) won, 15-6, 10-15, 5-15, 16-14, 15-3. After a flat start, No. 3 Arundel (13-1) dominated the second and third sets but faltered in the crucial fourth set. "At the very end of the fourth set, I thought we were going to close it out, but it was like we blinked and lost momentum and never got it back," said Arundel coach Greg Legrand, whose Wildcats lost a 12-9 lead in that set. Severna Park rallied to take a 14-13 lead before Arundel tied it at 14. Facing defeat, the Falcons' Laura Hertzman served the last two points, including the game-winner at match point.

If Josh Hawkins were to pull up his shirt, you might notice a pair of wings tattooed on his upper body. It's a fitting mark for the junior short-stick defensive midfielder who may be the fastest player for Loyola. An example of that burst of speed was provided when Hawkins scored a goal in the top-seeded Greyhounds' 7-5 victory over No. 4 seed Notre Dame in Saturday's NCAA tournament semifinal at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The Fighting Irish had scored twice in a span of six seconds to trim a three-goal deficit to just one with 2:04 left in the second quarter, but Hawkins went end-to-end and bounced a shot over junior goalkeeper John Kemp and under the crossbar to give Loyola a 5-3 lead at halftime.

Janis Berzins Jr., a Latvian native who became a Johns Hopkins University lacrosse star in the early 1960s, died Nov. 28 of an aortic dissection. The resident of Phoenix in Baltimore County was 71. Mr. Berzins was born in Rezekne, Latvia, in February 1940, several months after the start of World War II. Four years later, his family fled their homeland and wound up living in displaced-persons camps in Germany for five years, said his son, Bradley Berzins of Lutherville. "He had vivid, vivid memories of it until the day he died," his son said.

Seated in front of his locker, Michael Oher had nearly devoured a cookie before being interrupted. Rather than finish it, Oher turned to his right, took aim at a trash can about 12 feet away and lofted the cookie into the can with little difficulty. Complimented on the shot, Oher shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was there." Oher's nonchalant toss hints at the athleticism the rookie 23-year-old offensive tackle possesses. In high school, the Memphis native averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game to earn All-State honors in basketball and placed second in the Tennessee state track and field championships in the discus.

One of the first things you notice about Michael Oher is his explosion. When he comes off the snap of the ball, he can get an opponent's attention quickly. Upon first contact, he can make heads turn, which he did Friday in his first full practice as a Raven. "Strong. Just so strong - as in really strong," Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said of Oher, the former University of Mississippi offensive tackle and the Ravens' top draft pick in April. There were many other compliments.

From this week's Q&A: Matt: Would someone please explain to me why Dave Neal gets so much playing time? He's too slow to guard anyone, too short to play inside and too bad a shooter to be a real threat to hit an outside jumper. Don't get me wrong - I respect and appreciate the effort and hustle but this isn't rec league basketball. Don Markus: Gary Williams has always been loyal, sometimes to a fault, to his veteran players. It goes back to Williams' own playing career in College Park when he was benched for an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game against South Carolina.

When New Town's Peju Awodipe drove to the basket or soared after a rebound in her past few games, it was difficult to tell that she had suffered a major knee injury just eight months ago. A second-team All-Metro pick last season, the 5-foot-5 guard relies on her exceptional athleticism, speed and leaping ability to distinguish her from most of the area's other small guards. "She's amazing. She's so fast. She can jump, too. I remember one time I was playing against her and she blocked my shot to half court," said Southside's 6-foot All-Metro forward-guard Sheree Ledbetter, whose team has split with the Titans in the past two Class 1A state tournaments.

Disregard the phenomenon that has Florida State's Peter Warrick plummeting from first pick to fourth in the NFL draft. Dismiss it to the caprice of ever-probing scouts whose focus is not so much why, but why not. Warrick, the most gifted receiver in a gifted class of receivers, is a great catch whenever he goes. And that probably will be with the fourth pick to the Cincinnati Bengals. Sitting anxiously at No. 5 will be the Ravens. While they could get lucky in the first round, they aren't likely to get that lucky.

Just about every other Saturday, Jason Corle puts on his version of the Jenny Jones show.There's some trash talk, some physical contact, and plenty of surprising moves. The episode isn't the option-A makeover, but instead the option-B motif, with its durable title -- "You Dissed Me in High School, But Look At Me Now."The girls didn't laugh at Corle when he was at Southern Regional High School on the New Jersey shore. Nor did bullies necessarily smack him around. It was the college football coaches who bruised his ego, pegging him as small and slow.

The seeds for the versatile play of River Hill senior forward Kelsey Erdman were planted before she entered middle school. While many of her peers were interested strictly in scoring, Erdman became enamored with other facets of the game. "In one [Amateur Athletic Union] game when I was 11, I realized that I was blocking a lot of shots," Erdman said. "I enjoyed jumping up to get rebounds and block shots." Erdman, 5 feet 10, has steadily grown into her role as the Hawks' dominant player.