B Conference

Gilman coach Jon Seal said his team was the underdog in Sunday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A conference championship against McDonogh despite being the top seed for the playoffs. But while the second-ranked Greyhounds might not have quite the same soccer pedigree as the No. 6 Eagles, they pride themselves on outworking their opponents. That was the case again in the final as midfielder Cotter Brown's header with 36 seconds left in the first half gave Gilman a 1-0 victory at Archbishop Spalding.

Matt Jablonski and top-ranked Loyola won their second consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association cross country championships Wednesday at Oregon Ridge Park. Jablonski, a senior, blew away the field to win in 15 minutes, 11 seconds -- believed to be a meet record on the course. He beat Glenelg Country School's Kikanae Punyua by 48 seconds, taking the lead early on and never relinquishing it. "I felt great today," Jablonski said. "I wanted to take it out in the beginning and set the tone.

Ninth-ranked Archbishop Spalding and St. Paul's played Friday for a potential spot in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference football championship, and neither team was willing to let that opportunity slip away. The Cavaliers and Crusaders clashed in a contentious game that featured bone-crushing hits and several heated exchanges. In the end, visiting Spalding's dominant backfield of K.K. Smith and J.D. Izon was the difference, as the two combined for 340 rushing yards in the 22-15 victory.

Even though seventh-ranked Archbishop Spalding plays in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference, the Cavaliers have no fear of their A Conference foes. Spalding already took No. 6 Calvert Hall to triple overtime before losing earlier this season, and earned an even better result Friday night against No. 13 Loyola. Host Spalding erased an early two-touchdown deficit by scoring seven consecutive touchdowns en route to a 49-21 victory. The Cavaliers' K.K. Smith scored three touchdown, including a 65-yard run and a 60-yard punt return.

McDonogh's Alex Sidney lay on his stomach near the net, writhing in pain from cramps that attacked both of his legs and rendered them useless. He was playing a tiebreaker in the final set of a championship match and didn't want it to end like this. Michael Katz of Gilman stood quietly at the net and could barely look at Sidney. The two are close friends who play tennis together frequently, and Katz didn't want the match to end like this either. But Sidney couldn't get up and had to retire, giving Katz the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference No. 1 singles title, 7-5, 4-6, 6-6 (ret.

In nearly 10 years as football chairman for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, Steve Walker has seen the difficulties the six A Conference teams can experience trying to fill out a 10-week schedule with competitive opponents. One of the possible solutions, he said, would be a merger with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. The combination would create an exceptionally competitive football conference joining such Washington-area powerhouses as DeMatha, Good Counsel and St. John's with Gilman, McDonogh, Loyola, Calvert Hall, Mount St. Joseph and Georgetown Prep.

In nearly 10 years as football chairman for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, Steve Walker has seen the difficulties the six A Conference teams can experience trying to fill out a 10-week schedule with competitive opponents. One of the possible solutions, he said, would be a merger with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. The combination would create an exceptionally competitive football conference joining such Washington-area powerhouses as DeMatha, Good Counsel and St. John's with Gilman, McDonogh, Loyola, Calvert Hall, Mount St. Joseph and Georgetown Prep.

After a slow start on offense in Saturday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference football championship, Archbishop Spalding wanted a big second-half play to break through against Boys' Latin. The No. 14 Cavaliers got a handful of them. Among the highlights - Ryan Cochrane's 61-yard run that set up a touchdown by Scott Sharik and Zach Waller's 38-yard touchdown run off a fumble recovery. Those and several more big defensive plays fueled a 12-0 victory that avenged their only regular-season loss and spoiled the No. 8 Lakers' bid for a perfect record before a standing-room-only crowd at Mount St. Joseph.

After a slow start on offense in Saturday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference football championship, Archbishop Spalding wanted a big second-half play to break through against Boys' Latin. The No. 14 Cavaliers got a handful of them. Among the highlights - Ryan Cochrane's 61-yard run that set up a touchdown by Scott Sharik and Zach Waller's 38-yard touchdown run off a fumble recovery. Those and several more big defensive plays fueled a 12-0 victory that avenged their only regular-season loss and spoiled the No. 8 Lakers' bid for a perfect record before a standing-room-only crowd at Mount St. Joseph.