Centennial

After nearly surprising 10th-ranked Oakland Mills last week, Howard had the tables turned on it last night as host Centennial edged the Lions, 30-25.Centennial's win pushed the Eagles (7-5, 4-2) into second place in the county behind Oakland Mills, while Howard (6-4-2) dropped to third with a 4-2-1 county mark."This win was a team motivator coming off our 30-29 win over Hammond," said Centennial coach Todd DeCrispino, whose Eagles returned 28 wrestlers from a year ago.With Centennial leading Howard 27-20, the match's top showdown between Centennial junior Joon Kim (20-1)

The first half was filled with frustration for Centennial. The Eagles could not score despite having possession much of the )) time and not allowing Bel Air a shot.But the second half was a different story. Allison Altscher scored twice in the final 23 minutes to lift No. 5 Centennial to a 2-0 victory over visiting and No. 9 Bel Air yesterday."Finishing was definitely a problem," said Altscher. "We weren't really moving the ball."The Eagles (4-0) often pushed the ball into the circle in the first half, but then came up empty.

Centennial outplayed Wilde Lake for more than three quarters yesterday, but the visiting Eagles needed an overtime period to erase a comeback by Wilde Lake and escape with a 71-65 victory.The 17th-ranked Eagles (8-2, 1-1) trailed briefly in overtime, when Seth Willingham hit a three-pointer to give Wilde Lake a 65-64 lead, the Wildecats' first advantage since late in the first quarter. But Centennial regrouped to score the game's last seven points and hand Wilde Lake (3-5, 0-2) its second consecutive overtime defeat at home.

In a match of unbeatens yesterday, Wilde Lake left Centennial blowing in the wind.The visiting Wildecats took control early, winning three of the first four matches, and went on to a convincing 6-3 victory."

The No. 9 Edmondson boys basketball team had been trailing the entire game to No. 10 Centennial at the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials Board 290 Mixer at Northwestern. But the Red Storm made a defensive adjustment, subbing in Steve Everett, who didn't allow the Eagles' Keonte Potts to score in the fourth quarter, and Edmondson shot well in the final two minutes at the free-throw line to win, 62-59, on Wednesday. Centennial (6-2) used the transition game to take a 34-28 lead at the break.

At the end of the first half yesterday, Atholton was treated to a rousing ovation from the fans behind the team bench. And rightly so.The Raiders had held No. 1 Centennial scoreless in the first half, only the third time that has happened this season.But then they played the second half.And Centennial wasn't scoreless anymore.The Eagles got goals from five players, the first from Matt Stephenson 2:10 into the half, and won, 5-0, to capture the class 3A East Region title.Centennial will play the winner of the McDonough-Thomas Stone game in a state semifinal Saturday at Catonsville Community College.

No. 1 Centennial (13-0-2) won its fourth straight regional championship last night by beating No. 10 Broadneck, 1-0, in double overtime in the Class 3A East Region championship game.The Eagles pinned back Broadneck's defense for almost the entire game, but was unable to score until Brian West's kick with 5:15 left in the second 10-minute sudden-death overtime beat Broadneck goalkeeper Andy Chambless (18 saves).West (six goals, nine assists) took a throw-in from Kumi Walker, beat one man who slid into him, turned and saw that the goalkeeper was out. Then he blasted a shot a few yards inside the near post from 10 yards out."

A calm Dave Hudson is tough enough to beat on the mound.But when the Centennial senior right-hander is inspired like he was yesterday, he is nearly impossible to hit ."I don't like to lose and South Carroll beat us, 11-2, in the Gibbons championship game," said Hudson. "I wasn't at that game but it still hurt me and we had enlarged copies of the linescore of that game plastered all over our locker room before this game. I was really pumped up."There was even one of the line- scores hanging on the fence in front of the Centennial bench yesterday.

Everyone expected Centennial senior right-hander David Hudson to be throwing in the low 80s and striking out a lot of hitters yesterday.But no one expected the Eagles' ninth-place hitter, Dan Christine, to crush two long drives for a double and a triple to drive in two runs and score one run.Especially after Christine, a third baseman, sat out all last season to concentrate on playing goalie for the Centennial soccer team.Christine was easily the hitting star of the game as 13th-ranked Centennial turned back Westminster, 8-1, in the season opener for both teams at Westminster.

There are seven career 1,000-point scorers in Hammond High School history. Last night, Rene Hines moved to the top of the class.The four-year starter scored a game-high 17 points, eight in the final quarter, to lead the sixth-ranked Golden Bears over 11th-ranked Centennial, 50-43, at Hammond.Hines, a 6-1 forward who will attend Georgia State University next fall on a full scholarship, now has 1,242 points. Tiki Nicholson, a sophomore playing at Central Florida College, falls to second place with 1,230.