County Championship

In his first full varsity season, Severna Park sophomore midfielder Jared Fenton has provided the No. 4 Falcons with some quality minutes on the left flank, showing a knack to possess the ball and send timely crosses. In the Anne Arundel County championship game yesterday against No. 10 Chesapeake, he did more than that. The defense-first game needed a stellar individual effort on offense, and Fenton took care of it, scoring the game's only goal in the 55th minute as the Falcons successfully defended their county championship with a 1-0 victory at North County in Ferndale.

Soccer titles are on the line for the girls and boys teams in the Howard County championships Tuesday. Going into this week on the girls side, River Hill held the top spot in the county with an 8-0-1 record with three matches left - against Long Reach, Reservoir and Howard - and anticipated playing Wilde Lake (8-1) for the county title. On the boys side, Marriotts Ridge, led by leading scorer sophomore Pat Sullivan (10 goals) and senior goalkeeper and captain Paul Killian, has pushed River Hill from the top spot.

High school county championship games for many of the fall sports are upon us, and while they might bring extra excitement and another good game to watch, I have come across some situations over the years that provide an argument as to why they should not be played. One example that stands out came in 2006 when Howard County first introduced championship games and Centennial and Glenelg reached the inaugural field hockey title game. Centennial came into the game with a perfect record and had already beaten Glenelg during the season.

Who can tell me what's more fun than having the opportunity to beat a backyard rival? That's basically what these county championship games and matches come down to. It's a big deal, but it is only part of the benefit that comes from them. There are coaches, even coaches who have won county championship games, who don't like them. Why? They say it can wipe out an entire season of work, the way it did River Hill's 13-0 golf record a couple of weeks ago. Or in a sport like baseball, it can be less than a classic matchup because one team might hold back its No. 1 pitcher because of a coming regional playoff game.

Jim Ware will be remembered by those who knew him as a great teacher on and off the softball field.The Broadneck coach died Saturday morning. He was 62. "He had touched many, many young lives," said his son, Patrick Ware. "Every former player of his that I ever talked to had the greatest praise for him because he cared for them both on and off the field. I look back as a father now and he set an example of how to raise my children, and I'm thankful for that." Ware woke up Saturday morning with chest pain.

Northeast's John Hodges, a senior pitcher-infielder, just completed his second straight seven-win season (7-3), although the season didn't end the way he had hoped. After winning the Anne Arundel County championship, Hodges and the No. 9 Eagles had their sights sets on a state championship. Those hopes were dashed by No. 8 Fallston, 5-4, in the Class 3A East regional final Saturday. The right-hander now must look ahead, as he is deciding between CCBC-Dundalk and CCBC-Catonsville. Hodges, who also played a couple of years of basketball at Northeast, played four years of baseball at the Pasadena school.

Glenelg senior centerfielder Ashley McGlynn is making the most of her final days of high school. The highlight for her so far was being named the prom queen, but not far behind was helping the Gladiators capture the county championship last Wednesday with a 3-1 upset win over defending county champ and Class 2A state champ Hammond. McGlynn had two singles off All-Metro sophomore pitcher Stephanie Speierman, drove in one run and scored the game-winning run. The Gladiators lost to Hammond, 9-0, during the regular season.

Boys basketball County championship: No. 10 Old Mill vs. No. 14 Arundel Tuesday, 7 p.m., @ North County Outlook: Old Mill won back-to-back county titles in 2005 and 2006 before Broadneck won last year's final. Arundel will be playing in its first county final since the game began in 1996. The Wildcats won the regular-season game between the two on Jan. 15, 89-74. Expect another up-tempo game. THE SUN'S PICK: Arundel GIRLS BASKETBALL County Championship: No. 3 Arundel vs. No. 11 Old Mill Tuesday, 5 p.m., @ North County Outlook: Old Mill has lost to Arundel in the past two county finals but managed to pull off a 77-51 upset of the Wildcats in last year's Class 4A East regional final.

Centennial senior forward Lindsey Norris hasn't kept track of how many goals she has scored in this field hockey season, but she'll be sure to remember the one she scored in yesterday's Howard County championship game at No. 10 Glenelg. Finding the ball at her feet around the post area with 1:57 left in the second half, Norris tapped it home to send the No. 14 Eagles to a 2-1 upset win over the Gladiators, who went into the game undefeated in county play this season and enjoyed a comfortable 7-4 win over their rivals two weeks ago. The county championship was especially enjoyable for Centennial's longtime coach Gail Purcell, who will step down after 31 season with the program at the end of the playoffs.

Glenelg senior midfielder Susie Giampalmo doesn't hesitate when asked what she wants to get out of her last season of high school field hockey: another chance to play on the turf at the University of Maryland, College Park. Last season, the Gladiators reached the state championship game, falling to Hereford. This season, the Gladiators (8-3) went into the week with eight straight wins to appear primed for another state title run. Giampalmo, a team captain and member of the Futures Program, has played a big role as the steadying influence in the middle, helping out the team's inexperienced defense with excellent sticks skills, sure tackles and positive words.