County Players

So, you saw the lists of high school football players from Maryland headed for various Division I colleges on scholarship this week in the local newspapers. Did you ask the same question I did -- where are the Anne Arundel County players?There were none.College coaches went out calling Wednesday on national signing day with pens and scholarships, but none found their way to Anne Arundel County.Apparently county public schools have no running backssuch as Larry Washington (Randallstown, Baltimore County)

Hereford shortstop Jay Patti has been named the Baltimore County Player of the Year by the county's baseball coaches. "He's a hard worker and probably the most humble, skilled player we've ever had," Hereford coach Todd Hartshorn said. "He respects the game, the players on the field and he's easy to coach. If my daughter was 18, she'd be dating him. " Patti, a junior, batted .574 with 8 doubles, 3 triples 2 home runs and 22 RBIs. He also had 8 stolen bases, a .907 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .625.

A competitive basketball player in the county area won't have too far to travel to find a league to play in this summer.For those who live in Annapolis and the South County, there's the established Annapolis Men's League and the Annapolis Youth Athletic Association summer league for those ages 16 and under.Aspiring or returning varsity and junior-varsity cagers from all over the county are participating in the Lake Waterford Boys Summer League in Pasadena, while veteran North County players are polishing their games in the second edition of the North County Summer Men's League at Sawmill Creek Park in Glen Burnie.

April brought a new restaurant to Waverly Woods. There's no pretension in the name: Players Bar & Grill. And this restaurant owned by Simon Sadoun is just that, featuring a larger-than-average eat-in bar, dozens of high-definition televisions and a few video games. Nicely separated from the action at the bar are three other dining areas, including a covered patio. The Players menu, called the “Playbook,” lists myriad pub classics, many devised by chef Doug Jones (formerly corporate chef at Liberatore's)

Musical extravaganza -- Howard County Players, a musical theater group of adults and Howard County high school students, will present Cole Porter's tap-dancing musical extravaganza Anything Goes at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia. Above, Karice Parada is Bonnie LaTour, and Roger Schulman portrays Moonface Martin, Public Enemy No. 13. The production is directed by Howard County drama teacher Mo Dutterer. Tickets, which can be reserved in advance or purchased at the door, are $10; $7 for senior citizens and students.

Mandy Hill, Francis Scott Key SPORT VOLLEYBALL GIRLS STATS -- The 6-foot-1 senior ranked second among county players this season by averaging 3.8 kills per game, and tied for the county lead in blocks with 1.2. A powerful hitter, several of Hill's spikes have sent opposing defenders tumbling to the floor. SIDELINES -- Hill improved her all-around game, particularly her defense, and for the first time in her career was allowed to remain on the court when the rotation took her to the back row. A leader on and off the court, she served as the team's captain and excelled in the classroom, where her grade point average is nearly as flawless as her swing.

As Chuck Leonard and Laura Whittenberger performed a scene together onstage at Long Reach High School, they didn't need heavy makeup or elaborate costumes to make their characters seem like father and daughter. Leonard is a 44-year-old theater teacher from Columbia, and Laura is a 17-year-old Centennial High School senior. At the end of their scene, the two were joined by 60 more members of the Howard County Players ranging in age from elementary school pupils to retirees. The Howard County Players, founded by local theater director Mo Dutterer, casts a wide net to get students from numerous Howard County schools and adults from the county and neighboring communities to work on a musical each year.

Each time the phone rings in Dennard Melton's Glen Burnie home these days, the Severn standout gets a little nervous.Melton, Anne Arundel County's premier scorer in two sports, has done it all in four years of varsity football and varsity basketball at Severn School and, shockingly, has nothing to show for it in terms of college scholarship offers.Signing day for college football is Wednesday, and Melton is hoping either the universities of Richmond or Massachusetts will come through with a serious scholarship offer to play Division I football and/or basketball.

The boys soccer Player of the Year in Harford County was practically a foregone conclusion even before the season started.Any discussions about the good county players always was prefaced by, "Well, besides Shane . . . "Shane Dougherty has been a four-year starter at forward for Fallston, with skills honed by work in the Olympic Development program. A year ago, he and senior Tom Gould each had 20 goals, and the team went to the Class 1A semifinals.This year, with Dougherty the team's only real go-to scorer, he responded with a county-high 23 goals and six assists in his team's 12 regular-season games (10-1-1)

Name: Vernon NoratelHonored by The Carroll County Sun for: Scoring seven goals and an assist to lead the Carroll County Summer Lacrosse Select Team to an 18-7 victory over the Frederick All-Stars earlier this monthAge: 29 Residence; hometown: Westminster; Lansdowne, Baltimore CountyOccupation: Firefighter for the Baltimore County Fire DepartmentEducation: Graduate of Lansdowne Senior High and Lansdowne Middle SchoolFamily: Wife: Sandra, bookkeeper at...

Senior Brittany Lilley has used her power hitting and leadership qualities to help the Severna Park volleyball team to a somewhat surprising 4-0 start. Last year, Severna Park was not ranked at the end of the season for the first time in more than 25 years, but the Falcons have rebounded this season behind the 5-foot-9 Lilley, an All-County hitter. Lilley was also an All-County basketball player and runs outdoor track. She has a 3.5 grade point average and scored 1,650 on the SAT. Has this year's team surprised you with its fast start?

Spending the first seven years of his life in his homeland of Colombia, Atholton High School senior Johnathan Beltran had plenty of influences to help with his soccer education. There were the times when he would tag along with his older cousin, hoping to get an opportunity to play with the bigger kids. When the chances came, he quickly learned how important it was to get rid of the ball or else get run over. At his home in the capital city of Bogota, four television stations regularly showed soccer - three in Spanish, another in English - and a night rarely went by when a game from some part of the world was not on in the family living room.

The youngest of six children, Severna Park senior midfielder Samantha Young grew up cheering for her siblings, all of whom played soccer for the Falcons. "I looked up to my brothers and sisters, wanting to be just like them," Young said. "When I was little, the field and the stadium felt so big and the games seemed like such a big deal." Young, the returning Anne Arundel County Player of the Year, is the big deal now. A varsity starter since her freshman year, the 17-year-old has amassed a three-year total of 36 goals and 20 assists.

Howard County Players will hold auditions for a November production of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday in the auditorium at Howard High School, 8700 Route 108, Ellicott City. The show will be directed by Mo Dutterer and choreographed by Tina DeSimone. Music will be directed by Aaron Broderick. Actors and singers should bring a memorized song to sing and be prepared to present a movement sequence. A pianist and a boom box will be available. The show will be presented in the school's new auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16, 17 and 18. Information: Mo Dutterer, ssqq@comcast.

Mandy Hill, Francis Scott Key SPORT VOLLEYBALL GIRLS STATS -- The 6-foot-1 senior ranked second among county players this season by averaging 3.8 kills per game, and tied for the county lead in blocks with 1.2. A powerful hitter, several of Hill's spikes have sent opposing defenders tumbling to the floor. SIDELINES -- Hill improved her all-around game, particularly her defense, and for the first time in her career was allowed to remain on the court when the rotation took her to the back row. A leader on and off the court, she served as the team's captain and excelled in the classroom, where her grade point average is nearly as flawless as her swing.

Musical extravaganza -- Howard County Players, a musical theater group of adults and Howard County high school students, will present Cole Porter's tap-dancing musical extravaganza Anything Goes at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia. Above, Karice Parada is Bonnie LaTour, and Roger Schulman portrays Moonface Martin, Public Enemy No. 13. The production is directed by Howard County drama teacher Mo Dutterer. Tickets, which can be reserved in advance or purchased at the door, are $10; $7 for senior citizens and students.

Nearly 50 county players tried out last week for the 14th annual Anne Arundel County Sun-Oriolelanders All Star Baseball Game, which will be played next Sunday at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans.Paring down the list to 20-22 players (ages 15-21) was no easy job for coaches Frank Klebe, Jim Simms and yours truly.The final Suns team will be announced on Tuesday, and that club will play the Oriolelanders, a team of the best high school prospects in the Mid-Atlantic area.Baltimore Orioles scouting supervisor Jim Gilbert and his son, Tom, are selecting the Oriolelanders at tryouts in Frederick this weekend.

The Columbia Reds baseball program has made amazing progress -- and it looks like things can only get better.Last year the program sponsored its first Senior Division team in the Baltimore Metro League,one of the best amateur leagues in the area.The 18-and-under team struggled in the early going, losing 15 of its first 16 games, seven by one run.But in the second half of the season it won 10 of 16 games and beat every team except the league champion Putty Hill, which is also the two-time defending National Amateur Baseball Federation champion.

Scott Weaver stays busy with his daytime job as an engineer. He spends a lot of time helping to design bridges, buildings and wastewater treatment plants. It's a job that forces Weaver to work his way through a number of long days. But Weaver has found a way to unwind and relieve the stress. The Pasadena resident knows how to relax on the soccer field. Weaver, 30, began playing soccer when he was a child and now competes on a regular basis with others his age plus those younger and older in leagues each fall and spring - and loves it. Weaver is one of many adults age 30 or older who play in Anne Arundel County leagues that have grown in popularity in recent years.

Mostafa Ebrahimnejad's life revolves around family, religion and soccer, and sometimes the first two impinge upon the soccer. A Muslim, the Hammond All-County center-midfielder must fast from sunup to sundown during the holy month of Ramadan, which normally occurs during the middle of soccer season. The fasting includes no water. "It only interfered with two games last season," said Ebhimnejad, a Mississippi-born junior who led the Bears to third place, their best finish ever in the county standings.