First Team All Metro

River Hill junior Jake Pace, a first-team All-Metro soccer player and the county's Player of the Year, has made an oral commitment to play at the University of Maryland. Pace led the Hawks to the Class 2A state championship, scoring a header in overtime to give the team a 3-2 victory over Loch Raven in the title game. Possessing size, strength and ball skills, Pace played on defense, midfield and up front for the Hawks and finished the season with nine goals and nine assists. "We're real happy for Jake and he's real happy - it's real big for the program," River Hill coach Matt Shagogue said.

Anne Zabel excelled as one of the Baltimore area's top girls lacrosse line defenders at Marriotts Ridge, where she was a two-time All-Metro player and a first-team selection this spring. Zabel led a Mustangs' unit that allowed just 3.9 goals per game and won Howard County and District V championships after winning the state title in 2011. A Greater Baltimore regional All-American and an Under Armour All-American, she will play in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic at 5 p.m. Saturday at Towson University.

Mallory sparks McDonogh's run Sport lacrosse GIRLS McDonogh junior midfielder Brittany Mallory, a first-team All-Metro selection last season, has played an instrumental role in leading the No. 2 Eagles to the top of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference standings this season with a 14-0 record. In victories over Dulaney and league rivals Archbishop Spalding and Roland Park, Mallory had eight goals, five assists and 12 ground balls. Mallory, who is quick and has strong stick skills, leads the Eagles' possession game in the middle and has 43 goals, 12 assists and 64 ground balls for the season.

Players to watch Hannah Balleza : Severna Park, forward, senior Balleza is looking to follow up on her breakout season. Using her ability to carry the ball at high speed and blow by defenders to get into the circle, Balleza scored 13 goals and contributed 13 assists a year ago. Liza Blue : Garrison Forest, defense, senior Using uncommon defensive instincts to anticipate and thwart opposing offenses, Blue, who moved from midfield to center back last...

When Baltimore's Cecil-Kirk entered the court against Charlotte for their second game at the Amateur Athletic Union national basketball tournament for boys 17 and under, the players were almost laughed off the court because of their overall small size.But four games later, this team, which consists of two starters well below 6 feet and only one taller than 6-2, chuckled home with the AAU national title.It is believed that Cecil-Kirk is the first Batlimore squad to win an AAU national title.

St. Mary's guard-forward Laura Coakley has signed a letter of intent to attend Wake Forest on a basketball scholarship, said St. Mary's coach Carmine Blades.Coakley signed Wednesday, the day the early signing period ended.Coakley, 6 feet, averaged 19.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in leading the Saints to a 23-6 record last season. She was a first-team All-Metro selection last season and was named by Street & Smith's magazine as one of the East Coast's top players this season. She also has been a first-team All-Metro soccer player the past two seasons.

Broadneck's Jason Smith, one of the area's top all-around athletes, has verbally committed to play football at Rutgers next fall.Smith, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver, made his decision yesterday, choosing the Scarlet Knights over Boston College and Nebraska."

As much as the crack of a bat has been an annual rite of spring, so, too, has been the tidal wave-like might of Archbishop Spalding. Like the waves that consistently batter the shores, the two-time defending Independent Schools state champion Cavaliers simply reload year after year in their quest to be the premier softball program in the state. Although Archbishop Spalding graduated seven players from last season's 27-0 squad, coach Linda Taylor has a solid foundation built around the pitching prowess of junior right-hander and All-Metro Player of the Year Jessica Saunders (17-0, 0.27 ERA and 200 strikeouts)

PLAYERS TO WATCHSteve Althoff, D, Archbishop CurleyThe 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior sweeper used his intimidating physical presence, agility and powerful foot to help the Friars record a school-record 17 shutouts and hold opponents to five goals. He was first-team All-State and All-Metro.Chris Borcik, F, FranklinThe 5-11, 175-pound junior is a physical player with a quick shot who scored 19 goals and had six assists last fall. The second-team All-Metro and honorable-mention All-State player led his team to a county title and the regional finals.

Players to watch Hannah Balleza : Severna Park, forward, senior Balleza is looking to follow up on her breakout season. Using her ability to carry the ball at high speed and blow by defenders to get into the circle, Balleza scored 13 goals and contributed 13 assists a year ago. Liza Blue : Garrison Forest, defense, senior Using uncommon defensive instincts to anticipate and thwart opposing offenses, Blue, who moved from midfield to center back last...

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jack Doyle Gilman, midfielder The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champion Greyhounds had an abundance of senior-laden talent, and the starting point - and often the ending point - was Doyle. Highly competitive with skills, smarts and athleticism to match, the Harvard-bound senior led No. 1 Gilman to a 15-1 season. "Jack continued to push himself to get better. Everyone knew he was going to be a real focal point for us, but he worked very hard to prepare himself for that.

Graham Bazell Atholton, cross country In capturing the Class 3A individual state championship at Hereford High on Saturday, the senior standout led the Raiders to their first team title in 19 years. Bazell, a first-team All-Metro selection last year, ran the 3.1-mile course in a time of 16 minutes, 29 seconds, with teammate Michael Lynch taking second (16:50), as the Raiders placed all five scoring runners in the top 30. At Hereford's Bull Run Invitational on Oct. 11, Bazell set a meet record (15:51)

River Hill junior Jake Pace, a first-team All-Metro soccer player and the county's Player of the Year, has made an oral commitment to play at the University of Maryland. Pace led the Hawks to the Class 2A state championship, scoring a header in overtime to give the team a 3-2 victory over Loch Raven in the title game. Possessing size, strength and ball skills, Pace played on defense, midfield and up front for the Hawks and finished the season with nine goals and nine assists. "We're real happy for Jake and he's real happy - it's real big for the program," River Hill coach Matt Shagogue said.

Zach Brown stepped on the track for the first time three years ago and found moderate success. He finished his first season by placing seventh in the 100-meter dash at the regional championships and did not compete at the state meet. "I didn't know anything about running," the Wilde Lake senior recalled. "I worked out a lot over that summer and really paid attention to my form." One of the major problems to overcome had to do with his hands. For most of his life, he had done his fastest running while cradling a football.

When Sean Mosley walked onto the court at St. Frances his freshman year, the comparisons to Mark Karcher, one of the most honored players in Panthers history, were inevitable. The two players are similar in size (Mosley is 6 feet 4, Karcher 6-5) and in their style of play, combining strength and flair. Although some players might downplay a comparison to someone as accomplished as Karcher, Mosley embraces it. In part, that's because Mosley has been working with Karcher to improve his game.