Gators

It's hard to believe No. 6 Perry Hall's three-game sweep of No. 3 Loch Raven last night served just as a tune-up for the Baltimore County championship.Not only had the Gators never before beaten Loch Raven, but they had lost three straight county title matches to the Raiders.Last night, however, the host Gators, powered by nine kills each from Erica King and Stephanie Sanzone, rolled past the Raiders, 15-7, 15-2, 15-11, for the Division I championship.Now to take their first county crown, the Gators (15-4 overall, 10-0 league)

Most of the Perry Hall players came off the field shaking their heads in anger.That's because the Gators created an abundance of scoring opportunities but left with a 4-1 loss to Walt Whitman in the Class 4A state semifinals at Arundel High School last night.Perry Hall (12-4-1) lost last year in the state final after beating Whitman in the semifinals. The Vikings (11-5-1), who have won nine straight games, advance to meet Severna Park in their first title game since 1993."We could play with them, but we couldn't finish," Perry Hall coach Ed Wolf said.

Clamping down at one end and spreading the courtat the other, Seton Keough had every basketball facet covered last night against visiting Severna Park.The top-ranked Gators simply overmatched the No. 11 Falcons player for player and then some, coming away with a comfortable 51-23 win, their third without a loss.Keough coach Jim Stromberg continually stressed how it had to be done at the defensive end.His Gators responded, limiting the Falcons to four points in the second quarter and five in the third, relying mostly on a relentless half-court, man-to-man defense.

When you're competitive but can't beat No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3, the best you possibly can be is fourth. Which sums up things right now for Roland Park, metro Baltimore's No. 4-ranked team.The Reds -- their only two previous Baltimore-area losses having been to McDonogh and St. Mary's, the area's top two teams -- lost yesterday to No. 3 Seton Keough, as well, 47-43.They did it in a rugged, non-league struggle the Gators took control of in the third period. That was when Roland Park shot. and shot.

Perry Hall coach Ed Wolf stood quietly off to the side after the game, seemingly absorbing the moment.He had just finished watching Joe Capone and Todd Taber head in goals to give the No. 10 Gators a 2-0 victory over No. 11 Dulaney in a Class 2A North semifinal game yesterday.It gave Wolf his 100th career coaching victory -- a milestone sweetened by the fact it occurred against long-time rival Dulaney."All I know is that most of my losses have come against Dulaney," said Wolf, whose teams lost to Dulaney every season from 1984 through 1991.

After hitting a rough patch in midseason, No. 9-ranked defending champion St. Paul's is making a smooth run toward next week's Association of Independent Schools tournament.Yesterday's come-from-behind 2-1 victory over No. 13 Notre Dame Prep marked the second time in three days that the Gators (8-2-2) have edged a top A Division team. They nipped No. 6 Bryn Mawr, 1-0, on Monday."We've definitely struggled at times, but we've learned to keep our composure," said Gators defender Kate Ahearn.

The bigger the challenge, the better No. 5 Perry Hall seems to play.Last night, the Gators had to put together one of their best matches of the season to beat No. 11 Dulaney, 16-14, 15-1, 15-3, for the Class 4A North region championship.The hosts (19-4) recovered from a 12-7 first-game deficit to avenge last year's regional playoff loss to the Lions (13-5). The win also made up for some less-than-stellar outings against weaker regional foes earlier this week."You definitely play up to teams and you can play down to teams," said Perry Hall setter Kim Opdyke.

Since losing to Archbishop Spalding early in the season, Seton Keough's girls lacrosse team has come a long way. The Gators defeated two ranked teams in the past three weeks -- St. Mary's and St. Paul's -- and earned their own No. 13 ranking. Yesterday, the Gators polished off their turnaround season with a second straight Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference championship, overwhelming Spalding, 10-3, at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field. The Cavaliers (12-4-1) stalled the Gators' transition offense early, and Lizzy Bayly gave Spalding a 1-0 lead on a free-position shot.

In last night's Class 4A boys soccer championship, Perry Hall found itself up against an undefeated Bowie team that came to UMBC Stadium with gifted skills and speed and size to match. The No. 3 Gators did all they could - evidenced by the strong performance by senior goalie Zach Kane - but couldn't overcome the talented team from Prince George's County in coming away on the short end of a 2-1 result. Bowie, which got the game-winning goal from junior midfielder Dylan Thompson in the 54th minute - captured the program's eighth state crown and first since 1991 in ending with an 18-0 mark.

Sarah Walsh, forward on No. 3-ranked Seton Keough, spent yesterday battling the lingering effects of a flu bug. Last night, however, she made Archbishop Spalding feel sick.Walsh dominated play inside and finished with a season-high 23 points, plus 11 rebounds, to help Seton Keough defeat No. 6 Archbishop Spalding, 67-56, in a Catholic League game.Walsh came into last night's game at Spalding averaging 5.6 points a game, but the Cavaliers simply could not stop her. She repeatedly posted up, got good position, and hit several close shots.