Gladiators

Halfway through the first game of Glenelg's Class 1A state semifinal with Colonel Richardson on Monday night, the Poolesville volleyball team got up and left Ritchie Coliseum in College Park. Maybe team members thought they had seen enough. Glenelg, the No. 8 seed, was losing badly. Maybe the Falcons of Montgomery County thought they would be playing Colonel Richardson tomorrow night in the 1A state championship game. But Glenelg rallied for a strong performance, winning, 16-25, 25-15, 25-5, 25-19, to set up tomorrow's meeting with Poolesville.

South Carroll's run as the Class 1A state titlist ended last night when the defending champion Cavaliers lost to Poolesville of Montgomery County, 25-19, 25-19, 25-13, in the Class 1A state volleyball semifinals at Ritchie Coliseum in College Park. The No. 15 Cavaliers (13-5) were led by Tianna Quiambao-Panas' 26 assists. Lindsey Will and Mary Harshman contributed six kills each for South Carroll. "They were the best team we've faced all year," Cavaliers coach Marcia Kunkel said. "They played great defense, and although we gave it our all, they were the better team."

Nick DePaola truly did a little bit of everything to help No. 8 Hereford rally from a 14-point halftime deficit and pull out a 28-27 football victory over host Milford Mill yesterday. The senior rushed for 186 yards and one touchdown, a 5-yard run with 36 seconds left that tied the score. Andy Johns kicked the extra point to give Hereford (5-2) the victory. But DePaola played an even bigger role before the final drive. He helped block the extra-point attempt after Milford Mill quarterback Kevin Fulton's 1-yard touchdown run with 3:15 left gave the Millers a 27-21 lead.

A young and inexperienced Hereford field hockey team started to believe when it bunched together a few quality victories against rivals Dulaney, Towson and Catonsville in the middle of the season. That confidence was tested by Towson late in the second half of last night's Baltimore County championship game. The No. 9 Bulls passed. Junior midfielder Austin Riley, stick down and ready in front, scored the game-winner on a centering pass from Andrea Pace with 6:22 left in regulation, lifting the Bulls to a 2-1 victory over the No. 14 Generals at Catonsville.

A minute into double overtime, Broadneck's Chelsea Thompson finally ended a field hockey game that seemed destined to end in a penalty-stroke shootout. For 71 minutes last night, No. 3 Broadneck (7-1-1) and No. 13 North Carroll played fairly evenly. The host Bruins had a lot more penalty corners but were unable to generate many shots. Thompson made the most of the Bruins' only shot in seven-on-seven overtime, pushing the ball out of a crowd and past Panthers goalkeeper Caitlin Bach for the 1-0 win. "I just saw the ball coming back out, and I just knew we had to end this game," Thompson said.

Severna Park's No. 1 field hockey team trailed for the first time all season yesterday, but the deficit lasted just 54 seconds. Led by two goals from Hannah Balleza, the host Falcons went on to beat No. 3 Broadneck, 3-1, before a crowd of more than 500 as Green Hornets Day drew dozens of players and coaches from area youth programs. Early in the second half, Broadneck's Meghan Eshleman scored on a penalty stroke, but the Falcons answered with 21:25 to go when Balleza deflected in a free hit from Casey Pohlmeyer.

Boys lacrosse Player of the Year Jon Selfridge Glenelg It was tough to top last season for Selfridge, as the Lynchburg-bound goalie's team won the Class 3A-2A state championship and he was a second-team All-Metro selection. But the senior played even better this year, leading his team to an undefeated season (18-0) and the Class 2A-1A championship. He was a second-team All-Metro selection again this year, compiling 169 saves while stopping 69 percent of shots. "You would think a kid that wins second-team All-Metro and wins a state championship would sit back and rest," Glenelg coach Josh Hatmaker said.

A sloppy first half in last night's Class 2A-1A state championship game - poor passing, miscommunications and an offense that produced just one goal - challenged Glenelg boys lacrosse coach Josh Hatmaker to find a way to calm his team down. The pressure of a bid for a second consecutive state title and the maintenance of an undefeated season burdened the No. 6 Gladiators against Southern-Anne Arundel at UMBC. But Glenelg finally took control in the second half and pulled away for a 7-4 victory.

Glenelg's Kristy Black and Alayna Markwordt proved an unbeatable combination in last night's state Class 2A-1A girls lacrosse championship. The senior midfielders had a record-setting night, combining for 21 points as the No. 12 Gladiators defeated Loch Raven, 17-11, at UMBC Stadium for their second state title in four years. The teammates connected with one another five times, including twice in a six-goal Gladiators run that ended the first half and gave them the lead for good. "They've been a good combination all season long.

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.