Grantham

GRANTHAM On January 12, 2009 NORA BELLE TAYLOR GRANTHAM beloved mother of Catherine Burton. On Sunday friends may call at Hamilton Funeral Chapel, 423 S. James Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530 from 6-8 p.m. On Monday, the family will receive friends at Best Grove Missionary Baptist Church from 10-11 a.m. with services to follow. Inquiries to 919-734-0621.

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site. As a junior, Donte Grantham had scholarship offers from the likes of James Madison and Quinnipiac. During his senior year at Martinsburg (W.Va.), he added two more, from Clemson and home-state West Virginia. But it wasn't until this spring that Grantham's name began spreading among recruiters at high-major programs everywhere.

They have handled similar situations the only way they know (( how -- with class.One is rich, famous and a future Hall of Famer.The other is a senior at Howard High.Say hello to Cal Ripken and Rachel Grantham."Cal Ripken would rather be playing shortstop, there's no doubt about it," said Howard coach Dave Vezzi. "But Cal's playing third base and helping his team. Rachel's the same way. She's not going to come out and say, 'I don't want to play second base, I want to be pitching.' She's going to help the team whatever way she can, and if playing second base is where she's going to help, that's what she'll do."

It's the day of Lady Sybil's funeral (which we don't actually get to see) and Lord Grantham is, understandably, in a foul mood. So he takes it out. On basically the whole house. Yes, he's greiving. But he's also acting like a stubborn mule. Let's countdown his fights:  1. The baby's name An inconsolable Branson ("My wife is dead. I'm past help, but thank you," he tells Matthew) announces that he plans to name the baby Sybil. "I want to remember her mother whenever I look at her. " Makes perfect sense, and is very reasonable, right?

Stu Grantham, Century SPORT WRESTLING BOYS STATS -- Wrestling in the 171-pound weight class, Grantham (29-9 prior to regionals) finished third at the recent Carroll County tournament and entered last weekend's regional meet as a No. 6 seed. SIDELINES -- A private in the Maryland Army National Guard, the senior is scheduled to depart for boot camp in Fort Sill, Okla., in July. He hopes to eventually make a career as an officer in the Army. Another goal is to someday become an educator.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland, the state's largest health insurer, is locked in a legal battle with Leona Enterprises Inc. of River Vale, N.J., over a credit card operation that Blue Cross started three years ago and now wants to sell.The fight is over the MEDCASH card, a credit card that Blue Cross introduced in late 1988. In a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Blue Cross is trying to compel Leona to honor an agreement to buy the operation, said Philip H. Grantham, Blue Cross' senior vice president for corporate staff.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland, the state's largest health insurer, is locked in a legal battle with Leona Enterprises Inc. of River Vale, N.J., over a credit card operation that Blue Cross started three years ago and now wants to sell.The fight is over the MEDCASH card, a credit card that Blue Cross introduced in late 1988. In a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Blue Cross is trying to compel Leona to honor an agreement to buy the operation, said Philip H. Grantham, Blue Cross' senior vice president for corporate staff.

NEW YORK -- In the days after Magic Johnson's Nov. 7 announcement that he carries the AIDS virus, his peers in pro basketball began to wonder whether they were at risk, whether they should get tested and how one contracts the disease."

In Morgan State's final game of a disappointing 2005 season, the Bears were passed and run over by an offense like a diesel truck - the license plate read "SCSU." Morgan State (2-9, 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) showed everyone in attendance last night - and watching on ESPNU - why it was ranked 99th out of 116 I-AA teams defensively, letting South Carolina State (8-2, 6-1) drive the length of the field for touchdowns on its first three possessions of a dreadful 65-15 game that the Bears were never really in. "At this juncture, you're not really playing for anything other than pride and respect," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said.

The situation called for someone that could deliver in the clutch."If there's anyone on my team I would want in that situation, it's Stacey," Howard coach Dave Vezzi said.That's Stacey Swiney.Freshman Stacey Swiney."The more pressure, the better I do," Swiney said.She proved that dramatically yesterday with a one-out double in the sixth that broke up Emily Hall's no-hitter and helped Howard to a four-run inning and a 4-2 victory over visiting Centennial in the 3A East region championship.

GRANTHAM On January 12, 2009 NORA BELLE TAYLOR GRANTHAM beloved mother of Catherine Burton. On Sunday friends may call at Hamilton Funeral Chapel, 423 S. James Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530 from 6-8 p.m. On Monday, the family will receive friends at Best Grove Missionary Baptist Church from 10-11 a.m. with services to follow. Inquiries to 919-734-0621.

Stu Grantham, Century SPORT WRESTLING BOYS STATS -- Wrestling in the 171-pound weight class, Grantham (29-9 prior to regionals) finished third at the recent Carroll County tournament and entered last weekend's regional meet as a No. 6 seed. SIDELINES -- A private in the Maryland Army National Guard, the senior is scheduled to depart for boot camp in Fort Sill, Okla., in July. He hopes to eventually make a career as an officer in the Army. Another goal is to someday become an educator.

In Morgan State's final game of a disappointing 2005 season, the Bears were passed and run over by an offense like a diesel truck - the license plate read "SCSU." Morgan State (2-9, 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) showed everyone in attendance last night - and watching on ESPNU - why it was ranked 99th out of 116 I-AA teams defensively, letting South Carolina State (8-2, 6-1) drive the length of the field for touchdowns on its first three possessions of a dreadful 65-15 game that the Bears were never really in. "At this juncture, you're not really playing for anything other than pride and respect," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said.

Clayton A. Cunningham, a retired railroad computer programmer, died Wednesday of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease at Franklin Square Hospital Medical Center. The Rosedale resident was 81. Born in West Russell, Ky., he attended the University of Arkansas. During World War II he was an Army staff sergeant and medical records clerk who served in France. In his 38 years with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, he worked in various capacities and retired in 1979 as a computer programmer.

The River Hill tournament does for Howard what a can of spinach does for Popeye.The Lions, 0-3 this season entering yesterday's tournament, flexed their muscles and won the Hawks' one-day event for third straight season.Howard swamped previously unbeaten and No. 6-ranked Centennial (4-1) with an 11-hit attack in the championship game, winning, 11-4, on the strength of a seven-run third inning.Adam Snyder led Howard with three hits. John Brown and Jon Baker each had two hits and Baker had a triple and three RBIs.

BaseballDiamondbacks: Agreed to terms with IF Danny Klassen and P Clint Sodowsky.Reds: Signed P Scott Winchester, C Jason LaRue and P Ted Rose to one-year contracts.BasketballNBA: Named SuperSonics G Gary Payton Player of the Week.Nets: Signed G Damon Jones.La Crosse (CBA): Moved former Wizards G God Shammgod to inactive reserve list.Rockford (CBA): Traded F Terquin Mott (Coppin State) to La Crosse to complete deal for G Ruben Nembhard.CollegeACC: Named North Carolina G Nikki Teasley (St. John's-Prospect Hall)

BOWIE -- Charles Grantham, president of the NBA Players Association, said yesterday that he will urge the league to take prompt action to determine Bernard King's status with the Washington Bullets.On Thursday, the Bullets suspended King for four days for "actions detrimental to the team" after a shoving and shouting match between King and coach Wes Unseld at practice on Monday. King will miss one game, so the suspension will cost him about $30,000."The Bullets cannot keep Bernard King in limbo," said Grantham.

NEW YORK -- In the days after Magic Johnson's Nov. 7 announcement that he carries the AIDS virus, his peers in pro basketball began to wonder whether they were at risk, whether they should get tested and how one contracts the disease."

Sophomore catcher Stacey Swiney knocked in three runs yesterday -- two on a first-inning home run that cleared a 200-foot fence -- to propel visiting Howard past Glenelg, 3-2, and earn the 12th-ranked Lions their first outright title in 20 years."

They have handled similar situations the only way they know (( how -- with class.One is rich, famous and a future Hall of Famer.The other is a senior at Howard High.Say hello to Cal Ripken and Rachel Grantham."Cal Ripken would rather be playing shortstop, there's no doubt about it," said Howard coach Dave Vezzi. "But Cal's playing third base and helping his team. Rachel's the same way. She's not going to come out and say, 'I don't want to play second base, I want to be pitching.' She's going to help the team whatever way she can, and if playing second base is where she's going to help, that's what she'll do."