Jason Moran

Kim Miller and her teammates at North County High led Prophet Pat's downfall last week. Man, did they make the rage of a sage look bad.Miscalculating twice on North County girls basketball games, the renowned Prophet went an embarrassing 2-4 last week. The poor showing dropped the Prophet's overall average below .700 for the first time since way back in the fall.The Prophet goes into this week's six-pack with an overall 110-49record, which on the calculator comes out to a .692 percentage.

With more than 2,000 fans looking on in Dahlgren Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy Friday night, Navy's club ice hockey team (6-1) took a crucial 4-3 thriller over West Chester (7-2) of Pa.The victory should go a long way toward Navy returning to the National Club Tournament in late February. Navy and West Chester are vying for one of the eight berths to the nationals, which will be played at Penn State.Navy coach Jim Barry noted that only one team will go to the nationals from the five-team Eastern League of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

In two short years, coach Mark Amatucci has brought his Anne Arundel Community College men's basketball team a long way.This week, he learned that his Pioneers are being noticed nationally as he got word that his guys have been ranked No. 7 in the nation for Division II Junior Colleges.Amatucci's gang humbled Montgomery Community College-Rockville, 131-108, Saturday at the loser's court. The victory ran AACC's record to 7-0 in the JuCo League and 9-3 overall."I don't know how they exactly come up with the rankings, but we're in there," said Amatucci, who is working on his second straight 20-win season.

We had a couple of surprises on "showdown weekend," surprises that might be a true indication of what is to come on the high school hoop scene in both boys and girls action.It was "showdown weekend" in that at least two boys' games and three girls' games may have given us sneak previews of championship games to come. Four of those would be regional title games and the other would be a Baltimore Catholic League final between St. Mary's and Seton Keough.Class 2A schools, Northeast and Southern, provided a striking contrast in boys and girls play with each a surprise winner in their respective class.

Baltimorean David Simon, whose groundbreaking television series "The Wire" examined the institutions of his hometown with a passionate and unsparing eye, today won a 2010 MacArthur "genius" award. The 50-year-old Simon is one of only a few people ever to receive one of the prestigious fellowships for work in television. The MacArthur carries a $500,000, no-strings-attached grant parceled out over five years. "The great value of this award is that it will make it easier for all of us to argue for stories that might not otherwise be perceived as popular television," Simon said.

Parity is the byword for area lacrosse this year.The formidable members of the Maryland Scholastic Association Conference play in a world of their own, but who will rule the MSA itself is another matter.At least six of the eight teams have legitimate shots at the title. Yet, only two from each division will make the playoffs.Defending champion Loyola will be tested in Division I by St. Mary's (led by attackman Rob Chomo) and dark horse Gilman. Division II, the strongest overall, shapes up as a race between Boys' Latin (and player of the year candidate, defenseman Stan Ross)

The smoke screen has been lifted at Severna Park."I can't make claims about us being young and inexperienced anymore," said Falcons boys lacrosse coach Ed Ulrich. "After a couple years, you have to pay the piper."Ulrich also said what most of the other coaches in the county already suspected -- "We're loaded."Severna Park is widely regarded as the county's top public school entry this season, and for good reason. The Falcons graduated only a couple of players from a team that won nine games and barely missed the playoffs.

Head coach: John Brady (15th season)Assistant coaches: Roy Brownand Ken Goncz1990-1991 record: 21-4, lost to Parkdale in state 4A semifinalsReturnees: Seniors Rob Wooster (swingman), Marvin Brown (forward), Josh Gannon (guard) and Tim Howe (forward); juniors Lozonnah James (guard) and Wendell Williams (forward).Newcomers: Junior William Gross (center); sophomores Kelsey Watkins (guard), Larry Brown (forward) and Joe Pergerson (center).Coach's outlook: "I can't really saythat we have any weaknesses on the team.

Throughout February, celebrate Black History Month and the rich heritage of African-American culture at an array of events. From African art exhibits and historical theater shows to jazz concerts and hip-hop film showings, a month of educational, thought-provoking and entertaining activities are taking place. Below are some of the area's many Black History Month happenings. Continuing "Super Stars: The Navy's Black Admirals" -- Items and photos on the Navy's black admirals, Feb.