Long Reach

With a playoff berth and a Howard County title on the line last night, coach Pete Hughes was keeping the offense conservative for seventh-ranked Long Reach, and host Mount Hebron was staying in the game. The Vikings (5-5) drew within 14-12 in the second quarter when tailback Chris Eccleston caught a deflected pass and raced 69 yards for a touchdown. Long Reach fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but its defense stiffened and the Lightning took control after that for a 34-12 victory over the Vikings.

Bob Helman threw six innings of no-hit baseball, helping unranked Long Reach upset No. 1 Hammond, 2-1, yesterday and hand the Bears their first loss (13-1). With the score tied at 1-1 in the seventh inning, Joe Lake doubled home Robbie O'Brien to give Long Reach (6-10) a 2-1 lead. Hammond's Phil Pinkham broke up the no-hit bid with a single in the seventh, but reliever Chris Davis struck out Jason Maxey to end the game.

Long Reach's Chris Smith scored his 1,000th career point in Tuesday's win over Hammond.Smith entered the game needing just two points, and following his first basket the game was stopped and he was given a ball to commemorate his accomplishment.Smith, a senior point guard averaging 19.6 points, played his sophomore year at Howard before transferring to Long Reach when that tech-magnet school opened.He has scored at least 30 points three times this season and at least 20 points 10 times. Smith achieved the 1,000-point milestone despite an injury as a junior that cost him eight games.

Fifth-ranked Fallston was the better field hockey team yesterday against 14th-ranked Long Reach. The Cougars took more shots, had more corners and controlled possession for most of the second half."

Oakland Mills sank 10 three-point baskets to defeat Long Reach yesterday, 78-64, and remain tied with Centennial for first place in the county league. The No. 20-ranked Scorpions, defending county champs, play Hammond Thursday and Centennial Tuesday to conclude the regular season. Hammond is one game behind the two leaders. The Scorpions (13-7 overall, 12-4 league) fell behind 25-14 in the second quarter at Long Reach (12-8, 10-6), and then went on a three-point shooting spree to trail 34-33 at halftime.

Howard County police charged two men with robbery Tuesday afternoon after two street salesmen were lured to a street near the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia and robbed.According to police, about 1 p.m. Tuesday two men posing as customers approached two men selling speakers in the 6000 block of Foreland Garth in Columbia's Long Reach village and convinced the salesmen to follow them in another vehicle to nearby Flowerstock Row.Once there, the men took the speakers from the salesmen.

Two weeks ago, they started as strangers, divided by language, culture and country. By Monday, students and staff members from Long Reach High School and Schoo1 No. 22 in Beijing were crying and sad to part. The tears marked the end of a weeklong visit to the school by two teachers and five students from the Beijing school. The two schools have formed a partnership that school administrators want to continue for years to come. "It was such a connection," said Long Reach Assistant Principal Rose Friss, who with Principal Edmund Evans visited China during the summer.

"Everywhere I go, people are talking about it," Long Reach football coach Pete Hughes said."It" is Long Reach's 21-7 upset victory over two-time defending county champion Oakland Mills last Saturday.Oakland Mills had won 14 of its past 15 league games, but lost to a first-year team with no seniors."I kept hammering it into their heads that they could win," Hughes said. "We only had three penalties, no turnovers, and Chris Smith was outstanding. He had a 39-yard run for a touchdown, and caught a 64-yard pass to the 1-foot line."

COLLEGE PARK -- Long Reach forward Darryl Webb came into last night's Class 3A boys basketball state semifinal a little more fired up than usual. Webb wanted to make up for the fact that foul trouble kept him on the bench for long stretches in three of the team's playoff wins. The 6-foot-5 senior forward did just that and more, finishing with 33 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks to help No. 9 Long Reach end Seneca Valley's dreams of an unbeaten season with a 62-49 victory at Comcast Center.

For three quarters, Long Reach's "Diaper Dandies" easily were the superior team yesterday at Atholton. The Lightning led by 14 at that point.Fortunately for Atholton, however, Long Reach had to play a fourth quarter, because that's when the older Atholton team took control and snatched an 84-83 victory.Led by senior guard Keith Jefferson and senior center Bryan Worsley, Atholton outscored Long Reach 35-20 in the fourth quarter. The Lightning led 67-53 early in that final period.Jefferson scored 14 of his 25 points in that final frame, including two of his four three-point baskets.