Mark Karcher

It takes a nice-sized person to eclipse St. Frances All-Metro forward Shawn Hampton, a sinewy 6 feet 8 and 215 pounds.Yet after almost every game -- "especially the big ones," said Hampton's senior teammate, David Manigault -- Hampton always finds himself in the shadow of his 6-5 former teammate Mark Karcher."

Mark Karcher's hiatus from local high school basketball is coming to an end. Starting this fall, Karcher will lead the varsity boys program at Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy. The former St. Frances coach's first-year program is located on the old Walbrook campus in West Baltimore. Karcher, who said in November that his departure from St. Frances was a “forced resignation,” has some familiarity with the Bluford system. Karcher's son attends the school's East Baltimore campus, and one of his former Panthers assistants - Marcus Wise - is the boys JV coach.

The emergence of Mark Karcher as one of the area's top players should come as no surprise. Since arriving at St. Frances as the Catholic League's most highly regarded freshman since Duane Ferrell, he has lived up to expectations.But if you ask his coach, Karcher also is exceeding expectations off the court."He has done a 150-degree turnaround since the ninth grade," said St. Frances coach William Wells. "He has made great academic strides and sees what he can do in the classroom. At this point, he wants to be somebody."

The first day of practice for the St. Frances boys basketball team on Wednesday had a much different feel than expected. Coach Mark Karcher, a 1997 alum who is regarded as one of the finest players to ever come out of Baltimore, resigned suddenly Saturday after three seasons, leaving the school to announce on Wednesday morning that assistant coach Nick Myles has taken over the duties. Karcher, who turns 33 later this month, leaves his alma mater appreciating the time he spent coaching there, but also disappointed.

When Sean Mosley walked onto the court at St. Frances his freshman year, the comparisons to Mark Karcher, one of the most honored players in Panthers history, were inevitable. The two players are similar in size (Mosley is 6 feet 4, Karcher 6-5) and in their style of play, combining strength and flair. Although some players might downplay a comparison to someone as accomplished as Karcher, Mosley embraces it. In part, that's because Mosley has been working with Karcher to improve his game.

Mark Karcher, St. Frances' 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior swingman, is one of the nation's most sought-after Division I basketball prospects.But could you see him as an equally talented quarterback?Nearly eight years ago, at Collington Square Recreation Center, Karcher was exactly that. He could throw a football better than he could dribble a basketball."I started playing football when I was 7, and I played for four years. I was good," said Karcher, 18."I was bigger than most kids my age. I looked down on everybody.

BOSTON -- From the time he was the Maryland High School Player of the Year in 1996-97 to the start of his college career this season at Temple, Mark Karcher had become an entirely different person.And not necessarily in a good sense, having spent the year away from the game -- while academically ineligible and rehabilitating from fractures in both feet -- making sure that the Philadelphia fast-food restaurants remained profitable."I was eating at midnight and sleeping on the things that I was eating, like McDonald's," Karcher said yesterday.

Mark Karcher's return to the basketball court this season at Temple has taken place mostly away from the spotlight.Karcher, who sat out his freshman year after failing to qualify under the NCAA's academic guidelines, had been off-limits to the media in accordance with coach John Chaney's rules regarding first-year players.But Chaney relaxed his rule, perhaps by accident, Tuesday. While answering a question about the former St. Frances Academy star from his office, Chaney put Karcher on the telephone to answer the question himself.

PHILADELPHIA -- When the game is on the line, Temple's Mark Karcher knows the ball will be in his hands. He can drive to the basket, spot up for a three-pointer or try a pull-up jumper from the foul line. So many options, so much control. But there's another side to the former Baltimore high school basketball standout, a personal ordeal that has left Karcher feeling powerless. His 17-month-old daughter, Aria, has sickle cell anemia. It's an inherited, chronic disease in which the misshapen red blood cells function abnormally and lead to sudden, painful episodes affecting the bones of the back, chest and abdomen.

Coach of the Year: Terry Leverett, Southwestern2 Player of the Year: Mark Karcher, St. FrancesFirst teamName, School, Year, PositionDemon Brown, Randallstown, Junior, GuardJuan Dixon, Calvert Hall, Senior, GuardShawn Hampton, St. Frances, Junior, CenterAaron Herbert, Calvert Hall, Senior, GuardMark Karcher, St. Frances, Senior, ForwardMichael King, Lake Clifton, Senior, ForwardTim Lyles, Dunbar, Sophomore, GuardCornelius McMurray, Southwestern, Junior, GuardTony...

The John Carroll boys basketball team has racked up plenty of wins during a busy early season schedule. But the No. 6 Patriots had yet to score that one statement victory in the area to make people take notice. That all changed Friday night. Outplaying previously undefeated and No. 1 St. Frances in every phase of the game, the Patriots had their key players step up at opportune times and played stifling defense throughout to come away with a 63-54 upset of the Panthers in Bel Air. Jarred Jones scored a game-high 24 points and the senior guard tandem of Malcolm McMillan (18 points)

The decisive moment in the boys basketball showdown between No. 1 St. Frances and No. 3 Mount St. Joseph happened to be the final one Tuesday night in Irvington. It was one that St. Frances senior point guard R.J. Williams made his very own. With the Panthers trailing by a point with 58 seconds left, Williams hit a fade-away jumper to give his team the lead back. He made sure they maintained it by hitting six straight free throws -- scoring all eight of the game's points in the final minute -- to lift St. Frances to a 50-43 win at Mount St. Joseph.

No. 1 City (3-0) at No. 2 St. Frances (5-0) When: Saturday, 7 p.m. Coaches: Mike Daniel, City; Mark Karcher, St. Frances Last meeting: First meeting Players to watch: City — Nick Faust, Sr., G; Mike Cheatham, Sr., G; Charles Tapper, Jr., F; St. Frances — R.J. Williams, Sr., G; Greg Lewis, Sr., C; Eddie Tarver, Sr., G Keys to the game City coach Mike Daniel put this showdown of...

In their first three years of varsity basketball at St. Frances, point guard R.J. Williams and center Greg Lewis consistently improved their games and made greater contributions with every season. This year, as seniors, things are different for the two captains. This year, it is their team. That was evident Friday night in the opening game of the Under Armour Invitational against No. 3 Digital Harbor. With Williams setting the tempo and Lewis dominating play inside, the No. 2 Panthers came away with a surprisingly comfortable 72-50 win over the Rams at St. Frances.

Boys basketball No. 3 Digital Harbor (1-0) at No. 2 St. Frances (2-0) When: Friday, 6:30 p.m. Coaches: Johnnie Grimes, Digital Harbor; Mark Karcher, St. Frances Last meeting: First meeting Key players to watch Digital Harbor – Kevin Smith, Sr., G; Daquan Cook, Sr., G; Antonio Manns, Jr., F St. Frances – Greg Lewis, Sr., C; R.J. Williams, Sr., G Keys to victory...

St. Frances handed Mount St. Joseph a 13-point loss last Thursday in a South Carolina holiday tournament. The Panthers got off to another good start when the two teams met again Tuesday night, holding the host Gaels scoreless for the first four minutes. But Eric Atkins took over shortly after that. The Notre Dame-bound guard scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the final 12 minutes of the first half to help No. 3 Mount St. Joseph take command, and the Gaels rolled to a 56-46 victory over No. 2 St. Frances in a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League game.

.864 Area-best winning percentage for Randallstown coach Kim Rivers. Rivers, who led the Rams to a fifth state title last season, is 292-46 going into his 14th season. 2 State boys basketball titles won by Baltimore County teams last season, by Randallstown (2A) and New Town (1A). The Rams defeated Fairmont Heights, 66-63, and the Titans outlasted Dunbar, 74-69, in overtime. 16 The national ranking among Class of 2009 shooting guards by Rivals.com for Towson Catholic's Leshon Edwards, who is ranked No. 70 overall.

Mark Karcher, the boys basketball coach at St. Frances who was arrested last week on two outstanding warrants, was released from jail Tuesday after posting nearly $450,000 in bail, court records show. Karcher was arrested Sept. 30 on two second-degree assault charges and third- and fourth-degree burglary charges. In the most recent incident, on May 31, Karcher kicked in his ex-girlfriend's front door in North Baltimore, pulled the ex-girlfriend out of bed, and punched and kicked her in the face, according to a statement of charges filed by a police officer.

The state dropped all charges yesterday against Mark Karcher, the boys basketball coach at St. Frances, who had been arrested on assault and burglary charges in September. A spokeswoman for the Baltimore state's attorney's office said the charges against Karcher, 29, were dropped for lack of evidence. "He's very relieved and just wants to move on," said Karcher's lawyer, David B. Irwin. "I think Mark's going to go forward and be a great basketball coach for St. Frances, and I think he'll be a good role model for kids."

Mark Karcher, the boys basketball coach at St. Frances who was arrested last week on two outstanding warrants, was released from jail Tuesday after posting nearly $450,000 in bail, court records show. Karcher was arrested Sept. 30 on two second-degree assault charges and third- and fourth-degree burglary charges. In the most recent incident, on May 31, Karcher kicked in his ex-girlfriend's front door in North Baltimore, pulled the ex-girlfriend out of bed, and punched and kicked her in the face, according to a statement of charges filed by a police officer.