Mervo

Two students at Mergenthaler-Vocational Technical High School have been arrested in connection with fires set at the school, police said. Five small fires have been set in bathrooms and hallways at Mervo in the past two weeks, said schools police Chief Marshall "Toby" Goodwin. The two students, whose names were not released because they are juveniles, were caught on the school's surveillance cameras setting two of the fires, Goodwin said. They have been charged with first-degree arson and second-degree malicious burning.

Erasing an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, Mervo beat City, 53-52, last night to capture the Class 3A North regional title. After the Knights routed the Mustangs by 30 points earlier this season, Mervo coach Daryl Wade wasn't hesitant to call his team's victory an upset. "This is definitely a David and Goliath story," he said. Trailing 50-39 with four minutes left, the Mustangs went on a 14-2 run, helped by sophomore guard Tyrone Smothers' six points in that stretch. With 31.7 seconds left, Mustangs junior forward Byron Westmoreland hit two free throws to tie the game.

The fourth-ranked Western girls kept their long winning streak alive while Poly's boys started a new one in last night's Baltimore City championship meet at the 5th Regiment Armory. Western edged Mervo and won the city crown for the 15th consecutive year. The Doves have finished first each year since the event started in 1993. But this was Western's closest call as the Doves finished with 119 points, just getting past Mervo (116.5) in a competition that came down to the final event, which turned out to be the high jump.

Riding a nine-game winning streak, Mervo has been one of the area's best teams in the second half.All season, Lake Clifton has been streaky. But the No. 13-ranked Lakers have begun to show signs of consistency, and yesterday they upset the host and No. 5 Mustangs, 70-58, in a Baltimore City East Division contest.The win clinches second place in the East for the Lakers (10-5, 5-1), whose only league setback was to No. 1 Dunbar last month. Mervo's last loss came against City on Dec. 22.Junior guard Teoine Carroll scored 20 points to lead Lake Clifton and Andre Mouzone added 17. Marcus Hatten led all scorers with 33 points for Mervo (15-3, 1-3)

A familiar theme played again at the decade's final Baltimore City track and field championship yesterday.Mervo's boys and Western's girls outdistanced the field at Poly's Lumsden-Scott Stadium to claim team titles.The Doves placed the top two finishers in four of the first six events on their way to 239 points and their 11th straight title. Mervo (70) and Northern (48), finished second and third, respectively.After being dethroned by City last year, Mervo's boys (162 points) reclaimed the crown, followed by Poly (102)

Western High's girls won their seventh straight Baltimore indoor championship at the 5th Regiment Armory yesterday, and Mervo, having lost last winter, won its sixth city boys title.All Western did, while piling up 195 points, was quadruple the score of its nearest competitor, winning all but one of the 11 events.Western took the title for the seventh time, the same number of times the title has been up for grabs.Mervo was nearly as impressive on the boys' side, gaining revenge for losing to City College last year, the only time it hasn't come out on top in the meet's history.

All-Metro basketball Player of the Year Marcus Hatten of Mervo, a high-scoring combination guard, signed yesterday to attend Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College.A two-time All-Baltimore City/County and All-Metro pick, Hatten had attracted such programs as American, Stanford, Xavier, Tennessee State, Richmond, Temple and Virginia Commonwealth."Those schools wanted me to come and sit out a year [due to Proposition 16 academic standards], but I felt I wanted to get my grades straight," said Hatten, 6 feet 2, who averaged 25.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 12.5 assists over 23 games last winter.

Well, at least this time it wasn't a walkover for Mervo.A week ago, the city high schools got together for an indoor track meet at the 5th Regiment Armory and Mervo's boys racked up 168 points. It equaled the combined total of the next nine teams in the competition.Mervo, with its usual point-scorers Colby Smith, Cory Clark, Kelly Jackson and Kevin Merrick taking care of business in the individual events and dominating the relays, was "held" to 110 points last night. This bested only the combined total of the next four teams in the scoring.

After watching their team play an uninspired and sloppy first half yesterday, Southern-Baltimore coaches challenged Melvin Scott and Isaiah Johnson to bring the No. 7 Bulldogs back from a 15-point halftime deficit against Mervo.They answered the call, and then some.Johnson and Scott combined for 47 points to carry host Southern to an 87-75 victory over No. 6 Mervo in a Baltimore City East league matchup.Scott led all scorers with 34 points, 28 in the second half. Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, finished with 29 points and a game-best 14 rebounds.

Mervo upset previously-unbeaten and two-time defending city champion Patterson yesterday in a dual meet, 33-30.Coach Dwight Warren's Mustangs (11-1) can clinch this season's city championship with a win on Wednesday against visiting Poly.Pub Date: 2/12/99

Md. to use stimulus funds to buy 100 hybrid buses 1 Maryland will use money from the economic stimulus plan to purchase 100 hybrid diesel-electric buses, state officials said yesterday. The purchase of the fuel-saving vehicles had been on hold because of a shortfall in the state's Transportation Trust Fund. The $65 million purchase will more than double the number of hybrid vehicles in the Maryland Transit Administration's bus fleet. The MTA has 10 hybrids in service, with 30 more to be on the street by summer and now another 100 to come.

5 Eastern Tech players who have rushed for 279 yards or more this season: Emmanuel Gbor, Darian Conners, Joey Jones, Luke Horner and Marquiese Bannister 58.2 Seconds between winner Rachel Pillion of Towson and the second-place finisher at the Baltimore County cross country championships 301 Yards gained by City quarterback Ellis Foster in Friday's 28-3 win over Mervo

The Mervo boys and Western girls scored easy victories in yesterday's Baltimore City cross country championships at Herring Run Park. Anthony Rogers of Mervo won the race in 17 minutes, 29 seconds. The Mustangs put three runners in the top 10 to finish with 39 points, rolling over Digital Harbor (85) and Forest Park (100). Western fared even better on the girls' side. The Doves placed four runners in the top 10, including winner Brinae Robinson. She captured first place in a time of 20:57.

4 Touchdown plays of 60 yards or more in Mervo's 38-22 win Friday night over Digital Harbor. The longest was a 90-yard kick return by Digital Harbor. 19 Stitches for Garrison Forest field hockey defender Bayley Mullan after being hit in the forehead by a ball during Friday's game. She was back at practice Sunday. 58 Combined points No. 3 Dunbar has beaten its past two football opponents, Mervo and Poly, by after falling to Gwynn Park by a point

Home-field advantage has never looked more appealing to Jeremiah Conway. Conway, a senior center and defensive tackle for the Mervo high school football team, can't wait to open the 2008 season at Art Modell Field at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School - on the same field turf that the city's NFL franchise plays on and in front of more bleachers. The facility also includes and upgraded concession stand and upgraded restrooms. "I appreciate being able to go out on a new field, under the lights, in front of new bleachers," Conway said.

There were more indelible moments left by the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals than in the entire San Antonio-Cleveland series last year. Paul Pierce in the wheelchair accomplished that on its own. On that topic, I sure wish I could find a snippet of a highlight somewhere from the Magic-Bird faceoffs from the '80s. It's been nearly 30 seconds since ... oops, never mind. The Seattle Mariners have a huge payroll, high expectations, underachieving stars, the worst record in baseball going into the weekend, an enraged fan base and a manager who went off on a potty-mouthed public tirade.

From one end of the dusty, pockmarked field at Mervo to the other, there were smiles across the faces of giant football players, tiny cheerleaders, coaches and teachers alike, owing little to the approach of summer and their freedom from each other for three months. The collective happiness among the Mustangs, and the dignitaries assembled this week, was about the hope that field would yield when fall comes and the dirt and weeds are replaced by a new artificial turf surface. In what is seemingly becoming a regular occurrence, the joy was caused by an action of the Ravens, who have become the best friend a Baltimore City school athlete could have.

Derrious Gilmore had a grin that was ear-to-ear. Daniel Horton high-fived any well-wisher who passed by. Antoine Allen buried his head into coach Herman Harried's chest. Harried extended one arm straight into the air and let a small smile form on his lips. The No. 1 Lake Clifton boys basketball team huddled and celebrated. Yesterday afternoon, the Lakers completed a goal they'd set in November when the season started. After a 64-53 Class 3A North regional final victory over No. 12 Mervo yesterday at Lake Clifton, the Lakers are going to the state semifinals.

There was plenty to be excited about when the Lake Clifton boys basketball team visited Mervo last night. The game featured two top 10 city teams playing in front of a packed gym. But if city supremacy wasn't enough, there was another element to consider. Lake Clifton's top guard, Antoine Allen, attended Mervo before transferring two years ago. "People take it personal because I used to go here," Allen said. "It's not. To us, it was just a regular game. We just wanted to play together and come out to win."

Boys basketball No. 2 Lake Clifton @No. 9 Mervo Friday, 5:15 p.m.Outlook This matchup features two of the best teams in the city. Lake Clifton has been a model of consistency, winning 18 of its 19 games behind a balanced attack from its starters. Mervo has been up and down, upsetting City but falling to unranked Parkville and Dunbar. An upset isn't impossible, but Mervo's Brian Westmoreland will have to shoot well. THE SUN'S PICK: LAKE CLIFTON Girls basketball No. 4 City @No. 8 Western Friday, 5:15 p.m. Outlook The showdown between the top two public school teams in the city should be fast-moving and high-scoring.