Milford Mill

Parkville 171-pounder Yousef Mohamed says he tried out for the wrestling team at the suggestion of his ex-girlfriend. Judging from his success, he might want to think about getting over their "technical difficulties." Mohamed registered his 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd pins of the year, the last in 56 seconds over Milford Mill's Charles Blue in the title bout of yesterday's Overlea Tournament to rise to 25-0. "I love this sport for the physical contact," said Mohamad, 18, a senior. "When I'm in the circle, it's me and the enemy."

For most, the grooming started years ago in recreation leagues on Baltimore County's west side where neighborhood coaches taught spindly legged boys how to play the seams and snap a pigskin.Years later, a handful of peewee players turned brawny young men, members of rival football teams at Randallstown High School and Milford Mill Academy, will meet tonight to decide bragging rights big enough to last them a lifetime.Both teams -- the Milford Millers and Randallstown Rams -- are drooling at a chance to become this year's Class 3A state champion.

Mary Louise Cox, a personnel director and former department store manager, died Wednesday of a heart attack at her Pikesville home. She was 58.Formerly manager of Stewart's Westview department store, Bradlee's in Columbia and Hamburger's in downtown Baltimore, she was director of human relations for Genesis ElderCare Center in Randallstown. She also was a 4-H member for more than 48 years.Known as "Coxie," she possessed a strong personality and a sense of humor."She had her own opinion and it was always right," said her sister, Joan Lancos, who lives in Columbia.

One week after being blitzed by its Liberty Road corridor rival, No. 3 Randallstown returned the favor against No. 2 Milford Mill last night, outlasting the Millers, 14-6, in overtime in a state Class 3A quarterfinal game at Catonsville Community College.In ending Milford Mill's winning streak at 12 games, Randallstown (9-2) received a return trip to the semifinal round, where it will meet Thomas Stone of Charles County next weekend .The Rams were shut down by the Milford Mill (10-1) defense, which carried the Millers in the absence of All-Metro quarterback Richard Johnson, who suffered a mild concussion in the opening quarter and didn't return.

No. 6 McDonogh (7-0) at St. Paul's (5-2)When: 3: 45 p.m. todayOutlook: The visiting Eagles (6-0 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference) and the Crusaders (5-0 league) battle for the conference title, as the two-time defending champion Eagles try to extend their league winning streak to 21 games. The contest will serve a showcase for two of the area's best linebackers. The Eagles boast second-team All-Metro T. C. Cosby (6-2, 225), who is bound for Penn State on a full football scholarship, and the Crusaders' second-team All-Metro Jon Berrier (6-1, 240)

It's no surprise Division I powers like Tennessee and North Carolina are recruiting Milford Mill junior Mandy Clark.At least not after last night's Class 3A, North Region quarterfinal at Catonsville.The 5-foot-8 junior put on a shooting exhibition that left the near capacity crowd breathless, hitting 16 of 29 shots -- including eight three-pointers -- for 42 points to lead the No. 10-ranked Millers to an easier-than-expected 74-58 win over the 17th-ranked Comets.Milford Mill (20-4) advances to tomorrow's region semifinals, where it will play host to Woodlawn at 7 p.m.After two previous close games against Catonsville (19-6)

The Woodlawn boys outdoor track and field team is a defending state champion, but it lost a lot to graduation, so retaining its spot atop The Sun's poll will be a struggle.Mount St. Joseph, Oakland Mills, Westminster and Old Mill look to have deep squads with Milford Mill, Mervo, Arundel, North County and Gilman figuring prominently in the mix.Baltimore County publicWith hurdler-sprinter Joel Brown leading the charge, and ably abetted by the likes of Clevon Johnson (distance), Mike Donaldson (dashes)

All-Metro quarterback Richard Johnson rushed for one touchdown and threw for two others as third-ranked Milford Mill overcame a two-point deficit at halftime to defeat 14th-ranked Eastern Tech, 26-14, in a Baltimore County 3A-4A League game at Essex Community College last night.Down 14-6 and facing fourth-and-seven late in the second quarter, Johnson eluded several would-be tacklers to complete a 41-yard scoring pass to diving Brandon Thompson in the left side of the end zone.Johnson's 10-yard scoring pass to Thompson with 8: 56 left in the third period gave the Millers (9-0 overall, 8-0 league)

Northern-Calvert (23-2) got 18 points from Jen Mitchell to win easily, 47-33, in a Class 3A East semifinal over Broadneck (11-13) last night.Northern will next play the Carver/Wilde Lake winner.No. 5 Western 73, No. 14 Walbrook 42: Western's Doves had a simple goal yesterday: Secure their second consecutive trip to the Class 4A North region final. The Warriors had the misfortune of being in the way.With a charring explosion of offense in the second quarter, Western overwhelmed Walbrook to move within one game of its second appearance in the state semifinals in three seasons.

Yesterday's Milford Mill-Randallstown game may or may not have established who the best team is in Baltimore County, but it certainly left no doubt who "The Man" is.That distinction unquestionably belongs to Millers senior quarterback Richard Johnson.Johnson rushed for three touchdowns, passed for two others and returned a kickoff 86 yards for a score to lead host and third-ranked Milford Mill to a 48-31 victory over the second-ranked Rams.Johnson, who is considering scholarship offers from Florida State, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Purdue and Maryland, finished with 359 all-purpose yards.

16-year-old is sought in robbery at gunpoint Police in Baltimore County are looking for a 16-year-old boy who they say robbed a Halethorpe house at gunpoint last week and has since threatened to kill the home's residents. The teen, identified as Bryan Sheppard, of the 900 block of Seagull Ave. in Brooklyn, is considered to be armed and dangerous, police said. Police said Tuesday that a man forced his way into a house in the 2900 block of Lakebrook Circle in Halethorpe at about 3 p.m. on Oct. 12. He produced a handgun and took property from the people who were there at the time, a police statement said.

Man is shot to death in Southwest Baltimore Police were investigating the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man found Tuesday morning in a vehicle in Southwest Baltimore. Mark T. Johnson of the 3700 block of Lochearn Drive in Woodlawn was discovered by a resident about 9 a.m. slumped in the front seat of a white Chrysler in the 3200 block of W. Lexington St., according to police spokeswoman Nicole Monroe. He had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Residents in the Allendale neighborhood said they had not heard shots, though Shirley Fonseca, 54, who lives near where the vehicle was parked, said she heard it pull up about 9 p.m. Monday.

Coming off a lopsided loss in last year's Class 2A state final, Eastern Tech was intent on beginning this football season on a strong note. Facing Milford Mill on Friday night, however, the No. 7 Mavericks needed until the final minutes of a seesaw game to truly hit a fever pitch. After nearly blowing a two-touchdown lead, Eastern Tech scored 20 straight points in the final 4:21 to put away the Millers, 33-12, at CCBC-Essex. The Mavericks (1-0) now have won 27 of their past 29 games. "There's always going to be people that doubt us and spectators who aren't on our side, so it's a good thing that we come out and play strong," sophomore tailback Marquiese Bannister said.

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez made an unexpected visit to 500 students at a Baltimore County school to deliver an anti-steroid message Tuesday, months after admitting publicly that he used performance-enhancing drugs earlier in his career. At the time of his admission, Rodriguez vowed to turn his past transgressions into a positive lesson for young athletes, and he appears to be attempting to uphold that promise by discreetly speaking to select students this season. It's part of the agreement, however, that the talks not be covered by the news media.

State officials said Wednesday that they had identified six probable cases of the swine flu in Maryland - including in two school-age children - as the World Health Organization signaled a pandemic is imminent and federal health authorities said there were 91 confirmed cases of the virus spread across 11 other states. None of those sickened in Maryland has been hospitalized, and all had links to people who had traveled to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, or other countries where there have been swine flu cases, Gov. Martin O'Malley said.

Dr. Mary C. Rogers, a retired Baltimore County public school educator who enjoyed vacationing in Maine, died of pneumonia March 20 at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The Lutherville resident was 83. Mary Ruth Childs was born in Church Hill, Queen Anne's County, and settled in Lauraville in 1937 with her family. After graduating from Patterson Park High School in 1942, she enrolled at Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1946. She began her teaching career at Westminster High School and joined the faculty of Milford Mill Junior-Senior High School when it opened in 1949.

Jill L. Mottus, a marathoner who was a prominent member of the Baltimore running scene for more than 30 years, died of cancer March 21 at Roland Park Place. She was 71. Jill Louria Ross was born in New York City and raised in Scarsdale, N.Y. After graduating from high school in 1955, she attended Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. She worked for a personnel agency in New York City before marrying Stephen J. Mottus in 1958. A Pikesville resident since 1964, Mrs. Mottus enjoyed entertaining family and friends.

boys basketball PLAYER OF THE YEAR Xavier Drake, Milford Mill The senior guard led the No. 3 Millers (23-4) to their first Baltimore County title with consistent numbers, strong leadership and a knack for making clutch shots. He finished the season averaging 16.8 points, five assists and five rebounds. Drake, a three-year starter, hit three-pointers to beat No. 6 City and county rival Parkville in the closing seconds. coach of the year John Bauersfeld, Calvert Hall After going 15-17 with a young team in his first year as head coach, Bauersfeld guided the Cardinals to a 29-7 mark that helps lay a solid foundation for years to come.

Nathan Kraisser Centennial, wrestling Freshman Nathan Kraisser did what no one else did in Class 4A-3A at the state tournament, pinning his competition in the first three rounds - in 0:48, 4:00 and 2:36, respectively - and then winning the 103-pound title with a 12-0 major-decision shutout. Kraisser is ranked ninth nationally in the 103 class among freshmen and sophomores and 11th overall. His season record is 36-1, and his grade-point average is 3.71. Also considered: : Patrick Downey, Loch Raven, wrestling; Mason Goretsas, North Carroll, wrestling; Adeleke Ibironke, Milford Mill, wrestling; Justin Kuntz, Glen Burnie, basketball; Lance Lepard, Harford Tech, wrestling; Lance McCoy, Mervo, wrestling; Ron Vaughters, Old Mill, wrestling Keirah Hicks Western, basketball Keirah Hicks, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, scored all of her 16 points in the second half to help the No. 3 Doves to a 56-40 win over No. 8 Catonsville and a berth in the state Class 3A final four.

The No. 1 Lake Clifton boys basketball team has had its share of tests during its undefeated season, but none could compare to the challenge presented by No. 3 Milford Mill yesterday with the Class 3A North regional title on the line. The visiting Millers, who believed all the way to the end they could pull off the upset, had the ball in the hands of standout senior guard Xavier Drake in the last second and a chance to win. But Drake's off-balance three-point try in the right corner, with a hand in his face, found the front rim at the buzzer, making Will Barton's two free throws with seven seconds left stand as the Lakers survived with a 56-54 win. Barton, a junior forward, led a balanced offense with 15 points, and the Lakers remained unbeaten (26-0)