Milton Wright

Snow flurries blew through as the Fallston and C. Milton Wright baseball teams went out to play Tuesday. And though the game went to an extra inning before the Cougars earned a 13-11 victory, left fielder Taylor Nelson was anything but cold when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. Mustangs pitcher Bobby Ruse had intentionally walked Shane Hollman to load the bases. Fallston coach Joe Connolly yelled: "Make him pay, Taylor. Make him pay." Nelson took ball one, then sent the next pitch over the Mustangs' center fielder.

Harford Tech first baseman Kaela Mason was a sophomore on a senior-laden Cobras softball team last season. But despite her underclassman status, Mason proved to be an effective leader. During the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference championship game against heavily favored C. Milton Wright, Mason gathered her teammates together between innings and urged them to keep battling after the Mustangs had taken an early two-run lead. She then backed up her words with action, lining the first pitch after play resumed for a triple.

GOLF County Championship WHEN -- Thursday, 11 a.m. WHERE -- Geneva Farm Golf Club OUTLOOK -- C. Milton Wright will look to defend its county crown. North Harford took second in the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference/District VII tournament last month. Liz Silbernagle of Fallston was the girls medalist, while C. Milton Wright's Matt Fry won that honor for the boys. FOOTBALL Bel Air @ Edgewood WHEN -- Friday, 7 p.m. OUTLOOK -- Bel Air began the season at 3-1, already matching its win total from last year (3-7)

Arlana Roland is the top player on the Bel Air girls basketball team, and Bobcats coach Calvin Skelton does not mind saying it. "When teams prepare for us, the first thing they decide is how they are going to stop Arlana," Skelton said of the 6-foot-2 junior forward-center. "And then they worry about the rest of it. Arlana is spectacular. She can do it all. She has already been a two-time All-Harford County pick." Roland averages a team-leading 12 points a game and is an excellent shot-blocker in addition to being a team co-captain with senior center Lydia Oliver.

After coming from behind in 11 of its 16 wins a year ago, C. Milton Wright has built a reputation as a team that, no matter how far behind, never seems to be out of a game.So in yesterday's finals of the Rob Spicer Memorial Tournament, No. 11 Glenelg took no chances.The defending Class 1A state champion sent 34 batters to the plate and scored 21 runs -- in the first three innings -- en route to a 22-7 win over the No. 14 Mustangs."It wasn't imperative that we score a lot early, but it was imperative that we come out and try to get on top," said Glenelg coach Tom Thrasher.

Player of the YearMatt Deuchler, CentennialDeuchler, a senior catcher, did not finish his brilliant three-year career with a coveted state title. But it was no fault of his as the No. 11 Eagles (20-6) finished as a Class 2A finalist for the third straight season.The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Deuchler, who was second-team All-Metro as a junior, is the total package behind the plate.He can hit and hit with power, run, block pitches, throw, and has his staff's respect.Deuchler batted .456 (41-for-90)

John Thornton and Matt Kunkel extended undefeated streaks and South Carroll, with four individual winners, easily captured the team crown in the annual Class 3A-4A, North Region championships yesterday at Fallston High School.Thornton, a C. Milton Wright senior, improved to 32-0, beating Shane Farmer of Aberdeen in the final, 11-2. Aberdeen senior Kunkel moved to 27-0, taking the title with a 7-3 conquest of South Carroll's Anton Enrique.South Carroll got championships from Kellen Weber (103)

No. 12 Dunbar (6-1) at Lake Clifton (5-2)When: Today, 3: 30Outlook: This City East Division clash pits Dunbar (4-0 league) of the state's Class 2A, against Lake Clifton (2-1 league), of the 4A, with a loss possibly ending the playoff hopes of the losing team. The visiting Poets won their fifth straight game and gained valuable points toward the playoffs with last weekend's come-from-behind 36-32 victory over then-No. 7 Patterson, ending the Clippers' winning streak against city opponents at 16. The Lakers have a four-game winning streak, during which they have outscored the opposition, 136-12, including last week's 30-6 rout of traditional-power City.

North Hagerstown (0-2) at Francis Scott Key (0-2)When: 7 tonightOutlook: The matchup features two teams struggling to get their first win of the season. Key was shut out by Middletown last Thursday, 28-0. Coach Mike Coons said he plans to make some changes to spark his attack and would like to see his defense spend less time on the field. The Hubs -- who won last year's meeting, 13-6 -- are led by QB Tanner Cross.Bowie (2-0) at North Carroll (2-0)When: TBAOutlook: Coaches of both these unbeaten teams are familiar with each other.

All-Metros Bryant Johnson (City, wide receiver), Scooter Monroe (John Carroll, running back) and Hardy McSpadden (C. Milton Wright, defensive back) were among eight Baltimore area players chosen to play for Team Maryland in the July 11 Chesapeake Football Classic against Northern Virginia's All-Stars at Maryland's Byrd Stadium.Andrew Smith (Meade), Michael Crawford (Patterson), Stephon Watson (Aberdeen), Mike Rye (C. Milton Wright) and Mike MacIntosh (Edgewood) also were selected. The 35-player roster:DL -- Darnell Dockett, Paint Branch; Donte Lewis, Roosevelt; Mark McKee, Paint Branch; Maurice McKinney, Suitland; Savon McLemore, Suitland.

Senior Day at C. Milton Wright didn't turn out the way the Mustangs' field hockey team hoped Wednesday. Its Harford County rival, Fallston, a team it had taken to double overtime several times over the past five years without winning, was on deck. The hillside was spray-painted in honor of the team's seniors, saying, "We'll miss you. Good Luck," and the sidelines were filled with fans. But the luck wasn't there. No. 9 Fallston won, 5-1. "Every single alumni girl is waiting to hear if we beat Fallston today," C. Milton Wright coach Bonnie Schnell said.

The C. Milton Wright girls soccer team's combination of stingy defense and timely offense proved to be too much for Fallston on Monday night. Megan Will and Rachel Neff scored goals for the visiting Mustangs, who constantly slowed the No. 12 Cougars' repeated offensive pressure and pulled out a 2-0 victory in an Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference Chesapeake Division game. Fallston (5-4, 2-1) was aggressive on offense throughout. The Cougars made a number of long runs, sent several balls deep into the Mustangs' end and kept the pressure on, but they couldn't finish as C.M. Wright stopped them time and again.

The John Carroll girls soccer team is a mix of new and old this season, with a different approach toward getting to goal: moving forward as one with short passes. Before the season, coach Gary Lynch believed it would take time for things to come together. But early indications are the No. 4 Patriots are way ahead of schedule. In Saturday's home game against No. 13 C. Milton Wright, the Patriots attacked with poise and persistence, coming away with a sturdy 3-0 win over the Mustangs. Sophomore Leah Pace scored in the first half, with senior Colleen O'Connell and freshman Olivia DiFonso finishing chances in the second half.

No. 5 C. Milton Wright used two big innings and four double plays to end No. 2 Fallston's dream of a perfect season with a 9-4 victory over the host Cougars in an Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference game Wednesday. Fallston (14-1, 9-1) still needs one victory in its last two UCBAC games to clinch a division title. C.M. Wright (12-5, 8-4) took charge early. The Mustangs scored three in the top of the first and added four more in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. Starter Sam O'Hare went the distance, scattering nine hits, four of which came in the last two innings.

Snow flurries blew through as the Fallston and C. Milton Wright baseball teams went out to play Tuesday. And though the game went to an extra inning before the Cougars earned a 13-11 victory, left fielder Taylor Nelson was anything but cold when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. Mustangs pitcher Bobby Ruse had intentionally walked Shane Hollman to load the bases. Fallston coach Joe Connolly yelled: "Make him pay, Taylor. Make him pay." Nelson took ball one, then sent the next pitch over the Mustangs' center fielder.

field hockey Player of the Year Lindsey Puckett, Fallston The county Player of the Year for a second straight season, Puckett was perhaps the most difficult player in the metro area to contain. Excellent stick skills and slippery moves past multiple defenders put her in position to make any kind of play on the attack. She led the team in scoring with 10 goals and 15 assists, but her game was well-rounded and she could -- and did -- contribute everywhere on the field Coach of the Year Alice Puckett, Fallston In a coup for the Puckett family, the coach led her daughter and the rest of the No. 2 Cougars to their 11th state title and a 19-1 record.

1 Go west: No East Coast bias: Nevada at Fresno State football (9 p.m., ESPN2). The writer William Saroyan was from Fresno. Just throwing that out there. 2 Must be the shoes: The Knicks come to Washington to face the Wizards (7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet), but don't expect to see Stephon Marbury (left) on the court. He and his big contract continue to be inactive. 3 Postseason hopes: Despite its three forfeits, No. 12 Joppatowne could still make the state football playoffs with a win at home against C. Milton Wright (7 p.m.)

Baseball had been James Hennessy's top sport until the C. Milton Wright senior found his niche in volleyball. Now, the 6-foot-1 outside hitter is considered one of the top all-around players in Harford County, recently leading the Mustangs to a 15-0 regular season. In a recent interview, Hennessy talked about his passion for volleyball, which is largely unheralded as a boys sport throughout the rest of the state, as well as his plans for the future and his summer volunteering at a camp in Colorado.

Shannon Rafferty first took up cross country as a freshman at C. Milton Wright to stay in shape for softball, which was her main sport. But everything changed for Rafferty after she started running. Rafferty enjoyed running so much so that she decided to drop softball at the start of her sophomore year last fall. She helped the Mustangs win the Class 4A state title, and the junior now is C.M. Wright's top runner. In addition, Rafferty had a very successful season in outdoor track. Talk about your decision to run cross country to stay in shape for softball when you were a freshman.

FOOTBALL Havre de Grace @ Aberdeen WHEN: : Friday, 7 p.m. OUTLOOK:: The big question is if Aberdeen (2-2 overall through last week, 1-0 in the Susquehanna Division) can stop the offense of Havre de Grace (3-1, 1-0) while finding some scoring punch of its own. THE BALTIMORE SUN'S PICK: Havre de Grace CROSS COUNTRY Bobcat Invitational WHEN:: Saturday, 9 a.m. WHERE:: Jerusalem Mill OUTLOOK: : The postponed Bull Run Invitational at Hereford was moved back to this day, but a number of local teams decided to stay at the Bobcat Invitational.