North Carroll

In 13 years as the varsity softball coach at North Carroll High School, Lloyd Ford has guided the Panthers to a 202-80 record and three appearances in the state finals. It seemed only a matter of time before he would earn a major coaching award. It came earlier this month when Ford was named the 2012 Maryland State Softball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches Association. The NHFS Coaches Awards Program honors active coaches in the top 10 boys and girls sports, based on the number of participants.

North Carroll announced the hiring of Rob Vaughn as boys basketball coach on Tuesday. Vaughn, a graduate of the school, previously coached the Panthers from 2003 to 2006, and he takes over the program from his brother, Chris, according to the school. Vaughn was an assistant coach at McDaniel College under Bob Flynn, and he currently teaches physical education at Shiloh Middle School in Carroll County.

North Carroll announced the hiring of Rob Vaughn as boys basketball coach on Tuesday. Vaughn, a graduate of the school, previously coached the Panthers from 2003 to 2006, and he takes over the program from his brother, Chris, according to the school. Vaughn was an assistant coach at McDaniel College under Bob Flynn, and he currently teaches physical education at Shiloh Middle School in Carroll County.

Et cetera Former Chesapeake-AA star Gibson wins softball honors at Tennessee Tennessee senior Lauren Gibson (Chesapeake-Anne Arundel) was selected as the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Week and Southeastern Conference Player of the Week after hitting .818 with five homers, three doubles and 18 RBIs over four games. In addition, Gibson is a Top 25 Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

For four years, Caitlin Bach has had one main job for the North Carroll girls basketball team: to score. She has done it so well that she's on the verge of breaking the all-time Carroll County record, a mark set before she was born. A 5-foot-11 forward, she needs 28 points to surpass South Carroll graduate Melanee Wagener's mark of 1,514, set in 1988. She could do it tonight at home against Brunswick at 7. Since her freshman year, Bach has started all 75 games and averages 19.8 points as well as 12.9 rebounds for her career.

With dreams of a trip to the state tournament seemingly screeching to a halt, host Liberty on Friday night managed to find just enough overdrive to complete a 27-year journey. The Lions saw their double-digit lead against North Carroll dwindle to two late in the fourth quarter before rallying to score the game's final seven points, all from the foul line, to pull away for a 59-50 win in the Class 2A West final and their first state semifinal appearance since 1983. "We knew we were the better team out there.

— The North Carroll softball team did all they could to stay close in Friday night's Class 2A state title game against undefeated Easton. But the No. 14 Panthers had never seen a pitcher as dominating as the one that stood 40 feet in front of them — Shelby Taylor. After the the Warriors from Talbot County scored three runs in the first inning, they left the rest to their hard-throwing senior standout, Taylor, who threw a one-hitter in a 6-0 win that completed a 26-0 season and secured the program's fifth state title.

The North Carroll wrestling team sent a message to Francis Scott Key last night."Don't count us out yet" were the words the seventh-ranked Panthers delivered to the second-ranked Eagles after North Carroll scored a 40-15 victory over host Westminster High.The win sends perennial county champion North Carroll, which has struggled a little lately, against Key Feb. 1 for the county dual-match championship.North Carroll is 3-0 in the county and 10-2 overall, and Key is 3-1 in the county and 12-1 overall.

No one needed to look at the scoreboard when this match was over.The North Carroll girls jumped for joy. The Liberty girls sat on the floor and cried.North Carroll coach Linda Richards wiped away tears of happiness. Liberty coach Helen Derwin couldn't stop the tears of disappointment.The Panthers slammed the Lions, 15-5, 15-13, 10-15, 15-10, last night at Liberty in a tense duel that matched North Carroll's power game against Liberty's quickness and overall talent.With the victory, North Carroll replaced Liberty as Carroll County volleyball champion and gained a share of the Central Maryland Conference title with the Lions, who also are the defending CMC champions.

The opening minutes of Friday's Class 2A state semifinal gave the North Carroll boys basketball team an early indication of what it was up against in dealing with talented Gwynn Park. The Yellow Jackets from Prince George's County showed quickness with an immediate steal, strength and athleticism underneath the basket and good aim from the perimeter. For the Panthers, who played hard and never backed down, it was simply too much. Mike Hemsley scored 16 points and Brandon Ford added 15 as the Yellow Jackets rolled to Saturday's title game with a 69-36 win over the Panthers.

In 13 years as the varsity softball coach at North Carroll High School, Lloyd Ford has guided the Panthers to a 202-80 record and three appearances in the state finals. It seemed only a matter of time before he would earn a major coaching award. It came earlier this month when Ford was named the 2012 Maryland State Softball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches Association. The NHFS Coaches Awards Program honors active coaches in the top 10 boys and girls sports, based on the number of participants.

The Baltimore Sun's Top 15 No. 3 River Hill 55, Howard 20 No. 4 Arundel 35, Southern 6 No. 5 Westminster 42, South Carroll 7 No. 15 South River 36, No. 6 Old Mill 35 No. 7 Franklin 34, Woodlawn 12 No. 8 Dunbar 12, Patterson 0 No. 9 St. Paul's 46, Boys' Latin 16 No. 11 Atholton 28, Glenelg 14 Meade 14, No. 12 Broadneck 0 No. 13 Edmondson 36, Digital Harbor 8 Other scores from...

As Manchester Valley closed out the team's 26-7 win over rival North Carroll on Friday night, the PA announcer thanked fans for their support during the season and congratulated the Mavericks on posting a winning record this year. But that winning season isn't over. The Mavericks' win over North Carroll in the annual "Battle of the Bypass" game, combined with Northwestern-Baltimore High School's loss to Reginald Lewis High School earlier on Friday, clinched the first-ever playoff spot for the four-year-old Maverick football program.

Five teenagers have been arrested in a weeks-long Carroll County "vandalism spree" that caused $20,000 worth of damage to 129 cars and saw more than $5,000 worth of portable electronics, jewelry and other valuables stolen, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. "The only explanation given for this is a case of youthful mischief," said Major Phil Kasten, a sheriff's office spokesman. Police said the teens, all North Carroll High School students between the ages of 14 and 17, began their crime spree on Aug. 4, spending the night shattering car windshields, bending antennas and removing nearly $1,500 worth of valuables and prescription drugs from vehicles parked in residential driveways.

A buzz spread among the North Carroll field hockey players as they gathered just inside the gate to their playing field and looked toward the parking lot. "Is she here? Is she coming?" They're all dressed in black shirts with the words "Team Heinle" printed across their backs. Each letter in "Heinle" has a word descending from it - Hope. Enthusiastic. Inspiring. Noble. Love. Extraordinary. All words that apply to Laura Heinle, the North Carroll varsity assistant coach who has coached most of them since they reached the school's junior varsity squad and who is now recovering from bone cancer.

Home Turf: 1225 Washington Road, Westminster Head Coach: Brad Wilson (ninth season) 2011 Record: 8-2 overall; 6-1 county (Carroll County champions) In 2011, Westminster won its first county title in six years by dominating Carroll opponents. The Owls beat their seven county foes by an average score of 41-5, and Carroll's best defense in recent memory posted three shutouts. But the Owls' forfeit of a 57-7 win over Manchester Valley for using an ineligible player dropped Westminster's record to 8-2 - and cost the county's best team a berth in the Class 4A North Region playoffs.

North Carroll High's girls basketball team will travel to Middletown tonight at 7 p.m. for the Class 2A, Region I championship game. Middletown defeated North Hagerstown, 61-46, in the Class 2A, Region I semifinal Saturday night. North Carroll won its region semifinal game over Glenelg, 59-58, Thursday.The region title game was originally set for Saturday night but the Middletown-North Hagerstown game was postponed Thursday and then again Friday because of problems caused by Thursday's rainstorm.