North Harford

Pitcher Bobby Ruse struck out 13 and gave up only two hits as the top-ranked C. Milton Wright baseball team shut out visiting North Harford, 4-0, on Monday. Catcher Andrew Clow went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in helping the Mustangs improve to 11-0 on the season. Softball No. 12 Mount de Sales 6, Institute of Notre Dame 3: Pitcher Holly Whitehead hit two home runs to go along with her 10 strikeouts as the Sailors (7-6) beat the host Indians. Mount de Sales had five homers in the victory.

Jeff Buehler's first field-goal attempt was successful from 30 yards out three minutes into the fourth quarter, sealing North Harford's 9-6 Harford County League football victory over John Carroll yesterday.This was the annual homecoming festival for North Harford, and the sunny, 75-degree weather brought out the Hawks' best.A large and enthusiastic crowd saw the Hawks (2-4, 2-3), who had beaten Bel Air last week, win back-to-back games for the first time in four years.All the points were scored in the first seven minutes and the last nine, although in the end it was a solid North Harford defense that proved to be the difference.

North Harford continued to show it is an emerging force in boys and girls soccer last week, when the boys played C. Milton Wright (3-1-3) to a 1-1 tie and the girls lost to C. Milton Wright, 2-0, in a game in which the Mustangs got their second goal with three minutes left."

North Harford coach John Grubb thought he was reliving a nightmare.Last season, his team lost the state regional semifinal to Hereford because the Hawks gave up four goals during a three-minute penalty for using an illegal stick.So in the first game of the season yesterday at Mount Hebron, NTC the Hawks jumped to a 4-0 lead after one quarter before an illegal-stick penalty helped the Vikings to score four unanswered man-down goals early in the second period.Mount Hebron then went up 5-4 on a goal by Scott Baughman with 3:43 left in the half, before the Hawks rallied on goals by Jason Bellamy and Joe Cunningham to regain the lead at halftime, 6-5.North Harford eventually won, 11-8.

North Harford senior defender Johanna Gibson ended her high school lacrosse career with one of her best performances. In the Class 3A-2A state final against Mount Hebron, Gibson defended the Vikings' top-scoring threat, Jacqueline Giles, and held her scoreless. The No. 9 Hawks' upset bid fell short against the top-ranked Vikings, however, 7-6. Gibson caused two turnovers in the game and finished the season with a team-leading 46 turnovers and 48 ground balls. North Harford coach Tara Buecker called Gibson the "backbone of our defense.

HAGERSTOWN -- Jason Gotis has a flip throw-in that turned into an offensive weapon for Oakland Mills last night.It set up the only goal of the game as the No. 7 Howard County school (14-2) dealt No. 4 North Harford (14-1-1) its first loss of the season in the state Class 2A soccer semifinals at South Hagerstown High School.The Scorpions will face Middletown, which defeated Stephen Decatur, 4-1, for the state title."The main object is to get the ball deep," Gotis said of his throw. "It is to work to our advantage, either setting up scoring chances or corners."

The North Harford girls lacrosse team did something that no one has done in a long time in Harford County -it defeated C. Milton Wright. Corey Donohoe had five goals and one assist as North Harford ended C. Milton Wright's 60-game county winning streak with a 10-9 victory on Friday. The Hawks had to work for it, hanging on for the victory after jumping out to an 8-1 halftime lead. North Harford coach Greg Murrell, whose team improved to 4-0 with the win, said it's the kind of victory the Hawks have been looking for over the past few years.

Earlier this season, North Harford middie Bret Schreiber never imagined he would have another chance to give Coach John Grubb a Gatorade shower.Friday night, however, the Hawks polished off a season of steady improvement by knocking off previously undefeated C. Milton Wright, 7-4, to win their second straight county championship."

As a sophomore wrestler at North Harford two years ago, Justin Hohner became discouraged with the sport after a disagreement over strategy with his coach, and he quit before competing in postseason individual action. Hohner came back strongly last season under new coach Thomas Corrice, winning the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference championship at 189 pounds and finishing fourth in the regionals. As a senior, Hohner has compiled a 26-1 record at 189 pounds. He also plays lacrosse and has earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he'll play lacrosse.

Walkersville scored only two earned runs, but capitalized on 10 North Harford errors for a 12-2 victory in a Class 2A baseball state semifinal yesterday at Arundel.The game was halted by the 10-run rule with the Lions batting in the last of the fifth inning.Walkersville (20-3) was making its sixth appearance in the annual state baseball tournament, including a spot in the finals two years ago.It was the first state appearance in school history for North Harford (16-9).Pub Date: 5/26/99