Older Brother

Maybe it is the golden weather, or the lure of the autumnal equinox, or my personal need to lift what President Bush eloquently described Thursday night as "a dark threat of violence" from daily life. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to the weekend, its rhythms, its rites and even its chores. From trekking to Camden Yards to holler for the struggling Orioles, to squirming in the bleachers while watching my kid play high school football, to puttering around the fading garden, I find myself anticipating routine weekend duties.

College Park -- He didn't grin and didn't seem to be exaggerating. With a straight face, Marcus Vick called his performance "horrible." This quizzical assessment came just minutes after the Virginia Tech quarterback ran for a career-high 133 yards in the Hokies' 28-9 win over Maryland last night. He also threw for 211 yards - just 12 shy of another personal best. It just goes to show you that one man's horrible is another's Heisman. Even though Vick will choose to dwell on the three interceptions - which were glaring but had zero effect on the final outcome - he is on a new playing stage now. His older brother is called Superman.

A 33-year-old Columbia man was convicted of second-degree murder yesterday in the beating death of his 2-year-old stepson, a crime that the prosecutor said amounted to "sheer, unadulterated violence." A jury in Howard County Circuit Court deliberated four hours before returning verdicts in which they also found Marcus D. Owens guilty of child abuse and assault. Owens was the only adult at home with Kevonte Davis last summer during the time medical experts said the child's fatal injuries would have been inflicted.

Severna Park senior Kim Lawton plays sports like a coach's daughter and the sister of an older brother. As a standout goalie in both lacrosse and field hockey, she shows no fear turning back just about everything that comes her way, always having the angle covered. Basketball has her attention now. Playing under the basket at just 5-foot-8 and constantly having to battle taller forwards is just fine with Lawton, who finds other ways to compensate. "I don't think it matters if you're not the quickest or the biggest.

The Marriotts Ridge football team, in its second year of varsity play, has grown up immensely this season. After coming away with just one win in their inaugural season, the Mustangs closed out this season at 6-4. Senior quarterback Kevin Seker is a microcosm of the team's growth. Seker, who says he is on the shy side, knew he had to step up and take charge with his play on the field and voice as a leader. Seker, who attended Centennial his freshman year, was reluctant to come to Marriotts Ridge when the school opened in 2005, but now he said it was the best thing for him. Also a guard on the basketball team, he is a self-proclaimed sports junkie.

Say the name Waltrip at a race track and heads spin. Darrell Waltrip? Where? Where? But this Waltrip isn't the three-time Winston Cup champion. This one is Michael, Darrell's "little" brother, and while the older brother has soared to the top, the younger one is in danger of being labeled mediocre."

Nathan Kraisser is a freshman at Centennial High School who has already become a standout in the Eagles' wrestling program. According to Wrestling 411.com, he is the No. 9-ranked wrestler in the country at the 103-pound weight class and is ranked No. 1 in his weight class by the Maryland State Wrestling Association. "His work ethic sets him apart," said Centennial coach Dave Roogow. "I've never seen a kid at this age work as hard as he does. Last weekend, he went through a two-day tournament Friday and Saturday in which he made it all the way to the finals, and I'm almost positive he wrestled at a local club on Sunday.

The Clark twins, Travis and Tyler, are described by Hammond baseball coach Mike Lerner as "dramatically" different from each other in personality, but quite similar in nature when it comes to baseball. "Travis is more boisterous, more vocal," says Lerner, "while Tyler is more reserved. But they both play the game with the same intensity and dedication." Tyler, a first baseman, is batting .353, with two doubles and two home runs, and has yet to strike out. Travis, a right-handed pitcher, is hitting .500, with four doubles, four home runs and is 2-0 on the mound with 16 strikeouts in 10 innings.

MIAMI -- In his four years at the University of Nebraska, Donta Jones has made his reputation as much in the weight room as on the football field. A 6-foot-2, 215-pound outside linebacker, Jones has either won or shared the team's prestigious "Lifter of the Year" award two times."

MIAMI -- It's not every senior quarterback who asks a freshman to be his roommate during a Heisman Trophy campaign. And it's not every freshman who responds to a personal tragedy by leading his team in touchdowns as it pursues its first national championship.On and off the field, Charlie Ward and Warrick Dunn make quite a pair -- Ward at quarterback, Dunn at tailback, Ward the $H guardian angel, Dunn the eager disciple. Dunn arrived at Florida State reeling from the loss of his mother. Ward became the older brother he needed, the older brother he never had."