Outlook

Independence Day means steamed crabs for many Marylanders, but the outlook for celebrating the nation's birthday with a heaping tableful of locally caught crustaceans is as iffy as the weather of late. Despite a bumper crop of crabs tallied in the Chesapeake Bay during last winter's survey, that bounty has yet to show up at local docks or seafood outlets, watermen and dealers report. The big crab houses and restaurants always stock their coolers with crabs shipped up from Louisiana or Texas, and some seafood businesses have augmented the local catch with crabs trucked in from down the bay or North Carolina.

The past four days have featured a premature attempt at the 2013 preseason rankings. Tuesday's entry includes three teams that did not finish above .500 and missed the tournament this past season. But what they do have is intrigue in either the form of a potentially potent offense, a talented incoming class or a well-timed personnel decision. In alphabetical order, the teams flying under the radar are: Drexel (2012 record: 8-8) Outlook: The Dragons didn't allow a mediocre regular season to prevent them from making a little noise in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

When John Greeley aggravated the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the second quarter of Johns Hopkins' 8-2 loss to Navy on April 21, the junior midfielder joined sophomore defensive midfielder Phil Castronova (knee) as Johns Hopkins players whose status for 2013 was in question. Coach Dave Pietramala said the uncertainty regarding their return has been lifted somewhat as he has received positive reports from the school's medical staff on their recovery. “It's my understanding that both - and obviously, Phil is far ahead of John just because of the timing of the injuries - will be full go from the first day of practice in the spring,” Pietramala said.

The latest weather outlook for the Preakness Stakes 2012 has brightened again, perhaps showing the difficulty of forecasting more than 10 days out despite improving technology. AccuWeather.com is calling for mostly sunny skies and a high of 80 degrees Preakness Saturday, just under two weeks away. That had essentially been the prediction when May 19 first came into AccuWeather's new 25-day forecast window. As recently as Friday, the forecast had been calling for a rainy patch that weekend, though.

The stakes will be high when No. 8 Loyola visits No. 7 Denver Saturday night in a key Eastern College Athletic Conference game for both sides. A win would give the Greyhounds (10-0 overall and 4-0 in the league) a substantial lead over the Pioneers (7-3, 3-1), Ohio State (5-6, 3-1) and No. 19 Fairfield (9-2, 2-1) in the race for the top seed in the ECAC Tournament in Denver on May 3 and 5. It could also fortify Loyola's candidacy for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. But that's a road that coach Charley Toomey would rather not travel at this time.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb reached an agreement on a five-year, $50-million extension with the Ravens five days ago and officially signed his contract last Friday so the reality has long set in. He knows that his financial future is now secure, and the new deal will bring increased pressure off the field. But he also knows that his new contract, which includes a $10-million signing bonus, doesn't change a thing about his goals and aspirations on the field.    “There are plenty of things that I can do better,” Webb said today in a phone interview with The Sun . “I can be an All Pro. I can make the Pro Bowl.

Aberdeen Head coach : Hinson White (first year) 2011 record : 1-12 Top returning players : Eric Whittie, So., (defense); Kevin Shumaker, Sr., (midfield); Kory Sampson, Jr., (defense) Key newcomers : Kyle Peters, So., (midfield); Jon Jones, So., (attack) Outlook : "We were very young last season and this year, we are even younger," White said. "However, many of the boys committed themselves to the game in the off-season and have made improvements.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said this afternoon that the governor's bill to limit septic systems will face strong opposition from other Democrats when it is debated later this week. "It is going to be dicey, very dicey," Miller told reporters. The legislation ( SB 236 ) would create four development tiers in Maryland, allowing new septics in some parts of the state but not in others. It is a complex bill -- floor leader Sen. Paul Pinsky spent 15 minutes just describing what would be allowed in each tier.

1. Calvert Hall Coach: Bryan Kelly Last season: 17-2, ranked No. 2 Postseason: MIAA A Conference finalist Outlook: The Cardinals are loaded with All-Metro talent and depth at every position, making them the clear favorite in the stacked MIAA A Conference. After reaching the title game last year, they'll have experience and motivation on their side as well. 2. Gilman Coach: Brooks Matthews Last season: 13-5, No. 1 Postseason: MIAA A champion Outlook: An inspired senior class led the Greyhounds to the title last season, setting an ideal example of what needs to be done.

1. Westminster Coach: Mark Winebrunner Last season: 23-0, ranked No. 1 Postseason: Class 4A state champion Outlook: Coming off conference, region and state titles, the Owls have a new coach. But a strong defense and six starting pitchers, led by Chad Diehl (7-0, 3.65 ERA), create expectations for a repeat. 2. Archbishop Spalding Coach: Jeff Palumbo Last season: 28-5, No. 2 Postseason: MIAA A Conference champion Outlook: With four preseason All-State seniors - pitcher Austin Clark (committed to La Salle)