Owls

The Westminster Owls have been going through some tough times this season and things didn't get any better last night against visiting Quince Orchard.The Owls (0-5) squandered an early double-digit lead and then saw their comeback bid fall short in losing 45-41 to the Cougars.It all unraveled midway through the third quarter.With their once 14-point lead down to six at 27-21 with 3:25 left in the quarter, the Owls had possession of the ball when guard Eric Moreau was called for a dead-ball foul -- an automatic technical foul on coach Dave Byers and a loss of possession.

The Westminster Owls found the necessary ingredients to beat a good Linganore team last night. And it all began with confidence.It was actually the end when the No. 15 Owls (15-3) showed their poise, erasing an eight-point deficit in the last 1:45 to come away with a 70-66 win over the four-time defending Central Maryland Conference champions. Strong defense and clutch shooting also played a role down the stretch.The visiting Lancers (13-4) appeared to be in control when sophomore Cara Consuegra hit a baseline jumper with 2:10 left to give them a 66-58 lead.

The old breed around the Westminster High wrestling program has looked on in dismay in past years as the Owls have dropped far behind North Carroll and Francis Scott Key in success on the mat.Those people don't understand why one of the largest 4A schools in the state has to take a back seat to those two much-smaller schools.Henry Mohlhenrich is one of the old breed who has been upset by the Owls' decline, and he has stepped forward to do something about it.Mohlhenrich has taken over as head coach at Westminster and will try to rebuild the program to the heights it enjoyed in the late 1960s.

Westminster High School officials said the search to replace football coach Jeff Oeming, who resigned following Friday's Carroll County title-clinching victory at South Carroll, will begin in the next several weeks.Westminster athletic director Steve Thomson said school principal Sheri-Le Bream and county supervisor of physical education and athletics Bruce Cowan will coordinate the search. Thomson said no names have come up as replacements.Oeming told Westminster administrators last Wednesday that he would resign at the end of the season.

The showdown for the Carroll County girls basketball championship last night was a classic.It was the youth, exuberance and aggressiveness of underdog Westminster against the experience, talent and poise of South Carroll.And fittingly it came down to an exciting three-minute overtime before the Owls overcame the Cavaliers for a 63-59 victory at Westminster.The Owls (5-0 in the county, 13-5 overall) ran a relentless fast break last night and they were still racing down the court in overtime against a seemingly tired South Carroll (4-1, 13-6)

It was the Westminster Owls who were supposed to have all the offensive firepower this season in Carroll County. But nobody told that to the North Carroll Panthers.The visiting Panthers took a quick 5-0 lead and then let their pitching and defense -- something they are better known for -- do the rest in an 8-4 victory over defending county softball champ Westminster yesterday in Gamber.The Panthers (3-2 overall, 2-0 in the county) pounded out 16 hits, got clutch defense and some strong pitching from Kandi Lippy to hold off Westminster.

FREDERICK -- Textbook baseball.Westminster co-coaches Carl Rihard and Guy Stull preach it every day, and this season the Owls are going out every game and executing to perfection.Yesterday, unbeaten Westminster (5-0) did all the little things right against traditionally strong Thomas Johnson and walked off the field with a surprisingly easy 9-1 victory in a Central Maryland Conference game at Thomas Johnson.The 13th-ranked Owls hit behind runners, stole bases, played errorless baseball, and received five shutout innings from starting pitcher Mike Peters to run their CMC record to 2-0 and drop TJ to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the league.

Something has to give Friday night when the North Carroll Panthers visit the Westminster Owls.Both football teams are at 0-3 and in dire need of a win.The Owls have been outscored, 119-14, in their first three games, the latest a 35-0 home loss to Springbrook. The Panthers haven't been quite as bad, being outscored 58-15, but their season-opening loss at home was Francis Scott Key's first win of the '90s.Someone is going to get well on Friday.The Owls will rely on senior running back Gabe Zepp on offense.

Iron man, rubber arm and Jell-o arm.All those names are being used these days to describe Westminster senior right-hander Jeremy Robinson, who turned in another outstanding route-going pitching performance yesterday in a 7-4 victory over North Carroll.Robinson scattered seven hits, struck out 13, walked two and allowed two earned runs as he pitched the Owls closer to a share of the Carroll County championship.Robinson threw 136 pitches and seemingly refused to come out of the game no matter how many times co-coaches Carl Rihard and Guy Stull had relievers warming up."

For Westminster golf coach Jeff Ibex, the mere presence of his Owls team at Friday's Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association state golf tournament in Prince George's County was enough to make him smile."