Patriots

Old Mill lost star running back Josh Furman to a knee injury in the first quarter of Friday night's state championship game against Wise at M&T Bank Stadium, but backup Jason Clements stepped in to lead the Patriots to a 17-16 victory. Clements rushed 40 times for 164 yards and a touchdown as Old Mill captured its first state crown and the first for an Anne Arundel County team in 15 years. Joe McCargo's sack with 41 seconds remaining sealed the win for the Patriots, who played terrific defense in the fourth quarter.

By now you've surely seen the video, below, of Tom Brady getting super, duper excited about Orb winning the Kentucky Derby. In it, he runs over to congratulate Ogden Phipps II, son of co-owner Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps. I'm not sure how they know each other. Maybe Brady just really revels in the good fortune of other fantastically rich people. Also, he apparently bet $4,700 on the colt and won $25,000 . (In some versions of the video you can see the other co-owner, Maryland resident Stuart Janney, roam through the shot in a tan rain coat and Orb hat, looking for all the world like maybe he'd mistakenly arrived in that place at that time.

RAVENS PASSING GAME: Joe Flacco had one of the better games of his career in the AFC championship loss to the Patriots, completing 22 of 36 passes for a franchise playoff record 306 yards and two touchdowns. He currently leads a passing attack that averages 261 yards per game, the ninth best total in the NFL. However, Flacco is coming off a second half against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he went just 8 of 25 with an interception. The Ravens are looking to get their wide receivers more involved as Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones have combined for 14 catches in two weeks.

Two days after the end of the NFL draft, former Maryland defensive lineman Joe Vellano has found a home. Vellano, a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree, signed Tuesday with the New England Patriots, according to Terps coach Randy Edsall. Vellano is the fourth former Terp to join an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. The others are tight end Matt Furstenburg (Baltimore Ravens), defensive lineman A.J. Francis (Miami Dolphins) and linebacker Darin Drakeford (Kansas City Chiefs)

When the Ravens have the ball Ravens offense WR: 89 Clayton LT: 71 Gaither LG: 66 Grubbs C: 77 Birk RG: 73 Yanda RT: 74 Oher TE: 86 Heap QB: 5 Flacco FB: 33 L. McClain RB: 27 Rice WR: 85 Mason Patriots defense DE: 94 Warren NT: 75 Wilfork DE: 97 Green OLB: 95 Banta-Cain ILB: 51 Mayo ILB: 59 Guyton OLB: 96 Thomas LCB: 24 Wilhite ...

Ravens run offense vs. Patriots run defense: Ray Rice had one of his four 100-yard games of the season against the Patriots on Oct. 4. He gashed them for 103 yards on 11 carries, which included a 50-yard gain. Strangely enough, New England is 3-1 this season when allowing a 100-yard rusher. The only loss came last Sunday, when Houston Texans rookie Arian Foster ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns against a Patriots defense missing its top two linemen (Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren)

Several opponents have slowed Navy's high-powered offense recently by holding the ball for long possessions, but the Midshipmen made sure Holy Cross could not do that in Sunday's Patriot League women's lacrosse championship. The No. 12 Midshipmen jumped ahead early and kept rolling to an eight-goal halftime lead en route to a 14-4 victory for their fourth straight Patriot League tournament title at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The win ended a string of three-straight one-goal wins, including two in double overtime.

NFL Socci named Patriots play-by-play announcer Bob Socci , who has called radio play-by-play for Navy for the past 16 years, has been named radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Patriots on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Socci, who replaces Gil Santos , will join color commentator Scott Zolak (Maryland) in the booth. Santos retired after the 2012 season after 36 seasons of calling Patriots games. Socci, 45, of Milton, Mass., is the lead announcer for CBS Sports Network's coverage of Patriot League college basketball and calls games for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. Varsity Gaels' Williams to play for U.S. All-Stars in Capital Classic Mount St. Joseph senior guard Kameron Williams will be one of 10 players on the U.S. All-Stars basketball team at Sunday's 40th annual Capital Classic in Virginia.

Navy junior long-stick midfielder Pat Kiernan has been named to the All-Patriot League men's lacrosse first team, the conference announced Tuesday. Kiernan's 26 caused turnovers this spring are the third-most by a player in Navy program history, while he is the school's all-time leader in the category with 51. This is the second straight year Kiernan has garnered All-Patriot League honors; he received second-team recognition as a sophomore. Named second-team all-league were Bucknell senior faceoff specialist Ryan Gutowski (Calvert Hall)

Senior attacker Jasmine DePompeo scored the game-winning goal 41 seconds into double overtime as No. 12 Navy captured the Patriot League regular-season title by defeating American, 11-10, in Washington Sunday afternoon. The Midshipmen (16-1, 6-0 Patriot League) will host the four-team Patriot League tournament next weekend. The Mids took a 3-2 lead on goals by sophomore attacker Loren Generi, sophomore midfielder Casey Brown and junior attacker Aimee Gennaro. But the Eagles (8-9, 5-1)

Navy coach Cindy Timchal isn't shy about her desire to have the Midshipmen once again host the Patriot League women's lacrosse tournament. "It would be huge," Timchal said. "That was the goal from the beginning. We hosted it last year, and we just want to host it again. " A win Sunday in the regular-season finale at American would give No. 12 Navy (14-1) top seed in the tournament, which is scheduled to begin next Friday. The Eagles (7-8) also enter the game 5-0 in the conference.

Active, retired and disabled military service members and their families will be connected with adoptable dogs and cats, and the pets will receive a second chance at life thanks to a new partnership between Pets for Patriots and the Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC). Through the partnership, service men and women will receive a discount on the normal adoption fee. Any member of any branch of the United States armed forces is eligible at any stage of their career, up to and including retired or reserve.

The Humane Society of Harford County Inc. and Pets for Patriots Inc. have joined forces to give active, disabled and retired military service members and their families the gift of a pet's unconditional love, while providing dogs and cats with a second chance at life. Through this partnership, Pets for Patriots will connect our area's loyal service men and women to the humane society, which will introduce them to eligible homeless dogs and cats that are looking for permanent homes. Individuals are eligible from any U.S. armed forces and at any stage of their careers – active, reserve, National Guard, retired or veteran.

Navy's 11-3 loss to No. 16 Colgate in the first game of the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium last Saturday did not officially eliminate the Midshipmen from the Patriot League tournament.But a setback to Lehigh this Saturday just might. A loss to the Mountain Hawks (6-4) would drop Navy (3-6) to 1-4 in the conference. Three teams -- No. 6 Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh -- are 2-0 in the Patriot League, Army is 1-1 and Holy Cross is 1-2. There are a number of tiebreaker scenarios that will become clearer after this weekend's games, but the conclusion that can be drawn is that the Midshipmen would do themselves a huge favor by beating the Mountain Hawks.