Poolesville

Aberdeen 21, Fallston 14 Annapolis Area Christian 40, Pallotti 0 Arundel 58, Southern-AA 13 Atholton 48, Centennial 0 Bel Air 21, C. Milton Wright 14 Bethesda 28, Walter Johnson 14 Bishop Ireton, Va. 48, St. Mary's Ryken 0 Bishop Walsh 57, Randolph-Macon, Va. 47 Boonsboro 34, Smithsburg 13 Boys' Latin 6, St. Paul's 0 Broadneck 31, Meade 24 Brunswick 50, Catoctin 22 Bullis 42, Episcopal, Va....

THURSDAY FOOTBALL National Homeschool Tournament (at Panama City, Fla.) Maryland Chr. 38, Lighthouse Chr. (Missouri) 6 BOYS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS (at UMBC) CLASS 4A Magruder 2, Urbana 0 GIRLS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS (at UMBC) CLASS 3A No. 4 Reservoir 1Huntingtown 0 Goal: R--Axenfeld. Saves: R--Fowler 4; H--Taylor 7. Half: R, 1-0. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL STATE SEMIFINALS (at College Park)

Halfway through the first game of Glenelg's Class 1A state semifinal with Colonel Richardson on Monday night, the Poolesville volleyball team got up and left Ritchie Coliseum in College Park. Maybe team members thought they had seen enough. Glenelg, the No. 8 seed, was losing badly. Maybe the Falcons of Montgomery County thought they would be playing Colonel Richardson tomorrow night in the 1A state championship game. But Glenelg rallied for a strong performance, winning, 16-25, 25-15, 25-5, 25-19, to set up tomorrow's meeting with Poolesville.

South Carroll's run as the Class 1A state titlist ended last night when the defending champion Cavaliers lost to Poolesville of Montgomery County, 25-19, 25-19, 25-13, in the Class 1A state volleyball semifinals at Ritchie Coliseum in College Park. The No. 15 Cavaliers (13-5) were led by Tianna Quiambao-Panas' 26 assists. Lindsey Will and Mary Harshman contributed six kills each for South Carroll. "They were the best team we've faced all year," Cavaliers coach Marcia Kunkel said. "They played great defense, and although we gave it our all, they were the better team."

Poolesville of Montgomery County has absorbed losses to Dunbar that have ended each of its past three seasons. Dunbar's eight-point win in 2003 was followed by last year's of 20 points. The Falcons' woes continued at Mervo with yesterday's 46-7 Class 1A South regional final rout in the defending state champs' ninth straight win. Dunbar freshman Tavon Austin rushed for 163 yards and his 18th and 19th touchdowns, including a 97-yarder; senior Quinton Garrus (114 yards) ran for his 10th and 11th scores; and senior Marcus Taylor (4-for-6, 120 yards)

During each of the past two seasons, Poolesville of Montgomery County has vanquished one Baltimore City team only to have its unbeaten season end a week later in Baltimore at the hands of Dunbar. In 2003, the Falcons defeated W.E.B. DuBois at home only to lose to Dunbar, 30-22, on a touchdown with 23 seconds left in regulation. And in 2004, the Falcons again edged W.E.B. DuBois only to be thwarted by Dunbar, 34-14. The difference in both instances was the Poets' Nathan Irby, The Sun's 2004 All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year, who combined for 708 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the two wins over Poolesville.

3 Times in as many seasons that Poolesville of Montgomery County will come to Baltimore City to face Dunbar in a playoff game. The two teams will meet in the Class 1A South regional title game Saturday. Poolesville is 31-3 over the past three seasons, with two of the losses coming to the Poets in the postseason. 5 Jersey number that Gilman running back Sean Price and Douglass all-purpose player Antione Smithson share. Old friends, the duo is in a quandary over who will get to wear No. 5 in a Dec. 10 all-star game they're taking part in. 9 Consecutive games won by No. 11 City (10-1)

A 21-year-old Marine from Montgomery County has become the latest Marylander to die in the fighting in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Cpl. Kirk J. Bosselmann of Dickerson died Saturday - one of four Marines killed by enemy action in a three-day period in Al Anbar province. All four Marines belonged to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., the department said. Bosselmann was a graduate of Poolesville High School, according to the Rev. Merritt W. Ednie, pastor of Boyds Presbyterian Church, where the young Marine had been on a prayer list that included people serving in military and civilian roles in Iraq.

The football talents of Dunbar senior Nathan Irby will be missed by a lot of folks when he graduates, but Poolesville coach Larry Hurd is not among them. Hurd said as much yesterday after watching the 5-foot-11, 185-pound All-Metro performer rip through his previously unbeaten Falcons for the second straight season in the fifth-ranked Poets' 34-14 Class 1A South Region title-game victory at City College. The Poets' 11th straight win dropped Poolesville to 11-1, ending the Falcons' unbeaten season for the second consecutive year and earning Dunbar's sixth state semifinal berth and the home field against Queen Anne's (9-3)