Quince Orchard

Meade wasn't supposed to be playing this late. But the 16th-ranked Mustangs will tip off at 7 tonight at Cole Field House against Gaithersburg's 23-2 Quince Orchard in the Class 4A state boys basketball semifinals. No. 2 Southern-Baltimore (20-5) will play Washington's third-ranked Oxon Hill (22-3) in the other 4A semifinal at 9 p.m. The survivors will play again at the University of Maryland for the state trophy at 8 p.m. Saturday. "I've been telling everybody, we're kind of like a red-haired step-child," said coach Butch Young, in his 23rd season as Meade's only coach and 33rd in Anne Arundel County.

All season long, the Arundel Wildcats lived by the pass. Last night in the Class 4A state championship game at M&T Bank Stadium, they died by the pass in a 36-30 loss to Quince Orchard of Montgomery County. The Cougars won their second state championship, with the other in 1991. The Wildcats, who won a state title in 1975, were playing in their first final since 1979. Quince Orchard quarterback Jaron Morrison connected with Travis Hawkins on a 78-yard touchdown pass with 1:30 remaining to give the Cougars a 30-23 lead and cap a 16-point comeback in the fourth quarter.

GAITHERSBURG -- There was a brief stretch in the middle of the third quarter last night when the Westminster Owls had some problems with the Quince Orchard press.In a fourth quarter filled with whistles, it was the Cougars' work on the boards that gave the Owls fits.And what was most frustrating for the Owls in their 65-51 loss against Quince Orchard in a Class 4A West region opener was the fine first-half effort that was wasted.After a two-point loss in the regular season, the Owls (10-13)

In a match-up of two schools that have never won a state title, Meade put up a valiant effort, but the inside game of Quince Orchard was the difference as the Mustangs suffered a 57-50 defeat in the Class 4A semifinals at University of Maryland's Cole Field House. The Cougars' pair of 6-foot-6 post players, senior Greg Rector and junior Javon Saulter, led their team into Saturday's 8 p.m. final in the 67th annual state tournament vs. the winner of the Southern-Oxon Hill semifinal. Rector had game high totals of 19 points, 13 boards and three snuffed shots while Saulter scored a dozen points to go with eight rebounds as the Cougars (24-2)

Top-ranked South River had problems with Quince Orchard goalkeeper Cathy Flores all game long. The senior keeper almost single-handedly kept the Cougars in contention during a first half that belonged to the Seahawks, and when the teams went to a shootout, she came up big again. Flores made two key saves during the penalty kicks, one on the final shot from South River goalie Jacque Sutphin that gave visiting Quince Orchard a surprising 3-2 shootout win after the teams had battled to a 1-1 tie in their Class 4A girls soccer state semifinal last night.

After three innings, Arundel was in complete command of yesterday's Class 4A state championship game, but the final four innings turned into a nightmare as the Wildcats blew a seven-run lead and ended up losing, 10-9, to Quince Orchard at Joe Cannon Stadium in Severn. Poor defense was the main culprit behind Arundel's missing its 10th state title. But the pitching also came up short, allowing five doubles as the school from Gaithersburg in Montgomery County won its first state title. No. 11-ranked Arundel committed seven errors, and its pitchers gave up nine hits, seven walks and hit two batters.

COLLEGE PARK - -Severna Park shortstop Kyle Convissar led off with a single Friday afternoon and the Falcons never stopped hitting, as they blew out Quince Orchard, 11-1, in the 4A state championship game behind a one-hitter by senior ace Dylan Taylor. "To be honest, I was thinking about this game all day," said Taylor, who will attend Charlotte next year. "Now, to be the first team at our school to win the 4A championship, we're feeling pretty good about now. When we got that first hit and that first-run lead in the first inning, it made it a lot easier to pitch."

COLLEGE PARK -- Junior goalie Virginia Jorden did a curious double take when looking at the team plaque the South River field hockey team had just received following last night's Class 4A state championship game. It was understandable because it was different. The Seahawks had won all of the prior three state championship games they played in, including the past two, but this time they found themselves on the losing end. Quince Orchard of Montgomery County was able to match their determination and also score a goal, coming away with its first state title when sophomore Alissa Peterson scored with 5:27 to play in the second overtime to give the Cougars a 1-0 win over the No. 5 Seahawks at the University of Maryland.

The power, size and speed of the Henry A. Wise football team ended Meade's dream season with a nightmare. After two surprising road playoff victories over then-No. 4 Arundel and then-No. 6 Old Mill, No. 5 Meade hoped to keep rolling in the Class 4A state semifinal Saturday afternoon. But Wise used its bulk to take control early and steamroll the visiting Mustangs, 40-0. Wise (13-0) advances to the Class 4A state final Friday at M&T Bank Stadium against Quince Orchard, who edged No. 3 Westminster, 21-19, in the other state semifinal Friday night.

What separated the Perry Hall girls soccer team from making a fifth Class 4A state title game appearance was a formidable Leonardtown team that showed all season long it could put the ball in the net. Despite getting an early goal and defending valiantly throughout, the Gators simply couldn't keep the Raiders from St. Mary's County in check. Leonardtown ended the first half with a tying goal from Kaitlyn Devine and produced the game-winner four minutes into the second half when Taelor Errington pounded a header home off a corner kick from Devine for a 2-1 win at Churchill in Pocomoke.