Rams

Seventh-ranked Digital Harbor couldn't have planned a better way to start last night's Class 1A girls state championship game, scoring nine straight points and holding Surrattsville of Prince George's County scoreless for nearly six minutes. It was the way the Rams finished, however, that sealed their first state title. After watching its double-digit lead whittled to one, the Baltimore City team closed with eight straight points over the game's final 40 seconds to pull away for a 50-41 victory at UMBC.

Coming into the season, the Digital Harbor boys basketball team was unranked by The Sun and under the radar. The perceived slight seemed to be just what the Rams needed. "The kids aren't into the rankings, they just want respect," Rams coach Johnnie Grimes said. "We just felt like we're not appreciated. When they come in, they have a chip on their shoulder and we want to make a name for ourselves." Digital Harbor proved again that it is a legitimate contender in Baltimore City, going on the road last night to beat No. 10 Walbrook, 66-54.

Quarterback B Our condolences to Kyle Boller, who deserves much better than the beating he took yesterday. Still, he turned in a solid effort, completing 18 of 30 passes for 184 yards. He had a couple of good moments and a couple of bad ones - pretty much what you expect from a good backup. Running backs C+ Willis McGahee should get a Purple Heart for running behind this offensive line. There were a few times he had holes, but McGahee got a lot on his own. He finished with 61 yards on 25 carries.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Malcolm Delaney Towson Catholic After a 64-59 victory over rival Mount St. Joseph in early February that clinched a league title, Delaney talked about the big difference in his play as a senior. "Last year I went away from the ball a lot [in crucial situations]," he said. "I didn't take it upon myself to help the team out more. So, this year I promised my team that I would thrive under pressure." Delaney did just that, and his change in approach helped turned the top-ranked Owls into a powerhouse.

Deontay Twyman, who scored 26 points, and Joseph Holston, who had 15, led all scorers as Sherwood (23-4) earned its third state title and won a battle of Montgomery County Class 4A schools located five miles apart in Olney, with a 61-38 victory over Magruder (20-6) in College Park. It was Sherwood's third win in as many meetings this season. Class 1A girls Southern-Garrett 41, Pocomoke 34 -- The Rams (22-3) built a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter at UMBC and held on thanks to 8-for-10 free-throw shooting from Sarah Stephens in the final five minutes.

Kelly Gregg is as good at brushing off compliments as he is shrugging off opposing offensive linemen. After a stellar performance in the Ravens' 22-3 victory over the St. Louis Rams yesterday in which the defensive tackle compiled seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery, Gregg was more than willing to share the credit with his defensive teammates. "Luckily, I had a chance to make a few plays, and I made them," he said. "I missed a couple tackles, but I'm part of a whole `D' line. We try to make plays and not just be robots out there."

The big showdown fizzled in the second period last night when it ceased to be a game as Randallstown humbled host Douglass, 86-70, in the Class 2A North boys basketball regional final. No. 8 Randallstown, a two-time defending state champion (3A in 2005 and 2A last season), will make its ninth trip to the state tournament under 13th-year coach Kim Rivers. Senior Darrell Bryant had game highs of 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. Kim English added 20 points. Junior point guard Tione Womack was all over the floor with eight points, four steals and eight assists.

The Ravens were without their starting quarterback. They were without their best tight end. And they were without a majority of their starting offensive line. But yesterday against the hapless St. Louis Rams, the Ravens proved they still had something just as valuable - their swagger on defense. After enduring hits all season about their status as an elite defense, the Ravens took out their frustrations on the winless Rams in a 22-3 victory at M&T Bank Stadium, taking away the ball six times and eventually taking out Rams quarterback Gus Frerotte.

Sultry-voiced folk rocker Feist cavorts with a rainbow-clad cast of dancers in the video for "1234" off her new album, The Reminder. She brings that same energy to Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, for a concert at 7 Tuesday night. Tickets are $25. Call 410-244-1131 or go to ramsheadlive.com.

The 2006 Baltimore County boys basketball championship banner rests proudly on the gym wall at Woodlawn High on the side where the teams sit, and its presence sliced through Darrell Bryant like a knife. Bryant, a senior front-line player at Randallstown, was front and center last year when Woodlawn knocked off the Rams for the title, not only handing the Rams their first loss of the season, but also beating them in their own gym. "After that loss, I was feeling really salty," Bryant said.

Seventh-ranked Digital Harbor couldn't have planned a better way to start last night's Class 1A girls state championship game, scoring nine straight points and holding Surrattsville of Prince George's County scoreless for nearly six minutes. It was the way the Rams finished, however, that sealed their first state title. After watching its double-digit lead whittled to one, the Baltimore City team closed with eight straight points over the game's final 40 seconds to pull away for a 50-41 victory at UMBC.

COLLEGE PARK -Digital Harbor junior guard Justin Jackson best summed up the No. 6 Rams' Class 1A state championship win over pesky Pocomoke with a quick look to his right and another to his left before smiling and adding some fitting words. The first look went to teammate Davon Usher, and then he glanced over to his brother, George, and said: "Davon took over the first half, and he [George] took over the second. ... They both looked like Michael Jordan out there." Usher, a junior forward, scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the first half to help the Rams take a 16-point halftime lead.

One of the themes Digital Harbor coach Patrick McDonald has stressed throughout this season is collective responsibility. The No. 7 Rams showed in last night's state Class 1A girls basketball semifinal at UMBC's RAC Arena that they've been listening. Asia Logan led the Rams with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but it took every player on the floor to beat Allegany, 50-35, and send the Rams (23-2) to their first state final after falling in the semifinals last season. They will meet Surrattsville, a 51-43 winner over Pocomoke, for the championship at 6 tonight at RAC Arena.

The No. 1 Lake Clifton boys put on an impressive display in the second half of last night's Baltimore City championship game, shaking off pesky Digital Harbor to come away with a convincing 69-30 win at Morgan State. The Lakers (23-0) led 27-25 before limiting the Rams to one field goal in the second half, shooting 75 percent from the field (18-for-24) to take a 69-30 lead before the bench was cleared with 1:43 left to play. It's the second straight City title and third overall for the Lakers, who got 21 points from junior Will Barton and a dominating 19 points from senior Cleveland Melvin.

During the halftime break, with his team trailing by six points to visiting City yesterday, Digital Harbor senior guard George Jackson made a point to step up with strong, encouraging words to his teammates. A little later, with nine seconds left and the score tied, Jackson was stepping up again, this time at the free-throw line. Jackson made both tries - the second basket proving to be the eventual difference - as the No.6 Rams came away with a 49-47 win over the No. 5 Knights. With the win, the Rams closed the regular season with an 18-4 record and earned the right to take on No. 1 Lake Clifton for the city championship 7 p.m. Tuesday at Morgan State.

BOYS BASKETBALL No. 5 City @ No. 6 Digital Harbor WHEN: Tomorrow, 5:15 p.m. OUTLOOK: Each team is deep and talented with standout players capable of taking over a game. The visiting Knights lean on forwards Adam Johnson and Jordan Latham, and guard Tandario Bogues is a key to their backcourt. The Rams counter with gifted guards George and Justin Jackson to go with Davon Usher. Guard play and the home court give the Rams a slight edge. THE BALTIMORE SUN'S PICK: Digital Harbor BOYS BASKETBALL No. 1 Lake Clifton @ No. 11 Patterson WHEN: Tomorrow, 5:15 p.m. OUTLOOK: The host Clippers, led by junior Thomas Fisher and freshman Brian Lewis, have made a strong late-season charge to work their way into the Top15 poll.

When Randallstown's girls basketball team started the season 6-6, it didn't appear the Rams would get back to the Baltimore County championship game, but they learned a few things that helped them finish the regular season with eight straight wins. That run earned the Rams a return trip to the county final Friday at 7 p.m. at home. They will get another shot at No. 8 Catonsville, which beat Randallstown last season for the title. "If you look at the way our schedule is set up, the games early on were going to be tough," Rams coach Ellen Fitzkee said, "and I think we learned a lot from our losses in terms of getting on the glass every night and playing good defense.

The Digital Harbor boys basketball team came to the 13th annual Basketball Academy yesterday with a game plan against Woodlawn that would make the Ravens proud: wreak havoc on defense and play efficiently on offense. The No. 5 Rams hassled the No. 10 Warriors into 31 turnovers and Justin Jackson, Davon Usher and George Jackson provided most of the offense in a sturdy 55-45 win at Morgan State. Digital Harbor, which was coming off a win over Owings Mills in the tournament opener Thursday, improved to 9-3. Woodlawn fell to 7-6. The Rams took a 18-13 lead into the third quarter and maintained a two-possession lead or better throughout the period before pulling away in the fourth.

In the second half of yesterday's game against No. 9 Catonsville, Digital Harbor's girls basketball team was certainly "in the zone." The No. 8 Rams, trailing at the half, switched from man-to-man to a matchup zone, and that defense baffled the previously unbeaten Comets, sparking a 43-32 victory at the 13th annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State's Hill Field House. The Comets (11-1) took a 22-18 lead into the break, but the Rams' zone held them to one basket over the next 8:30. "They're big and they're strong and we didn't handle the zone very well," Comets coach Mike Mohler said.

When Walbrook senior guard Marcus Betts fiercely challenged Digital Harbor's big men inside in the game's final minute yesterday - converting a pivotal three-point play - the visiting Warriors answered the Rams' final threat to wrap up a complete team effort. The No. 4 Warriors had different players step up on offense, and with a collective effort on defense they came away with a 54-43 win at No. 5 Digital Harbor. In a game in which All-Metro junior forward Roscoe Smith scored 13 points, well below his 20-plus average, the Warriors received 15 points from senior guard Donte Stuckey, nine points and nine assists from junior guard Denzell Walker, and other contributions like the one Betts (five points)