South River

One measly goal. That's what separated the South River boys lacrosse team from a state championship last year as the Seahawks fell to Linganore, 7-6, in the Class 4A-3A title game. Despite the loss, senior defenseman Jordon Kneisly will tell you it was the best experience he's had on the lacrosse field. It also drives him this season. A three-year starter, Kneisly has one more chance to bring home a state title, and he's confident the team has the goods to make a return trip with a better outcome this time.

With the ball in his stick in overtime of Monday's Anne Arundel County boys lacrosse championship, Arundel junior midfielder Aaron Snyder kept the plan simple. The result was much more than that. Snyder scored 50 seconds into extra play to give the No. 10 Wildcats a 7-6 win over No. 8 South River at Northeast High to capture the program's second county championship - its first since 1999. South River came into the game as the defending county, region and Class 4A-3A state champions, with a 10-6 win over the Wildcats already in the books from the regular season.

Archbishop Spalding fell behind early to No. 6 South River (3-2), but the Cavaliers (5-4) regrouped behind a four-goal effort by Maggie Kaulius and upset the Seahawks, 13-10, in girls lacrosse Saturday night. Spalding trailed 2-0 before taking a 10-4 lead at the break. No. 8 Severn 17, St. Mary's 7: Annie Igler had six goals and Cami Whiteford had five for the host Admirals (5-3). No. 9 Marriotts Ridge wins two: The Mustangs beat Lassiter (Ga.), 24-6, and Winters Mill, 7-6. Maggie Brooks and Marrissa Davey each had four goals against the Trojans, and Zoe Stukenberg had four goals against the Falcons.

For the second year in a row the South River girls lacrosse team opened its season against Broadneck, one of its toughest rivals. Once again, the game went right down to the wire. Taylor Bresnahan scored the game-winning goal with 1:47 to go and the No. 4 Seahawks used strong defense and a little help from the pipes to take a 10-9 victory over the No. 9 Bruins in an Anne Arundel County league game. After Bresnahan's goal, the visiting Bruins won the next draw and Kacy Koolage rolled the crease and scored to cut the South River lead to 10-8 with 1:17 left.

South River manager Ken Dunn tells his players that "the road to success is always under construction. " Fortunately for him, his team laid down some quality miles Thursday, while all visiting Arundel found were potholes in an 11-1 loss in an Anne Arundel County league game that ended after six innings because of the ten-run rule. The No. 4 Seahawks (1-0, 1-0) rode the arm and the bat of pitcher Scott Mitchell. The senior threw a three-hitter, striking out eight and keeping No. 5 Arundel (0-1, 0-1)

No. 3 South River dictated play for long stretches against four-time defending champion Bethesda-Chevy Chase in Friday night's Class 4A state title game at UMBC. Seahawks forward Kacie Longo managed to create several dangerous chances despite the constant, tight marking by the Barons. After Bethesda took the lead in the 60th minute, Longo broke loose from her defenders and scored the tying goal, her 27th of the season, with just under eight minutes remaining to send the game into overtime.

Two teenage boys who jumped off a bridge into the South River in Anne Arundel County were rescued by authorities after they couldn't reach the shore, authorities said yesterday. County police officers responded to Riva and Old Riva roads outside Annapolis about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday after a friend of the youths reported that he saw them splash into the water but not return. Maryland Department of Natural Resources police and firefighters found the youths resting on a bridge support column about 200 yards from shore, police said.

South River's girls soccer team would have needed a superior performance to defeat Severna Park yesterday.But the way the Falcons are playing, that may not even have been enough.No. 10 Severna Park put forth another stifling defensive effort and freshman Lindsey Poland scored the go-ahead goal in a 3-1 win over the host Seahawks, the Falcons' fifth straight victory.Poland controlled a long pass from Shelley Seivert and was one-on-one with South River keeper Megan Riley (15 saves). Her shot into the left corner of the net broke a 1-1 tie with just over five minutes left in the opening half.

No. 11 South River put a damper on Southern of Harwood's homecoming festivities last night, as it routed the Bulldogs, 29-7, to claim the three-team Anne Arundel County 3A-2A title.South River (9-1, 2-0), which will be making its first appearance in the Class 3A playoffs next weekend, was led by the running and receiving of Chris Messineo and the arm of quarterback Jake Cameron.Messineo carried the ball 10 times for 73 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for an additional 92 yards and a score.

Just who are Jess Marion and Cassidie Dunbar, and why are girls soccer coaches saying such flattering things about the South River pair?Severna Park assistant Chuck Seivert after a scoreless tie with South River: "Marion is all-state material, maybe Dunbar, too."Chesapeake's Lin Sullivan, after his Cougars lost to South River on Sept. 23: "Those two are the best two players in the state."Sullivan said that to the media. To the girls, after the South River 2-1 win in which Marion and Dunbar each scored a goal, he toned down his remarks, but only slightly.