Team Defense

Thomas Erdman River Hill, lineman, senior Great speed and quickness for a 6-2, 230-pound defensive end; could make the tackle or force the takeaway Had 86 tackles - 49 solo and 24 for a loss; tied team record with 10 sacks; forced five fumbles and recovered four Key to a defense that allowed just 681 yards rushing and held opponents to an average of 6.5 points Had eight tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in...

* Shamai Butler, Dunbar, senior, lineman -- Butler (6 feet, 217 pounds) has amassed 138 tackles (81 solo) in 11 games and a team-high 19 1/2 sacks, including two sacks in the Poets' 8-6 victory over Cambridge in last week's 2A semifinal. Butler is undecided on a college, but coach Stanley Mitchell likes his chances in Division I-AA.* Keion Carpenter, Woodlawn, senior, defensive back -- A preseason honor- able-mention All-American in SuperPrep, Carpenter (5-10, 180) used his 4.4-second 40-yard -- speed to make seven interceptions.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Longtime hockey observers say hockey isn't as it used to be, that the NHL has cleaned itself up. Fighting is a no-no and, most nights, a thing of the past.But last night at the Continental Airlines Arena, with 14,118 on hand to witness it, the Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils engaged in an old-fashioned hockey game.The Devils eventually won, 3-1, but not before most everyone on the ice was roughed, slashed, high sticked punched out or, in the case of Capital Dale Hunter, treated like a rag doll and slammed repeatedly to the ice by the Devils' Bill Guerin.

On Sept. 17, the women's soccer program at Loyola reached the pinnacle of its five-year existence, earning its first Mid-Atlantic regional ranking. That night, the Greyhounds suffered the second of three consecutive defeats, 3-1 at Navy, and tumbled from the poll.They've picked themselves up, however, building a 9-4-1 record and seven-game unbeaten streak. The Greyhounds had four consecutive shutouts until Sunday's 7-1 rout of Iona, which improved their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record to 4-0-1.

This season, the hallmark of both Centennial and Mount Hebron has been great coaching that stresses defense.The difference in last night's Class 3A East Region semifinal, won by Centennial, 55-18, was that Eagles coach Dave Greenberg has had three years to build a program. And Mount Hebron's Scott Robinson, who used to be the Vikings' boys coach, was starting almost from scratch with his girls team this season.Seventh-ranked Centennial (19-4) will play at J. M. Bennett of Wicomico County at 7 p.m. tomorrow for the region championship.

Outside linebacker Mike Croel has spent most of his life re-creating life and images, but his most accomplished work may be piecing his NFL career back together.Croel, a professional artist, has worked his way into the Ravens' starting lineup, and is drawing reviews from coaches that he has not heard since he was the Denver Broncos No. 1 draft pick (fourth overall) in 1991."I've been impressed with his intensity, speed and quickness," said Marvin Lewis, the Ravens' defensive coordinator. "He has not let up since the opening day of training camp, and he has a great desire to learn."

THE RAVENS MUST have a ball in their meetings every week, coming up with the most creative ways to bail out their offense. Maybe this week, they gave out some sort of prize, or bonus, or incentive. The stuff they'd been doing had been so routine. Special teams and defense, getting a little stale. Big runbacks off turnovers, yeah, that's OK. Punt returns for touchdowns, not bad. But can't you guys up the ante a little? Yes, they can. And they did. "Guys," the coaches probably start these meetings off, "who wants it this week?

Nearing a deadline to accomplish one of their stated priorities, the Ravens today reached agreement on a long-term deal with Haloti Ngata, ensuring that one of the game's most dominant interior lineman will be a fixture on their defense for the foreseeable future. The five-year deal is for $61 million, making Ngata one of the highest paid defensive lineman in the NFL. The deal includes $40 million over the first two years, which is essentially guaranteed. “This is a great feeling, and I can't explain how many different emotions I have,” Ngata said in a statement released by the Ravens.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- After struggling earlier this season away from home, the Blast has suddenly transformed into a team of road warriors. With yesterday's 12-4 Major Indoor Soccer League victory over the Chicago Storm, the Blast has won three straight away from 1st Mariner Arena. KiXX@Blast Friday, 7:30 p.m., 680 AM

No last-minute hero was necessary this time. The Blast instead relied on a big third quarter at both ends to safely separate itself from the visiting Detroit Rockers and secure a 14-11 win in front of 3,062 at the Baltimore Arena last night. Going 3-for-3 on the power play and getting a seven-point effort from Denison Cabral, the Blast (2-0) followed its 21-20 home-opening win over Kansas City with a less dramatic victory against the Rockers. The Blast disrupted the Detroit attack with the commitment to team defense coach Kevin Healey has made a priority, getting all five players behind the ball and frequently getting in the way of shots.