Thomas Johnson

Class 4A Eleanor Roosevelt (19-5) vs. Springbrook (22-3) When: Today, 3 p.m. Outlook: Post play should be the difference here, with Roosevelt relying on 6-5 junior Selena Nwude (12 ppg, 12 rpg) and Springbrook coming back with senior Keisha Haddock (16.8, 10.9). No. 3 South River (20-5) vs. Thomas Johnson (20-5) When: Today, 5 p.m. Outlook: The small, but scrappy Seahawks must contend with Thomas Johnson's one-two punch of 5-11 sophomore Kem Wilson and 6-0 junior Nia Josiah, who combine to average 36.5 points and nearly 18 rebounds.

THE QUOTE "This year is the first time we've started somebody at center who is over 6-foot-2. It's been a luxury and has allowed us to go big or small with success." Fifth-year Old Mill boys basketball coach Greg Smith, on 6-8 post players Travis Hyman and Randy Stokes. THE NUMBER 13 Points the then-top-ranked Arundel girls basketball team scored in the second half of Saturday's 45-43 loss to South River in the Class 4A East region championship game. THE WEEK AHEAD BASKETBALL STATE SEMIFINALS BOYS Class 4A No. 9 Old Mill (23-3)

John Thomas Johnson, a retired Howard County custodian and World War II veteran, died of a heart attack Dec. 5 at Howard County General Hospital. He was 87 and had lived in Jessup for 10 years. Known as Tom, Mr. Johnson was born in Highland, Howard County. He served in the Army from December 1943 through February 1946, as a private first class and rifle expert. His decorations included the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater ribbon, which he earned fighting to liberate France from Nazi control.

COLLEGE PARK - Broadneck's volleyball team has experienced the gamut of emotions at the state tournament over the past few years, so the No. 3 Bruins know exactly what they want this time around. "We know what it's like to win states and we know what it's like to lose," said Bruins junior setter Stephanie Carey, "and we want to win." Last night, the Bruins got a taste of that winning feeling, outlasting Thomas Johnson, 25-20, 24-26, 25-16, 25-23, in a state Class 4A semifinal at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum.

Broadneck volleyball coach Romonzo Beans is always scheming to come up with a plan to knock off his opponent. Moving standout middle hitter Allie Woods to the outside-right position paid off in a 25-17, 14-25, 25-14, 25-21 victory over No. 3 Arundel last night that earned the No. 6 Bruins their fifth consecutive Class 4A East region title. The Bruins (16-2) will play in the state semifinals Tuesday at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum against the 4A North champ, Thomas Johnson.

Thomas Arthur "T.J." Johnson, a retired Army colonel and Vietnam veteran, died of a heart attack Thursday at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The Abingdon resident was 55. One of seven children, Colonel Johnson graduated from Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Ill., in 1966. A year later, on New Year's Eve 1967, a friend set him up on a blind date with Susan L. Cowdrey, whom he would marry in 1969. "I thought he was very cute, very nice," Mrs. Johnson said of their first meeting.

FREDERICK -- Tom Dickman once thought he was going places. At least that's what he thought he would have to do if he wanted to coach college basketball, because virtually no opportunities existed here. That was almost 20 years ago. But as he became the winningest public high school basketball coach in Maryland, at Thomas Johnson High, Dickman had put those aspirations behind him. Then Hood College opened his eyes to possibilities he had long since dismissed. The Division III men's basketball program is in its first season at the formerly all-women's institution, and Dickman is its first coach.

The Kenwood soccer team wasn't exactly on a roll when the regular season ended a few weeks ago. A seven-game winless streak had sent the Bluebirds to a 6-6-2 record. The offense hadn't been heard from for a while, causing the team to lose confidence with the playoffs coming up. And postseason play hadn't exactly been Kenwood's strength: The school hadn't won a playoff game in at least 30 years. But everything changed quickly. Sparked by a strong performance in a season-ending loss to No. 2 Archbishop Curley, Kenwood seemed to awaken as the playoffs began.

Kenwood coach Gary Schneehagen thought his team wasn't getting the respect it deserved when the playoffs began. The Bluebirds are getting it now that they've earned their first trip to a state final. Goalie Alex Hancock made 11 saves and Kenwood got goals from Mark Wood, Tim Dudeck and Steve Dobbs last night as the Bluebirds stunned Montgomery County's Walter Johnson, 3-0, in a Class 4A state semifinal at Thomas Johnson High in Frederick. Kenwood (9-6-1), which rebounded from a seven-game (0-6-1)

While the majority of his teammates crowd around the goal on corner kicks, Century senior Kyle Dietz hangs back, waiting for his chance at a ball that squirts through the menagerie. In overtime of last night's Class 2A West regional final at Liberty, Dietz made the most of that chance, taking Steve Romeo's deep corner out of midair and sending it into the back of the net 2:40 into sudden death to give the Knights a 2-1 win over the defending regional champions. "I just always stand in the back on corner kicks," said Dietz, who scored both of Century's goals on the night.