Top Players

Annapolis Panthers1996 record: 20-0Coach: Dave GehrdesTop players: Kelly Dirks, Jr., A; Kristen Kapusta, Sr., M; Brooke Wagner, Jr., A; Susan Berotti, Sr., A; Jen Jefferson, Jr., M; Torrey Hunter, Sr., M; Kate Bjorke, Sr., M; Suzanne Graf, Sr., D; Abby Pheiffer, Sr., G.Outlook: All-Metro Player of the Year Amy Brew has graduated to James Madison with her 60 goals and 29 assists, Becky Morris is off to Duke with her 30 goals and 17 assists and premier defender...

Hereford shortstop Jay Patti has been named the Baltimore County Player of the Year by the county's baseball coaches. "He's a hard worker and probably the most humble, skilled player we've ever had," Hereford coach Todd Hartshorn said. "He respects the game, the players on the field and he's easy to coach. If my daughter was 18, she'd be dating him. " Patti, a junior, batted .574 with 8 doubles, 3 triples 2 home runs and 22 RBIs. He also had 8 stolen bases, a .907 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .625.

The nation's top lacrosse players, most of them out of college, will compete for 26 spots on the U.S. men's team during a four-day tryout starting today at Rutgers.The U.S. team, which will be selected early next week, will defend its title in the quadrennial World Championships July 20-30, 1994, in Manchester, England. The United States defeated Canada in the final of the 1990 tournament, which also included England and Australia.The 121 candidates include 30 attackmen, 43 midfielders, 36 defensemen and 12 goalies.

Maryland junior midfielder Katie Schwarzmann (Century), who has 63goals this season, the 10th-highest mark in school history, was named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player on Friday. Boston College attacker Covie Stanwick (Notre Dame Prep) was named Freshman of the Year. Big East: Loyola's Marlee Paton was named Midfielder of the Year and the Greyhounds' Kellye Gallagher was selected as Defensive Player of the Year. Ana Heneberry (Dulaney)

POTOMAC -- Since coming to the Tournament Players Club a Avenel six years ago, the Kemper Open has been able to stir a lot more interest among the area's golf fans than among the big names on the PGA Tour.There have been any number of reasons why many of the top players have avoided Avenel. Some didn't like that it was opened a year or two too early. Others thought it was tricked up a bit too much. Then it became too easy.The field for this year's $1.3 million tournament, which begins today and runs through Sunday, is not studded with stars.

The site has changed, but the times and purpose of Sunday's first ever Baltimore Catholic League Preseason Basketball Showcase have not. Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn will host the doubleheader involving the BCL's top junior and senior players. The junior all-stars will play at 1:30 p.m. followed by the senior stars at 2:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students. Taking a page from similar games played in New York and Philadelphia, the BCL, which begins its 31st season this winter, hopes to provide exposure for its top players as selected by the league's eight coaches.

Gentlemen, start your Brinks trucks.That may be the most appropriate way to open the NFL's sixth annual free-agency signing period today, because it's likely to be a dash for cash.The salary cap, first announced at $51.5 million per team Tuesday, has moved up to $52.388 million after an accounting ruling by the special master, so each team will have almost $11 million more to spend than last year, when the cap was $41.45 million.With 30 teams, that means more than $300 million more could be poured into the pockets of the players this year, and more increases are certain in future years because of the league's $17.6 billion television deal.

In 23 years of coaching Centennial boys basketball, Jim Hill can't recall a challenge that is similar to the one that is now upon him this season. This he does know: It's a welcome challenge. With five of his six top players gone from last year's surprise county title team, Hill and his staff have the chance to teach the basics of basketball. He's encouraged by the response he's received from an inexperienced, but eager group. "We're starting at square one with our team-defense philosophy," said Hill, who has guided the Eagles' program to six county titles.

Arlington Baptist Eagles1994 record: 11-7. Coach: Tim Hurlburt.Top players: Andy Booker, Sr., M; Paul Durso, Sr., F; Daniel Birx, Jr., M; Kevin Hamilton, Jr., D.Outlook: The Eagles are hoping to enjoy the same amount of success this season competing in the MIAA C Conference as they did last year as a member of the Christian Schools Athletic Association. Booker, who scored 30 goals last season, will have to have a similarly productive senior campaign to compensate for the team's defensive shortcomings.

Carver A & T Wildcats1996 record: 2-8Coach: Tom CareyTop players: Heather Ng, Jr., M; Rachel Oram, Jr., A; Mary Wachter, Jr., M, Katie Pugh, Fr., M; Sara Loran, Fr., A; Chrissy Fredrick, Sr., G.Outlook: The Wildcats have plenty scoring potential but new coach Carey and assistant Crissy Romano need some young players to step up. Ng, one of Division II's top players, and Oram should do most of the scoring, but the defense is young. How quickly nine freshmen develop is key.Catonsville Comets1996 record: 14-4Coach: Kim McNemarTop players: Marci Brewer, Jr., G; Renee Tirocchi, Sr., M; Annie Yeager, Sr., D; Lauren Nopulos, Sr., M; Eden Rellihan, Sr., M.Outlook: The defending state Class 1A-2A champs have some big holes to fill, especially on defense, and McNemar may have to move some experienced midfielders, such as Nopulos, back.

The first round of the 2012 NFL draft is three weeks away, and the Ravens have a similar list of needs as they did when free agency began four weeks ago. In some cases, like with the offensive line, their holes have become even more pronounced. The Ravens don't have an experienced left guard or long-term answers at center or left tackle. They also haven't added an impact pass rusher, another wide receiver or an explosive kick returner. And they haven't addressed depth concerns at running back, linebacker, defensive line and safety.

Keeping Virginia's Steele Stanwick off the scoreboard is a task easier said than done, but on Saturday, that job is likely to fall into the hands of Johns Hopkins' Tucker Durkin. The junior defenseman for the No. 2 Blue Jays has shadowed some of the game's top players, but acknowledged that the 2011 Tewaaraton Award winner and senior attackman for the No. 1 Cavaliers requires a different approach. “Obviously, he's one of the best players in the country,” Durkin said Wednesday.

The Tewaaraton Award released Wednesday its preliminary pool of candidates for the annual honor in 2012 and several area schools are represented. Johns Hopkins and Navy are the only area programs with more than one candidate in the mix. Junior goalkeeper Pierce Bassett and junior midfielder John Ranagan represent the Blue Jays, while senior midfielder Nikk Davis and sophomore Sam Jones lead the Midshipmen. The list also includes Loyola junior attackman Mike Sawyer, Maryland junior faceoff specialist Curtis Holmes and UMBC senior midfielder Rob Grimm.

When Cyrus Jones Jr. was 8 or 9 years old, everyone around him thought he would be a basketball player. A gifted athlete learning sports from a father who played basketball on Dunbar's last national championship team in 1992 and then at West Virginia? Of course, he would play basketball. At 2, he toddled around the West Virginia court before games chasing the ball and trying to emulate his father, Cyrus Jones Sr., who now coaches the Poets. "Naturally I gravitated toward basketball, because he was a player and a coach," said Jones Jr., now a senior at Gilman.

Approaching the black center circle on the court at the Retriever Activities Center Arena, UMBC women's basketball center Tope Obajolu had no fears or reservations as she looked over to the opposing sidelines and saw one of the nation's tallest teams. All her life leading up to her collegiate career at UMBC, the 6-foot-3 Randallstown native had been the biggest player on the court. Had that early-season game against Maryland been four years ago, Obajolu would've scampered back to the bench, afraid of going against someone taller than her. But now, as a senior captain on one of the America East's top teams, Obajolu looks forward to bruising in the paint against taller players, just like the ones she faced in the Retrievers' game against the Terps . In his 10 seasons as the UMBC women's basketball coach, Phil Stern has never seen a player improve more from her freshman to senior year than Obajolu — both in skill and mindset.

The Ravens 2011 season is only four games old, so it's hard to forget the week leading up to Game No. 2 against theTennessee Titans. Only the week before, the Ravens had trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener in a game that was felt around the NFL. Seven days later, the Ravens were upset, 26-13 in Tennessee in a game where they gained only 229 yards of offense and surrendered 432. "You take a team like Houston lightly, and...

Arlington Baptist Eagles1997 record: 7-10Coach: Liz ByersTop players: Rachel Hamilton, Sr., OH; Darla Heller, Sr., OH; Jocelyn Johnson, Jr., OH; Julie Barber, Jr., S; Valerie Jones, Fr., SOutlook: Byers has a number of good players returning from the team that finished second in the regular season in the Association of Independent Schools B Division. The Eagles have a strong nucleus fueled by a good mix of experience and depth. They also lost only one starter from last year and should challenge for the B Division title this season.

Man, I miss the dark days of the lockout when there was no football to blog about. Instead, I wrote about people criticizing Joe Flacco , Chad Ochocinco's offseason antics and meaningless offseason lists and rankings . Now we have preseason games, position battles and roster spots to talk about, and Week 1 and the Steelers aren't too far on the horizon. How mundane, right? But thanks to ESPN's Scouts Inc., we get a blast from the past to the days when I'd get a bunch of “slow news day, huh?

Earlier this week Mike Duffy and Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com revealed the final five members of their all-time top 50 . They were: Peter Boulware (No. 5), Matt Stover (No. 4), Ed Reed (No. 3), Jonathon Ogden (No. 2) and Ray Lewis (No. 1). The authors note that rankings are based on player contributions while in a Ravens uniform, thus former greats who rolled through Baltimore — think Deion Sanders and Vinny Testaverde — don’t count. There seems to be a consensus on the top three, but is No. 4 too high for a kicker?