Varsity

As high school sports teams prepare to start the fall season, local coverage returns to the Howard section of The Sun with Varsity, a page that will include a feature story, notebook and a Q&A. Look for Varsity starting next Wednesday inside the Howard section.

No. 2 C. Milton Wright won its fourth consecutive girls lacrosse region title Wednesday, edging a determined No. 8 North Harford team, 15-14, for the Class 3A-2A North crown. The host Mustangs (14-1), who trailed 4-1 in the game's first 10 minutes, rebounded with a 7-1 run to close the half for an 8-5 lead. The two teams traded a pair of goals to open the second half before North Harford scored three unanswered goals to tie the game, 10-10. North Harford (13-2) retook the lead, 12-11, on Leah Monticello's third goal with 9:11 to play, but C.M. Wright rallied for three straight to lead 14-12 at the 4:53 mark.

BALTIMORE CITY -- Mervo's boys basketball team has come on strong after getting off to an 0-2 start, but gaining recognition in the tough City league isn't easy. BALTIMORE COUNTY -- Known for her blazing speed since she was in the second grade, Park sophomore Elan Hilaire has made the most of her talent in track. CARROLL -- After starting the season slowly and with a depleted roster, South Carroll's wrestling team has regrouped and is on a roll. HARFORD -- With his stellar defensive play, Bel Air sophomore Vernon Joines has gone from sixth man on the junior varsity basketball team last season to varsity starter this season.

Abby Culp never realized how much she loved running until she couldn't do it any more. After her freshman cross country season at Winters Mill, Culp's family moved to Florida for six months, and she had to take a break from running during a brief struggle with an eating disorder. Back in Carroll County at Manchester Valley, she got back into serious running as a junior. Last fall, she was an All-Metro second-team selection after finishing second in the Class 1A state cross country meet.

The Sun starts its new Varsity format today with a page of high school stories each Wednesday in the Anne Arundel County and Howard County sections (appearing today on Page 3G), and another in the main sports section that will focus on Baltimore City and Baltimore County (appearing today on Page 8E). Each Sunday, The Sun will write about high school sports in the Carroll County and Harford County sections.

Eastern Tech nips Calvert Hall Joey Jones scored with 27.6 seconds left to lift the No. 6 Mavericks to a 14-13 win in OT. VARSITY, PGS 9-11 * No. 1 River Hill 63 Mt. Hebron 0 * No. 2 Loyola 41 Curley 0 * No. 3 Dunbar 50 Lake Clifton 6 * No. 14 J'towne 28 Elkton 0 * No. 15 Poly 38 Mervo 14 * North County 28 Meade 20 * City 27 Patterson 6 * Edmondson 56 Carver 8 * John Carroll 13 Severn 10

0 Touchdowns allowed by River Hill's secondary last season. 2 Games Loyola quarterback Leon Kinnard has lost in 21 starts over three years. 3 Touchdowns Dunbar's Tavon Austin needs to set the state record for career touchdowns. Old Mill's Ryan Callahan (2003-2005) holds the record of 87. 15 Individual, team and playoff records Class 4A state finalist Arundel set on the way to finishing 13-1. 19 Titles Hereford has won over the past 12 years - nine county, seven regional and three state championships.

4 Goals allowed by Garrison Forest last season. Three of those came in one game against Fallston. The 3-1 setback was Garrison Forest's only loss. 14 Returning varsity players for Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference champion McDonogh, including eight starters. 18 State field hockey titles won by Severna Park under coach Lil Shelton.

Winning at the JV level is not as important as developing players who can step up to the varsity, but when both happen, it can only enhance a school's program.That has been accomplished in Annapolis, where the Panthers have a combined varsity-JV football record of 19-1. Head coach Roy Brown and JV coaches Tom Newman and Lance Evans really have gotten it together.Seventh-ranked Annapolis (9-1) won the county Class 4A league and Region IV title and opens in the state playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Friendly (8-2)

Jake Brown and Sully Gerety each had four goals and two assists to lead the host John Carroll boys lacrosse team past Friends, 15-9, in a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference semifinal Tuesday. The Patriots (12-5, 11-1) advance to Friday's championship and face Sts. Peter & Paul, a 10-9 winner over Archbishop Curley, at 5:30 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Quakers finish 7-10, 7-5. John Carroll's last won the championship in 2010. Baseball St. Vincent Pallotti 5, Severn 4: The host Panthers (17-7, 10-4)

Annapolis Area Christian School is looking for a varsity swimming coach and a girls varsity soccer coach for the next school year. For information, contact athletic director Jim Domoracki, jdomoracki@aacsonline.org or 410-519-5300 x3150.  

Senior Ashley Lesniewski pitched a four-hit shutout to lead No. 7 Mount de Sales (16-4) to a 6-0 victory over visiting Catholic (11-6) in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference softball semifinals. With the win, the Sailors advanced to the championship game against No. 2 Seton Keough at 6 p.m. Monday at Bachman Park. It will be the Sailors' first trip to the title game since they won the crown in 2004. Seton Keough is the defending champion. "It's exhilarating," said Lesniewski, who struck out six and walked one. "We waited four years for this.

As a long-stick midfielder for the No. 2 McDonogh boys lacrosse team, senior Eric Levin has had a season filled with tests. They come regularly in practice when he goes up against teammates Austin Frederick and Brinton Valis. They continue in games where every Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference foe has a quality attackman that draws his attention. "At this level, every week I'm playing against a top-notch midfielder and that only serves to make me better.

Lacey Aghazarian scored with 1:50 left in the second overtime period to give Hereford (11-4) a 13-12 victory over defending-champion Catonsville (13-2) in the Baltimore County District VI girls lacrosse championship game at Franklin High. Aghazarian's sixth goal of the game came 20 seconds after Catonsville's Deb Milani whistled a shot off the crossbar. The long rebound was scooped up by Melissa Meehling and cleared to Sarah Ashwood, who raced straight to goal. Her shot was saved by Grace Campbell (11 saves)

Ali Moos has thrown back-to-back shutouts for the No. 10 Glen Burnie softball team. On Thursday, she threw a four-hitter, and on Friday, she no-hit host North County in a 5-0 victory. The Gophers (11-5) beat Chesapeake-AA, 4-0, on Thursday. On Friday, Moos, who threw 119pitches, struck out 13 but walked two. She went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a double, one of three extra-base hits by Glen Burnie. The Knights dropped to 4-10. No. 9 C. Milton Wright 9, Catonsville 0: Kyralee Comeaux struck out eight in her first varsity win, a one-hit shutout, as the host Mustangs (15-4)

Alex Puller scored her game-high fifth goal and the game-winner with a minute left in sudden-death overtime as No. 14 Archbishop Spalding beat No. 13 Mount de Sales, 12-11, in an Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference tournament first-round game Thursday. The Sailors (8-8) took a 4-0 lead in the first half and the Cavaliers (12-7) battled back to tie the score at 5 at halftime. Mount de Sales went up by four goals again in the second half and Spalding tied the game again to force overtime.

William Seiferth hit four two-run homers Wednesday to power visiting Glenelg Country School past Baltimore Lutheran, 13-4. The Dragons (15-2, 12-2 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference), who lost their first two games, haven't lost since March 22. Seiferth went 4-for-4 with four home runs, eight RBIs and an intentional walk. Jack Dougherty also hit a home run for Glenelg Country. The Quakers fell to 5-10 and 3-9. River Hill 5, No. 2 Oakland Mills 3: Shortly after No. 9 Atholton (11-2)