Varsity Team

COLLEGE PARK -- Five years of stunting, weightlifting, competitions and curling irons have created this: the University of Maryland's competitive cheerleading team, one of the best in the country. "I believe that because we are the first school to launch cheerleading as a varsity sport, we will always be a dynasty," coach Jarnell Bonds said. "We will always be the leaders in this." Not to diminish the women's accomplishments, but Maryland also remains the nation's only cheerleading team to have varsity status.

When Monique Bassett was in grade school near New Orleans, she would regularly scribble her personal goals on a sheet of notebook paper and tape them on her bedroom wall. Early on, her goals were directed mostly toward academics -- straight A's, perfect attendance and honor roll. When she reached junior high and developed a passion for basketball, a more long-term goal was posted: becoming a basketball coach. "I've always taken a lot of pride in the game," said Bassett, who played DivisionI ball at Bethune-Cookman.

Atholton senior Steve Lombardozzi Jr. excels at running the fast break. The returning All-County point guard augments his accurate long-distance shooting with pinpoint passes. Possessing exceptional court vision, he pushes the ball up the court in the Raiders' frenetic offensive attack, often surprising teammates with spectacular passes that lead to easy layups. The fact that he is running at all, much less with the quickness and speed that is essential to Atholton's success, might surprise the physicians who delivered him. That is because Lombardozzi was born with clubbed feet.

No matter the outcome of Saturday's men's lacrosse game between Loyola and Navy, the Midshipmen will stand near the southern end of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and sing the "Navy Blue and Gold" song at game's end. And Charley Toomey will likely join them. That might seem odd considering that Toomey, as the coach of the Greyhounds, will do everything in his power to guide his team to a victory over Navy. But he is the former head coach of the Naval Academy Prep School team and a former assistant coach for the varsity squad, and Toomey's link to the Midshipmen still resonates with him today.

Cheerleaders from Atholton and Oakland Mills high schools in east Columbia won top prizes in a regional cheerleading contest last month and were invited to compete for a national title in February, school officials said yesterday.At the competition held Nov. 23 at Atholton High, Atholton's junior varsity team won a first-place award for the second year in a row, and its varsity team took a second-place award, said Scott Elliott of the Universal Cheerleading Association, which sponsored the event.

Six Reservoir soccer players were suspended for hazing a freshman player after taping him to a goal post and then shooting soccer balls at him, school principal Adrian Kaufman said yesterday. The incident occurred Friday on the soccer practice field after the second-year Howard County school closed at 2 p.m. and before practice began at 3:15. The incident was reported to Kaufman by first-year Reservoir varsity coach Kevin Flynn, who called the situation "very upsetting." Flynn said that the freshman was not seriously injured.

Frederick County Planning Commission deferred until its December meeting a review of Allegheny Power Co.'s plan to build a substation with a 65-foot tower atop Parr's Ridge near Mount Airy.The proposal was scheduled to go before the planning commission Wednesday, after the zoning appeals board limited its approval to the first part of the power company's plan, a 34.5-kilovolt station on a half-acre. Allegheny Power plans to expand to 230 kilovolts on a 2.5-acre site.Utility spokeswoman Debbie Beck said the deferral will give Allegheny Power time to prepare a site plan showing the first part of the project.

Three students at St. Paul's School for Boys were handed further punishments yesterday for their roles in a sex scandal that led to the abrupt cancellation of the Crusaders' varsity lacrosse season. Two of the students will remain suspended until April 16. A third will be allowed to return to classes Monday, but will be required to perform 40 hours of community service, Headmaster Robert W. Hallett said. The three were among about 30 students suspended for three days this week and required to attend chapel services and meet with a school psychologist.

The Wolvens of Ellicott City have taken some interesting vacations in recent years. They've seen various parts of the United States, heading to Phoenix last year and Indianapolis a few years before that. They did the same thing each time. They went to basketball games. "Ever since I grew up, it's always been basketball," said Eric Wolven, a junior who starts on Mount Hebron High's varsity team. "We all just enjoy the sport." Tom and Joy Wolven have four children, and all agree that an enjoyable life often is built around basketball.

Meghan Carroll Puls, a junior at Seton Keough High School who excelled at basketball in scholastic and league play, died Tuesday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center of head injuries from a Sept. 18 traffic accident. She was 16 and lived in Ellicott City. Miss Puls also played soccer and lacrosse, but basketball was her favorite sport, said her father, G. Timothy Puls, lacrosse coach at the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County. "She was big in basketball. She was the captain of the Seton Keough junior varsity team as a freshman and they won the IAAM [Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland]

Archbishop Spalding has named John Coppola its new boys soccer coach. Coppola, a 1995 Spalding graduate who went on to Loyola, spent the past three years coaching the Cavaliers' junior varsity team. He replaces former coach Chris Johnson. Coppola played soccer at Spalding and was an assistant for the varsity team from 1996 to 1998. "I am excited about the opportunity to coach my alma mater in the MIAA A Conference," Coppola said. "I look forward to preparing the men's soccer program for the challenges the league presents day in and day out."

Football No. School Record Prev. 1. Old Mill 12-2 1 2. River Hill 12-1 2 3. Arundel 11-1 3 4. Gilman 7-3 4 5. McDonogh 8-2 6 6. Eastern Tech 13-1 11 7. Joppatowne 13-1 5 8. Hereford 10-2 7 9. Dunbar 11-2 8 10. Arch. Spalding 10-1 9 11. Calvert Hall 9-3 10 12. Boys' Latin 10-1 12 13. Broadneck 8-2 13 14. Atholton 10-2 14 15. Loyola 7-4 15 Other teams considered: Annapolis (8-3), Chesapeake-BC (10-2), Patterson (9-3)

Kiandre Pratt, a senior wide receiver/defensive back at Joppatowne, does the little things that impress coach Bill Waibel. Pratt, 5 feet 6 and 135 pounds, is called on to do a lot of blocking in the Mariners' offense, which runs more than 90 percent of the time. It's a job without a lot of glory. Pratt has never missed a practice since joining the varsity team as a junior. He also played one year of JV football. Pratt is a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in mechanical engineering at Maryland or Michigan.

COLLEGE PARK -- Five years of stunting, weightlifting, competitions and curling irons have created this: the University of Maryland's competitive cheerleading team, one of the best in the country. "I believe that because we are the first school to launch cheerleading as a varsity sport, we will always be a dynasty," coach Jarnell Bonds said. "We will always be the leaders in this." Not to diminish the women's accomplishments, but Maryland also remains the nation's only cheerleading team to have varsity status.

After the River Hill boys soccer team wrapped up the program's eighth state championship with a 3-2 overtime win over Loch Raven in Saturday's Class 2A final, second-year coach Matt Shagogue didn't have to think hard about the season's turning point. It came early, when the Hawks (16-4) dropped a 3-1 decision to rival Mount Hebron in the county opener that put the team at 1-3. "We just said our goal is to be undefeated the rest of year," he said. "What we did was, week by week, we said this week we need to go 2-0, and then this week we need to go 2-0, and everyone was barred against talking any farther ahead.

Corey Childs is one of three seniors who have started on the Bruins teams that made the state final in 2005 and the state semifinals last season. A center-midfielder, Childs and the rest of the No. 2 Bruins (13-0-1) go after the Anne Arundel County Championship against No. 5 Severna Park (11-3) at 7 tonight at Chesapeake High School. Childs relishes his responsibilities on the defense-oriented team. Soccer is the only sport Childs plays at Broadneck, and he hopes to play in college. A resident of St. Margaret's, Childs has a 3.77 grade point-average and scored 1,650 on his SAT. Tell us about Broadneck's neighborhood rivalry with Severna Park?

She's Howard County's first female football player -- a 5-foot 6-inch, 130-pound junior named Angela Wise.The 15-year-old stepped onto the field at Howard High School yesterday, carrying the ball in a drill for running backs, hustling through exercises and fielding punts for her first practice."

Seventeen-year-old Tanner Agent was at Sinai Hospital early yesterday morning while his sister delivered a baby boy, but he couldn't stay long before he had to catch a bus. He was needed in the gymnasium at Baltimore City Community College for a basketball tournament. "I love the sport," said Tanner, who lives in a group home run by the nonprofit agency TuTTie's Place. "I always make time for it, even if there is a baby being born." TuTTie's Place organized a holiday tournament during the weekend for about 100 boys, most of them living in group homes or attending alternative schools for high-school dropouts.

With Howard clinging to a late onegoal lead over Reservoir this season, Lions attackmanJesse Kendall walked to the sideline and greeted his visibly agitated coach in the fourthquarter. With the Lions' defense struggling with a few minutes left, Kendall took control. "He looked me right in the eye and calmly said, 'Coach, don?t worry. I'm not losing this game and we?re not losing this game,' " Howard coach Josh Bound said. Kendall trotted back on the field and proceeded to score his fifth goal of the day ?

MaryKate Morani, a junior defender, came to Marriotts Ridge last year when the school opened after spending her freshman year at Mount Hebron. After playing a junior varsity schedule last spring, the Mustangs have gone 5-2 and 4-0 in the county in their first season of varsity play. A team captain, Morani brings composure and excellent footwork to the Mustangs' defense. In the fall, Morani turns her attention to soccer, playing forward and midfield. As vice president of the Student Government Association, Morani, who has a 4.0 grade point average, has coordinated food and blood drives at Marriotts Ridge.