Vikings

Centennial baseball coach Ron Martin has waited all season for the old Brian Bickerton to emerge.Bickerton rewarded Martin's patience Thursday with an exclamation point, as he overmatched host Mount Hebron with a two-hit masterpiece to carry the Eagles to a crucial 2-1 victory.The victory reversed a 15-2 rout by Hebron two days earlier, and, more importantly, kept Centennial alive for a fourth-seed, Class 3A Region III playoff berth. The Eagles (8-4, 10-7) must sweep a doubleheader from Wilde Lake tomorrow to give themselves a chance at postseason action.

Jack Burns, an assistant offensive coach for the Washington Redskins the last three years, became the first member of the organization to cash in on the team's Super Bowl victory yesterday.Burns was named offensive coordinator and quarterback coach by Dennis Green, the new head coach of the Minnesota Vikings."This was a good time to get Jack," Green said. "Bringing in a guy who has just won a Super Bowl gives your team a little extra pop. It's a big plus for us."Burns said: "It gives me an opportunity to bring something to the table and help the Vikings get back to winning ways and playoff appearances."

Ravens rushing vs. Vikings run defense -- RAVENS -- The Ravens can take pressure off quarterback Elvis Grbac by exploiting Minnesota's biggest weakness - run defense. The Vikings have been the NFL's fifth-worst team in stopping the run. Terry Allen continues to run as hard as he has all season, gaining 165 yards over his past two games. Jason Brookins, the team's leading rusher, will play for the first time since breaking a bone in his right foot six weeks ago. Ravens passing vs. Vikings pass defense -- RAVENS -- To beat the Ravens, teams have put pressure on Grbac and forced him into throwing interceptions.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Red McCombs' sojourn in Minnesota may be coming to an end. The Minnesota Vikings owner is considering purchase offers from two local ownership groups, two informed sources said late Friday, and a sale could be completed as early as this month. The bidding parties are believed to be Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and some Minnesota Wild investors led by team chairman Robert Naegele Jr. Should the two parties join their bid, as speculated by one person close to the negotiations, the sale of the Vikings to the combined group would tie together three of Minnesota's four major-league teams - the Vikings, the Timberwolves and the Wild - yielding marketing and ticket sales savings.

Mount Hebron's boys lacrosse team, powered by a seven-goal, third-quarter outburst, turned back stubborn Hammond and moved one step closer to its second consecutive state title with a 15-11 victory yesterday in the Class 1A/2A Region I championship game at Hebron.The Vikings (14-2), who are trying to win their third state championship under fifth-year coach Warren Michael, move on to the state semifinals Saturday at UMBC. Hebron will play the winner of last night's Fallston-North Harford Region IV final (past the Howard County Sun's deadline)

After losing to No. 2 Centennial in three games the first time around, No. 7 Mount Hebron hoped to win at least one game this time.And it did. After dropping the first two games, the Vikings rebounded to win the third. Host Mount Hebron also rallied from a 13-2 deficit in the fourth game before falling, 15-9, 15-5, 10-15, 15-11, in a Howard County league match last night.Granted the Vikings (7-5 overall, 7-5 league) won their game against much of the Eagles' bench, but they'll take it anyway.

The members of Mount Hebron's girls lacrosse team shared different views as to when the Vikings had Loch Raven on the ropes during Tuesday night's Class 1A/2A title victory.Andrea Cuzmanes, Hebron's superb senior center, said she sensed Hebron had its first state crown in hand when the Vikings completed a dominant first half with an 8-3 lead.Tierney Clark, one of Hebron's defenders, saw the evidence earlier in the faces of her opponents."Their goalie was crying after the first 10 minutes.

Third-ranked River Hill defeated visiting Mount Hebron yesterday for the second time within a week, but both coaches agreed the fourth-ranked Vikings showed improvement."

Ravens scout George Kokinis sizes up the Vikings: Strength: The dangerous receiving corps. Cris Carter is Mr. Clutch and is a threat in the red zone. Randy Moss is just a threat anywhere on the field. Tight end Byron Chamberlain is the reliable third-down target when everybody loads up on those two outside weapons. Weakness: The mentally taxing season. At some point, their problems have to take their toll, especially the latest one with coach Dennis Green leaving. The Vikings have had to deal with the death of Korey Stringer, the retirement of Robert Smith and the injuries at quarterback.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Novelist Tom Clancy said yesterday that he has no plans to sell his minority interest in the Orioles as part of a plan to buy the Minnesota Vikings.Marc Ganis, who runs a Chicago-based sports marketing firm and is one of Clancy's Vikings investors, was quoted in the St. Paul Pioneer Press as saying that Clancy plans to sell his Orioles share.Reached at his Maryland home, Clancy said it was all a misunderstanding."I plan to follow all league rules, but nobody has asked me to sell my interest in the Orioles," said Clancy, who is not attending the annual league meetings because he is finishing a novel and the owners haven't yet approved his purchase of the team.