Nothing can be more repulsive than parity, and it's because of that that Prophet Pat had another lousy week, his second in the last three.
The rage of a sage was a disappointing 1-4 with a crucial Class 4A baseball game pending today. Last week, the Prophet picked Meade by a run over Broadneck, but the game was rained out Monday and Tuesday and will be played today.
Despite the postponement, the Prophet is sticking with the Mustangs now that they have new life, the result of receiving a forfeit from Arundel because of a pitching rule violation. Meade had lost, 6-5,to Arundel in eight innings, but Wildcat pitcher Zach Collins went all eight innings, giving him 15 within a week, one over the limit of 14.
So, Arundel had to forfeit the game, putting Meade right back in the playoff picture.
Broadneck's boys lacrosse team was the only squad to come through for the Prophet last week, as the Bruins downed Arundel, 7-4, Tuesday night to cover the one-point pick.
In thefour misses, the Northeast baseball team (18-0) made the sage look the worse by embarrassing Severna Park, 15-1. The Prophet had said Severna Park (12-4) would deal the Eagles their first loss and avenge last year's 17-1 humiliation by out-homering the visitors.
Third baseman Donnie Shump saw to it that Northeast would win the home run derby by whacking a county record three himself.
In softball, the Prophet said Northeast would edge Severna Park by a run, but the Falconswon, 3-2. Glen Burnie was the one-run favorite over Old Mill, but the Patriots won, 4-1. Glen Burnie took its next game Tuesday by 13-0 over Severna Park. How do you figure that sports, fans?
Finally, inboys lacrosse, the St. Mary's at Loyola Maryland Scholastic Association A Conference confrontation was a toss-up, and the sage took St. Mary's by one. Loyola won, 4-3.
As a result, the Prophet finds himself at 154-76 overall, a percentage of .670.
This week's six-pack puts the accent on the boys lacrosse second season, the playoffs.
BOYS LACROSSE C. M. WRIGHT AT ANNAPOLIS
State class 4A-3A quarterfinals 7:30 p.m. Friday
Host Annapolis (10-1) is seeded second in itsdrive to return to the state 4A-3A title game. Coach Dan Hart said his Panthers are in for a tough game against this seventh-seeded Harford county foe.
"C. Milton Wright (13-1) is really tough. They score a lot of goals and are a transition team very similar to us," said Hart.
"Wright has speed, quickness and a lot of good athletes. They compare to South River, so it could be a really wild game Friday night. Anybody who spends three bucks to watch this one will get their money's worth."
Annapolis, an 18-2 winner over Glen Burnie (2-12) Tuesday night in its playoff tune-up, outlasted South River, 13-12, in overtime a couple of weeks ago. That game gave Hart a good indication of how Wright will play and what his team will have to do to win.
C. Milton Wright has lighted up the scoreboard this season, scoring 21 goals against Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 19 against Franklin of Baltimore County, 15 against Westminster of Carroll County and 13 against Archbishop Curley of Baltimore.
"Our defense has to come through, that's what it comes down to," said Hart. "We always score, but we have to stop them from scoring more."
C. Milton Wright's only loss was to defending state 2A-1A champion North Harford, 7-4, while the only Annapolis loss that counts toward the playoffs was a 7-4 defeat to No. 3 seed North County last week.
Annapolis lost two games in an Easter tournament that do not count in the playoffs.
The Prophet believes the Panthers' defense will come through.
Annapolis plus 1 over C. Milton Wright.
BROADNECK AT NO. COUNTY
4 p.m. Friday
Isn't this one interesting?
Sure is, if you allow the Prophet to answer his own question about the sixth-seeded Bruins' (10-2) visit to No. 3 seed North County (10-1).
Despite its win over Annapolis, North County ended up third seed because it didn't play as many 4A schools and had fewer playoff points in their average of 6.7 to 6.9 by Annapolis.
It doesn't mean that much in the first game, but will in the semis. If Annapolis and North County both win as the Prophet expects, the Panthers get the home-field advantage Tuesday night by virtue of the higher seed.
North County defeated the Bruins on the Knights' home turf on April 23, 6-3.
The difference in thatgame was the play of premier Knights' goalie Tim McGeeney. He made seven of his 13 saves in the final period as the Bruins outshot the Knights, 26-21, but still came up three goals short.
It will take another such effort by McGeeney and a better defensive effort by the Knights to defeat Broadneck again. This one will be closer, but the Prophet has a feeling that McGeeney will come up with the clutch saves and Bob Wolfe either will score or assist on the winning goal.
North County plus 1 over Broadneck.
STATE 4A-3A SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, ifAnnapolis and North County win their quarterfinal games. North County at Annapolis, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The Prophet likes the Panthers in the rematch, because unlike the first meeting, this one is at the Panther Den in Annapolis.
Also, the Annapolis seniors have the added incentive of getting another shot at defending champion Dulaney inthe state championship game at noon May 18 at UMBC. The Panthers will wham just enough past McGeeney to win.
Annapolis plus 1 over North County.
ST. MARY'S AT BOYS' LATIN
Maryland Scholastic Association A Conference boys lacrosse playoffs, 3:45 p.m. Tuesday
By Tuesday, Coach Jim Moorhead's Saints (11-3) will have gotten over this past Tuesday's tough 4-3 loss at Loyola, which cost them the home-field advantage in this semifinal contest.
St. Mary's tied Loyola at 7-3in Division I but lost both times to the Dons to give the latter thetitle and top seed for Tuesday.
Moorhead's Saints took a hard-earned 5-3 win over Boys' Latin (13-2) on May 3 at Weems Whelan and certainly will need the same kind of defensive effort once again and a little more offensive punch to advance to the MSA championship game.
This game looms as an even tougher one for the Saints than Tuesday'svisit to Loyola. Going into Towson, the Saints knew they were in theplayoffs no matter what happened, but they know now that if they lose here, they are out of the playoffs.
Playing at Boys' Latin is about as tough as playing at Loyola, but somehow, some way, the Saints will get it done.
St. Mary's plus 1 over Boys' Latin.
BONUS PICK
Loyola (7-3) will win at home Tuesday over St. Paul's (10-4) by a goal or more.
BASEBALL ARUNDEL AT BROADNECK
3:45 p.m. Friday
This could be the final nail in the coffin for the host Bruins, depending on what happens today in their game at Meade.
Broadneck (9-6) needs this one badly, but the Wildcats (12-4) do, too, in terms of possibly taking top seed and home-field advantage for the start of next Friday's 4A Region IV semifinals.
Arundel needed a win last night at home over Old Mill (12-3) to have a shot at top seed.
This gamewas one of three straight Broadneck has to win, including today's game at Meade (9-6) to gain the fourth and final playoff spot. The Bruins also had to beat Queen Anne's (2-13) yesterday to join Arundel, Old Mill and Severna Park (12-4) in the Region IV playoffs and nose outLaPlata of Charles County (11-5).
If their season already hasn't been ended for the Bruins, the Wildcats will do that today simply because they are a much better team.
Arundel plus 2 over Broadneck.
MEADE AT SEVERNA PARK
3:45 p.m. Friday.
It looks like LaPlata will slip in the back door because the Charles County nine is expected to win its final two over McDonough (Charles County) and Great Mills (St. Mary's County) and finish 13-5 with the fourth seed.
Meade (9-6) got back into the playoff picture by virtue of pitching rule violations by Arundel and LaPlata, both of whom had to forfeit wins.
That means Meade's only hope is to have beaten Glen Burnie (8-9) yesterday, Broadneck today and this one tomorrow at Severna Park.
If itcomes down to tomorrow, forget it. The 'Stangs will not win at Severna Park, where the Falcons have an outside shot at top seed and definitely No. 2 seed.
The Falcon bats will come alive tomorrow.
Severna Park plus 2 over Meade.
The Prophet to date
Right Wrong Pct.
154 76 .670