Northeast baseball coach Harry Lentz likes to say that "a kid's moment in the sun is usually very brief."
That's true, but it seems the Anne Arundel sun rises and sets on that little Class 2A school off Duvall Highway in Pasadena.
Between Lentz and Eagle softball coach Lynn Pitonzo you can count10 state championships, seven in softball and three in baseball.
Last spring for the first time, they won state championships togetherin 2A while taking on -- and beating -- the bigger 4A schools. They share a common focus: Continuity and hard work equals excellence.
Northeast has gone from being the third-largest school in the state back in the '70s to one of the smallest at the 2A level within the last decade. But you wouldn't know it by the success of the baseball andsoftball teams.
In 24 years Lentz has led the baseball team to a 312-168 record (.650), and during her 14-year tenure, Pitonzo has coached the softball team to 222-51 (.813).
"The fact that we have kept competing with the bigger schools is a tribute to the hard work ofthe kids and the continuity in the program," said Lentz.
That continuity in the baseball program is a staff of Al Kohlhafer (22 years), Ed Gole and Johnny Barbour (14 years each) with Lentz.
Pitonzo'ssidekick throughout her tenure has been the knowledgeable Earl Dundorf.
"I really think the continuity is the secret to our success," said Lentz.
His Eagles had at least "an hour in the sun" last year, but that was last year. It's a new year for all the baseball teams in a county that many pro scouts say is the best high school league from top to bottom in the mid-Atlantic area, but there is no question where the spotlight will be.
It will shine in Pasadena where the defending mythical national champion Eagles will open their new park.
When a team goes 24-0, becoming the first high school baseball team in Maryland history to accomplish that feat as Northeast did, and you throw in a national championship from Easton Sports and the Collegiate Baseball publication, what does a team do for an encore?
Build a new stadium?
"No, people have asked me if winning the nationalchampionship finally got us a new stadium with lights," laughed Lentz, who is beginning his 25th and possibly his last season at Northeast. "But hell, the stadium has been in the works for 10 years.
"I don't know about going undefeated again, but I think we can go far in the state playoffs again."
Northeast won the 2A state title to capan unprecedented season in which it outscored its opponents, 326-59,and batted a robust .411 as a team. The composite batting average eclipsed the state record of .391 set by the 1989 Old Mill state 4A championship club (20-1).
Third baseman Don Shump, who set county andstate records in career (81) and single-season (45) RBI and whacked six home runs, first baseman Russ Curry (39 RBI) and center fielder Craig Everett (four homers, 30 RBI) were in last year's lineup.
Then there was right-hander Charlie Buckheit (11-0, 2.10 ERA), the county's all-time winningest pitcher: 30-3 in three years.
With playerslike that, not to mention a great supporting cast, you've got a state championship team.
It's not likely Northeast can duplicate the perfect season of '91. What is likely is that the Eagles will be the county's Most Wanted team. Their accomplishments of a year ago will beon the minds of everyone who plays them.
Shump used to say, "it'sjust a matter of time," about the Eagles' ability to come back last season, but that might refer to the opposite this spring. It could be"just a matter of time" before they get knocked off.
Playing Northeast this year will be like Baltimore City schools playing Dunbar inbasketball. Everybody wants to knock off the champ, and when the champ is a mythical national champ, it becomes all the more meaningful.
It won't be any problem for county teams to get up for the Eagles this year. How many times does a player get to say, "we just beat thenational champion" or "I got two hits against the national champ?"
Beating Northeast will make it all worthwhile, despite the fact that this is not the same team that went 24-0.
There will be more pressure on this year's Eagles team than last year's.
What this team will have to overcome are the comparisons that certainly will be drawn by opposing teams and others. The 1992 club has to be its own team and not try and imitate the '91 powerhouse.
It all comes down to attitude, because, unfortunately for this current edition, it will be playing "our toughest schedule yet," according to Lentz.
"The attitude is great on this team," said the Eagle coach.
"We knew we were going to be good just as we were in '90 (22-1, lost in state semis), and everything fell into place for us last year. It would be too much to expect this team to go undefeated especially with this schedule."
The Eagles are playing all the county 4A teams, some of them twice including defending state 4A champion Arundel (20-4). The home-opener is set for Wednesday against North County.
Christening the new field will be like the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards -- something new with something old.
The new home of the Eagles has lights, dugouts and an electric scoreboard.
The Northeast stadium maybe new, but the winning tradition is not. It's old and getting better with age. This is Lentz' 25th season as head coach and 27th as a county teacher. Will it be his last?
"It could be. If the county's new pension plan is acceptable, a lot of us may be getting out after this year instead of waiting for 30 years," said Lentz, who said he would be very interested in coaching baseball at the college level.
"We old guys are always looking for another pasture to roam," said Lentz.
Pitonzo is not quite ready for the pasture and is quietly (atleast she tries to keep it quiet) putting together an incredible record. With seven state titles in just 13 years to her credit, one wonders how many she will have when her time comes to ponder retirement.
Last year's state 2A champion Northeast was 19-3 and ranked No. 2 in The Baltimore Sun poll's final top 10. Only 4A state champion Chesapeake was better at 20-3.
Just like its baseball counterpart, theEagles softball team is wanted by everyone and even more so. The girls have won it all more often, which makes them more of a target.
"We're going to be very young this year," said Pitonzo, who graduateda host of outstanding seniors, including ace pitcher Kristy Zulka and superb shortstop/hitter Stephanie Lazor.
Of course, county foes have heard that before and can only expect the pipeline to the Northeast varsity to keep flowing with talent. Young or old, Northeast willalways be a team to be reckoned with as long as Pitonzo is running the show.
As for the other contenders in both sports, defending state champion Arundel (20-4, ranked 17th nationally) looms as the team to beat in 4A baseball despite the talent at Severna Park with the likes of returning All-County performers Rob McCandless (shortstop-pitcher) and Steve Neuberger (outfield), plus an outstanding catcher in junior John Milisitz.
Bernie Walter, who needs 15 wins (285-82) to join Lentz as the only county baseball coaches to garner 300 career victories, has a strong nucleus from the Tut O'Hara-coached county champion junior varsity.
Despite its rich tradition, which includes an unprecedented five state titles under Walter in 18 years, last spring was only the second time the Wildcats have won the county jayvee title. Denis Schanberger was coach in 1974 when Arundel won the other.
By the time most of those guys were seniors in 1976 and 1977, theWildcats won back-to-back state titles, going 22-1 and 20-3 those two years. History just might repeat itself.
Severna Park will be tough, but the fact of the matter is, McCandless can't pitch all the games and the Falcons never have been to the final four.
Look for Arundel, Severna Park, a young but very good Old Mill team with hitterslike Lee Haney and Ryan Dempsey, and Glen Burnie with left-hander Tony Saunders to be the four playoff teams in 4A Region IV.
In softball, who's going to beat Spalding's Kim Sheridan in her final hurrah?
Chesapeake with seniors Kristen Spak (pitcher) and Becky Thiele (second base), plus junior Stacey Necessary (outfield) has an excellent chance of a state championship "three-peat," but Glen Burnie, with senior outfielder Erin Sutton, Old Mill with such senior hitters as Sarah Storrs and Jen Schmittle, plus North County with senior pitcher Karen Hay should make some noise.
Now if only we can get the weather to cooperate.