It's called the Chesapeake Classic, but maybe it ought to be called the Chesapeake Fiasco. It, too, has fallen into the depths of politics.
After looking at the 1995 Maryland roster for the third Chesapeake Football Classic for graduating seniors, it's inconceivable that Anne Arundel County's top two athletes, Jason Smith of Broadneck and Mark Frye of Severna Park, are not on it.
The Maryland team that will play a Virginia all-star team on June 24 at the University of Maryland's Byrd Stadium has three deserving Anne Arundel players in All-Metro wide receiver Lou Brown of North County, Broadneck defensive lineman Arto Vartanian and Severna Park center Matt Hart.
L But Frye and Smith were their teams' top all-around players.
An All-Metro kick returner, Frye was the Falcons' top running back (school-record 21 touchdown, 1,182 yards rushing and 1,953 all-purpose yards) and defensive back (seven interceptions).
He was named the Baltimore Sun's Anne Arundel County Co-Player of the Year, the Washington District Officials Player of the Year and was Anne Arundel's only player named All-Metro first team by the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post.
Smith, an All-County receiver three straight years, set county and state public school career records for receptions (149), yards (2,286) and touchdowns caught (25). He grabbed 43 passes for 565 yards his final season while filling in at quarterback in several games.
Each has a Division I scholarship waiting. Frye has a lacrosse scholarship to Loyola College while Smith, also an All-Metro basketball player, has a football scholarship to Rutgers.
Frye and Smith tried out at wide receiver at the Classic combine and were beaten out by Brown, Jermaine Arrington (Bowie), Antwaine Carter (Forestville) and Jarese Williams (Potomac). None of the four chosen has received a football scholarship.
Smith also was named first-team All-Metro by the Washington Post, Brown was second team while Arrington, Carter and Williams didn't make either first or second team. Carter was the only honorable-mention All-Metro among the latter three.
Frye could have been named a running back/defensive back, certainly over LaPlata's Buster Coombs. Coombs, named as a running back for the Classic, was a Washington Post honorable-mention defensive back.
Coombs' coach, Shawn Baker, formerly of Havre de Grace, is head coach of the Maryland team, and he had the final say. Wonderful, but we understand. That's the way these games work and it's called politics.
Why bother conducting a tryout? It only gives the athletes false hope when we know full well a good portion of such all-star teams are picked in the back room.
Frye and Smith are as good as any athletes in the state and they got ripped off.
Wildcats rule
Arundel has taken over the top spot in the boys basketball 4A East Region for the first time since the playoff points system began. The No. 8 Wildcats (16-3), who visit Glen Burnie (10-9) tonight, jumped over Northern (18-2) of Calvert County, in points average, 6.65 to 6.50.
Northern has more points (117, including Tuesday's 49-39 win over McDonough), but has played one more game than Arundel (113). The Wildcats can take the top seed (first-round bye and home-court advantage throughout) by winning their final three over Glen Burnie, Old Mill (10-8) and Severna Park (4-15).
Arundel would finish with 137 points and a 6.85 average. The best Northern can do is 6.60 (132 points, seven for LaPlata and eight for Calvert).
No. 13 Annapolis (15-4) is third in the region with 108 points and is at Meade (8-11) tonight. If the Panthers win their final three (North County and Chesapeake, other two), they would finish with 132 points and an average of 6.60 and in a tie with Northern.
Kaz milestone
A victory by No. 10 Broadneck (17-2), the leader in the 3A East Region, at Northeast (3-16) tonight will give boys basketball coach Ken Kazmarek career win No. 200. Kaz is 199-82 going in, 188-70 at Broadneck in 11 seasons and 11-12 at Arundel in 1983-84.