The bad weather yesterday forced a one-day postponement of the first crucial battle between two Howard County girls basketball heavyweights.

The game between No. 6 Long Reach and host No. 7 Mount Hebron, both 1-0, will be played today at 4:30 p.m.

Count Lightning coach Kevin Broadus among the disappointed when he heard that Howard County schools were shut down for the third time in less than a week. All told, Howard County has lost three of the first four days of the season to the weather.

Broadus is particularly concerned after seeing his team, which also had its game against Pallotti last Thursday postponed, struggle in its opener.

The Lightning beat Liberty, 42-39, on Monday behind 12 points from junior Whitney Ward and 11 from junior Timisha Gomez, but Broadus said it was an overall uninspiring effort. He attributed some of it to not practicing the day before.

"Maybe it was a Monday thing," Broadus said. "I hate playing on Mondays, but Liberty played tough. They didn't back down and we missed a ton of shots. Not just jump shots, but layups."

In previous years, a win at Long Reach would've been cherished no matter how it was accomplished. But expectations are high this year for the Lightning, who return five starters from its first winning team (15-9) in history.

Today's game against the Vikings will be a big test. Mount Hebron won the county title last year, and had little trouble dispatching then-No. 15 McDonogh, 50-32, on Monday. Senior Kristen Waagbo had a game-high 24 points.

"I don't think there's any pressure on us at all," said Broadus. "River Hill is favored, Glenelg's above us, and Mount Hebron's beaten us the last two years. But we're looking forward to the challenge. We think we have a very good basketball team."

Big test for Chesapeake

As early-season tests go, the No. 2-ranked Chesapeake wrestling team has found a good one tomorrow night.

The defending Class 4A-3A state champion Cougars will play host to No. 1 Mount St. Joseph, a perennial Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association power with a lineup that's loaded with talent.

"I'm a firm believer that the tougher the competition, the better wrestler you're going to be," said Chesapeake coach Rex Miller.

The two teams compete in the Hammond Tournament each year, but Miller and Gaels coach Jay Braunstein both felt it would be beneficial to find a date to wrestle head-to-head in a dual match. The varsity should get started at 6:30 p.m.

It will be the season opener for the Cougars, who had last night's match against Anne Arundel County rival Arundel postponed due to the inclement weather.

Mount St. Joseph got off to an impressive start with a win at the Curley Tournament last weekend, defeating Delaware power and runner-up St. Mark's, 236.5-202.

Another key match takes place tonight as No. 9 Severna Park will get a visit from Howard County power and No. 4 River Hill.

Sun staff writer Glenn P. Graham contributed to this article.