FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Wilde Lake
Brown was among the metro area's rushing and scoring leaders all season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior was chosen Offensive Player of the Year by the Howard County coaches after he finished with 1,537 rushing yards on 207 attempts (7.4 average) and scored 19 touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions for 118 points. His 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash combined with his power and athleticism helped the Wildecats go 8-2. Brown is also a state champion in outdoor track, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes last spring and was a state runner-up at 215 pounds in wrestling.
First-team offense
Name School Class Pos.
Brett McQuilkin Atholton Senior QB
Zach Brown Wilde Lake Senior RB
Brandon Dever Glenelg Senior RB
Justin Harris Centennial Senior WR
Greg Nowak River Hill Senior TE
Zach Robinson River Hill Senior OT
Kevin Westervelt Mt.Hebron Senior OT
Jamar Watson Glenelg Junior C
Ben Dykes Long Reach Senior OG
Andrew Spiegel Centennial Senior OG
Keith Richardson Long Reach Senior All-pur.
Billy West Glenelg Senior K
Second-team offense
Name School Class Pos.
Owen Dresser Centennial Senior QB
Alex Bechta Centennial Senior RB
Troy Gibson Atholton Senior RB
Tony Fassett Atholton Senior WR
Kyle Williams Mt. Hebron Senior WR
Billy Reybold Reservoir Senior TE
Cody Blue Wilde Lake Junior OT
Josh Evans Reservoir Senior OT
Matt Jaso River Hill Senior C
Pat Black Glenelg Senior OG
Alanzo Williams Wilde Lake Senior OG
Scott Trench River Hill Soph. K
DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Zach Martin
River Hill
Selected as the county's best overall player by the coaches for his prowess on both sides of the ball, Martin was the No. 1 Hawks' leading tackler on defense for a second straight season, and this season he was the team's leading rusher on offense, too. Martin, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior linebacker-running back, is a repeat first-team selection on defense. Martin had more than 150 tackles (18 for minus-yardage), two interceptions and two fumble recoveries to lead River Hill to a Class 3A state runner-up finish. Offensively, Martin ran for 1,598 yards and 25 touchdowns.
First-team defense
Name School Class Pos.
Chris Rhodes River Hill Senior DE
Phil Jones Long Reach Senior DL
Jeff Wallin River Hill Senior DL
Zach Martin River Hill Junior LB
Mike Rossberg Centennial Senior LB
Aaron Simon Mt. Hebron Senior LB
Landon Tews Long Reach Senior LB
Mike Campanaro River Hill Soph. DB
Scott Dagley Wilde Lake Senior DB
Dan Hostetler River Hill Senior DB
Alex Iwaskiw Mt. Hebron Senior DB
Sean McNeil Mt. Hebron Senior P
Second-team defense
Name School Class Pos.
Riley Fritts Centennial Senior DE
Tochi Odocha Atholton Senior DE
Rich James Wilde Lake Senior DL
Jesse Moore Howard Senior DL
Sean Brew River Hill Senior LB
Matt Lewis Atholton Senior LB
Marcus Randolph Howard Senior LB
Joe Sartori Glenelg Senior LB
Alex Boyd Hammond Senior DB
Terrell Brook Reservoir Senior DB
Vince Furby Long Reach Senior DB
Ben Burns Atholton Senior P
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brian Van Deusen
River Hill
Van Deusen repeats as Howard County Coach of the Year after leading the Hawks to their first Class 3A state final - where they lost to Friendly of Prince George's County - a No. 1 ranking in The Sun's poll, and a school record for wins at 13-1. River Hill won its fourth consecutive county title and qualified for the playoffs a fourth straight year.
Van Deusen is 62-17 (.785) in seven seasons at River Hill. This year's team outscored its opponents 510-136, scoring 50 points or more four times and 40 or more seven times, averaging over 300 yards rushing per game in its spread offense. The Hawks' defense had given up only 7.6 points per game going into the state final and had three shutouts.
Volleyball
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Thomas
Reservoir
Thomas was the Gators' go-to player as they won their first Howard County title in addition to the Class 2A South regional title and finishing as a state finalist. Averaging 3.2 kills per game as the team's main offensive threat, Thomas also played hustling defense that took her all over the court, averaging a team-leading 2.83 digs. In the Howard County championship, Thomas had 18 kills in a five-game victory over Glenelg and followed it up a week later with an outstanding all-around performance to knock off Glenelg in five games again to win the regional.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Carole Ferrante
Reservoir
In her second season as the head coach at the 5-year-old school, Ferrante guided the Gators to their first Howard County championship and first state final. Ferrante's emphasis on defense and team unity enabled the Gators to knock off defending Class 2A state champion Glenelg three times, the last two in the county and regional finals; defending Howard County champion Centennial, 3-1, in the final regular-season match to knock the Eagles out of the final; and then-No. 1 Liberty, 3-1, in the 2A state semifinals. The Gators reeled off 16 consecutive wins before losing in five games to North East of Cecil in the 2A final to finish 19-2.
First team
Name School Class Pos.
Rachel Burke Reservoir Senior Hitter
Michelle Grosso Centennial Junior Hitter
Maddi Lee River Hill Senior Hitter
Tehya Mockapetris Centennial Senior Hitter
Stephanie Natale Glenelg Senior Hitter
Julie Thomas Reservoir Senior Hitter
Jamie Huffman Reservoir Junior Setter
Anna Wiggs Mount Hebron Senior Setter
Second Team
Name School Class Pos.
Meaghan Campbell Mount Hebron Senior Hitter
Dana Gittings Glenelg Senior Hitter
Heather Jacobson Chapelgate Senior Hitter
Tasha Jensen Wilde Lake Senior Hitter
Jenny Li River Hill Senior Hitter
Tina Swan Centennial Senior Setter
Jenn Hilchey Centennial Senior Libero
Sarah Vorce Howard Senior Libero
Note -- Teams selected by Pat O'Malley after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Boys soccer
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Napolitano
Mount Hebron
With a tireless work rate that put constant pressure on defenders and a poised knack for finding the corner of a goal, the senior striker was the offensive spark that led the No. 2 Vikings (17-0-4) to the Class 3A state championship.
Despite being heavily marked, Napolitano was relentless up front as he finished with 25 goals and 11 assists. His final goal was by far his biggest, coming with three minutes left in the state title game that gave the Vikings a dramatic, come-from-behind 2-1 win over North Carroll.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Linsenmeyer
Mount Hebron
With a team stocked with experienced talent and targeted as the county favorite from the start, Linsenmeyer continually kept his Vikings focused on the task directly in front of them. The result was a 17-0-4 season that concluded with the Class 3A state crown.
Along the way, the Vikings captured the Howard County title with a win over Atholton and followed with an impressive postseason run that included wins over last year's stateco-champions River Hill and Towson.
First team
Name School Class Pos.
John Beltran Atholton Senior Forward
Justin Martinelli Mount Hebron Senior Forward
Mike Napolitano Mount Hebron Senior Forward
Jake Pace River Hill Soph. Forward
Abbas Ebrahimnejad Hammond Junior Midfield
Cory Marcon Oakland Mills Junior Midfield
Teddy Smith Centennial Senior Midfield
Zach Barnett Mount Hebron Senior Defense
Jonathan Burke Centennial Senior Defense
Jason Parfitt Atholton Senior Defense
David Griffith Hammond Senior Goalie
Will Swaim Howard Senior Goalie
Second Team
Name School Class Pos.
Phil Martinelli Mar. Ridge Soph. Forward
Tunji Williams River Hill Senior Forward
Kevin Duff Wilde Lake Senior Midfield
Paul Maurer Howard Senior Midfield
Eric Oates Centennal Junior Midfield
Greg Sneeringer River Hill Senior Midfield
Zach Halper Hammond Senior Defense
Keith Meyers Oakland Mills Senior Defense
Tom Osborne Glenelg Senior Defense
Josh Parsons Hammond Senior Defense
D. Scott-Hopwood Atholton Senior Defense
Sam Permutt Atholton Senior Goalie
Note -- Teams selected by Glenn Graham after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Girls soccer
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Erika Theisen
River Hill
Gifted with the ball and relentless in the scoring end of the field, the senior forward scored 16 goals and added 11 assists in leading the No. 2 Hawks to a 20-0 season and the Class 3A state crown. Theisen, a two-time All-Metro first-team selection, closed out her stellar four-year career with 48 goals and 28 assists. The first-team All-State selection will play soccer at the University of Maryland next fall.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brian Song
River Hill
After his Hawks reached the state semifinals last season - where they were eliminated by a goal with nine seconds left in double overtime - Song challenged his players to strive for perfection this fall. They didn't disappoint, as the No. 2 Hawks went 20-0 and captured the program's fifth state title.
The second-year coach, now 35-3, effectively put his talented group of players in the right places to get the most from each and continually kept them focused on the immediate task.
First team
Name School Class Pos.
Diana Apel Glenelg Senior Forward
Erica Suter River Hill Junior Forward
Erika Theisen River Hill Senior Forward
Faryn Watts Wilde Lake Soph. Forward
Bali Boule Oakland Mills Senior Midfield
Kathryn Lally Mount Hebron Senior Midfield
Kate Nicholson Atholton Senior Midfield
Sara Tankard River Hill Senior Midfield
Alissa Bourne Glenelg Senior Defense
Sara Cooper Centennial Senior Defense
Kara Passarelli Mount Hebron Senior Defense
Jocelyn Papciak Atholton Junior Goalie
Second Team
Name School Class Pos.
Chelsea Godbout Reservoir Senior Forward
Elsa Wu Centennial Junior Forward
Meghan Braun Glenelg Senior Midfield
Amanda Feaga Glenelg Senior Midfield
Jessica Giles Mount Hebron Soph. Midfield
Amy Holcomb Wilde Lake Senior Midfield
Janie Tankard River Hill Junior Midfield
Kelsey Erdman River Hill Senior Defense
Colleen Quinlan Marr. Ridge Junior Defense
Meg Sims River Hill Junior Defense
Sam Young Atholton Senior Defense
Samantha Olson Marr.Ridge Fresh. Goalie
Note -- Teams selected by Glenn Graham after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Field Hockey
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sarah Parks
Centennial
The junior forward broke the Eagles' record for most goals scored in a season with 28. The previous record of 22, set in 1982, was tied once over the years but not broken until Parks worked her magic in the circle this fall.
With an uncanny eye for open spaces and a knack for redirecting the ball off the goalies' pads, Parks scored in every league game as the Eagles went 10-0 to emerge atop the county during the regular season. A team player who liked to feed her teammates, Parks also had nine assists.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeannette Ireland
Mount Hebron
The Vikings began the season with just one returning starter, opening up 0-4. By the end of the season, however, Ireland had them pushing No. 1 Severna Park to the limit in a 1-0 loss in the Class 3A East regional semifinal.
Ireland, Coach of the Year for a third straight season, brought the Vikings together quickly as they went 11 games without a loss, and only a 1-1 tie with Glenelg kept them from reaching the Howard County title game.
First team
Name School Class Pos.
Jen Lozier Hammond Senior Forward
Sarah Parks Centennial Junior Forward
Courtney Reardon Mount Hebron Senior Forward
Joanne Reid River Hill Senior Forward
Amy Thompson Glenelg Junior Forward
Melissa Chen Long Reach Senior Midfield
Lauren Maxson Glenelg Senior Midfield
Jessica Oleinik Centennial Senior Midfield
Kaitlyn Griffith Mount Hebron Senior Defense
Mary Teeters Centennial Junior Defense
Amber Yanulevich Glenelg Senior Defense
Lindsay Sfekas Mount Hebron Senior Goalie
Second Team
Name School Class Pos.
Kristy Black Glenelg Junior Forward
Ashley Bruns Mount Hebron Soph. Forward
Leah Cossentino Glenelg Senior Forward
Kristen Deegan Hammond Senior Forward
Kate Heineman Centennial Soph. Forward
Katie Annett Reservoir Senior Midfield
Deanna Dydynski Mount Hebron Junior Midfield
Liz LaHayne Glenelg Senior Midfield
Corinne Ung Centennial Junior Midfield
Rachel Devadas River Hill Senior Defense
Kellie Duff Wilde Lake Senior Defense
Liz Snyder Centennial Soph. Goalie
Note -- Teams selected by Katherine Dunn after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Boys cross country
RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Revelle
Atholton
Revelle swept the county, Class 2A South and state titles for the second straight fall. The state championship, his third in a row, was an impressive 44.46-second triumph over Arthur Leathers of Francis Scott Key.
Revelle won the title in 16 minutes, 16.24 seconds, an improvement of over 28 seconds from last year's state championship run. He had struggled a little early in the season, but bounced back in the second half and became dominant once more.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Whitty Bass
Wilde Lake
The Wildecats were the team that everyone in the county was watching after sweeping county, regional and state titles last year. Bass told his runners what to expect after last season, and they came back ready.
Wilde Lake dominated in every race it ran this season and again pulled off the same sweep. The Wildecats also came away with victories in the Bull Run, Meade and Howard County invitationals, beating tough opponents every time.
The team
Name School Class
Brian Allen Reservoir Senior
J.P. Allera Wilde Lake Senior
Evan Anderson Wilde Lake Sophomore
Graham Bazell Atholton Sophomore
Devon Gillett Hammond Senior
Seth Harwood Atholton Senior
John Henderson Wilde Lake Junior
Derek Lange Wilde Lake Junior
Andrew Revelle Atholton Senior
Jonathan Sham Wilde Lake Sophomore
Note -- Team selected by Jeff Seidel after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Girls cross country
RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Alison Smith
Atholton
The senior finished her cross country career by winning the county, regional and Class 2A state titles. It was Smith's fourth county crown, along with her third regional and state titles.
She turned in an impressive performance at the state meet, beating Howard's Elyse Borisko and easily topping Hereford's Kristen Malloy for the championship on the latter's home course.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Matt Stump
Howard
The Lions came out of nowhere this year to sweep the county, regional and Class 2A state titles. Stump, in his sixth year, stressed the team concept all season long.
He worked hard at getting the girls to run for places rather than times, making them understand that every single spot counted. These were the first titles in school history, and the Lions got stronger as the season went on.
The team
Name School Class
Elyse Borisko Howard Sophomore
Caitlyn Fuller Howard Freshman
Katie Harman River Hill Sophomore
Erin Kilic Reservoir Junior
Samantha Matthews Glenelg C.S. Junior
Liz McCarter Mount Hebron Senior
Nicole Shouse Howard Sophomore
Angeli Sivaraman Centennial Senior
Alison Smith Atholton Senior
Jaclyn Tsioumas Reservoir Junior
Note -- Team selected by Jeff Seidel after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.