About six weeks ago, Randallstown coach Ellen Fitzkee saw a change in her girls basketball team.
After starting off 1-4 against a tough schedule, the Rams were heading toward .500 and getting serious. They started talking about wanting to make it to the state tournament.
"That was the turning point," said Fitzkee, a former Towson University coach in her second year with the Rams.
Now, the Rams are 13-5 and, with last night's 64-26 win over Lansdowne, they clinched a berth in Friday night's Baltimore County championship game for the first time in seven years. The Rams, who finished 10-1 in the county's Class 2A/1A Division, will travel to meet No. 5 Catonsville for the title Friday at 7 p.m.
It has been quite a rapid rise from the 7-8 team the Rams were two years ago. Fitzkee stepped in last season and Randallstown's record climbed to 13-5. Now, after the slow start, the Rams have won 10 straight.
On a team with no senior starters, three junior guards lead the way: Kelsie Singleton (16.1 points, 5.1 assists), Imani Graham (8.9 points, 6 rebounds) and T'arra Cutting (11 points, 10 rebounds).
Still, the Rams have seven seniors on the roster and Fitzkee gives them a lot of credit for their contributions on and off the court.
"Getting them to buy into the roles they have to play and the importance of those roles," Fitzkee said. "It really has been the seniors, in terms of attitude and selflessness, that have brought us to the point where we are."
Baltimore Catholic League -- The BCL announced its 2008 awards for boys basketball Monday at its 37th annual luncheon at Snyder's Willow Grove. The 2008 BCL Players of the Year awards went to Maryland-bound guard Sean Mosley of St. Frances and Georgetown-bound center Henry Sims of Mount St. Joseph. Named Coaches of the Year were Josh Pratt of Towson Catholic and William Wells of St. Frances. An award created this year, the Mark Amatucci Defensive Player of the Year Award, named after the former Calvert Hall coach, went to Brandon Greene of Towson Catholic. St. Maria Goretti coach Cokey Robinson, who will retire after this season, earned a lifetime achievement award for his coaching and contributions to the BCL. Wells also announced that assistant coach Mark Karcher will take over head coaching duties next season and that Wells will help out.
Lucky 22 -- Twice in Sunday's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland basketball championships, the winning team avenged a 22-point regular-season loss to take the title. St. Frances defeated Seton Keough in overtime for the A Conference crown after falling, 62-40, last month. Lutheran upset Park for the C Conference title after losing, 44-22, last month.