By Andrew Conrad
It was not a banner spring for local varsity sports. Two Howard County lacrosse teams and several individual track athletes won state titles, but it came up empty in all the other spring sports: baseball, softball and tennis. Luckily, at the junior varsity level, young athletes were preparing for the success of next year's teams and beyond.
We asked all of the county's athletics and activities managers to spread word to their JV coaches that we were gathering details on the exploits of their teams this spring, and this is what we found out about the Columbia teams.
To read about the rest of the JV teams in the county, go to explorehoward.com.
Baseball
Centennial (6-9 county, 7-9 overall) was paced by sophomores Connor Flach, who led the team in wins, and Brady Grimes, who led the team in saves. Drew Swann led the Eagles in stolen bases and Jacob Sorak and Anthony Strothers, along with Flach, were the team's top hitters.
Taylor Kothe had a reliable glove and showed great speed on the basepaths, and Adam Sachs came through with numerous key hits. Sophomore Pete Baum came back from a serious hand injury in the preseason to play during the last week of games. Freshman standouts included Kade Connor, Andrew Durkee, Justin Haver, Jorge Maldonado, Connor McAnallen, Robby Miller, Tyler Morris and Daniel Sterenberg.
Two of the highlights of the season were beating Reservoir and Howard, both top teams, to get back to .500 after a rocky start, and playing Oakland Mills at Joe Cannon stadium.
Hammond, coached by Tyler Love, finished just a shade below .500 with a 7-9 record, but the team's highlight was handing powerhouse Marriotts Ridge its only loss of the season. Hammond was just on the brink of a winning season, losing four games by two runs or less.
Sophomore Garrett Kelley batted a team-high .464 with 26 hits, 24 stolen bases and a .589 slugging percentage. Freshman Adam Whaley was second on the team in batting average at .426. Sophomore Corey Dickson led the pitching staff with a 2.95 ERA and Will Winder won the coaches award.
Despite a lull in the middle of the season, Howard turned in a strong campaign in 2011, finishing above .500 (9-8 league, 10-8 overall).
After a four-game winning streak out of the gate, Howard dropped seven of its next 10 games, but rallied to close out the season by winning three of the last four.
At the plate, the Lions were led by freshman Brett Schaffer and sophomores Jake Vonella, Darrian Dudley and Logan Seitz.
"Jake and Brett provided power at the plate, while players like Darrian, Logan, (freshman) Adam Brown, and (sophomore) David Phillips were consistently on base," coach Paul Foelber said. "Adam and David were threats to steal whether on first or second."
Sophomores Nick Duffy, Reid D'Antuono and Phillips handled most of the starting pitching for the season. Sophomore Matt Polen led the team in relief appearances while Mark Reagan, Chris Tulp, Tyler Gormus and Troy Kline, all freshmen, also pitched in key relief and starting appearances.
Seitz had a two home-run game against Hammond, and the Lions scored 11 runs in the seventh inning against Reservoir to seal a big win.
Brandon Pelletier (2B/3B) won the Most Valuable Player award for Wilde Lake, while Nathanael Haase (RF/P/C) was named the Unsung Hero. Wilde Lake finished with a 5-13 record.
"These players showed outstanding character on and off the field. They consistently hustled, ran hard and fought for our team," coach Ben Townsend said. "They exhibit the kind of attitude that we want to see from young people."
The team's top hitters were Jackson Quade (.397), David Lazris (.325) and Jack Skolnik (.296).
Townsend was particularly proud of the way his team played in a win over Centennial.
"We fought hard every game, but we fought especially hard that game and won," he said. "Guys were picking each other up and encouraging each other."
While catcher Chris Hines didn't lead the team in any statistical categories, Townsend couldn't have asked for a better team leader behind the plate.
"He called every pitch and caught every inning. By the end of the season, he was a brick wall and had hardly any passed balls," Townsend said. "He's going to be a great catcher and a leader on varsity next year."
Boys lacrosse
Among the highlights for Atholton on its way to a 10-1 record in county play and 13-1 record overall was hosting and winning the Norman Flecker Tournament.
In addition to playing well, coach Wendell Thomas' Raiders also gathered and delivered two truck-loads of canned goods to Grassroots.
Atholton also had its annual full day of lacrosse in March, where it held a shoot-a-thon, played a 4-on-4 tournament and then went to watch a college game between Towson and Stony Brook.
On the field, the Raiders were led offensively by Glen Kasoff (45 goals, 11 assists, 41 ground balls), Hunter Carter-Rimbach (16-16-60) and Alec Grysky (21-19-44).
Highlighted by a win over Mt. Hebron in the final game of the regular season, a game coach Matt Hanson said included a complete effort on offense and defense, Howard finished 7-4 in county play and 7-5 overall.
It was essentially a brand new team for the Lions, with 23 freshmen and only four returning players. But thanks to timely offense and a defense that allowed just 5.25 goals per game, Howard finished with a winning record.
Brian Mauser (100 saves) finished with a 61-percent save percentage in goal. John Travisano (21 goals, 13 assists and 60 ground balls) was the offensive leader and Peter Emery (74 ground balls) was a leader on defense and face-offs.
It was a year of improvement for Oakland Mills, which finished with an overall record of 3-9-2 after winning only one game the previous season. The Scorpions made strides particularly on defense by cutting their goals against from 149 down to 83 this spring.
Goalies Brandon Andrews (61-percent save percentage) and Wesley Johnson (59 percent) were major reasons for the improved numbers defensively. On the other end of the field, sophomore David Bruno (10 goals, 3 assists), freshman Wyatt Neely (nine goals, three assists) and freshman Louis Chaverini (six goals, four assists) were all key contributors. Neely was pulled up to varsity for the playoffs.
Among the highlights for Oakland Mills, according to coach Trevor Shea, was a pair of 4-4 ties against River Hill and Long Reach. The game against the Lightning included a comeback from being down 4-1.
River Hill had a rough year, but proved its resilience in every game, coach Wayne Tromble said. While the Hawks ended with a 2-8-2 record, they were competitive in every game.
Robert Thyberg (14 goals, three assists), Keith Huber (nine goals) and Chris Moseman (eight, three) led the Hawks in scoring this year. Patrick Malone (six goals), Cody Larsson (four goals) and Jack Dannelly (f4assists) also provided substantial offensive kick from the attack end.
Taylor Caprara (one, five), Tyler Sauer (one, four) and Aaron Scott (two assists) boosted the midfield.
Defense was definitely the Hawks' strong suit this year, said Tromble, with first-time goalie Jeb Burchick being fronted by an experienced defense led by Joey Seils, Zach Talbot and Sam Carnock. First-year player Jake Turney (goal) was particularly effective on this very strong defensive unit. The defense was further bolstered by experienced defensive midfielders like Colin Butler, Mike Cameron and Phillip Shebel.
Wilde Lake improved four games in the win column from last season, finishing with a 6-6-2 overall record. Included in that total was a 13-1 victory over Pikesville to open the season, ties against Centennial and Marriotts Ridge, along with three straight wins to close the season against Oakland Mills, River Hill and Hammond.
Offensively, freshman Siyon Lowe had 21 goals and three assists, while freshman Jack Quinn led the team in points with 20 goals and nine assists. Other strong contributors were freshman John Radcliffe (14 goals, three assists), sophomore captain Josh Tulkoff (eight, four) and freshman Pierson Swanson (six, seven).
On defense, sophomores Jeremy Kass in goal, along with defenders Kyle Guzek, Charlie Hogan, Xavier O'Connor, Michael Weems and Dominic Halstead all made an impact. Guzek led the team in ground balls.
Softball
Anchored by veterans Taylor Combs and Katie Schlueter, Atholton finished the season 11-8 overall and 9-8 in county. Combs, the team's vocal leader on the left side of the infield, and Schlueter, a captain and versatile infielder, combined to make only one fielding error during the team's end-of-the-season push.
There were six players on the Raiders' team that hadn't played softball before and one of them, Gabby Arguello-Abramson, was honored with the Captain's Choice award. The centerfielder's season was highlighted by three great grabs against Marriotts Ridge.
Pitcher Alex Herschman developed a great chemistry with catcher Kaya Roberts. Herschman ended up pitching every inning except for one and averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. She also posted a .377 batting average at the plate. Roberts, meanwhile, was the team's clean-up hitter and had eight extra-base hits add 16 walks.
Jessica Throwe batted lead off and had a .582 on-base percentage, with three doubles and a triple. She also went 16 for 16 stealing bases. Schlueter posted a .534 on-base percentage herself.
Tiffany Foster (stolen bases), Andrew Williams (hitting), Katie Baxley (hitting), Betty Atkins (defensive plays) and Maya Phillip (catching/base hits) were the team leaders for Hammond. The Golden Bears' 2-16 record included a 20-3 victory over Oakland Mills to end the season.
It was a dominating season for Howard, which outscored the opposition 244-25 and finished 16-0. Of the many highlights, coach Jen O'Neill says a 3-2 victory over Marriotts Ridge was near the top of the list. The Lions had to hold off a seventh-inning charge by the Mustangs to stay unbeaten.
Three of the team's players, Courtney Merson, Kayli Paugh and Taylor McGrann all were pulled up to varsity for the playoffs. Those three combined to hit seven homeruns on the season.
The team's captains were Jodi Bahrjczuk, Eryn Fields and Danielle Yarrish. Bahrjczuk was also one of the team's pitchers, along with McGrann, Merson, Paugh, Tori Propst and Abby Walsh.
"What I love about this team was the selflessness that each player had," O'Neill said. "It was a total team atmosphere. I couldn't have asked for more."
With only two returning players, Wilde Lake was "very young and inexperienced," according to coach Darryl Nicholson. That led to the team finishing with an overall record of 1-17, although there was notable improvement with each passing game.
The Wildecats' team leaders were Cristie Little, Janelle Reider, Claire Daigle and Brittany Kuntz. Reider, Daigle and Kuntz, who had a team-high 16 stolen bases, were also the team's leading hitters.
Girls lacrosse
Atholton went 5-6 against county competition and 8-6 overall.
"We won some great games and lost some very close ones," said coach Mary Lavin. "We were very competitive and never gave up."
Emily Howell and Chloe Berman dominated the draw for the Raiders. The midfield, including Olivia Healey, Taylor Paek, Katelyn Walter, Maddy McCormick, Ellen Hoyson and Julia Leikin, was very aggressive getting the ball to the attack side and hustling back to re-defend.
On offense, Alex Raulin, Katie Mooney, Staci Powell, Claire Graybeal and Paige Fielhauer, had great looks and shots throughout the season.
The backbone of the defense was goalie Alex Charity, who made stellar saves and kept the team in many games, including the one against River Hill.
The defense, Elise Chang, Wangui Mbuguiro, Rosie Brown, Becca Weinberg, Jamie Troll, Dana Cohen and Casey Bizokas hustled to get ground balls and kept the opposing team away from goal.
"All 21 players on the team greatly improved and stepped up throughout the season," coach Mary Lavin said.
Victory eluded Hammond this season, but the Golden Bears (0-11-1) did manage a tie.
Sophomore Rhecelle Guitierrez and freshman Keara Miller were the team's top scorers. Freshman Ewurafua Asiedu, a first year goalkeeper did an amazing job.
"Her natural ability shown through and we are really looking forward to seeing her improve in the next three years," coach Amy Holly said.
The coach added that this was the first year playing for many members of her team. "They worked insanely hard, improved drastically and really came together as a team. The tie at the end of the season was a very big accomplishment! I couldn't be prouder and I can't wait to see how we improve for next year."
Charlotte Wilkenson and Taylor Walsh anchored the Howard (8-3, 9-3) midfield. Both were quick and made smart decisions.
Freshmen Maddie Regal and Kelly Aquino were the Lions' best attackers. Each was capable of rolling the crease and reading the defense.
Howard's defense was led by Corinne Barnabe and Cassie Mohler. They both played smart defense and communicated well to the rest of their team members.
"I was impressed with our defense's ability to pick-up and play a zone defense near the end of the season," said coach Kristen Krammer, who also praised starting goalie Kaeliegh Green. Green had three games with 12 or more saves.
Howard's final game was a barn burner. "We almost tied Mt. Hebron," Krammer said. "The game came down to the final seconds and the final score was 7-6. This is a drastic improvement from last year when we lost by over 10 goals."
Oakland Mills opened the season with five consecutive losses, but recovered to post a 3-8 county and 4-8 overall record.
"Our win against Hammond after that rough patch was a definite highlight," said coach Jamie Bowman.
Rachel Hunter's speed and accurate shooting resulted her being the leading scorer on the Oakland Mills team. She was also a team captain.
Rookie Amber Black showed significant growth throughout the season and was a leader on the offensive end of the field. Kelsey Lamothe, another rookie, had the stamina and transition game to make her a leader in the midfielder.
Kimberly Tang-Nien, also a rookie, used her aggressiveness and excellent footwork to be the Scorpions' leader on defense.
After that difficult start to the season, Oakland Mills finished its year on a positive note by pulling out an 8-7 victory over Reservoir.
"The girls showed a lot of heard, dedication and hard work to pull out the win," Bowman said.
While Michaela Hennessy was River Hill's leading scorer and Allie Morris the team's assist leader, Colleen McKenna was the Hawks' MVP. She was the starting center as well as a team captain and played hard not matter what part of the field she was on.
McKenna was pulled up to the varsity for the playoffs as was fellow midfielder Lia Valdesuso.
"Lia was the hardest worker on the team by far, during games as well as practice," coach Lindsey Chaffman said.
The Hawks' first game against Marriotts Ridge was a battle. "The team was extremely nervous and could not seem to get over the first-game jitters," Chaffman said.
Her squad came back to nearly tie the score in the last seconds of the game.
"Unfortunately, it didn't happen but it gave the team the fuel to go on a six-game winning streak," said the first-year coach.
Morris got the game-winning goal that beat Centennial for the sixth win in a row.
Even though River Hill (7-4, 8-4) lost four games, the Hawks never lost by more than three goals.
"As a first year head coach, I could not be any more proud of my team. We had a great season and received numerous compliments from parents, fans and even referees about the great play and improvement of the team compared to past years. As a coach, you cannot hear anything better than that," Chaffman said.
Brandi Fisher (defense), Jordan Carter (midfield/utility), Ella Ipah, Caity Cozad, Miranda Judd, Eolandae Brown (goalkeeper) were the key players on Wilde Lake's team. Brown made over 50 saves on the season.
"Coming in, these girls knew nothing about lacrosse," coach Mia Chiarella said. "The way they've grown and showed their love and dedication to learning the sport throughout the season only attributes to their character."
Onlookers might have wondered about Wilde Lake's reaction when the team played Hammond at the end of the season. The players stormed the field and collapsed in a giant hug.
"Tears and positive emotions ran rampant among the players," Chiarella said.
Wilde Lake (0-9-1) didn't win the game, though.
"Actually we tied, but the fact that the Wilde Lake girls didn't give up throughout the entire season, despite defeat after defeat, shows how truly dedicated they were to the game." the coach said.
Many of the JV Wildecats will move to the varsity level next year, and many have made plans to play in summer and winter leagues.
"Because of the efforts of these talented young athletes, I believe Wilde Lake High's women's lacrosse program will change its face within the coming seasons," Chiarella said.