As I sit here trying to figure out what you're about to read, it's hard for me to believe we're less then two full weeks from Christmas. Yes, 11 days to be exact if your reading this Wednesday.
The high school winter sports season is off to a fast start and let's hope it stays that way. With January and February looming, there's plenty of possibilities of some postponements and cancellations.
For right now though, the forecast the rest of this week looks good. A little rain, but temperatures well above freezing. We could hope for a little snow around Christmas though, couldn't we?
Anyway, the weather is good and the schedule is busy. There's plenty of basketball to be played and it's both boys and girls lighting up the nets.
I have to offer my congratulations to Fallston senior Rachael Holehouse on scoring her 1,000th point over the weekend. I was hoping the magical points might have been scored early last week, when we had a photographer on the scene of a game with C. Milton Wright. It didn't happen then, but it did happen Saturday in Baltimore.
Speaking of girls basketball, we have some pretty good teams here in the county. We've had a couple of good years at the state level and that may continue this year. Aberdeen is pretty much the same team as last year when they lost in the 3A state final.
Joppatowne is two years removed from its 1A state title and last year the Mariners lost in the semifinals. This year, though, the Mariners lost a couple of keys to graduation and they moved up a level to 2A.
That said, Joppatowne is still a team to be reckoned with. The Mariners still have the likes of Shakara Head, TroiQuay Malloy and LaKiah Huff to solidify their overall strength.
Fallston is also in the 2A mix and the Cougars are pretty good, but maybe not good enough to overcome the late season obstacles.
North Harford and C. Milton Wright have both gotten off to good starts, but with Aberdeen looming in 3A, the roads will be tough for both the Hawks and Mustangs.
Of the remaining public school teams, Harford Tech is the only one with a winning record through a week and half of play. Bel Air and Patterson Mill have a win each, while Edgewood and Havre de Grace are both still searching after a combined seven losses.
In the private school sector, Harford Christian is off to a perfect start, while John Carroll has played opponents tough, without much to show for it in the standings.
The biggest and best matchups are a few weeks away, in the new year. I'm anticipating a handful of great games between some quality opponents.
Here are just a few dates of some games you might want to see: Jan. 5 - North Harford at Aberdeen; Jan. 12 - Joppatowne at Aberdeen or Fallston at North Harford; Jan. 24 - Joppatowne at Fallston; Feb. 7 - Joppatowne at North Harford; and Feb. 9 - Aberdeen at Joppatowne.
These are just a few key dates on the schedule. There's plenty of other good action out there. Just take a chance and get out and see some of it.