In a game that was close
throughout, AACS trailed 24-22 at the half, but managed to battle in
front in the fourth quarter and close out the win.  Senior Dave Harris
scored a team-high 13 points, while sophomore Matt Gierl and junior
Mark Bennett scored nine each.

The Eagles (17-9) overcame a game-high 26 points by Washington Christian’s Jon Bratt.

For
Chapelgate (11-17), it’s opening round game proved a little easier. 
The Yellowjackets forged a 10-point halftime lead and turned the game
into a complete rout over the final two quarters.

Freshman Aaron
McCall was the game’s leading scorer with 15 points and senior Chris
James finished with 10.  The balanced Yellowjackets also got nine
points each from Ji-Min Jeong and Scott Robinson, as well as eight each
from Mike Lovaas and Jeremiah Murrell.

AACS, the second seed in
Division One will now advance to Friday’s semifinals where they will
face third-seeded Capital Christian at Anne Arundel Community College,
at 7:45 pm.  The Division I Championship Game is scheduled for 7:00 pm
Saturday at Washington Bible College.

Chapelgate will also be in
action on Friday night in the Division II semifinals, as it meets
Greater Grace at Washington Bible College, at 7:45 pm.

Annapolis Area Christian 56, Washington Christian 51
Washington Christian: Bratt 26, Lynott 2, Adams 8, M’Kodia 2, Nimix 5, Hobbler 8. Totals: 19 8-14 51.
AACS: Parker 7, Gierl 9, Cusimano 4, Haberstick 2, Day 4, Harris 13, Trainor 6, Bennett 9. Totals: 22 7-15 56.
Half: Washington Christian, 24-22.

St. Joe, which struggled
to a two-point win over Loyola in the quarterfinal round, had a much
easier time in the semifinals as it defeated seventh-seeded Archbishop
Spalding, 63-35.  Spalding had reached the semifinals with a stunning
win over St. Frances the night before, but the Cavaliers (10-22) could
not repeat that effort.

Junior Henry Sims led St. Joe (24-7)
with 16 points and freshman guard Eric Atkins combined with senior Dino
Gregory for 23 more.  St. Joe was even more impressive on the defensive
end, as it limited Spalding to just 15 first half points and allowed no
one to reach double figures.

In last night’s second game,
McDonald’s All-American Donte Greene continued his impressive
post-season with a game-high 21 points, including 17 in the first half,
as the Owls ran past Cardinal Gibbons (17-13), 66-43.

Malcolm Delaney added 18 and Larry Bastfield scored 16 for Towson Catholic, which improved to 30-4 for the year.

Gibbons, which got past Calvert Hall in the opening round, was led by 16 points from Jamar Briscoe.

Towson
Catholic and St. Joe met twice in a four day span earlier this month
and the Owls won both games, but each contest came down to the final
minute.  They were expected to meet again in last week’s MIAA A
Conference Championship Game, but the Gaels were upset by McDonogh in
the semifinals and TC went on to win the title.

Mount St. Joseph 65, Archbishop Spalding 35
Archbishop Spalding: Desousa 3, Bra. Bald 8, Bre. Bald 4, K. Moore 9, Watson 6, Jones 2, Alston 3. Totals: 15 4-8 35.
Mount St. Joseph: McCoy 8, Miller 3, Atkins 13, Jones 2, Hill 2, Sims 16, Olsen 4, Walker 3, Gregory 10, Armstead 2. Totals: 27 7-11 63.
Half: Mount St. Joseph, 29-15.

The
Super 22 team is comprised of the top area players who will play their
senior seasons in the fall of 2007.  It is selected from a list of 250
players nominated by 65 football playing schools in the state of
Maryland.  All of the Super 22 players will be honored at at Michael’s
8th Avenue in Glen Burnie, on April 26, and they will serve as the pool
from which the two 22-man rosters for the annual BTC Senior All-Star
Game, held each December, will be selected.

In addition to the
MIAA players listed below, the BTC will honor several others affiliated
with the MIAA in its Adult categories.

Archbishop Spalding’s
Rick Potter has benn named one of the BTC’s Assistant Coaches of the
Year.  In addition, Archbishop Curley assistant Warren Schwartz is one
of two who will receive the Augie Waibel Award and Larry Wineke, who
has been affiliated with Calvert Hall, John Carroll and Cardinal
Gibbons, will receive the Service to Football Award.  And, Gilman’s
Sherm Bristow has been selected to receive the George Young Lifetime
Achievement Award.

Junior Jake Natoli scored
two goals in the victory, including the game winner with 3:56 left in
the third period.  The Gaels trailed DeMatha, 2-1, entering the final
15 minutes.

St. Joe (14-2) has now won 14 consecutive games
after opening the season with two losses, including a 5-3 defeat at the
hands of DeMatha, in their second game.  The other loss came in the
opener to Gonzaga (DC), their opponent in Monday’s MSHL Final.  Gonzaga
is the top seed and advance to the championship game with a 9-0 rout of
Bullis.  On December 4, Gonzaga defeated St. Joe, 8-2.

Schenk had four decisions and a fall, including a 6-2 win over Pat Ownes of Germantown Academy (PA), in the finals.

Kulik,
who really surged at the end of the season, had two falls, a major
decision and decision on his way to the finals, where he stunned
top-seeded Manny Hickson of St. Benedict’s (NJ) with a 7-6 victory.

Bohn,
who finished second in this event last year, had a fall, two major
decisions and two decisions.  In the 189 final, he defeated Ben Grisz
of St. Mark’s (TX), 9-6.

In all, 12 MIAA teams sent wrestlers to
Lehigh with league’s big three – McDonogh, Curley and St. Joe â?? leading
the way.  The top-ranked Eagles placed sixth overall with 127 points,
followed directly by Curley (124) and St. Joe (117.5), as all three
claimed top 10 finishes in the 123 team field.

Curley’s Mitch
Fenton came within one match of a National Prep title, as he placed
second at 130.  Fenton opened with a fall and then won three close
decisions before running into top-seeded Kellen Russell of Blair
Academy (NJ), who scored a 10-1 major decision in the final.

Freshman
Frank Goodwin of St. Joe also had an outstanding weekend at Lehigh,
placing third at 103.  Goodwin registered three consecutive falls,
before losing 3-2 to Owens in the semifinals.  He rebounded with two
more wins in the consolation bracket and placed third.

McDonogh
had six wrestlers place, while St. Joe had five.  In addition Schenk,
McDonogh’s place winners included Josh Fitch (3rd-125), Albert Woody
(4th-112), Shane Milam (4th-125), Kramer Whitelaw (6th-152) and Doug
Schenk (8th-215).  For the Gaelks, Austin Clouse (5th-112), Benny
Schaufele (5th-130) and Chris King (7th-152), joine Bohn and Goodwin
with medals.  Also, Curley’s Tyler Scarinzi (119) and Josh Boler (215)
each placed fourth.

Other place winners from the MIAA included
John Carroll’s Jon Von Paris (5th-285), Calvert Hall’s Bill Gialamas
(4th-103) and Nick Gialamas (7th-112), Boys’ Latin’s Tyricuz Ishway
(7th-140) and Grady Gamble (6th-171), St. Mary’s Fred Green (4th-135),
Adam Palumbo (7th-125) and Eric Powell (7th-160) of Annapolis Area
Christian, Archbishop Spalding’s Garrett George (8th-145) and Loyola’s
Owen Duffy (8th-285).

Von Paris, who entered the event unbeaten
this year, was caught and pinned 22-seconds into his opening match, but
battled back to win five straight before losing in overtime.  He then
went on to defeat Kyle Hanson of Blair, 3-2, in the 5th Place
consolation final.

Here are the top team scores and all the team places for all MIAA schools.  For complete results and full brackets, click here.

2007 McDonald’s All-American Donte Greene

Towson
Catholic senior forward Donte Greene, who helped lead to the Owls to a
win in the MIAA A Conference Championship Game, on Friday night, has
been named as a member of the 12-man East roster for the 2007
McDonald’s All-American basketball game.

Considered the highest
honor which can be bestowed to a high school basketball senior, the
McDonald’s game has featured many of the biggest stars the sport has
ever known, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neil
and LeBron James, just to name a few.  The last MIAA player to receive
the honor was Archbishop Spalding’s Rudy ***, who appeared in the 2004
contest and is now a member of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.  And,
Greene follows in the footsteps of one his personal idols, former
Towson Catholic superstar Carmelo Anthony, of the Denver Nuggets, who
was a McDonald’s All-American in 2002.

Greene, who will be in
action this afternoon in the opening round of the Baltimore Catholic
League Tournament (2:30 pm at Loyola College), as the top-seeded Owls
meet St. Maria Goretti, is averaging better than 18-points per game
this year, as well as 6.8 rebounds and three assists.  He stands 6′-9″
and weighs 210-pounds, but possesses the ability to handle the ball on
the perimeter and hit a three.  Greene is best known, however, for his
ability above the rim and his spectacular array of dunks.

Like Anthony, Greene will play college ball for Syracuse.

The
McDonald’s All-American game will be played at Freedom Hall on the
Campus of the University of Louisville on March 28, at 7:00 pm.  It
will be televised live on ESPNU.  Greene is also expected to
participate in the Powerade Jam Fest on March 26th.

Exclamation!

The
outcome of last night’s MIAA A Conference Basketball Championship Game
was already obvious by the time the fourth quarter got underway, but
just before Towson Catholic’s undefeated run through the regular season
and playoffs became official, senior Donte Greene added a finishing
touch.  Greene, who combined with fellow Owl superstar Malcolm Delaney
for 41 points in their 71-49 title clinching win over McDonogh, soared
off the floor, snatched a careening rebound from the air and flushed it
through the rim with two-handed authority.

The play showcased
the brilliant athleticism Greene has displayed throughout his four-year
varsity career and capped the team’s long journey to its third MIAA
title and its first since 2001.  It also allowed the Owls (28-4) to
become just the second team in league history to go unbeaten to a
league title.  Mount St. Joseph became the first when it defeated the
Owls in last year’s championship game.

“We’ve been working all
year for this. We’ve been working hard up in the gym, starting in the
pre-season and even all the way back in August,” said Greene, who hopes
to lead the Owls to two more tournament titles before he heads off to
Syracuse University next year.  “It feels good to finally win one.  We
played St. Joe in last year’s final and we came back this year
focused.  We stayed hungry and we got the championship.”

McDonogh
(22-8), which upset #2 St. Joe on Tuesday to reach the final, came in
with some hope after taking the Owls to the wire in their previous
meeting, a 69-68 loss, but that type of ball game never materialized.

Towson
Catholic established its dominance early as it raced out to a 21-11
lead at the end of one quarter.  Greene led the way with 11 points, as
he converted four free throws and sank a long three.  Delaney, who is
bound for Virginia Tech in the fall, matched that with 11 in the second
quarter, also nailing a three and hitting six free throws.

The
second quarter was McDonogh’s strongest of the night.  Paced by
back-to-back three pointers by seniors Joe Yermal and Brandon Herbert,
the Eagles put a mini-surge together in the middle of the quarter and
trailed by just seven, 30-23, with 3:40 to play.  Less than a minute
later, however, Herbert picked up his third foul and the Owls closed
the half with a 9-3 spurt, to lead 39-26.  The Owls then opened the
second half with a 10-1 run and the result was ensured.

Delaney
finished with a game-high 22 points, while Greene scored 19 points,
grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked six shots.  In addition, sophomore
guard LeShon Edwards scored 10 points for the Owls.

Yermal
played his heart out in the loss as he connected on four threes and
scored a team-high 18 points.  The first 15 came in the opening half,
but eventually the burden of lifting the offense while trying to check
Greene and TC’s contingent of big men wore him down.  Herbert, who was
the primary focus of Owl defense, finished with 15 points, but all but
seven came in the fourth quarter, after the outcome was determined.

“I
am just really proud of my seniors,” said Towson Catholic head coach
Josh Pratt.  “They have stepped up.  Donte and Malcolm have stepped up
and even Josh Czerski has really stepped up in practice and been a
leader on the bench. They know this is there last go-around.”

Pratt
was an assistant at Archbishop Spalding when Rudy *** led the Cavaliers
to the 2003-2004 MIAA title and then spent one year as the head coach
at St. Mary’s before replacing Mike Daniels at Towson Catholic last
year.  He knows how difficult  it is to go unbeaten in a league such as
the MIAA and reflected on the accomplishment.  

“It’s just been
a special season and I’ll never forget it because it may never happen
again as a coach.  I’m really appreciative of the opportunity [Jeff]
Palumbo has given me and I am appreciative of the players,” said
Pratt.  “We’ve had communication and worked hard together.  There have
been many nights of staying up late, talking on the phone or sitting in
my office and talking.  We’re just having fun and that’s the bottom
line.”

The Owls are not done yet, however.  On Sunday, they kick
off their quest to win the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament when
the play St. Maria Goretti in the event’s opening game, 2:30 pm, at
Loyola College.  They also are headed to the Alhambra Catholic
Invitational, March 15-17, at Frostburg State University, where they
hope to earn a re-match with DeMatha, which defeated the Owls by six in
a nationally televised contest earlier this year.

Exclamation!  Exclamation!  Exclamation!  That is the goal now.

As
they formed a bond through basketball as youngsters, Colin Gibbons and
Tim Schenk never thought about leading Glenelg Country School to a
championship. Theyâ??re still relatively young, but last night, the duo
helped carry the Dragons to new heights.

Glenelg Country rallied
past Annapolis Area Christian, 52-50, for the MIAA C Conference crown
at Johns Hopkins Universityâ??s Goldfarb Gymnasium.  In winning its first
basketball title, the Howard County school atoned for two losses to
AACS during the regular season.

â??The Dragon Nation is very
excited tonight,� said Glenelg Country coach Charlie Stewart, whose
team was mobbed by fans after the final buzzer sounded. â??Itâ??s been
eight years in the works. Itâ??s been a team effort, from our
administration down to our student body.�

Only sophomores,
Schenk and Gibbons arenâ??t old enough to vote or have a driversâ??
license, but theyâ??re undeniably the kings of â??Dragon Nation.â? Schenk
led all scorers with 25 points while Gibbons had nine assists and one
steal.

Mired in a six-plus minute field goal drought, Gibbons
found Schenk in the corner for a three-pointer, bringing Glenelg
Country (21-11) to within 46-45 with 3:21 remaining in regulation.  The
Dragons gained the lead for good at 48-46, with 1:42 left, as Schenk
drained his fifth three-pointer of the evening, off a pass from Gibbons.

With
Glenelg Country clinging to the two-point lead, Schenk broke free to
get a halfcourt inbound pass from Evan Williams (14 points, seven
rebounds, four blocked shots) to convert a tough layup with 39-seconds
remaining. Annapolis Area closed back to within two on a basket by Gill
Trainor with 10.1 seconds left, but Schenk hit two free throws with 8.5
seconds to secure the championship.

Schenk said he missed a
layup off the same inbounds play, costing them a victory against Beth
Tfiloh earlier in the season.  He almost didnâ??t get the ball for the
momentum switching three-pointer last night as Gibbons slipped to the
floor as he drove.  Gibbons and Schenk have been friends since
attending Glenelg Countryâ??s lower school.

â??We always know where
the other is on the floor,� said Schenk, who contributed two rebounds
and two assists. â??This really hasnâ??t sunk in yet.â?

â??We go to the gym with each other every day, running with other people,â? said Gibbons. â??We just kept getting better every day.â?

Gibbons
missed the first AACS match (a 40-38 Annapolis win) because of an
injury.  In the second meeting, the Dragons had a 13-point halftime
lead, but the Eagles rallied for a 55-51 decision.

The Eagles
(16-9) looked ready for the sweep heading into last nightâ??s final
quarter, but went scoreless for more than six minutes.  Annapolis Area
Christian coach Doug Scheidt said Schenkâ??s three pointer was the spark
Glenelg Country needed.

â??It was a little bit of broken play for
them, but they got the ball to Schenk and he hit a great
three-pointer,� said Scheidt, whose team was denied the title for the
second consecutive season.  â??We contested it, but we didnâ??t contest it
well enough.  We were kind of holding on to that four, five point
lead.â?           

Christian Parker had 16 points, four rebounds
and an assist for Annapolis Area Christian, who lost to Park School in
last seasonâ??s title game.  

When AACS and Glenelg Country renew
their rivalry next year, they will do so in the MIAA B Conference, as
both teams have elected to move up to the next level for  the 2007-2008
season.  The Eagles returning Trainor, Parker, Mark Bennett and
Christian Newton from the starting five.  With Gibbons and Schenk back
for two more years, â??Dragon Nationâ? also appears to be in good hands. 
In two playoff triumphs, the combo accounted for 59 points.  

â??We
brought these guys in two years ago and we knew we had something
special,â? said Stewart. â??They know each other well, and they love to
win.�

All
year, St. Mary’s was considered, by some, as the fourth team in a four
team race for the MIAA B Conference title.  Like a true champion,
however, the Saints made their move to the top at exactly the right
time, capping that charge last night with a 76-70 win over defending
champion Mount Camel, in the B Conference title game at Johns Hopkins
Universityâ??s Goldfarb Gymnasium.

Senior Josh Hartman, who
transferred to St. Maryâ??s from Archbishop Spalding prior to last
season, led all scorers with 24 points.  Hartman, who will play for
Messiah College next season, converted eight free throws in the final
quarter helping St. Maryâ??s deny Mount Carmel (19-13) of a second
straight B Conference championship and a third straight title overall.

â??Everybody
stepped up on different nights,� said Hartman, who added five rebounds
and two assists. â??If I wasnâ??t on or [Josh] Morgan-Green wasnâ??t on, the
younger players would step up. We just played as a family.�

The
Saints (24-7) were solid in the closing quarter withstanding several
Mount Carmel surges. The Cougars were within 66-63 with 93-seconds
remaining in regulation after a jumper off the glass from Dwayne
Wheeler, but Hartman hit two free throws. That was followed by two from
sophomore Trey Quinn after a Mount Carmel turnover.

In the
final two minutes, St. Maryâ??s was 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. 
Beating an opponent three times in a season is usually difficult, but
the Saints were able to pull the feat against Mount Carmel this season.

â??Itâ??s
our first time here and weâ??re trying to get a little experience,â? said
Morgan-Green. â??That run at the end, they have those guards who are so
good.�

A junior, Morgan-Green was arguably the leagueâ??s best
guard this season, leading the B Conference in scoring.  In three games
against Mount Carmel, Green tallied 70 points, including 15 in the
title game.

After Mount Carmel had pulled to within one early in
the final quarter, Green (three rebounds and three steals) scored
consecutive baskets, and the Saints extended their advantage to eight
midway in the final quarter. The Annapolis school, which won the B
title in the 2002-2003 season, never trailed after the middle of the
opening period.    

Troy Franklin led Mount Carmel with 17
points, but fouled out with 1:45 remaining in the regulation, and
Ceslovas Kucinskas had 11 points and nine rebounds. The Cougars, trying
to become only the second team to win three consecutive basketball
championships, missed on four opportunities to either tie or gain the
lead in the fourth quarter.    

â??We missed some free throws, but
you got to give St. Maryâ??s credit,â? said Cougars coach Tom Rose. â??They
made plays when they had to make them, and in championship games,
thatâ??s the teams who are going to win.â?

St. Maryâ??s second-year
coach Brian Konik said a victory over rival Severn School in late
December was the critical point for the Saints.  They claimed 19 of
their final 21 decisions, losing only to Annapolis and John Carroll, a
lost they avenged Tuesday on the road in the semifinals.

The
Saints said they never felt slighted with the talk about their league
foes during the season. They admit they donâ??t have the talent or
athleticism of many teams, but St. Maryâ??s proved its sum is greater
than its parts.

â??These kids donâ??t quit. They have a tremendous
amount of confidence,� said Konik, whose team won its final seven
games.  â??We really try to emphasize we canâ??t beat them [Mount Carmel]
one-on-one.  Itâ??s got to be all five of them working together, and we
were able to squeak one out.�

Calvert Hall (12-8-2), which lost to St. Joe in last
year’s final, entered the yesterday’s game with some reason for
optimism, after offering the Gaels a strong challenge, in a 2-1 loss,
when the two teams last met in mid-January.  However, the St. Joe
defense, led by goalkeeper Brooks Schilling, shut down those hopes by
stifling a Cardinal offense which entered the contest averaging 4.7
goals per game and just under six in their last seven games.

Schilling,
who now has four shutouts on the year, came up with 17 saves, in a game
that remained tense and tight until the third period.

After
gaining a 1-0 lead on a first period power play goal by Matt Buonato,
St. Joe, which outshot the Cardinals 43-17, squandered several scoring
opportunities, before finally breaking open the contest in the final 10
minutes.  Jon Rodriguez doubled the Gael lead with a low blast, with
9:43 left in the third, and things loosened up from there.  Mark Cisar
followed with a rebound score before Jake Natoli and Andrew McCrumb
iced the victory with late scores.

Brady Earle and Brad Hresko each had two assists and Natoli had an assist to go with his goal.

The
late surge spoiled a strong effort by Calvert Hall goalkeeper Stefan
Blout, who finished with 38 saves, but ultimately the Cardinals could
not overcome an 8-1 deficit in penalties.

St. Joe, which
improved to 13-2-0 on the year, has little time to celebrate the win as
they return to the ice tonight for a semifinal game in the Maryland
Scholastic Hockey League (MSHL) Private Schools Tournament against
DeMatha.  The Stags defeated St. Joe, 5-3, in early December as the
Gaels got off to an 0-2 start.  They also lost their season opener,
8-2, to Gonzaga, which is in the other MSHL semifinal and the top seed
in the event.

Calvert Hall and Gilman also represented the MIAA
in the MSHL tournament, but the Cardinals fell to Bullis, 5-4, in their
opening game and DeMatha routed Gilman, 9-1.