DC – Washington Catholic Athletic Conference | Archive | March, 2009

By Andy States
Digital Sports Content Manager

The Saint Mary’s Ryken Knights jumped out quickly this softball season, winning their first five games in convincing fashion.

But in Tuesday’s contest against visiting Holy Cross, the Knights were sluggish in the early innings. Not that it came as any surprise to Coach Scott Kuhns, who knew that was possible after an off weekend and light practice on Monday. When Holy Cross scored in the third, it stood as the first earned run Ryken has allowed this season, and that was just what the Knights’ senior leaders needed to kick the team into gear.

“The seniors came in and said ‘Let’s go,'” Kuhns said, “and we went.”

The Knights scored five unanswered runs over the final 4 1/2 innings while pitcher Katie Delapaz settled in and faced the minimum over the final three innings in a 7-2 conference win.

“They dug deep and found their inner heart, their fire,” Kuhns said. “It just seems to be a recurring thing with us. They need to continue to find that fire.”

After striking out in order in the first, Ryken (6-0) opened the scoring in its half of the second. Gabby Morgan led off with a walk and came around to score on Karen McEvoy’s extra-base shot to left field, while McEvoy herself came around to score when Holy Cross (3-4) had trouble getting the ball back to the infield.

“The hit in the second inning was a big hit for us,” McEvoy said. “It put us on the board today and really kind of fired the team up.”

But the Tartans answered in the top of the third. Mikaela Antonio’s single drove Danielle Tafuri home. Antonio later scored on a two-out error to know the score at two.

From that point, Delapaz started to take control. The Knights’ hurler faced just one over the minimum over the final four innings — allowing just a two-out single to Therese Renzi in the fourth — and retired the final 10 Tartans to step into the box.

“It took me a while to warm up for the first three innings,” said Delapax, who walked one and struck out eight. “We’re missing a catcher. It’s hard to adjust, but after a while we got it going.”

Ryken took the lead for good when Danielle Nichols’ single drove home Erin Leddy in the bottom of the third. The Knights added a run in the fifth — when Nichols tripled and scored on a McEvoy grounder later in the inning — and tacked on three more in the sixth to put the game away.

Holy Cross pitcher Katie Walsh, who recorded strikeouts for her team’s first six outs of the game, finished the day with 10 strikeouts.

“This is a big win for us,” McEvoy said. “We’ve been doing good on the season so far, but with each game we try to go out there and have as much fire behind us as possible.”

Looming on the horizon for the still-unbeaten Knights is a matchup with Bishop O’Connell next Monday. O’Connell has been the team to beat for years in the WCAC, and next Monday’s game is one the Knights have been looking forward to.

“It’s an interesting conference,” Kuhns said. “I don’t think any team is unbeatable as far as the top five or top six of the league.

“I don’t want to say I’m nervous about it, but I think we’re very equally matched on paper. It will come down to errors, I believe.”

Saint Mary’s Ryken 7, Holy Cross 2
HC    0 0 2  0 0 0  0 – 2 5 4
SM    0 2 1  0 1 3  x – 7 5 1
WP: Delapaz, LP: Walsh
3B — McEvoy (SMR), Nichols (SMR) 

astates@digitalsports.com

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Created by Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Editor
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area

Top 10 Plays — March 23-29, 2009

Click
the video on the left for the full countdown of the Top 10 plays from
across the seven DigitalSports territories in the greater Washington,
D.C. Metro area.

You can also view the full list of top plays
below. Click on the titles to view the individual, unedited highlights
at respective homepages.

Check back every Monday morning for the new Top 10 countdown from around the metropolitan area.

To nominate and upload plays or accomplishments from your school:

**CLICK HERE**

Honorable Mentions (in no order):
Bats Off — Yorktown CF Bill Edgar gets a bizarre ground out to the pitcher in the Patriots’ 8-4 win over the Generals.
Koko with the K.O., K.O. — Ram junior Alex “Koko” Makumbi scored back-to-back goals in the 66th and 69th minutes to cap a hat trick in Robinson’s 3-1 road victory over rival Westfield.
Zurn and Go — In the Montgomery County Publics vs. Privates All-Star Game, St. Andrews senior Alexander Zurn sinks a filthy and-one layup in traffic. But the Publics won the VOLi Sports All-Star Challenge, 108-97.

No. 10 — Seppi Slide
Prince George’s County, Maryland  — In an 8-5 win for Eleanor Roosevelt over High Point, Raider 3B Luke Seppi goes all-out to catch this high pop-up in foul territory, sliding to retire the batter.

No. 9 –– Bryner Bases-Clearing Two-Bagger
S.M.A.C., Maryland — Calvert sophomore Ed Bryner unloads the bases with this two-out, three-run double to clinch a mercy-rule, 16-4 victory for the Cavaliers over the Hurricanes in a battle of previously-unbeaten teams in Frederick City.

No. 8 — K.C. Sunshine
Loudoun County, Virginia
— Park View junior K.C. Onyeador shows a nose for goal is genetic with back-to-back hat tricks for the Patriots. K.C. Onyeador’s cousin, Uche Onyeador, holds the Virginia high school record with 127 career goals, including a single-season record 42 as a junior, and plays at Georgetown. K.C. is on pace to obliterate the Park View school record for career goals.

No. 7 –– Meet in the Middel

Montgomery County, Maryland — Churchill senior Parker Middel gets back-to-back bone-shattering hits on would-be Wootton defenders. But the Patriots retaliated further down the countdown.

No. 6 –– Hurricane James
S.M.A.C., Maryland — This early-season match-up between Northern and Huntingtown, the winner was poised to put itself in the driver’s seat in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. The Hurricanes called shotgun and put the Pats in the trunk. Huntingtown senior Peter Athens and Mike James scored five and six goals, respectively, in its 20-8 win to move to 3-0.

No. 5 –– Great Wahl
Northern Region, Virginia — West Springfield and Lake Braddock entered this Patriot District season-opener ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Northern Region Baseball Coaches’ Association poll. Spartan junior Bobby Wahl made sure his squad would retain that top spot for another week with a complete game one-hitter, striking out 13 Bruins, while only walking one.

No. 4 –– Ladies’ Night
Powell Precision
Loudoun County, Virginia
— Broad Run striker Valerie Powell used the outside of her left foot to float this perfectly-placed shot over the Stone Bridge goalkeeper for the game-winning tally in the Spartans 2-1 road win. Broad Run is the defending Virginia AA state champion, returned 16 players from that unit and won its 26th-consecutive game thanks to Powell’s heroics.

Costello-Mays Caps Win
Prince William County, Virginia — Woodbridge and Battlefield met in a rematch of last year’s Northwest Region final, a 3-2 penalty-kick win for the Vikings. This time around, Woodbridge left little doubt, with a 4-0 win, highlighted by two goals from Kristen Lybert and capped by this 61st-minute free kick by Kellsey Costello-Mays.

No. 3 –– Doran Doran
Montgomery County, Maryland — Wootton sophomore attackman Christopher Doran gets revenge for Play No. 7 in the Top 10 with this behind-the-head goal as the Patriots locked up a 10-3 win over the Bulldogs.

No. 2 –– Double Lutz
Prince William County, Virginia — After Battlefield blew a three-goal lead at the start of the fourth period by allowing five Forest Park goals, Bobcat senior Chris Lutz scores the game-winning, double-overtime goal to beat the Bruins, 7-6. The home win avenges a 16-5 home loss for Battlefield to Forest Park last season, the Bobcats’ worst of the year.

No. 1 — Clay-Born to Run
Montgomery County, Maryland — Damascus sophomore Cassie Clayborne hit an inside-the-park grand slam as part of her team’s 10-2 win over Blair. The Hornets’ current No. 5-hitter was in the lead-off spot last season and demonstrated both her speed and power on this Play of the Week.

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 PLAYS FROM JAN 25-31

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 PLAYS FROM FEB 2-8

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 PLAYS FROM FEB 9-15

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 PLAYS FROM FEB 16-22

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 PLAYS FROM THE WINTER SEASON

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By Kelly Townsend
For DigitalSports.com

Monica Baumgartner, Kitty Cullen, Hayley Katzenberger, Caitlin Townsend and Molly Donaghue have been good friends and teammates since they were in the sixth grade.

They began their lacrosse career playing for the St. Peter’s Athletic Association in Olney in the MYLA (Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association) League. Every spring they traveled to the Baltimore metro area to compete against some of the best competition in the country.  

While playing for St. Peter’s, Cullen, Katzenberger and Townsend starred for their middle school team at St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney. Upon graduation, Katzenberger and Townsend headed off to the Academy of the Holy Cross while Cullen played for McDonogh School in Baltimore. Donaghue traveled to Blake High School while Baumgartner took her game to Our Lady of Good Counsel.  

During this time, all five girls played for M&D (Maryland and District of Columbia) Lacrosse Club. M&D is a club in the central Maryland area that competes in the prestigious Galaxy League. Their dedication and love of the sport will be on display at the next level as the five Montgomery County players will become part of The University of Florida (Cullen and Katzenberger) Fairfield University (Townsend), Boston University (Baumgartner) and Converse College (Molly Donaghue) lacrosse programs.

All the girls continue to give back to the lacrosse community by coaching lacrosse at summer camps, providing individual instruction to emerging lax stars, and refereeing for local youth leagues.

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By Kyle Wannen
For DigitalSports.com

Results from the third annual scholar athlete banquet hosted by the National Football Foundation& College Hall of Fame, Inc. National Capital Region Chapter.

NFF Eastern Region Scholar Athlete Nominee:

Trevor Lawler, Georgetown Prep

$1000 Scholarship Recipients:

Trevor Lawler, Georgetown Prep

David M. Wisda, Centreville High School

Jacob R. Sweeney, W.T. Woodson High School

John C. Weidinger, Lake Braddock High School

Alex T. Price, Fairfax High School

2009 Scholar Athlete Nominees:

Clayton Armstrong, Ballou High School

Hussein Fahema, West Potomac High School

Ryan Harris, Oakton High School

Noah M. Joseph, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

Trevor Lawler, Georgetown Prep

Alex T. Price, Fairfax High School

Austin Skobel, Sherwood High School

Zach Splain, Sherwood High School

Jacob R. Sweeney, W.T. Woodson High School

Kyle E. Toulouse, Yorktown High School

Aleksandr V. Vandolov, James Madison High School

Matthew A. Verducci, Bishop Ireton

John C. Weidinger, Lake Braddock High School

Brian Williams, Bishop O’Connell High School

David M. Wisda, Centreville High School

Anthony Young-Wiseman, Walt Whitman High School

Recipients of Special Recognition Awards:

Coach Al Thomas, Sherwood High School

Coach Gordon Leib, James Madison High School

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Bishop Ireton had a Cinderella run through the WCAC baseball tournament in 2008, sneaking out of the pack after a .500 record in the regular season.

The Cardinals appear determined to prove that was not a fluke under second-year head coach Mike Gallagher.

Bishop Ireton knocked off WCAC favorite 2-1 Friday night, marking the Redbirds’ third win over the
Panthers in their last four encounters, including in last season’s WCAC tournament semifinals.

Ireton has quietly used strong pitching from seniors Dan Nicol and John Robertson and opportune hitting to get off to a 6-0 start this season, the Cards best since a running off five straight to open the 2003 campaign. Ireton has a share of the
WCAC lead with DeMatha at 3-0.

“It’s great to be in this position, but it is more important to be good in May than to be good in March,” said Gallagher on the fast start.

With weather taking a non-conference match up with the Potomac School of McLean off the Saturday schedule, the Cardinals look forward to Monday at Four Mile Run and another Washington Catholic powerhouse, St. Johns College High School looming for the Alexandria school. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30pm.

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By James A. McCray III
DigitalSports Content Manager

There may be no proof that DeMatha Stags boys’ lacrosse player Thomas Chroniger likes to sweep the kitchen day in and day out, but after his eventual game-winning goal Friday afternoon at St. Mary’s Ryken, Chroniger may go home only to find a broom in his hand.

As the DeMatha boys’ lacrosse team stood on the sidelines and watched its opponents tie the game at 4, Chroniger pressed towards the goal with possession.

The ball was eventually stripped and lay on the ground for a second before Chroniger simply swept the ball in, as if his stick was a broom, for the eventual winning goal as DeMatha went on to a 7-5 victory.

Chroniger’s goal was the first of three unanswered for the Stags after the 4-4 tie.

“I was coming in out of the box,” Chroniger explained. ” … I tried to dodge back inside, but I got it stripped, and then I got it on the ground and [just] slapped it in.”

DeMatha (3-2) and head coach Scott Morrison, the defending Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions, stayed true to form after letting a two-goal lead slip away only to gain a three-goal advantage before allowing a late-game goal from the Knights.

“We didn’t know if we had it yet this season,” Morrison said of his DeMatha team. “We didn’t know who we were yet offensively; we’ve had no identity yet so far this year. … We did show a lot of character, you know, up by two, tied, and then win by two. This is something to build on for future games.”

DeMatha had seven different scorers on Friday, as Hilly Summers opened the game’s scoring with a goal less than three minutes into the game.

“We just came out fired up,” Summers said, “ready to win; [we had to] go hard.”

In combination with Summers’ and Chroniger’s goals, a Ryan Belka goal broke a 1-1 midway through the second quarter and a T.J. Harris goal to beat the half-time buzzer gave the Stags a 4-2 lead heading into break.

Ryken (2-1) was led with two goals from Connor Cook, and although down two at the half, Daniel Batong and William Fejes scored on back-to-back goals to tie the game at 4.

“St. Mary’s Ryken did a great job pressuring us, and we didn’t handle the pressure very well at all,” Morrison said. “We pretty much played the last two quarters on defense and hats off to our goal tending.”

DeMatha’s Ryan Brant tallied 12 saves in the victory.

DeMatha 7, St. Mary’s Ryken 5
DeMatha   —   1   3   2   1; (Summers, Belka, Harbeson, Harris, Chroniger, Clise, Gibbons)
Ryken       —   0   2   2   1; (C. Cook 2, Batong, Fejes, Goodley)
Saves: D (Brant 12); R (M. Cook 7)

E-Mail: James A. McCray III

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By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

If the winner of Tuesday’s VoliSports All Star Challenge was determined by who had the flashiest plays, then by all means give the trophy to the Private schools.

But even though it’s all fun and games, the scoreboard declared the Public schools the champion of this restored rivalry, 107-98.

“All year they talk trash with the WCAC and all that,” Kennedy guard George Fountain III said. “Montgomery County has tough playoffs and tough schedules. I just wanted people to see we work just as hard and we play tough teams too.”

Fountain III led the public schools with 16 points but he certainly wasn’t alone. Springbrook forward Brandon Davis notched 15 points, Bethesda-Chase guard Nate Koenig had 12 points and Walter Johnson forward Carl Yaffe scored 11 points. Every public school player except one scored.

“They move the ball, they got other guys involved and they were excited for each other,” said Whitman Coach Chris Lun, who was in charge of the Publics. “It was a lot of fun.”

But it wouldn’t be an All Star game without some jaw-droppers.

St. Andrews guard Alexander Zurn had the best highlights by far, flushing an alley-oop to start the second half and converting a tough and-one with an falling layup off the glass.

“It’s a showcase for me so I’ve got to show something,” Zurn said.

The private schools were led by 23 points from Good Counsel guard Ricardo Gaddy, however, and 22 by teammate Julius Francis, including 14 in the second half from the 6-11 center.

“I knew it was going to be a good game from the start because everybody can play,” Gaddy said. “So I knew they would give us a run for our money. … We started off slow and we were just playing. At the end we started trying to win.”

The Publics built a 17-point lead early in the second quarter and maintained a double-digit lead all way until the start of the fourth quarter.

Francis scored the first four points of the fourth quarter and it was back-and-forth from then on with the Publics maintaining a small lead. Zurn cut the Publics’ lead to three points with just under two minutes left with his acrobatic and-one.

The Publics responded by outscoring their foes, 10-4, over the final stretch in part due to a layup and free throw by Churchill’s Chase Hicks, a Yaffe layup on a Nash Oh assist and four free throws by Koenig to seal the game.

“We just had to get this W, man,” Springbrook guard Jeremy Williams said. “Cause private schools think they’re better.”

FULL DISCLOSURE: Springbrook forward Jamal Olasewere did not play because of commitments to other All Star games. The private schools were without Landon’s Christian Webster, Georgetown Prep standout Markel Starks, and any of the Montrose Christian standouts — just to name a few.

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Katie Sheahin, Good Counsel, Senior
2009 All-Beltway Girls Basketball First Team

 
Sheahin averaged 16.1 ppg this season and was the unquestioned leader for the WCAC champion Falcons. She also averaged nearly six rebounds per game, more than three steals per game and 2.4 blocks. Will play for Loyola (Md.).

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Michael Flach, O’Connell, Senior

2009 All-Beltway Boys Swimming First Team

Flach set the meet record at the 500 free at the Washington Metro Prep Swim Dive League  Championships and crushed the Metros record in the same event with a time of 4:26.02, nearly five seconds faster than the previous record.

**CLICK HERE to return to the All-Beltway main page.

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