What a year!
After four years of Towson University, and then spending the next two years becoming “Merrill Made” at the University of Maryland, I finally started my dream job: sports reporting.
Spending 90% of my time covering Carroll County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City high school sports, I have seen it all. Record breaking performances, school and county firsts, emotional moments that will last a lifetime for fans, coaches and — most importantly — the young athletes.
Everyone loves a good year-end list, so I thought I’d follow one of my old classmates leads and create a top-10 list of events I covered this past year.
Disclaimers: I covered more sports than others. An event can make the list for many reasons: a big game, a clutch performance or simply because the student section was lit. It’s my list.
Most importantly, there were only 10 spots. This was HARD.
So, if you’d indulge, here are my top 10.
But first:
“The other 10%”: Mackenzie DeWees returns home and the debut of the Carroll Lynx volleyball Program
I did cover some college sports and events and these were just too good not to mention.
One of my favorite athletes was without a doubt Mackenzie DeWees, when her mother (and Manchester Valley girls basketball coach) Heather told me Mackenzie’s story, I was immediately interested.
After being diagnosed with celiac disease as a sophomore at Quinnipiac, DeWees fought back, returned then suffered a devastating knee injury that caused blood clots in her leg post-surgery.
She fought back again, though, fighting to play 12 games — including one in her home state one last time against Mount Saint Mary’s, where Heather’s name is in the rafters as one of the school’s greatest players.
Seeing the DeWees family in droves celebrating that full-circle moment, a moment made possible thanks to an admirable feat of strength and perseverance, is definitely one that will stick with me for a long time.
Speaking of perseverance, how about turning a passion and a couple of conversations into an entire college program?
That is what happened at Carroll Community College when coach Teri Leatherwood turned the question “Where’s the school’s volleyball team?” into the school’s newest athletic program.
With all the challenging work, funding and behind the scenes work by Leatherwood, school administration and, of course, the players, the Carroll Lynx volleyball team was born.
The program’s debut on Aug 23 was a great display of community and in the midst of a packed gym, I was lucky to have a front row seat to it all.
South Carroll celebrates their shootout win over Patuxent during a state field hockey semifinal at Glen Burnie High School on Nov. 8. (John Gillis/For Carroll County Times)
10. South Carroll field hockey clinches return to state title after defeating Patuxent in thriller.
The first entry on my list happens to be the most recent, but when the losing coach calls it the “greatest field hockey game I’ve seen or been apart of,” then that should tell you all you need to know. As someone new to watching field hockey, even I knew this game was special.
Four quarters, two overtime periods and a shootout weren’t enough as the teams went to an alternating shot-for-shot winner-take-all period where South Carroll’s Alayna Enoff scored the winning shot past Patuxent goalie Jorden Sampson.
Oh, and a spot to the state championship was on the line.
The South Carroll wrestling team celebrates with the championship trophy after beating Northern Garrett, 46-30, to win the Class 1A state dual meet championship. (Brian Krista/Staff)
9. South Carroll wrestling wins another dual state title.
I promise this is not a South Carroll-exclusive list.
But last year’s Cavaliers may be the greatest public school wrestling team in the history of the state, and I’m standing on that.
Grayson Barnhill, Evan Owen, JoJo Gigliotti, Gage Owen, Anthony Rodrigues, AJ Rodrigues, Manny Rodrigues and Rylan Moose all scored victories as the Cavs claimed another dual state title.
This roster featured a FRESHMAN that won county and state titles, four four-time county champions, and two three-time state champions that probably would have won a fourth if not for a pandemic-cancelled 2021.
Yeah, the more I think about it, this team is goated. I am standing on it.
Francis Scott Key’s Keira Cooper pins Ashley Gamez in the 135-pound finals at the Carroll County wrestling tournament. (Thomas walker/For Carroll County Times)
8. Carroll County wrestling tournament.
One spot ahead of South Carroll, the entire county’s wrestling tournament. I quickly learned that Carroll County is the spot for top-quality wrestling in the state, for coed and girls.
Along with all of South Carroll’s champions, Liberty’s Dylan Ohler captured his second straight county crown, Caroline Cruickshank, Keira Cooper, Mackenzie Koon and Emily Arboleda won individual titles for girls county champion Francis Scott Key and Manchester Valley left with 11 champions.
While South Carroll athletic Tim Novotny joked it was the “South Carroll Invitational,” I have renamed the 2023 county wrestling tournament as “the day Carroll County put the state on notice.”
7. Pikesville baseball finally beats South Carroll.
Baltimore County alert!
The third time was the charm for the Panthers this day. After losing to the Cavaliers in the regional final the previous year, the pair met up in the regular season in 2023 with Pikesville looking for revenge.
The Panthers lost, blowing a five-run lead in the process.
But just 13 days later, the pair met again (this time in Pikesville) for another regional title matchup. The crowd was buzzing on both sides as the pair battled yet again.
The Panthers finally concurred the Cavaliers, winning 6-4 after a clutch double from Eli Friedman.
The relived looks on the faces of Pikesville parents and players will stick with me “we got em” one player told me, looking like he just finished a graveyard shift.
The Manchester Valley girls lacrosse team celebrates after winning the Class 2A state championship, beating Middletown at Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium to close an undefeated season.
6. Manchester Valley girls lacrosse caps off undefeated season with state title.
One of my favorite teams to cover by far was this Manchester Valley lacrosse squad.
When I first saw Emma Penczek and Casey Meredith, they were playing basketball. As I stood impressed with both of them, athletic director Liz Padgett tapped me on the shoulder while standing next to a woman and said “just wait until the spring” with a huge smile.
The woman next to her (unbeknownst to me): girls lacrosse coach Shelly Brezicki.
The Mavericks went undefeated and won the 2A state championship months later with Penczek scoring nine goals and Meredith (who was my personal favorite because she was committed to Towson) scoring three.
Loved watching the hard work payoff for such a great team to cover.
5. “And I Wunder if you know what it means.” Chris Wunder finally beats big brother George.
Chris and George Wunder are two of my favorite coaches. They both send their preview information and stats in on time (if you know, you know). They are great to talk to and they are both good coaches that get the most out of their players.
So, imagine my shock when I found out from Xaiver Bowman that the Jan 6. win over Century was the first time Chris beat George head-to-head as coaches of their respective schools.
Not only that, but it was also the first time EVER Manchester Valley boys basketball defeated Century.
School history and a sibling rivalry changed forever, yeah, this game belongs in the top five.
The real question: who was momma Wunder rooting for?
Randallstown players pose with the trophy after beating New Town, 16-6, in the championship game of the Jackie Robinson Memorial Tournament.
4. Randallstown baseball hosts (and wins) Jackie Robinson Memorial Day Tournament.
If there’s ever a time to celebrate sports history, it’s every year on or around April 11th.
Now full disclosure, I went to Randallstown, played for head coach Marc Stevens and was an assistant coach on two regional championship teams. I have extensive inside knowledge when I say this was special.
Coach had been talking about this tournament since I arrived at Randallstown.
A baseball savant, Stevens wanted to honor his hero and in just a few short years he developed his idea from a Jackie Robinson memorial game to an entire tournament that caught the eyes and attention of everyone, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the office of Governor Wes Moore.
With the tournament field expanding, local leaders and businesses supported and Black baseball programs across the state gathered to celebrate and honor the man that broke baseball’s color barrier.
Regardless of where I went to high school or what county this was in, events like this tournament are simply why covering high school athletics and community journalism matter.
Honorable Mentions: Bradey Covey scores eight, Aryss Maktoon’s triple double and my introduction to Caleb Franze.
In the long line of Covey’s that have suited up for Westminster lacrosse, I was lucky to catch Bradey, who absolutely dominated Liberty with eight goals on Apr 20. Although I came to see Gerstell girls basketball on Jan. 12, it was current La Salle guard Aryss Macktoon’s 23-point, 10-rebound, 11-steal effort for St. Timothy’s (great name btw) that left me speechless.
Speechless is exactly what I was after I was told how fast it took Gerstell’s Caleb Franze to become the school’s all-time leading scorer a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I was in attendance for the guard’s 1,000th point on Feb. 12th as he dropped 25 on FSK.
Liberty catcher Kaelin Ault and Francis Scott Key runner Piper Beahm look to the umpire who calls Beahm safe on a play at home during a Class 1A regional final softball game at Francis Scott Key High School on May 17. (Brian Krista/Staff)
3. Francis Scott Key and Liberty play 11 inning softball thriller
This game had everything.
With a regional title on the line, Francis Scott Key and Liberty absolutely left it all on the field. Diving catches, game tying home runs, a photographer with a six-hour battery dead by the ninth inning (shoutout to Brian Krista) and a rec softball team practice cancelled because the game ran that long.
The greatness of this game starts (and ends) with Jasmine Kline, who easily is up there with Emma Penczek and AJ Rodrigues as one of the most impressive athletes I have seen so far (that list may be coming soon).
She threw 210 pitches and struck out 13.
The girl pitched THE ENTIRE GAME.
Both teams fought like two heavyweight fighters, responding to one punch from their opponent with one of their own.
At some point I stopped being a sports reporter and simply became in awe of what I was witnessing. Walking back and forth talking to Ed DeVincent and Ryan Kimble, respectively the athletic directors at Liberty and FSK, because I didn’t know whose team was going to win.
Oh, and by the way, the win clinched FSK’s first softball regional title in over 25 years.
Century’s Andrew Marcinko releases a 3-point shot over Liberty’s Derek Goff on Feb. 10. (Brian Krista/Staff)
2- Century/Liberty rivalry part 573,780,283
During the first Century/Liberty game I ever covered, it was a Liberty parent that told me “If it was these two schools playing checkers, it’d be the most intense checkers game in the county.”
So, when the Feb. 10 boys basketball game between the two at Century turned into a double-overtime thriller, it was the perfect setup for a classic.
Add in the fact that you had two players of the year candidates in Liberty’s Tyler Downs (who ended up winning the award in 2022) and Century’s Andrew Marcinko (2021’s winner), it was March Madness in February.
And might I add, the blacked out Century student section made the atmosphere 10 times cooler. “Gave proof through the KNIGHT,” during the National Anthem was tough; I can’t even lie.
South Carroll’s Evan Owen, right, defeats Mount Saint Joseph’s Jake Tamai in their 113-pound match a dual on Feb. 2. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
1. South Carroll welcomes Mount Saint Joseph for private school vs. public school showdown
This was a moment so special; I wasn’t even the only reporter there. Mike Frainie had to come with me as we watched the state’s top private school wrestling program battle the state’s top public school. There were hundreds of people, five or six college coaches, two reporters and a photographer there to capture the moment.
Matchups like this are rare because hypothetically a program like MSJ has everything lose and nothing to gain beating some public school. But South Carroll isn’t just “some public school.” They were THE public school.
The Cavaliers proved they belonged not only on the mat but as a community as Carroll County provided a state championship like atmosphere to a dual in the beginning of February.
The private vs. public debate was put on hold, the “oh we can’t travel that far” issue was solved and schools’ athletic directors made it happen for the sake of competition.
Hats off to both schools for making this happen and deliver a show. It was fun as was the entire year.
Here’s to an even greater new year!