Each week, the Carroll County Times highlights a Team of the Week and names five standout players.
Team of the Week
Manchester Valley cheerleading
The Mavericks won their sixth straight county championship on Jan. 25, taking home the winter title with a score of 114.8 and beating out Century (108.35) and South Carroll (105.15). They have won fall and winter championships each of the past three years.
Next up for Manchester Valley is the Class 2A West Regional meet, where the Mavericks are defending champions, on Wednesday. The state championships are on Feb. 11.
5-star players
Caroline McCann, Westminster, girls wrestling: McCann navigated through a talented and crowded field to win the 130-pound weight class at the Queen of the Jungle tournament this weekend at Queen Anne’s. McCann went 4-0 at the event, winning two round-robin matches by fall and technical fall. She won her semifinal by pin, then also pinned St. George’s Natalie Hackett in the finals, who came into the match 23-1. McCann is 19-4 this season and ranked fourth in the state by Legacy Wrestling.
Kensi Bancroft, Francis Scott Key, girls basketball: Bancroft entered the week ranked fourth in the county in rebounding (7.2 a game) but is poised to move up after a big week on the glass. Bancroft averaged 10 rebounds per game this week in wins over Century and Liberty. She grabbed 12 rebounds in Tuesday’s win over the Lions, then followed up with eight in Friday’s win over the Knights.
JoJo Gigliotti, South Carroll, boys wrestling: While the Cavaliers cruised to a 50-18 dual win over Manchester Valley on Wednesday, one of the highlight bouts was a clash of state-ranked wrestlers at 144 pounds. Gigliotti, a two-time state champion and University of Maryland commit, pinned the Mavericks’ Bradyn VanDerVoort. Gigliotti is currently ranked second in the state by Legacy Wrestling and VanDerVoort is ranked sixth.
Tanek Zitta, Westminster, boys basketball: Zitta had two big games for the Owls as they try to stay in the mix for a league championship. He had 16 points and nine rebounds in a nonconference game against Linganore then scored 12 points on Friday to help Westminster survive a back-and-forth game against Manchester Valley. He entered the week fifth in the county in assists, averaging 5.2 a game.
Taylor Fique, Manchester Valley, girls basketball: In her only game last week, Fique amassed 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a one-point win over South Carroll. She’s been a big part of the Mavericks’ recent three-game winning streak, averaging 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4.7 steals in at stretch.
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