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>> REPORTER: County champions
are crowned.
Highlights next on
"High School Sports Scene."
Hi, and welcome to this edition
of "High School Sports Scene."
I'm Colin Parts.
As we move deeper into the fall
season, county championships
were on the line in BCPS.
We start our
coverage with field hockey.
>> REPORTER: It started out as a
breezy and rainy night for the
2012 Baltimore County
field hockey championship held
at Lansdowne High School.
The undefeated Hereford Bulls,
who were ranked number 5 in the
state, were looking for their
fifth straight county
championship against
the Dulaney Lions.
Early in the first half, both
teams battled back and forth,
with neither team getting their
offense on track.
But then Dulaney gets an
opportunity to get on the board
with a penalty corner shot taken
by Kati Williams.
But the ball didn't find
the goal.
Then it was Hereford's turn,
when senior Caitlin Abbott
makes a move and hits a rocket.
But Noelle Buchko makes
a nice block.
Maddie Hoover is there for the
deflection and sends it in front
of the goal.
Although Hereford had several
shots on the goal, the Lions
never let them in the den.
The Bulls were on the attack
again when Mary Claire Abbott
takes two hard shots at the
goal, which were both blocked.
Maggie Gutberlet had a chance
but missed too.
But wait, there's a penalty on
the play.
Fans tensely waited
for the call.
It was a defensive foul called
against Dulaney.
So Mary Claire Abbott gets an
opportunity for a penalty stroke
to put the Bulls on the board.
And she didn't fail...
>> [Cheering]
>> REPORTER: Making it 1-0
Bulls.
The Lions came roaring back when
junior Sara Sprinkel hits a
nice shot and gets past the
defender and goalie
for the score...
knotting the game
at one apiece.
And it would remain that way
until the second half.
On a penalty corner, the Bulls
worked the ball around, and
Mary Claire feeds her sister
Caitlin, who maneuvers her way
around a couple of defenders
and drives the ball in the right
corner of the goal and puts the
Bulls up 2-1.
Dulaney had a golden opportunity
to tie the game up with time
running out, but the defense of
Hereford wouldn't allow them
to score.
Dulaney gave Hereford a battle
up to the final seconds, but in
the end, the Bulls went on to
win their fifth straight
county championship.
>> Congratulations to the Bulls.
On the soccer field, both the
boys' and girls' titles
were up for grabs.
>> REPORTER: On a perfect night
for soccer at Franklin High's
McWilliams Stadium, the
defending champion Catonsville
Comets met the Perry Hall Gators
for the Baltimore County
championship.
From the start of the contest,
Perry Hall was fast and
physical, dictating the pace of
play.
Matt Holschneider's cross is
headed just wide
by Rob Allman.
And a free kick by
Justin Ornelas is gathered by
Comet keeper Kevin Sheppard.
When the Comets did venture into
the Gators' zone, the Perry Hall
defense shut them down.
In the 17th minute, Rob Allman
sends a cross through the 6,
and Alex Holschneider is able to
flick it past Sheppard to give
the Gators a 1-0 lead.
The Comets continued to have
difficulty penetrating
the Gator D.
As Perry Hall kept up the
pressure, Connor Gwin turns
in a low shot that is gobbled
by Sheppard.
Then a drive by Justin Ornelas
handcuffs Sheppard, but he
scrambles in time to recover.
The Gator defense was equally
relentless in squelching any
forays by Catonsville.
At the half, Perry Hall coach
Pete Eibner congratulated his
squad on an impressive
first half.
The Gators kept up the intensity
in the second half.
From the wing, Ornelas lofted a
perfect cross, and
James Canoles finishes to
give the Gators a 2-0 lead
in the 45th minute.
Shortly after, senior forward
Rob Allman has a good look, but
his drive sails wide.
In the 66th minute, a hard
tackle by Catonsville inside
the 18 draws a penalty.
And Ornelas puts the finishing
touch on the night, giving the
Gators a 3-0 lead.
Late in the game, a drive by the
Comets' Emmanuel Amihere goes
just wide, symbolic of the
Catonsville fortunes on this
night.
A round of applause for the
Gators, worthy county champs.
>> [Cheering]
>> REPORTER: The girls' county
championship, also held at
Franklin, saw Eastern Tech
taking on the defending champs,
Perry Hall.
The Gators were on the attack
from the opening kick-off.
Early in the match,
Melanie Garrison sent a cross
that Sabrina Testerman
redirected, but the Mavericks'
Sam Walter was in the right
place and made a huge block.
Minutes later, with the Gators
continuing to apply pressure,
Sofia Perzan got off a shot
from 12 yards, but Tech keeper
Ryan Jones gathered it in
safely.
In the 13th minute, off a
Perry Hall corner, the Mavericks
tried to clear, but
Kara Taylor lofts a shot that
hits the crossbar, and
Eastern Tech clears,
to dodge another bullet.
In the 21st minute, the
Mavericks threatening,
Ashley Hallameyer lifts a shot
from the 18 that hooks softly
into the far corner of the
goal, to put Tech up 1-0.
Perry Hall worked hard to get
back to even, but the Maverick
defense was up to the task.
Off a Gator corner,
Sabrina Testerman sends a
through ball for
Hannah Eisemann, but
Meghan Miller clears
to the side.
In the second half, the
Mavericks' Brandi Bryant can't
quite catch up to a cross
from the wing.
Still down by one, Gator
midfielder Tina Bishop
pushes a shot wide.
Testerman sends a ball for
Garrison, but Ryan Jones
beats her to it.
Moments later, Kara Taylor
redirects a cross at the 6,
but Jones makes the save.
The Mavericks' lead holds up as
they take a 1-0 victory to earn
the county championship.
>> Congratulations
to the champs.
Next, we move
to the volleyball court.
>> REPORTER: For the second year
in a row, Dulaney hosted the
county volleyball championship
as the Lions took on the
Hereford Bulls.
The first game was tight from
the start, as the teams
traded points.
The Lions' Jessica Starr,
with a kill, to put Dulaney up
7-5.
A big hit through the Dulaney
block keeps the Bulls within two
at 15-13.
But the Lions began to pull away
soon after, on the way to
a 25-16 win.
Game 2 followed a different
script, as the Lions jumped out
to a sizeable lead.
A big hit by Darla Svoboda puts
the Lions up 7-1.
But Hereford fought back.
Mackenzie Lange, with a big
block on Milan Amos, pulls the
Bulls to within two at 13-11.
Another big block ties it at 15.
Svoboda again hitting through
the Hereford block to make it
19-18, Lions.
A point by Heather Hills gives
the Bulls the lead at 20-19.
A cross-court kill by Svoboda
ties the game at 24.
And moments later, it's Svoboda
again, to give Dulaney the lead
at 26-25,
as the Lions went on to take
game 2 27-25.
Dulaney took control of the
third game early, jumping out to
a 4-1 lead.
>> Let's go, Lions, let's go!
Let's go, Lions, let's go!
>> REPORTER: A kill by
Milan Amos puts the Lions up
18-12.
Dulaney went on to a 25-16 win
to take game 3 and the match
by a score of 3-0
to earn their first county
volleyball title since 2007.
>> Next, let's meet this month's
Outstanding Female
Student Athlete.
Here's David Birkenthal
with the story.
>> Alyssa Taylor is a senior
at Owings Mills High School.
Her beginning as a runner was
unexpected.
>> TAYLOR: My middle school had
a turkey trot race,
and I won it.
I had no idea that I could even
run before that.
So that was the first time I
realized I was good at running
or I had a talent for it.
>> BIRKENTHAL: Alyssa joined the
track team in high school,
but not as a distance runner.
>> Well, when I first started, I
was a sprinter.
I thought that was my thing, but
I realized very quickly that I
was more of a distance runner,
and then -- so I got a late
start in distance running,
'cause I only started distance
running my sophomore year,
during indoor track.
And I started
to really like that.
>> WOMAN: We realized that she
really would work better
with her gait and her ability to
work with the long distances, so
over the last few years,
she has been training
for the mile, two-mile, and now
over the last two years,
developing her three-mile
cross-country run.
>> I enjoy cross-country a lot,
but I haven't been doing it as
long -- this is only my second
year of cross-country.
So I think I've kind of
developed more of a comfort with
outdoor track than with
cross-country.
>> BIRKENTHAL: Last year, she
made first team, All-County.
>> During my first year of
cross-country, I was -- I made
the first team, All-County,
for Baltimore County, which was
cool, 'cause I didn't think that
I would do that well
my first year, 'cause I didn't
know anything about the sport
at that point.
>> MACALUSO: We were very
excited for her to go to state's
as well her first year
and place so high -- she earned
a medal.
And it was really good to see
her achieve at those levels and
for her to realize how much she
was capable of doing.
>> BIRKENTHAL: Alyssa's constant
training has led her to a great
deal of success.
>> STUDENT: She comes out every
day, and she has a plan.
And she knows what she's doing.
She's educated on what she needs
to know about running, and she
does what she
needs to do every day.
She works hard.
>> MACALUSO: Everything she
eats, her sleeping, everything
is well thought-out for her
running regimen.
>> BIRKENTHAL: Alyssa's
dedication has led her to become
a leader on her team.
>> I'm not naturally a leader.
I think I've kind of just
been -- not forced into the
role, but I think that I've been
helped into it, and it's a
little bit outside my comfort
zone, but I think that's been
a good thing for me.
>> LIBOWITZ: She's definitely
impacted me in the way that I
train -- as opposed to me just
running a certain distance or
doing what I want, she has
something to do every day.
And she is always working hard,
which, when she's working hard,
I just do the same thing, and I
know that I'm doing what's
right.
>> TAYLOR: I just like to help
other people, so it's been a
little bit easier for me to take
over the role, because I think
that I know something that
maybe other people don't,
and I like to help others.
That's something that I think is
a natural thing for me.
>> BIRKENTHAL: And for Alyssa,
her sport has taught her
valuable lessons.
>> TAYLOR: I think that there
are just so many things you can
learn from doing a sport.
It pushes you to your limits,
and it -- it forces you to
kind of adapt and be
a better student, and I think
that's going to help me when I
get to college and even after
college, when I'm just working.
>> BIRKENTHAL: For "High School
Sports Scene," I'm
David Birkenthal.
>> Congratulations to Alyssa.
To honor her selection as this
month's Outstanding Female
Student Athlete, she will
receive an award from Allogram,
Incorporated, in Timonium.
Coming up next is Randy Dase
with "Coach's Corner."
We'll be back in two weeks with
another edition of "High School
Sports Scene."
We hope you'll join us then.
Until then, thanks for watching.
I'm Colin Parts.
>> Hi, I'm Randy Dase, and
welcome to "Coach's Corner."
My guests today are
Michael Sye, the
Acting Coordinator of Athletics
in the Baltimore County Public
School System, and our old
Acting Coordinator of Athletics
in the Baltimore County Public
School System, Mr. Ron Belinko.
And, Ron and Michael, welcome
to "High School Sports Scene."
I apologize for saying, "old,"
Ron, but how long have you been
around in the Baltimore County
Public School System, Ron?
>> 46 years, Randy, so you can
say that.
>> DASE: That's outstanding.
And, Michael, it's great -- you
are a Baltimore County graduate.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Woodlawn High School.
And when you were there, you
were an athlete,
student athlete.
Tell us the sports you
participated in.
>> Well, I'm a product of
Baltimore County Public Schools,
graduated from Woodlawn High
School, played football there
and track standout, and enjoyed
my career there, went on to
the University of Delaware.
>> And then came back and has
been involved in the school
system since, and I guess as of
January, you became the Acting
Coordinator of Athletics.
How's it been going so far,
Michael?
>> It's been a whirlwind.
>> [Laughter]
>> It's been extremely busy.
It's been exciting.
Very, very blessed to have Ron
here with me, helping me,
walking me through.
But I work with a bunch of
great guys, 24 great
Athletic Directors.
They all have been very
supportive and been right there
with me, helping me to get
through this process, as we move
on through this transition.
>> Now, Ron, you've been an
Acting Consultant for the last
year in the Athletic Department.
And when Michael came along,
real excited about seeing him
come, home-bred student athlete
from Baltimore County?
>> Right, there isn't any
question, Randy, we had, when
Mike was named, finally moved in
the office, you have a product
of the county, as you just heard
Mike say, from Woodlawn High
School, it doesn't take that
long when you're a product of it
to know the system, know the
folks in here, and someone
coming from the outside would,
that transition would be
tremendously hard.
And Mike has made that
transition because of his
ability, the reputation he
earned as an Athletic Director
at Woodlawn.
>> Now, Ron, as of June 14th,
15th, it's all over for you?
Retirement?
>> Retirement, officially
retired.
June 15th will be my last day,
as far as with Baltimore County
Public Schools.
And everyone asks me, "What are
you going to do?"
First, go down to the beach,
and then decide at the end
of the summer.
Might do, work with the NIAAA
a little bit and with the State
Athletic Directors' Association.
But that's it.
>> So, Michael, as we were
joking before the taping, the
training wheels will be coming
off, and you'll be riding by
yourself.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Anything first on your
agenda list?
>> Well, I don't know if
anything's first on the agenda.
The training wheels, I think,
have been off for about the past
month -- Ron has been turning
everything over to me and is
like, "Here you go."
So I'm kind of taking it one
step at a time, learning as I'm
going, and just getting used to
the process, getting used to
the different things that
Baltimore County expects, and
just trying to live up to the
standard that Ron has set.
>> And you've been a coach at
Woodlawn, and you've also been
the Athletic Director at
Woodlawn.
Looking back, and I know you're
in a completely different role
now, but as a coach, teacher,
participant, what's great about
Baltimore County's athletic
program, that you always thought
that you were greatly proud of?
>> Well, I think the thing that
I'm most proud of is just that
the amount of love and support
that you get from the teachers,
the administrators, the staff,
and I think what Baltimore
County really does that maybe
you can't say for every single
school system, that they
raise -- they raise young men
and young women to be
student athletes.
And that's the thing that I took
most -- I was most proud of,
coming through, because they
made sure that I had an
opportunity.
They presented
opportunities for me.
They made sure the academics was
there, they made sure the
athletics was there.
They took an interest in me as a
whole person, and I think
that's what Baltimore County
does so well.
>> It's ironic, Ron, but the
number of coaches I have on
throughout the year, and I say,
"Oh, another graduate of a
Baltimore County high school."
I know myself, I'm a graduate of
Towson High School.
I came back because of the role
models that I had in the
classroom and as coaches, and as
you said, Mike, they -- it's a
great system, and when you have
people come back and want to do
the same thing, you know
something's going right.
You know, Ron, I first ran into
you in 1977 at
Overlea High School.
I was a student teacher, and as
a great example, Ron was a
phys. ed. teacher at Overlea
High School, and you were going
to start coaching a pretty new
sport over there, right,
for Overlea?
>> It was the lacrosse program.
>> And I'll never forget, you
offered me that opportunity to
work with you, and it didn't
work out that way, but the
opportunity was great, and, Ron,
you've been from the trenches to
the top dog.
Looking back, talk to us a
little about your career.
>> When you talk about the
career, you mentioned at Overlea
High School, starting a new
sport there at the time
in lacrosse, along with
Glenn Boston, who was over
there at Towson with you, he was
the mover behind it.
And when you take a look at --
when I first started in
Baltimore County, Randy, we
didn't have football.
You saw football grow, you saw
the sport of lacrosse grow,
the wrestling program, and you
just saw the county grow
tremendously since I've been
around.
We made a culture change in the
early '90s in athletics by
putting up some lighted fields,
playing at night, playing
football particularly Friday
night or Saturday afternoons
without lights.
So when you take a look at that
potential and the students'
offerings have grown -- we added
girls' sports, we added girls'
golf over the years, girls'
track and field, girls' soccer,
so being part of that and coming
up through the trenches, and
that's similar to what Mike has
done -- he came up, has come up
through the trenches, and, you
know, every phase of it.
Someone can't come up to you and
say, "Well, you
haven't done this."
"Yes, I have."
Trouble is, when you're around
as long as I have, it's, "What
can you do for me lately?"
And all these things been in
place, but people like yourself
do remember some of those
things.
>> And another thing I don't
think a lot of people realize,
Ron, but besides being the
Coordinator of Athletics in
Baltimore County, you've served
on so many different committees.
And I know a special sport to
you that you had great love for
lacrosse, wrestling, football,
and people don't realize all
that additional time that you're
putting in.
>> Well, in order to make an
impact on a state level, it's
part of our responsibilities to
be active on the state level
and serve on MPSSAA committees.
And if you're not active, the
county -- or the LEA -- gets
shortchanged.
So you must be very active in
order to look out for Baltimore
County and make your presence
known.
>> Well, let me ask you -- the
first day that Mike came into
your office and you sat down,
you talked about things, what
was your first words of advice
to Michael?
>> First words of advice?
[Laughs] Gave him a lot of words
of advice, Mike might remember
that, but one thing is that
advised Mike to do is be
visible, be highly visible, be
out there, let folks see you.
It's going to be a tough job,
because there are a lot of
things that have to take place
in the office, principals expect
you in the morning, but you
cannot operate by e-mail and
texting.
You have to make that personal
contact, be out there to see
what's going on.
You know, when you coach, Randy,
if I were on the sidelines,
watching what happens, if there
was a bad call of officials, you
would come running over right
away, say, "Ron, where do these
officials come from?"
But you have to be out there to
know that you listen and care
and support things when they
go bad or when they're going
well.
>> Now, Ron, that was a setup
question, because I knew the
answer.
And, Michael, the reason I asked
him that is because if he didn't
tell you that, I was going to
tell him that today.
But to be seen.
Because I have always seen Ron
in the gym, on the field,
on the track, and that
visibility, I think, has been
very important as a coach, and
also from the parents and also
from the teachers.
Michael, you think you're going
to be out on those fields?
>> Well, I've been out on the
fields already.
Like Ron said, that was the
first thing he told me, is to be
visible.
The second thing he told me was
to be visible.
And the third thing he told me
was to be visible.
>> [Laughter]
>> So, for me --
>> He's a realtor, like,
location, right?
>> Yeah, so, for me, it was
easy, you know, just to go out
and be myself, get to know all
the coaches, you know, at
Woodlawn High School, I worked
with a staff of about 40, 50.
Now we're working with an entire
county and 24 ADs and hundreds
of coaches.
So I want to get to know each
and every one of them, get to
know what they bring to the
table, as far as Baltimore
County Athletics is concerned.
And that way, I'll have a
good -- I'll have my finger on
the pulse of Baltimore County
Athletics, and like Ron has done
for so many years, he knows
everybody.
I mean, it's amazing how many
times we go out, and somebody'll
say, "Hey, Ron!"
And he calls them back
by their name.
So if I can ever get to that
point where I know all of my
staff, all 24 schools, the
middle schools included, then I
think that I'm
on the right track.
>> We come up this fall --
summer will be like this, right?
And something's new this year,
Michael.
It's called August 11th is the
first day of fall tryouts, and
that's the earliest day we've
ever had.
Have you had any e-mails or
complaints yet about that one?
Or does everybody just sort of
say, "That's the way it is --
let's move on"?
>> Well, no complaints yet.
We have some things coming down
the pipeline that might get some
complaints going, but no
complaints yet.
I think everybody is just
excited to get the new year
started.
I'm excited, being new
leadership coming in.
It's going to be -- it's going
to be a short summer.
It's already short for me, as
the training wheels are taken
off, so we're really excited.
No complaints as of yet, but,
you know, we can't make
everybody happy, so...
>> Well, gentlemen, we're just
about out of time, but, Michael,
I will give you one
suggestion -- you might want to
get a name tag, so your family
knows who you are when you come
home, right?
>> Okay.
>> [Laughter]
>> Lot of late nights already.
>> DASE: Right. But listen,
Michael, good luck.
>> Thank you so much.
>> I think we've got a great man
for the job.
I'm looking forward to working
with you, as all the other
coaches and parents and athletes
in Baltimore County.
Ron, what else can we say?
You dedicated basically your
life to the school system in
Baltimore County and did one
super job, and we'll miss you,
but I think we'll probably still
see you in the field or a gym
somewhere, because I know you,
you've still got that in your
blood.
But enjoy your retirement, and
wish you good health, also.
>> Thank you, Randy.
>> For "High School Sports
Scene," I'm Randy Dase.
Thanks for watching.
See you next time.