The Starting Five

The Maryland baseball tournament draw was announced Wednesday and, as usual, the flaws of this seeding system (or lack thereof) are evident in the 1A brackets.
To set it up, just as in basketball, regular-season records exclusive of “holiday tournament games” are counted in determining the seeds. After that, it’s one-for-all, all-for-one. For purposes of this discussion, the records listed be exclusive of holiday games.
Manchester Valley had the top seed at 11-5, Brunswick gained the second seed at 11-6. That meant Clear Spring, also at 11-6 was left out in the cold even though the Blazers had beat Brunswick twice during the season.
But there was a catch.
Clear Spring and Williamsport had a tie game that was still to have been completed, and it was not. School officials from both sides had determined it would be counted. According to the MPSSAA, that means it is a 1/2 loss. For Clear Spring that meant a divison of 11-6-1 into 18 games, leaving them just behind Brunswick, who had a suspended game in which they were losing against North Hagerstown, not continued nor part of a record.
Now, to top things off Boonsboro, with a record of 10-8, is another loser in this process. It is the Warriors who must go to Clear Spring for a first round contest.
At the same time, Smithsburg and its 2-16 record has a home game against North Carroll, who is 4-13. Does this make sense? Of course not because the MPSSAA simply can’t recognize where it needs to make changes in its playoff system.
I talked to two individuals today that both agreed the seeding system needs to be overhauled, include ALL games played, just as it needs to do in basketball. There needs to be a seeding process in each region, regardless of it having 8 teams or 16 teams.
Right now, it just is not working and last I knew, if it is broken it needs fixed.

By now the boys basketball All-Washington County choices have settled in, both for the players and coaches. As usual, we’re sure that there are those that might not agree with all the choices.
I can tell you it was tooth and nails for the player of the year. But endorsements from other coaches and general opinions from others gave the edge to Saint James’ Obi Enechionyia. He’s a sophomore and the real deal.
The coach of the year was even more of a tooth and nail. There were four coaches that merited the award — Eric Gerber, Amrit Rayfield, Kevin Naylor and Paul Easton. Everyone of them had a great year.
In the end it came down to Smithsburg’s Gerber as the Leopards had their best year in 24 years.
And before you ask, “what about a co-coach” award …. I hate those. It’s one or none. Same with the player unless it is so undeniably close that it has to be two to win.

Sunday’s Arnold Palmer Invitational should be a sweet Sunday finish.
While any Tiger Woods fan obviously would kike to see him win, as I would, I think I might be pulling for another veteran to come through.
His game is rounding into form and I am going to pull for Ernie Els, right now 3 strokes behind.
Having not won in 3 years, Els is not eligible for The Masters, coming up in a few weeks. He needs a victory to gain entrance, and he certainly is the type of player that deserves being there. He’s not in the Golf Hall of Fame for nothing.
So, here’s hoping Ernie comes through.

Be honest, as well as I will be.
At the beginning of the boys basketball season in Washington County, how many of you would have guessed that Smithsburg would be the last team standing?
Not me.
Not because of a lack of talent, more so because of a lack of height, an inside power game, and the past.
But here we are and the Leopards are one game away from visitng the University of Maryland Comcast Center for the Class 1A state championships next weekend.
On Saturday at high noon, the Leopards meet Southern Garrett at Frostburg State University for the right to play in the semifinals next Friday night.
Both teams are 19-5. Smithsburg nipped Brunswick 59-58 and Southern overwhelmed Allegany 66-43 on Thursday.
It’s been Trent Springs, Jordan Fortson, Tyson Pierre and a supporting cast of thousands getting the job done for Smithsburg. Now, the youngster have to dig down deep one more time.
Who do I pick you ask? Hmmm, that’s a tough one but I am going to say Southern Garrett wins in a nailbiter that is not decided until the final two, three minutes of the game.
Go ahead, make me swallow that pick Smithsburg!

Well, here we go again with postseason basketball and my annual gripe session that as usual, is barking up a wrong tree with the Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association (MPSSAA as we know it).
The draws were conducted Sunday and as I figure always happens, did. There are some illustrations of why this state needs needs to change its structure for playoffs.
Basically, if you are not a top 4 seed you are at the mercy of the system. And depending what region you are in and how many teams there are, it might be only the top 2 seeds.
As usual there are cases of schools having to hit the road, carrying a much better record than the team they will be visiting.
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Monday’s boys basketball game between Saint James and St. Maria Goretti was second to none this year of any game I have covered when it came to student body enthusiasm.
It was the Independent-Parochial School League championship game at Goretti, which was won 57-49 by Saint James.
While the game was a model of past hotly-contested games in the rivalry, it was a dead heat in the stands.
The Goretti contingent of students was there early, chanting and hollering.
A swarm of about 75 students from Saint James came rolling through the doors about 10 minutes before tipoff, swelling the stands behind the Saints’ bench.
The night was just what you like to see … good basketball and a packed house.

Just about two weeks are left before schools wrap up MVAL Antietam Conference action on Feb. 10 and right now, all sights are set on Tuesday (Jan. 31) when South Hagerstown visits Smithsburg.
At this point, South is in first place with a 10-0 record while the Leopards are next in line at 9-1. The only blemish was a 74-52 loss to South on Jan. 3.
Smithsburg is 13-3 overall while South is riding the crest of a 14-game win streak after opening the year at 0-2. The Leopards have equaled their win total from last year and are not far from reaching their most recent best overall record of 16-8 in the 2005-06 year.
Even though this is a midweek game I would suggest not missing the game. It could be a blowout, as the first meeting suggests, but I am going to go out on a limb and say it won’t be. I’m not saying Smithsburg will win but it will be a far more competitive game than the first.

We’ve just about reached the mid-point of the basketball season so let’s take a look at the boys in Washington County.
MVAL ANTIETAM: South Hagerstown is in control of its own destiny in the Antietam, as I expected they would be. Smithsburg is 1-game behind the Rebels in the MVAL standings, that loss was a 22-pointer to South.
SOUTH: Devonte Morel has been the top scorer for the Rebels and we’re still waiting for the real Devon King to step up to his potential. If everything comes together the Rebels could get through 3A and back to Comcast.
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Gee, you’d think I was out of the country. Maybe I have been but didn’t know it. Time to get back to this blogging thing, it’s only been a month since I did it.

Quick comments:
Tonight (Monday) My prediction is LSU 16, Alabama 13 in the BCS Championship.
My Notre Dame team (basketball) gets beat in D.C. by Maryland but goes on the road and beats a much tougher Louisville. Mmmm.
Loved every minute, well most of them, with Denver beating the Steelers on Sunday. The Towel can go into hibernation for another year.
I’m really wondering whether Colt McCoy is the answer for my Browns. How about getting Flynn away from Green Bay?
The PGA golf season is just around the corner. Will Tiger Woods win a major this year? If he doesn’t I don’t think he will reach Nicklaus’ record of 18. More importanly, will I ever get a hole-in-one.
The NBA season has returned …. so what !

Well, that’s it for now. At least I know where I can still blog. I’ll be back very, very soon. Gotta get all my boys high school basketball thoughts down.

Starting December 17 we begin the glut of 34 college bowl games. Don’t get me wrong, I love college football, but at this time of year the reward of playing in a postseason game becomes a little ridiculous.
That means 68 teams are playing and of that number, 29 teams were rewarded for a season in which they did no better than a 7-5 season.
There were 16 teams at 7-5, another 12 that hit the jackpot with a 6-6 record and even one school — UCLA — that gets a bowl game at 6-7. Unreal!
What powerful matchups there are ahead. Such as 7-5 Western Michigan vs. 6-6 Purdue; there will be 6-6 Mississippi State vs. 6-6 Wake Forest; 6-6 Texas A & M vs. 6-6 Northwestern and yes, even the real big boys fall into this category when 6-6 Florida plays 6-6 Ohio State on Jan. 2 in the Gator Bowl. The real winner is 6-6 Illinois vs. 6-7 UCLA.
And as a prelude to the National Championship game when LSU meets Alabama, our lips are moistened by the GoDaddy.com Bowl between Arkansas State and Northern Illinois.
Remember the old days … Jan. 1 truly was the granddaddy … What a mess.