The Starting Five

Saint James forward Obi Enechionyia’s stock is beginning to rise on the recruiting trail.

Over the summer, the junior was pegged as a 3-star recruit, but, according to Rivals, he has since been elevated to a 4-star forward in the 2014 class. Rivals put him at 82 in their 2014 player rankings. Enechionyia is averaging a double-double per game this season with the Saints, putting up 21.3 PPG and grabbing 13.0 RPG.

He has yet to take an official visit, but has received offers from: Indiana, Maryland (!), Massachusetts, Miami (FL), VCU, Villanova, Virginia and Xavier (exhales). Enechionyia is also getting looks from Ohio State and Stanford.

Official visits should begin sometime after Saint James’ season ends and I’ll be sure to pass along more information as it becomes available.

The baseball writers charged with the voting and selection of Hall of Fame players for 2013 hit it on the head this year.
Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds failed to get the necessary 75 percent to gain induction. In fact, they were far from having a chance. Clemens received 37 percent and Bonds 36. Evben Sammy Sosa had but 12 percent. Craig Biggio had 68 percent of the vote to lead all vote-getters.
Bonds has denied he knowingly used PEDs and Clemens was acquitted of perjury charges and Sosa tested positive in 2003.
Do they belong in the Hall of Fame? Now, their agents are going to cry foul ball! Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, has already cried “unimaginable” that Bonds wasn’t a unanimous first-ballot selection.
Well, this is how I look at it and I certainly am no Cincinnati Reds fan ….. but none of them belong in the Hall of Fame until MLB abolishes the ban on Pete Rose. … Then, after he gets put in the HOF, the others can follow.

For some of us, myself included, tonight (Jan. 7) will be one of the most important dates of 2013.
Of course, I am talking about the BCS national championship game between my beloved Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the other team — Alabama.
Here is my prediction: Notre Dame 17, Alabama 13
And here are some predictons of others I checked with:
Mark Keller: Alabama 17-13 (right score, wrong team)
Andy Mason: Notre Dame 27-24
Bob Parasiliti: Alabama 24-13
Dan Kauffman : Notre Dame 21-17 (this may cause concern)
C J Lovelace: Alabama 24-20
Scott Nicewarner: Alabama 21-14
Wayne Webster: Alabama 24-7
Ryan Myers: Notre Dame 31-21
Sue Koelble: Notre Dame 24-21 (she was not forced)

Enjoy the Notre Dame victory

Been busy with preseason preview, all-county stuff from the fall season and now with added TV to do, there just doesn’t seem like there is enough time in the day.
So, we are into the basketball season, one of my favorites both from the prep and college point of view.
I talked in my boys preview about the privates — Goretti and Saint James — possibly being the cream of the crop in Washington County this year.
The Gaels have Martin Geben and Tyrus Fleetwood and the Saints have Obi and Nnamdi Enechionyia, among others.
And Wednesday night the teams got together with Goretti imposing themselves on the Saints to the tune of a 63-44 victory.
The early season book on South Hagerstown and North Hagerstown has yet to see the second chapter. South has a good starting five but needs depth and North has the depth but needs to come together at one time, much as it did not do Tuesday in a loss to South.
On the girls scene, it appears that South Hagerstown is the top team around. The Lady Rebels will get a good test later against Martinsburg.
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And here it is: the ACC has officially filed a lawsuit against Maryland in — wait for it — Greensboro, North Carolina. Shocking, I know. According to The Duke Chronicle, who broke the story, the ACC’s suit against Maryland is likely regarding the $50 million exit fee the conference demands from schools wanting to jump ship.

Maryland and Florida State were the only two ACC schools who voted against the this figure back in September. School President Wallace Loh believes the $50 million fee won’t hold up in court. We shall see.

This is the first of many legal details to be brought to light in the Maryland-ACC saga. This is also the first time I have ever read The Duke Chronicle.

Ever since the story broke I’ve been trying to conjure up reasons as to why Maryland shouldn’t leave the ACC — legitimate reasons. I came up with exactly zero. One big bagel. The brimming reason most Maryland fans did not want to join the B1G was the tradition it shared with the ACC. It has plenty of history being one of the conference’s charter members, but its history is just that.

History, like Greivis Vasquez’s senior night in 2010 when the Terps upset Duke and claimed a share of the ACC regular season championship. Like his triple-double performance against North Carolina in 2009. Like the football team’s upset of Boston College in 2007 that began the demise of Matt Ryan’s Heisman run. The upsets of Florida State in 2006 and 2004. Maryland’s 2004 ACC Tournament championship where it beat Duke. The 2002 basketball national championship where the Terps beat new B1G conference foe Indiana. Or, the 2001 football game against Clemson where Maryland won the ACC Championship and a barrage of oranges blanketed the field. Yes, there is plenty more Maryland-ACC history, but none so exuberant that it should prevent the Terps from doing what is best for the school.

With the recent admittance of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and, as of September, Notre Dame to the ACC, that history died. Maryland would only get a chance to play Duke or North Carolina at home every two years. Maryland got paired with Pittsburgh and Virginia in basketball as its “natural rivals.” Speaking of rivalries, ask any Duke or North Carolina fan if they consider Maryland a rival. I bet they don’t because they have each other. Fact is, Maryland doesn’t have a true in-conference rival. Duke and North Carolina are fun teams to beat, but the Terps haven’t beaten them much as of late. The rivalries in football are non-existent.
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The Maryland-to-the-B1G rumors actually began awhile ago when conference realignment was all the rage. It died off, Maryland remained in the ACC, who then wooed Syracuse and Pittsburgh into becoming conference members. And, in September, Notre Dame joined the ACC as a quasi-member in football and a full member in all other sports except ice hockey.

If you read almost any report regarding Maryland’s potential move to the B1G, you’ll see ESPN.com’s Andy Katz and Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde garnering all the recognition for breaking this story. In reality, neither Katz or Forde did just that.

Jeremy Conn, a radio personality for Baltimore’s 105.7 The Fan, brought up the move on November 12 while on the air. This was the first time since major conference realigning was taking place I heard the rumor surface again. This past Thursday, Jeff Ermann from InsideMDSports.com had the story informing everyone Maryland was indeed in serious talks with the B1G about jumping ship.
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The second season starts this week in prep football. Here is a brief look at the games involving area teams. Official dates and times will be announced Monday.

MARYLAND — North Hagerstown at Seneca Valley; Brunswick at Boonsboro
Second matchup of these two teams — Boonsboro won 47-0 on Oct 19 but I don’t see that type of score again

PA — Chambersburg at Central York (in the watered down PA playoffs)

WV — Woodrow Wilson at Martinsburg; Musselman at Capital
The note on this matchup–If Martinsburg and Musselman each win they would play each other in the next game. In the regular season Martinsburg beat Musselman 73-0.

South Hagerstown’s football team has reached a new level as a testament to its 8-0 record.
For the first time in school history the Rebels were ranked in the Top 25 of the Maryland football poll. Receiving 41 points, the Rebels stood in 22nd.
Quite an achievement by South, but you know there are bigger and better things the Rebels would like to notch on their belt.
Hopefully, for South fans including the long-suffering alums, coach Toby Peer and his staff can keep things under control in camp over the next few weeks. There are two big games left for South with Boonsboro and North Hagerstown looming as big threats as the regular season winds down.
South is a virtual lock on a playoff position; North Hagerstown has entered the picture this week in the fourth position.
Along with Boonsboro in the 1A West, could be an interesting postseason.

I was so glad to hear this recently. Here’s a link on the great Jim Brown.click here