Our latest installment of the Howard County Times’ series, Sports Breakdown features River Hill soccer goalie Tomas Potts, who brought along some of his teammates and county rivals to teach how to defend against breakaways. Then, he and sports editor Brent Kennedy defend the goal in a breakaway shootout.
With the return of summer also comes the return of the Howard County Times’ video series ‘Sports Breakdown,’ where athletes from across the county teach our reporters and editors how to do what they do best.
Our first installment this year brings together rivals Tori Diggs, of Oakland Mills High, and Rachel Lazris, of Wilde Lake High, who teach girls basketball beat reporter Matt Owings how to sink three-point shots.
For the past three years, the Howard County girls golf scene has been dominated by the talented duo of Bryana Nguyen (Atholton) and Rachel Lee (Marriotts Ridge).
Nguyen, a three-time county Player of the Year, added a state championship to her resume last fall at the University of Maryland golf course. She also owns the county’s girls golf record for scoring average over the course of an entire season.
Lee, meanwhile, is a three-time first team all-county selection in her own right. She has finished in the top three in the county in scoring average every season since arriving as a freshman and has finished fourth at the state championship tournament for two straight years.
Nguyen has verbally committed to play collegiately at the University of North Carolina, while Lee committed this spring to the University of Delaware.
The Oakland Mills boys soccer team put together its highest overall win total (13) of the past decade last fall, finishing third in the county standings and making the 2A North regional championship along the way.
The team’s mix of senior leadership and young talent was the backbone of that breakthrough campaign. John Caldwell, who will be a junior this year, is one of those underclassmen that are now hoping to help the Scorpions take that next step toward competing for a county championship.
Caldwell finished his sophomore year season with five goals and five assists. That point total (15) put him among the county’s top 20 scorers.
River Hill rising senior Alex Potocko is one of the most seasoned placekickers in the state, having helped the Hawks finish 14-0 last year, culminating with their fourth state championship, an 18-14 win over Huntingtown at M&T Bank Stadium.
Potocko finished the year 69-for-79 on extra point attempts, with two successful field goals, including a 37-yarder.
Potocko was named second team all-county, and will try to help River Hill get back to the state championship game this fall.
The Centennial boys cross country team pushed to the top of Howard County last fall, capturing county and regional titles. The team’s balance from top to bottom was a big reason for the breakthrough campaign.
Rising senior Hutson Baumann is among the Eagles runners returning this fall to try and successfully repeat.
Baumann turned in top 15 individual performances at both the county (10th in 17:55) and regional championship (15th in 17:47) meets, before finishing in the top 25 at the state meet.
His efforts earned him recognition on the all-county second team.
In the latest edition of Sports Breakdown with the Howard County Times, editor Brent Kennedy faces off on the putting green with reigning state golf champion Bennett Buch, of Marriotts Ridge High School.
Buch made history last fall as a freshman, capturing the boys golf state championship with a record-setting two-day total of 138 (4-under par) at the University of Maryland golf course.
Leading up to his sophomore year, Buch has continued his outstanding play. In late June, he captured the 89th Maryland Junior Amateur title by three shots.
More →
Ever wanted to learn how to kick a field goal? Or how to long putt? Or make a penalty kick?
The Howard County Times, part of the Baltimore Sun Media Group, has started a new summer video series called Sports Breakdown. In each installment, one of our sports reporters will team up with Howard County high school athletes to teach them (and you) how to do what they do best.
In our first installment, Howard sports editor Brent Kennedy gets a lesson in hitting fastpitch softball from River Hill High School’s Kinsey Johnson and pitcher Sabrina Curtiss, who led county this spring with a 0.89 ERA.
More →
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above