In its first three games of the season, the Thomas S. Wootton High School girls lacrosse team has taken the field with three different starting lineups. With no player roles set in stone, according to coach Shannon Holliday, several Patriots have switched positions in attempt to help fill some holes left by injury and/or illness and it’s been their ability to adapt, and Wootton’s overall versatility, that has enabled the Patriots to jump out to a 3-0 start this season.
Freshman Carli Mangum has made an immediate impact in Wootton’s midfield and is averaging a team-high four goals per game. The movement of senior defender Maddie Mays up to the middle has also been quite productive, Holliday said. And she praised attacker Lindsey Capitelli’s willingness to sacrifice her own statistics and drop to the backline, where she’s helped solidify what’s become one of the Patriots’ strengths.
While Wootton has been a perennial postseason contender, it hasn’t posted the most impressive regular season records in years past, Holliday admitted. But this year’s squad, the majority of which has now played together for at least one year, is more cohesive. Though talk of team chemistry can be somewhat cliché, Holliday said, it’s a valuable intangible that cannot be taught or overlooked.
Wootton senior defender Maddie Mays. Credit: Rebecca Cornelius Photography.
“When [there’s good team chemistry], that’s when the players start working hard for each other,” Holliday said. “Our biggest change this year from previous years is that everyone has confidence in each other. [Team chemistry] is when you’re on attack and you look to the person next to you and trust them 100 percent.”
In arguably the biggest game of the regular season, Wootton will face two-time defending Class 4A West Region champion Walt Whitman on Tuesday night. The Patriots have lost to the Vikings in consecutive region finals.
B-CC boys lacrosse learning quickly
Bethesda-Chevy Chase lacrosse photo by Andy Paterson
In four games, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase boys lacrosse team has already exceeded its win total from a year ago. Though the Barons suffered their first defeat of the season Saturday, 10-5, to Sidwell Friends, the score was indicative of the young team’s improvement—B-CC lost the same game 15-1 last spring.
“The team has all learned really quickly; the offense is like night and day [from the beginning of the season],” first-year B-CC coach Daniel Oliver said. “We have a lot of talent and I think the guys see that we can hang with the top teams. I think we could give any team a run for its money.”
B-CC has thrived off strong dodges in the midfield, Oliver said, and spread scoring. Eight Barons have scored at least once and four of them have five goals or more. Aidan Coyle, Ethan Docking and Sam Novak are tied for the lead with six goals apiece; Dan Rudolph has five. Freshman Leo Cowie scored his first varsity goal Saturday, against a Duke University-bound keeper.
“I looked at last year’s record [which was 2-12] and had no idea what to expect this season,” Oliver said. “But I knew we had a lot of scattered talent and I knew we could be competitive. And I think we’re still going to be a lot better at the end of the season.”
Walter Johnson baseball avenges loss to rival
A week after suffering a 6-1 loss to crosstown and Montgomery 4A East Division rival Walt Whitman, the Walter Johnson baseball team defeated the Vikings, 5-4, in eight innings Friday. The Wildcats (7-1) then came back from a 6-3, seventh-inning deficit to improve their league record to 4-1 with an 8-6 victory over Winston Churchill Saturday.
Walter Johnson pitchers struck out 11 Whitman batters and allowed no walks. Noah Meyers started the game and tallied seven strikeouts in five innings of work. Riley Kemp struck out two and Leo Bucello, who struck out two as well, threw the eighth inning and picked up the win.
Wildcats coach Steve Sutherland also threw three pitchers on Saturday. With such depth on the mound, the idea is to give teams different looks, he said.
“[Against Whitman] we wanted to mix it up and only throw Noah for a few innings, but he looked so good we had to leave him in there,” Sutherland said. “His curveball was excellent that day, it was moving quite a bit.”
After mediocre performances at the plate when the teams met a week ago, Walter Johnson tallied nine hits against Whitman the second time around, four of them were extra-base hits. Ryan Boland, batting in the ninth position, drove in the winning run against Whitman with a walk-off single to right center field.
Walter Johnson scored five runs in the seventh inning against Churchill, four of them with two outs already recorded. Per Karlen’s two-run double tied the game before the Wildcats added three more runs. Bucello picked up the save.
Led by Bucello (.444 batting average), Karlen (.385) and Patrick Jorling (.364), the Wildcats are batting around .300 as a team with a .391 on-base percentage.
Above photo of Walter Johnson pitcher Noah Meyers by Emily Horick.
County athletes shine at historic Woodward Relays
Walter Johnson girls track and field won the team event at Saturday’s 44th Annual Woodward Relays hosted by Georgetown Prep, 74-66, over Prince George’s County’s Charles H. Flowers. The historic competition was founded by retired track coach Greg Dunston, who has run it from Woodward, Walter Johnson and now Prep.
The day featured a number of standout performances from county athletes, including Churchill junior Julia Reicin’s victory in the 2,000-meter steeplechase—she finished 9.07 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Reicin, who only first contested the event last spring, has her sights set on qualifying for the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships scheduled for June; Saturday’s winning time of 7 minutes, 38.51 seconds was well off her best time of 7:26.62, which is within reach of the 7:25.00 she will need to make junior nationals.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase sophomore Laura Koye won the morning’s 1,600-meter race walk—an event Little Hoyas coach Daniel Rose said is unique to Woodward Relays. Churchill’s Isabel Srour and B-CC’s Brenda Lopez finished second and third, respectively.
Walter Johnson placed in the top five of five relays, including wins in the 3,200-meter and 6,400.
Northwood’s Andree’ Di-Reumante won the boys steeplechase Saturday, followed by Wootton’s Cliff Tilley, Michael Hughes and Grant Dong, who finished second through fourth.
Wootton boys lacrosse defeats Walter Johnson
Eight players scored in the Wootton boys lacrosse team’s 12-8 win over Montgomery Central Division rival Walter Johnson Saturday—Justin O’Daniel (four goals), Mase Romm (two), Stephen Bray (two), AJ Gorsky (one), Brad Verdin (one), Brett Rudden (one) and Hunter Band (one). The performance was indicative of the unselfish way in which the Patriots (4-2) have been moving the ball on offense, coach Colin Thompson said.
“I think we’re progressing well,” Thompson said. “The guys are working well together, the team is really starting to gel and come together.”
Saturday marked Walter Johnson’s first loss of the season. And it won’t get any easier for the Wildcats this week with games looming against Frederick County’s Oakdale and Montgomery County power Churchill. But Walter Johnson was tied with Wootton at halftime and coach Alan Pohoryles said he’s pleased with the discipline with which his improved backline has been playing.
Garret Brennan (nine goals, 10 assists) and Bradley Murray (seven, three) have led the Wildcats in scoring through three games.
Blair girls lacrosse nabs big win over Magruder
The Montgomery Blair girls lacrosse team opened its Montgomery South Division campaign with a 9-7 win Saturday over Col. Zadok Magruder. The Blazers are now 3-2, with both losses coming against county powers Wootton and Bethesda-Chevy Chase.
Blair will now play four consecutive division games and, with the win over Magruder under its belt, has a legitimate shot at winning the title—though, Blazers coach Michael Horne said, it’s important the Blazers do not get too far ahead of themselves.
“The Magruder game was a big hurdle for us; it’s huge to get some early wins,” he said. “It puts us in good position, but it’s still just one game at a time. We can’t overlook anyone. There’s a lot of parity in the county right now. …We’re excited about the opportunities we have in front of us and think if we play our game, we can be successful.”
Elizabeth Cove and Maddie Boyer led Blair in scoring Saturday with three goals apiece. Isabel Fetter, Ellie Burlinson and Claudia Burlinson each contributed a goal as well and goalkeeper Schuyler Cross tallied nine saves. Through five games, Boyer leads the team in scoring with nine goals and four assists; Fetter has recorded eight goals and Cove, five. Cross has racked up 40 saves this spring, which Horne said have been vital to the team’s success—all three of Blair’s wins have been by two goals or less.
Games to watch this week
Boys lacrosse
Bullis at Landon, 4:30 p.m. Friday: Major Interstate Athletic Conference matchup between two of nation’s top programs. Bullis is soaring and Landon surviving; this is the Bulldogs’ best chance to pull off the “upset.”
Whitman at Churchill, 7:15 p.m. Friday: Crosstown rivalries are always fun. Churchill is ranked No. 13 in the state, but the Vikings should present a test.
Walter Johnson at B-CC, 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Winnable game for either side in Montgomery Central Division matchup.
The Heights at The Potomac School, 4 p.m. Friday: Not much separates these two in LaxPower’s Maryland rankings; Heights’ Cavaliers have tested the region’s top teams.
Girls lacrosse
Whitman at Wootton, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday: Rematch of the last two Class 4A West Region finals, both won by Whitman in tight games.
Walter Johnson at Churchill, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday: Division matchup between two quality teams.
Holy Cross at Holton-Arms, 4:15 p.m. Thursday: Intriguing Independent School League/Washington Catholic Athletic Conference interleague contest.
Boys tennis
Whitman at Churchill, 3:45 p.m. Wednesday: After Whitman’s one-sided win over Wootton, this will likely be the Division I title match.
Baseball
Blair at B-CC, 3:45 p.m. Tuesday: Should be competitive game between two teams fighting for top five standing in Montgomery 4A East.
Wootton at Northwest, 3:45 p.m. Wednesday: Wootton looks to improve to 2-0 in Montgomery 4A West against perennial postseason contender.
Softball
Sherwood at Blair, 1:30 p.m. Saturday: One of the county’s top rivalries over the past decade; Sherwood hasn’t lost in four-plus years, but the Warriors’ last loss was to Blair.
Track and field
Viking Invitational at Walter Johnson, 5:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday: For the past decade, the event has drawn some of the top athletes and teams in the county and region.
