Five Baltimore area high school boys soccer teams will enter this weekend?s state finals at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County with hopes of a championship, but only three or less will walk away victors.
On Friday night, Mount Hebron will face North Carroll at 5 p.m. for the Class 3A title, followed by the 2A match between Loch Raven and Hammond at 7:30. On Saturday at 5 p.m., Sparrows Point will square off against Pocomoke for the 1A crown.
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For Hammond (12-4-2), Friday is about redemption. The Golden Bears return to the 2A championship a year after dropping the title game to Liberty in overtime. First-year coach Jeff Reinhol said that last year?s loss has been a driving force this season. Hammond returned all but four players from last year, giving the team invaluable experience from playing in a championship atmosphere.
In Loch Raven (15-4), Reinhol knows to watch for the Raiders? organized game and controlled passing. The Raiders? last visit to a state final was 1977.
“We have been to the semifinals three of the last four years, but getting into the final is the game you look to,” Loch Raven coach Joe Fiedler said.
The Raiders? younger squad does not have the championship experience of Hammond, but Fiedler believes his players are ready for this game. He just needs them to control the Bears? talented midfield.
The great equalizer in all the championship games will be UMBC?s artificial turf. Both teams played on turf fields in the state semifinals, and Reinhol and Fiedler have had their squads practicing on turf since last week.
In the 3A, Mount Hebron (16-0-4) returns to the state final looking for its third title after winning consecutive crowns in 1999-2000. The Vikings will face West Region champ North Carroll (14-0-2), which is back in the state playoffs for the first time since 1987 and is making its first ever appearance in a title game.
In the 1A, Sparrows Point (11-3-1) came out of the South Region to face defending champion Pocomoke, which advanced to the title game after dispatching Harford Tech in the semifinals, 8-0.