South River High owns the last two Class 4A state field hockey titles and has enough talent to win a third straight.
But those facts alone don?t make the Seahawks even the best team in Anne Arundel County. That distinction goes to Severna Park, a school that owns 15 state titles, including the 3A crown last year, and was 4-0 through Tuesday following a 1-0 win a day earlier over South River on a goal by Julie Gardner.
The rivalry between Severna Park and South River has arguably developed into one of the best in Maryland high school field hockey. But much like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in baseball, the rivalry is heated yet relatively one-sided. Severna Park has won outright or shared all 11 county championships and has beaten South River six straight times.
The Seahawks own two victories over the Falcons in the last six years, most notably in 2000, when they traveled to Severna Park and snapped their opponent?s 114-game county winning streak. For South River, getting a chance to beat Severna Park in the county championship comes with added incentive since the two schools compete in different classifications in the state playoffs.
“This is always one of the most intense games we play, and hopefully we?ll see them again in the county championship,” South River midfielder Molly Gregoire said. “This game is important to us, but we also know we have a lot of other tough teams we have to beat if we want to win the state title again.”
For Severna Park, the South River games not only represents a great rivalry, but also a chance to test its defense, a unit that is rarely challenged and often sees little playing time against overmatched opponents. The Falcons showed they are more than just an offensive team Monday, especially in the second half, when Brittany Zorn made a great stick save as South River tried to score against goalie Corinne Manuel.
“This is a big rivalry,” Severna Park coach Lil Shelton said. “This game was big for our defense, which played outstanding [Monday]. They often get overlooked.”
