Eagles Take Down Hebron in 8-6 Thriller

Words: Kyle Simpson

When the students and faculty at Centennial think of rivalry, they think of Mt. Hebron.

So it is fitting that the Eagles Boys Lacrosse would have to go through their longtime rivals to get to the regional finals. I mean, could it go down any other way? So the Eagles suited up and went to war with Mt. Hebron one more time this year.

The battle got off to a quick start with four Centennial goals from seniors Teddy Sylvia, Ben McHugh, Stephen Latona, and freshman Austin Kraisser. A lone Mt. Hebron goal was also scored going into the final two minutes of the first quarter where Hebron began to close the gap. A man-up goal off of a Centennial slash by Kevin Collins made it 4-2 going into the second quarter. You could feel a shift from the hot start of Centennial’s offense.

The Eagles simply could not catch a break on the faceoffs, and turnovers for the middle half of the game. Hebron would score two quick goals in the start of the second quarter to tie it up at four with seven minutes left, eventually scoring one more time to lead 5-4 going into halftime.

The Vikings would continue to be hot coming out of halftime as well with yet another goal to push them to a two goal advantage. The Mt. Hebron defense throughout most of the third quarter until four minutes and thirty seconds remained on the clock, thanks to a well placed stick-check by CJ Marquart, the Eagles offense had woken back up and had the ball on a play that defined the final chapter of the game. Stephen Latona ripped a shot to close the gap back to one goal and give Centennial the momentum back. Latona would score again for the hat trick and the tie at six going into the fourth quarter.

It all came down to this. A final effort to seal victory. Teddy Sylvia scored quickly for the Eagles to take a lead they would never get back. The Eagles made defensive stand after defensive stand to shut down Mt. Hebron. One last goal by freshman Mike Moore would put the game out of reach at 8-6 with a little over two minutes left. And as the clock ticked to zero, the fans went nuts as the team threw their sticks in the air and surrounded their goalie, senior Bryan Ruygrok who had 12 saves on the night.

A fantastic win for a team who fought hard for it.

The Eagles set their focus onto Glenelg, whom they play for the regional title tomorrow night at 7 PM at Glenelg.

CHS Boys Lacrosse Defeats Mt. Hebron

On Monday, May 13, 2013, Centennial Boys Lacrosse took on Mt. Hebron High School. Centennial defeated the Mt. Hebron Vikings 8-6 in the MPSSAA 3A/2A south region semi-final game.

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From the Print Edition – A Memorable Victory

Eagles Basketball Soared into the Regional Semi-Finals

On Tuesday, March 5, 2013, the Centennial Eagles boys’ basketball team traveled to Reservoir to face off against the 18-8 Gators in the 3A East regional semi-finals.

Reservoir beat Centennial both times they met during the regular season, played a very aggressive match and stunned the Eagles with their swift shooting and fast-break layups.

CHS put up a good fight, although they could not extend lead that could change the Gators’ dominating flow. Although Centennial sought a burst of energy in the fourth quarter, there was not enough time for them to pull an upset. The final score was 72-66, Reservoir.

Despite falling to the Gators, five days prior, the Eagles traveled to defeat River Hill for the regional quarterfinal match. They played an outstanding and unforgettable game, defeating the 20-5 Hawks in triple overtime.

The first quarter had ended with the Hawks leading by five. The consistent play also continued throughout the second period. However approaching halftime, the Hawks had settled a lead switching between eight to ten points.

In the third quarter, the Hawks extended their lead. Reaching their highest lead of the game, twelve points, the Eagles knew they needed to make a change. After a crucial timeout, the squad came out with intensive defense and pressure that forced turnovers by the Hawks and allowed the Eagles to convert layups. They weren’t going home without a fight.

With three minutes remaining in the match, the Eagles finally achieved a tie at 48-48, the first time in the entire game that the Hawks weren’t winning. The fans stood on their respective sides, watching the nail biting final moments unravel. With the final minute running down on the clock, the Eagles had to resort to fouling in order to stop time.

With six seconds left on the clock, the Eagles were down by four points. Walter Fletcher drove hard through the lane, and was fouled on his way to the hoop. He was given two free-throws. On the line, he sunk the first one, and a sigh of relieve resonated throughout the Eagles’ fans.

Then, Fletcher missed his second free-throw, the rebound landing in the hands of River Hill. Believing that that error sealed the deal and confirmed the Eagles’ loss, the Hawks’ student section chanted the general cheer to make Centennial feel bad: “It’s all over,” “Start the buses,” and the song excerpt, “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye.”

In retaliation, the Eagles’ fans replied with “It’s not over,” but it was hard for many to believe there was a chance for a comeback with such little time on the clock, and a three point deficit.

Suddenly, the Eagles players on the floor swarmed the River Hill player with possession of the rebound. After getting their hands on the ball, a jump-ball was called. The eyes of every fan in the arena turned to the scoreboard to see which team would have possession. Cheers erupted from the Eagles’ side of the gym when they saw the arrow illuminated, pointing to the Visitor’s side, giving Centennial chance to score.

The Eagles set up an inbounds play that needed to result in a three-pointer to tie the game. With two seconds remaining, senior Omari Ringgold caught the ball outside of the arch, and with two River Hill players guarding him, took one dribble and the crowd watched the game’s most crucial shot fly through the air.

When the ball swished through the basket, chaos erupted. River Hill fans silenced in disbelief, and Eagles fans screaming, high-fiving each other, and jumping in complete awe. The game had been tied with virtually no time remaining in regulation. The Eagles still had a chance to win.

In the first overtime, the game was very back-and-forth. The Eagles would score a field goal, then be returned by a River Hill lay-up or jump-shot. At the end of the five minute period, the score was tied 63-63, and this back-and-forth continued through the second overtime.

In the third overtime, there was finally an awaited three-pointer hit by Centennial’s Ringgold. Although River Hill came back with a layup, they could not compete with the Eagles’ energetic hustle and break-away plays. With 40 seconds remaining, the score was 78-74, Centennial. The Hawks had to succumb to fouling to stop the clock. However, with the converting of their free-throws, the final score was 81-76, Eagles. As Ringgold sunk his final free-throws and ended his night with an outstanding 42 points and confirmed their win, the River Hill student section exited the gym in a herd, disappointed while the Eagles fans stormed the court.

CHS Eagles Varsity Basketball vs. Reservoir Gators

(photo: Ms. Joelle Miller)

Fulton, MD – On Tuesday, March 5, 2013, the Centennial boys’ varsity basketball team played against Reservoir High School in the MPSSAA Class 3A Regional Semi-Finals. The game, which was held at Reservoir, ended with a final score of 66-72, with the Gators taking the victory. Stayed tuned to chswingspan.wordpress.com for more on the Eagles impressive season.

CHS Eagles Varsity Basketball Defeats Stephen Decatur High School

Words: Anna Mitchell

Photos: Caitlin Martin

Ellicott City, MD – On Tuesday, February 26, the 14-8 Eagles boys’ basketball team began their journey in the playoffs.  They faced off against the 13-0 Stephen Decatur High School Seahawks. Stephen Decatur, a 3A school, is located in between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay in Berlin, Maryland. Though it is unusual for a team to travel two and a half hours and over the Bay Bridge to play a match, the Seahawks made the lengthy trip to Centennial for the first round of playoffs.

With tip-off at 5:30 PM, there was a lot of positive energy in the gym. The student section was packed with almost every student wearing red. The fans began with a lot of intensity and loud cheers, as the Eagles snatched offensive rebounds and converted layups. They went on an early run, holding the Seahawks to single digits for almost all of the first quarter. The score at the half was 23-17, Eagles.

The power in the gym decreased as the game progressed. The Eagles extended their lead to fluctuating around twenty points at some moments in the match. The Seahawks could not keep up with the Eagles’ strong crashing of the boards that allowed them multiple offensive rebounds. The Eagles also intercepted many of the Seahawks’ passes to get wide-open layups or another scoring possession.

Although the Seahawks cut the Eagles’ lead to 5 points with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Eagles weren’t going home after their defeat that began from the match’s tip-off. The final score was 53-37, Eagles.

The Stephen Decatur Seahawks headed home on their long bus ride after a tough loss. Though the end of their season, the Eagles will progress to the second round. On Thursday, February 28, the Eagles will travel to River Hill High School to face off with their boys’ team at 5:30 PM.

CHS Varsity Volleyball 3A MPSSAA State Finals 2012 Highlights Video

Volleyball State Finals Summary

by Emma Harring

College Park, MD – The Centennial Eagles volleyball team had an outstanding season with an 18-1 record, including the playoffs. The team remained undefeated throughout the regular season and played their hearts out in the playoffs.

On November 16, the Eagles faced the reigning state champions, the North Hagerstown High School Hubs, in the 3A State Championship. The Eagles and the Hubs remained in a close back and forth battle throughout the first two set.

“We came out strong, but we didn’t continue our strength,” said senior Trisha Mockapetris, who finished with fifteen kills. “You have to want every point. You have to play every point like it’s the last.”

Unfortunately, the Eagles lost the match in three sets (20-25, 23-25, and 12-25).

“We were beat by a better team,” said head coach, Larry Schofield. He added, “We didn’t execute the way we needed to.” Both Schofield and some of the players agreed that the team played tentatively and the players started second guessing themselves.

White-Torreullas said that “not hearing each other all the time,” and the noise level from the fans effected communication on the court.

Junior Jessie Link said that the players learned to work as a team this year and she believed that the winning tradition of volleyball had been restored to Centennial. The volleyball team has three current seniors that will graduate this year: Hannah McKown, Trisha Mockapetris, and Lexi White-Torreullas.

Senior Lexi White-Torreullas said that while she was upset that she lost, she remembered the real reason for being out on the court.

“It is about having fun, not always about winning or losing.”

Volleyball State Finals Photos

College Park, MD – After a phenomenal volleyball season, the CHS Lady Eagles varsity volleyball team lost to North Hagerstown High School in the 3A MPSSAA State Finals on Friday November 16, 2012. The Eagles played a close game with scores of 20-25, 22-25, and 12-25 in each set respectively, but unfortunately could not come out ahead of North Hagerstown. Congrats to the Lady Eagles on a FANTASTIC season.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Martin

All photos are the sole property of The Wingspan, and use of these – or any pictures on our website – are strictly forbidden for commercial use, including but not limited to other publications and news sources, without written consent from The Wingspan.

Volleyball State Finals Results

College Park, MD – After a phenomenal volleyball season, the CHS Lady Eagles varsity volleyball team lost to North Hagerstown High School in the 3A MPSSAA State Finals on Friday November 16, 2012. The Eagles played a close game with scores of 20-25, 22-25, and 12-25 in each set respectively, but unfortunately could not come out ahead of North Hagerstown. Congrats to the Lady Eagles on a FANTASTIC season. Stay tuned to chswingspan.wordpress.com for pictures of tonights game.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Martin

All photos are the sole property of The Wingspan, and use of these – or any pictures on our website – are strictly forbidden for commercial use, including but not limited to other publications and news sources, without written consent from The Wingspan.

Varsity Volleyball State Finals

Ellicott City, MD – Be sure to come out and support CHS Varsity Volleyball tonight at Ritchie Colosseum, at The University of Maryland. The game will begin at 8:00 pm.This 3A MPSSAA playoff game is the state final against North Hagerstown High School.

Be sure to follow The Wingspan on Twitter (@chswingspan) and stay tuned to chswingspan.wordpress.com for constant coverage of tonight’s game.