Coaches Welcome Region Realignment

When Centennial lost to Crossland, 74-47, last week, the Eagles became the 10th Howard County 3A boys' basketball team to lose in the playoffs to a Prince George's County team in four years; the games were decided by an average of 21.1 points.

This year, Prince George's County teams won five of six postseason games against Howard teams. Centennial prevented a sweep by pulling out a 56-53 victory over Douglass (12-11) in the quarterfinals, but in the other games the Howard County team lost by an average of 18.8 points.

Last season, Wilde Lake and Mount Hebron lost to Gwynn Park and Crossland, respectively, by an average of 21 points. The year before, Mount Hebron lost to Friendly by 49 points in a region semifinal. In 2002, River Hill and Long Reach lost to Friendly and Gwynn Park by an average of 13 points. In four years, only two Howard 3A teams have defeated teams from Prince George's County.

"They're just better than us," Mount Hebron Coach Mike Linsenmeyer said.

But such blowouts to the basketball-rich county to the east will end, at least for two years. The new region alignment by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association kicks in for the 2005-06 school year and moves Prince George's 3A schools to the south region for every sport except lacrosse, field hockey, indoor track and wrestling.

"The big thing for us now is that we won't see them in the region tournament any more for a few years," Linsenmeyer said.

The MPSSAA revises regions every two years based on enrollment at the 184 public schools.

Howard County's 3A schools -- Centennial, Wilde Lake, River Hill, Mount Hebron and Long Reach -- will remain in the 3A East. They will be joined by Aberdeen, Bel Air, Fallston, North Harford and Edgewood from Harford County; Severna Park, Annapolis and Northeast from Anne Arundel County; and J.M. Bennett from Wicomico County to form the largest of the four classifications.

"It definitely changes the landscape and the reality of getting to the state tournament," said Linsenmeyer, whose team lost to Crossland, 69-49, in the semifinals this year. "I mean no disrespect to the new teams in our region, but when it comes to basketball, Prince George's County is as good as it gets."

Howard County 2A schools -- Atholton, Glenelg, Hammond, Howard, Reservoir -- will still be grouped with Prince George's County teams, along with Calvert of Calvert County in the south region. Joining that region will be Oakland Mills, which experienced an increase in enrollment, and Patuxent of Calvert County and McDonough of Charles County, which had enrollment declines.

Although the new alignment will give county soccer, baseball and softball teams tougher playoff games -- Prince George's County schools are weaker in those sports -- it will ease the playoff picture in basketball.

"What happens to us in basketball happens to the teams from Prince George's County when we play baseball or other sports, so it's going to be nice to play some other teams," Centennial Coach Jim Hill said. "It will be nice not having to see teams in Prince George's County in our region for a while."

Harford County has not produced a 3A state basketball champion since 1976. Annapolis, Northeast and Severna Park have just one state title combined in 30 years, and J.M. Bennett won the 2A title in 2003. Oakland Mills is the only county team to claim a 3A state title, winning it in 1990.

"Prince George's County is known for its basketball," said Crossland Coach Sam Harris. "It's been very hard for Howard County teams to make it far because they have to go against teams from Prince George's County."

Centennial (20-4) and Long Reach (17-6) were the best Howard County teams during the regular season.

Long Reach lost to Surrattsville (12-12), struggling against a tenacious press and committing 30 turnovers in a 54-43 quarterfinal loss.

Centennial had an even tougher time against the Cavaliers (19-6). Crossland's up-tempo offense overwhelmed an Eagles' defense that had held opponents to an average of just 45.4 points per game but couldn't stop five Cavaliers from scoring in double figures.

"Crossland had an answer for everything we did," Hill said. "They were big, fast and the most aggressive team we've seen this year."