Taylor's Arm Gives Severna Park a Leg Up

As Severna Park embarked on a season with high expectations, the biggest question was whether the Falcons had the pitching to complement a high-powered offense. Then, Dylan Taylor emerged as a dominant ace, things fell into place and the Falcons won their third state championship and finished No. 1 in The Post's rankings.

Severna Park (21-2) won its first 11 games for the best start in school history and finished with a program-best winning percentage of .913. With a lineup powered by shortstop Kyle Convissar and catcher Alex Ramsay -- both juniors -- the Falcons hit 31 home runs and averaged nearly nine runs per game. Severna Park scored 10 or more runs in three of its five postseason games, culminating with a five-inning, 11-1 victory over No. 5 Quince Orchard in the Maryland 4A final.

"It's a shame the season ended," Coach Jim McCandless said. "We were playing at quite a level at the end of the year."

On the mound, the All-Met Taylor was 9-0, winning several key games, including the state championship game. He will play for Charlotte next season. . . .

West Springfield (23-5), buoyed by a pitching tandem of All-Met senior Mike Kent and junior Bobby Wahl, finished No. 2 after reaching the Virginia AAA semifinals. All-Met second baseman Brady Wilson and pitcher Jimmy Lanning led No. 3 Frederick (21-3) to the Maryland 3A title. Virginia AA semifinalist Potomac Falls (22-4) rounded out the top five at No. 4.

Bruins Grab Top Spot

Even though Broadneck's softball team had not won a state championship before this season, the Bruins sure looked and sounded like they had after claiming the Maryland 4A title with a 5-2 victory over North Carroll.

Now, the Bruins' spirited run to a 20-0 season ends with another first -- the top spot in The Post's final rankings, a fitting tribute to former coach Jim Ware, who died suddenly last summer.

"We always thought we'd be here," three-time All-Met pitcher Kourtney Salvarola said moments after defeating North Carroll. "We knew that this was what we had to do this season. It was like it was supposed to happen."

Coming in behind Broadneck are three other state champions. McDonough, behind All-Met Player of the Year Melanie Mitchell, also finished undefeated after claiming the 2A title, its first since 1998. Northern, which lost to McDonough in the regular-season finale, won its second straight 3A crown, and giving the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference eight titles the past five years, and 22 since 1992.

In between the two SMAC teams, at No. 3 is Broad Run, the Virginia AA champion, which became the first Northern Virginia school to win three straight state titles since Madison (1987-89), the first Virginia school overall to win three in a row since Great Bridge (1998-2000), and the first AA school to complete the feat. It was particularly impressive, considering three All-Met players graduated last year.