Boys soccer teams crank up

Regional high school playoff previews

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

For the fourth straight year in the postseason, Northern boasts the top seed in the Class 3A South region boys soccer field –– a testament to the program's high brand of consistency.

And the two-time defending Southern Maryland Athletic Conference champion –– fresh off a perfect 14-0 regular season, 12-0 in league play –– is hoping of duplicating the been there, done that of 2006 and 2007 when it ventured on to claim the regional crown.

The been there, done that of last year is what Northern is hopeful of avoiding as it fell at home in a heartbreaking regional final to La Plata –– seeded fourth this postseason and in the upper half of the 3A South bracket with the Patriots. Northern would have its chance to enact playoff revenge on La Plata should the two meet in the regional semifinals.

Northern –– whose No. 1 seed comes with a first-round bye and is a heavy favorite at home Tuesday in its quarterfinals contest versus the winner of the Stone-Lackey first-round contest Friday –– has won its last 21 regular season games, including quality road challenges this year at Huntingtown and La Plata.

Third-seeded Huntingtown and La Plata, playing Friendly and Largo, respectively, in the quarterfinals Tuesday, represent the Patriots' stiffest opposition to a third regional title in four years.

Northern is well aware that none of the pageantry and dominance of its accomplished regular season guarantees anything in the playoffs.

"It's all history now. Every team's 0-0 now, it's a whole new season," said Northern head coach John Rossi, who arrived to the team in 2006 for the start of its run as a regional power. "I think we just need to stay focused on what our game is and playing the ball quickly and taking care of little things like first touch. As long as we stay focused and work hard, I think this team's going to be hard to beat."

4A East and 2A South

SMAC runner-up Leonardtown (11-1) and dark horse North Point (5-5-2) reside in the 4A East, looking to make their postseason noise.

Leonardtown earned the No. 2 seed in the region with its impressive record, matching the postseason-qualifying marks of the other top four seeds in No. 1 Broadneck, No. 3 Severna Park and No. 4 South River –– all of Anne Arundel County. Leonardtown's only setback this season came in its season opener to Northern by a 4-1 outcome.

The regional draw did Leonardtown no favors as the second seed. After a first-round bye, Leonardtown plays either county rival Great Mills (8-4) or Arundel, which lost during the regular season to Severna Park by a tight 1-0 outcome.

Leonardtown was just able to edge Great Mills during their regular season encounter in 4-3 fashion. The Great Mills-Arundel matchup was slated for Thursday but finished too late for inclusion into this edition.

"There are no easy games in the playoffs, and this year is no exception," Leonardtown head coach Matt Reber said. "We expect to play well and be competitive in every game. We know we cannot escape the regional playoffs without squaring off against Severna Park. They have had the better of the meetings lately, and we are excited to have an opportunity to play them once more if things go our way."

That Severna Park showdown would come in the regional semifinals if both clubs stayed alive. And Leonardtown carries plenty of momentum into the playoffs on an 11-game win streak.

"We are on a roll and hope to continue it into the playoffs," Reber said. "We're playing loose, and that's the way we like it. Our success is due in massive amounts to our depth. We have many players that can step in and provide a spark. The coaching staff has been comfortable switching things up if we aren't producing in a game, and we hope to see more surprises out of some players in the playoffs."

Patuxent (10-3-1) highlights the three SMAC teams in the 2A South as the No. 3 seed. Following a first-round bye, Patuxent takes on the winner of the Gwynn Park-Southern game in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

McDonough, randomly seeded fifth, and Calvert, randomly seeded seventh, hit the ground running in the region, clashing in the first round against Frederick Douglass and Oakland Mills, respectively. Both games were set for Thursday and finished too late for inclusion into this edition.

"Possession soccer and playing with and connecting with our midfielders –– just basic soccer," Calvert head coach Jerry Wilson said about the key for his team. "If we can do that, I think we'll make a good run. With [standout senior] Griffin Frazier, he's got the heart of a lion and he doesn't want to go out yet. So I like our chances with him on the pitch."

Chopticon (5-8-1) and Westlake (1-12) square off in the 3A South on Friday for the right to play No. 2 Crossland in the quarterfinals Tuesday. Traditionally, Crossland's home county of Prince George's does not offer the competitive brand of soccer found in the SMAC.

dcogle@somdnews.com

Staff writer Michael Reid contributed to this story.