Boys soccer teams crank up

Regional high school playoff previews

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

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.

North Point, randomly seeded 12th, began its regional showing Thursday at Meade in a scheduled affair that finished too late for inclusion into this edition.

"Yeah, we were very excited and optimistic about our start of the season, and to tell you the truth, we are still excited and optimistic," North Point frontman Gary Lesko said despite his club failing to win its final four games –– losing a trio by three goals each while tying the other contest. "We know what we are capable of. If anything, [the skid to end the regular season] may be a good thing. Teams may look at our record and see a .500 team, but we know what we are capable of. The great thing is that records do not mean anything in the playoffs. We've proven that we can win five games, so all we have to do is win five more. Sure, we would have liked to end the regular season on the winning side of things, but hopefully our season does end with a win. 

"My confidence in our team remains what it has always been. I know the skill that we have on this team and I know what we can do."

Seniors Tyler Huff, Drake Reed, Tyler Sandy and Pearson Newsome will be relied upon to spearhead North Point in the playoffs. The team also features a blend of younger, promising players.

"We have to get better at finishing our chances," Lesko said. "There is no doubt in my mind that we are able to create quality chances. We just have to be more composed and really concentrate on finishing plays. We have to be the team that sets the pace and the tone of the game. More often than not, that pace needs to be a slow, ball-possession type of game. We can't get into a kick-and-run kind of game, where the ball is in the air a lot. We need the ball on the ground at our feet."

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.

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.

dcogle@somdnews.com

Staff writer Michael Reid contributed to this story.