Calvert High School’s Julia Merranko was one of 10 different players to score one goal apiece last Friday afternoon when the Cavaliers upended host Fairmont Heights 10-1 in a 2A state quarterfinal game.
Calvert High School’s Julia Merranko was one of 10 different players to score one goal apiece last Friday afternoon when the Cavaliers upended host Fairmont Heights 10-1 in a 2A state quarterfinal game.
When the dust settled following the results of the various state quarterfinals last weekend, only a trio of Southern Maryland Athletics Conference soccer teams and one field hockey team had earned a berth in this weekend’s state semifinals.
Both the Calvert High School and Huntingtown High School girls soccer teams and the Chopticon High School boys soccer team advanced to this weekend’s state semifinals. Calvert made quick work of host Fairmont Heights of Prince George’s County 10-1 as 10 different players scored for the Cavaliers. Huntingtown nipped C.M. Wright 1-0, while Chopticon downed Magruder of Montgomery County 2-0.
Calvert scored early and often last Friday afternoon at Fairmont Heights, enabling coach John Baker to use his reserves frequently and for extended durations. Calvert got one goal each from Jessica May, Abigail May, Morgan Myers, Julia Merranko, Alyssa Mclane, Abigail Noftsier, Payton Stevens, Megan MacAdams, Lucia Owens and Lucy Coleman.
“I thought we came out quick and did a good job passing the ball to our open players,” said Baker, whose team will face Hereford in a 2A State semifinal game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Montgomery Blair High. “We’re still young. We don’t have any seniors, so having all of the girls get a chance to play in the playoffs is really important for them moving forward.”
That same afternoon, Huntingtown edged C.M. Wright as junior Megan Hinton provided the only goal for the host Hurricanes. Huntingtown has won three straight games since suffering a 4-0 setback to Leonardtown in the SMAC championship game and Hinton has scored at least one goal in each of those victories, while senior goalie Emma Cox has collected three straight shutouts.
Huntingtown will face River Hill High on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at Linganore High School in Frederick County in the second 3A girls state semifinal, and that game will be immediately followed by the first of two 3A boys state semifinals between Chopticon and J.M. Bennett. Like the Huntingtown girls, the Chopticon boys have rebounded from a 2-0 loss to Leonardtown in the SMAC championship game to earn a berth in the state semifinals this weekend.
After a perfect run through the 2A South Region bracket, the La Plata High School boys soccer team saw its season come to an end last Friday afternoon when the Warriors were upended by Harford Tech. Both the Leonardtown boys and girls soccer teams fell to Broadneck in the 4A East Region final. The Raiders’ girls scored first but were toppled by the Bruins, 2-1.
Perhaps bolstered by their gritty, dramatic victory over Northern in the SMAC championship game in penalty strokes, the Patuxent High School field hockey team received two byes into the 1A South Region final and defeated Calvert 9-0. Then on Saturday afternoon in a 1A state quarterfinal game, the Panthers edged Southern of Anne Arundel 1-0 on a goal by Jenna Horton.
Patuxent was slated to face Francis Scott Key High on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in a 1A state semifinal game at Broadneck, with the winner advancing to the 1A state championship game on Saturday morning at Washington College in Chestertown.
