On the occasion, there is a longstanding tradition of the father presenting the prestigious blazer to his son.
The Stubbs family has the routine down pat.
When 2024 Boys’ Latin graduate John Stubbs recently earned a roster spot on Australia’s Under-20 National Team — which is set to play in the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U-20 Championship in August — it made three generations of Aussie national lacrosse players in the family.
John’s grandfather, Bill, who resides in Australia, won a silver medal playing for the senior team at the 1974 World Cup. John’s father, Aaron, who grew up in Australia before moving to Baltimore County in 1998, claimed a bronze medal for the U-19 national team in 1988 and then a silver for the senior team in 1994.
And now there’s John, 18, who spent December in Australia participating in two tryout sessions that led to the good news in January.
With his parents by his side, John received a Zoom call from Australia’s U-20 coach Robert Lawson that awarded his spot.
“Coach let us know I was getting a spot and it was going to be a big job for me, a starting spot in the midfield. It was an incredible feeling,” John said.
The 20-nation tournament runs from Aug. 15 to 24 in Jeju Island, South Korea. Australia will compete in Pool A alongside the United States, Canada and Haudenosaunee.
For John, the decision to make the journey to Australia to try out for the team came with sacrifices, pressure and a family blessing.
After spending two varsity years at Boys’ Latin, he earned a scholarship to Monmouth, but opted to delay his college career to focus on making the team. He’s set to attend and play at Howard Community College this school year before transferring to a four-year school.
His monthlong stay in Australia included bookend tryouts in Adelaide and Queensland, with the rest of his time spent with his extended family in Perth, where he last visited when he was 6 years old.
Lawson, who played alongside Aaron for the national team, saw familiar traits in the father-son pair. John followed his father and grandfather by playing the midfield position, and he’s brought the same athleticism, grit and game sense.
“[John’s] a strong athletic player that has fit in very well to the Australian style on and off the field,” Lawson wrote via e-mail. “Australian Lacrosse is full of family tradition and we’re pleased he is able to share in this story. I played with John’s dad, Aaron, on the 1994 Australian team that competed in world championships in Manchester, England. A proud Western Australian, Aaron was a great character and bustling two-way midfielder.”
Father and grandfather couldn’t be prouder.
“It’s exciting. The young fella worked hard, did a lot of extra work and effort, so it was a good reward for him,” Aaron said.
Plans are in the works to find a time and place for Aaron to carry on the tradition of presenting the green jacket to John, likely somewhere in Catonsville, where the family resides.
For Aaron, this special time brought back his own special memories of when he got the chance to follow his father’s lead.
“To actually make the Australian team, follow in his footsteps, it was pretty amazing,” Aaron said. “We both played the same position, so we almost mirrored each other. It was just rewarding knowing you put in all the time and effort.”
During tryouts, John heard inspiring stories about his father and grandfather. The Stubbs family has long made its mark in Australian lacrosse, and John is excited to add to it.
Pressure? Sure. But for John, just watching his father’s reaction to the news that he made the team already makes it well worth it.
“He cried, and I was just really happy to see him that happy,” he said. “I’m just glad I was good enough to make the team and have the opportunity to play. It’s incredible.”
In early August, the family will be leaving for Japan, where the team will play tuneup games against Canada and Japan before heading to South Korea. A GoFundMe page has also been posted to help raise money for John’s travel and accommodation expenses.
“It’s an honor, really an honor, and I see it as a privilege more than anything,” John said. “Between my grandfather, me, dad, it’s going back so far. So many decades, and maybe someday, I’ll have a son to make it four generations.”
Have a news tip? Contact Glenn Graham at ggraham@baltsun.com, 410-332-6636 and x.com/GlennGrahamSun.
]]>There was a palpable buzz and excitement each time she took the court for her four combined singles and doubles matches at Rock Creek Tennis Center. Williams played doubles alongside Washington native Hailey Baptiste, which drew substantial crowds, including Houston Rockets forward and Prince George’s County native Kevin Durant on Monday.
With her straight-sets win over fellow American Peyton Stearns on Tuesday evening, the 45-year-old Williams became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. On Thursday evening against Poland’s Magdalena Frech, the No. 5 seed and No. 24-ranked player in the world, Williams’ singles run came to an unceremonious end in the Round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat.
Williams started out strong in her first two service games with powerful forehand winners. However, she was unable to sustain that momentum and struggled with unforced errors the rest of the way. Despite the loss, Williams showcased the powerful hitting and confidence that propelled her to No. 1 in the world and seven Grand Slam titles.
“I think this moment for me was so much anticipation,” Williams said. “It’s kind of hard to describe, because where I came from to be here is somewhere where I never thought I’d see myself in life. So then just to be here at all is really a blessing, and then to play well is just another blessing.”
Returning to play after a 16-month absence, Williams also accepted a wild-card invitation to play in the Cincinnati Open, which begins Aug. 5.
It’s hard to quantify the impact of Williams’ return for both players and fans. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka described Williams as an inspiration and said that she — as well as younger sister Serena, a 23-time major champ — influenced so many players throughout her career.
When asked what’s most important to her about returning, Williams referenced the value and fortune of good health. Health concerns have been a constant challenge throughout her career, but Williams played four matches in four days this week and battled through hot and humid summer conditions in Washington.
“I’m so grateful,” Williams said. “I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately. I tried to find the energy and I didn’t find it.
“Four matches in the first week is a lot. I love playing doubles. One of the reasons you don’t play is usually you’re just trying to save your energy, and plus it’s hot. When you’re doing the training and the warmup, you’re spending an extra hour sweating it out. I think without that doubles match, I don’t know if I could have played as well in the singles. I’m sorry to have fell short, but I know I can play better, and I know I will play better.”
While Williams’ game faltered as the match wore on, fan support never wavered. Throughout the second set fans chanted, “Here we go Venus, here we go!” as they attempted to will on the former champion and turn the tide of the match. Williams broke Frech for the first time late in the second set, but the 27-year-old remained composed and closed out the match soon after.
After shaking hands with Frech, Williams calmly walked over to her bench as she acknowledged the fans at the 7,500-seat main stadium and thanked them for their immense support. She did her signature twirl, then sat down and raised both arms as the crowd delivered another emphatic ovation.
While Williams’ run in Washington ended sooner than she hoped, one of the legends of the sport is back. The audience in Washington clearly recognized the value in that, and Williams should expect nothing less from the supporters in Cincinnati in the coming weeks.
“It’s going to be amazing, there’s so many learnings from here,” Williams said. “I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve. The good news is I’m always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in. So, this is one thing I didn’t do today. Was I in control? Absolutely. Will I be in control most of my matches? Most likely, yes. That’s the place I want to be, so I’m putting myself in that position. That’s what counts.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
]]>The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and from 8 to 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Under Armour’s Global Headquarters in Baltimore.
Lucas Carlson, who specializes in emergency medicine for MedStar Health, will be providing physicals for his second year and is looking forward to the two-day event.
“Last year was the first year we did it. We had a great time. It was a much larger event than we originally anticipated,” Carlson said. “We’re super excited.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, 765 of the 800 openings were filled.
Not every athlete passes through unscathed and the staff, which includes around 25 Under Armour teammates and about 25 MedStar Health professionals volunteering their time, will be there to provide assistance.
“There are a couple that come through that they don’t initially pass the physical, it’s really a screening exam to make sure that they don’t have any risk factors or a cardiac condition that would put them at risk if they were playing sports, but in reality it’s also a way that things can get caught,” Carlson said. “So if they did have some sort of cardiac condition or risk factors we help to get them a follow up to make sure that those are checked out and in some cases that could pick up something that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten picked up at all.”
In addition to the physicals, there will be sports bra fittings and health education.
“Our MedStar Health community health program is going to be onsite providing different resources, everything from CPR and EED information to blood pressure checks and any community resources that they might need,” said Carissa Colangelo, director of athletic training services for greater Baltimore.
Unlike last year, when schools were bussed in, the process was simplified.
“We allow people to sign up for whatever time was convenient for them personally versus breaking it down by school,” Colangelo said. “We know that transportation and cost are two of the biggest things for getting physicals, needing to get on site and so having this event where we are bringing everything to one location and providing everything they need for free is a huge asset to the community.”
Under Armour’s involvement is also critical for the event’s success.
Under Armour’s Blake Maciel, Director of Project Rampart, which elevates Baltimore student athletes and improves academic outcomes through the power of sport, remembers last year’s event fondly and is eager to help young athletes this year.
“The idea for this Back-to-School event came from conversations our Community Impact team had with local coaches, athletic directors, parents, and school leaders,” he said in an email. “We heard that getting sports physicals can be a real challenge for working families juggling back-to-school demands. We saw a chance to help by partnering with MedStar Health to provide the necessary sports physicals and using Under Armour’s platform to make it an exciting experience for all.”
Have a news tip? Contact Craig Clary at cclary@baltsun.com and x.com/ClaryCraig.
]]>St. Mary’s named the former Navy baseball coach its new athletic director on Tuesday, though his role will officially begin on July 30. He takes over for Tom Smith, who led the St. Mary’s athletic department for the 2024-25 school year but recently took a job in South Carolina. Saints football coach Jason Budroni served as interim athletic director for the second significant chunk of time in two years.
“I’m excited as I’ve ever been to take something on,” Kostacopoulos said. “I’ve loved my career. I’ve loved coaching. This [opportunity] presented itself at exactly the right time.”
The hire brings the 60-year-old back into prominence in local athletics more than two years after Kostacopoulos retired as the second-winningest coach in Midshipmen baseball history. In 34 years at the helm, Kostacopoulos, nicknamed “Kosty,” amassed 1,027 wins — 523 of which were at Terwilliger Brothers Field. Only 92 coaches in NCAA baseball history have surpassed 1,000.
The five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year led Navy to two conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths in 2011 and 2016 while also competing in six league championships. He also ushered 16 players to All-America honors and three to get drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
“Paul’s exceptional background and his philosophy on providing a culture that fosters the growth of young people — physically, mentally, and emotionally — impressed the selection committee,” said interim president of St. Mary’s School Deacon Leroy Moore in a news release. “His impressive experience working with young athletes will provide the leadership to help foster the values of St. Mary’s parish and school and continue the rich tradition of competitive athletic teams.”
The relationship between the U.S. Naval Academy and St. Mary’s High runs deep, not only because of the half-mile distance between the two campuses and the fact that Saints athletes regularly exchange their royal blue for Navy blue upon graduation, especially in football and lacrosse. St. Mary’s last longtime athletic director of almost a decade, Allison Fondale, previously served as an assistant coach for Navy women’s lacrosse for seven years.
Though he’s not an Anne Arundel County local, Kostacopoulos hails from an area just as rooted in community, sports and Catholicism — New England. He piled up accolades in his home region, too, over his years coaching his alma mater Providence and Maine from 1990 to 2005. Back then, he was the youngest Division I coach in the nation at age 25, just a few years out of college. Now, his name sits in the Hall of Fame in four regions – Maryland State Baseball, Middletown Connecticut Sports, Providence College Athletic and State of Maine Baseball.
Kostacopoulos fell for the history he found when he walked through St. Mary’s heavy wooden doors, as well as its devotion to faith that matched his own.
“I love the potential there,” he said.
The new athletic director assumes the reins at a transformative time for St. Mary’s. The school just refinished its secondary field on Bestgate Road into a 70-yard turf practice facility. On July 7, the St. Mary’s Parish also purchased the property down the street from its athletic fields from Annapolis Area Christian School for $8.5 million. AACS will continue to use it as its middle school for the 2025-2026 school year, but after that, all nine acres and 40,000 square feet of building is all the Saints’.
That’s not all that’s changing at St. Mary’s, either.
Both boys basketball and field hockey programs have been promoted to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conferences, joining girls basketball, football, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse on the upper tier. Field hockey recently claimed back-to-back B Conference titles in 2023 and 2024, while basketball recently took its pair in 2022 and 2023 before competing as an associate in the hallowed Baltimore Catholic League last winter.
That transition isn’t easy for any program. After years of domination in the B Conference, a young Saints football team suffered an 0-10 season in 2024. Girls basketball only just began to show it could weather the better teams last winter after going undefeated in the B Conference two years ago. Boys swimming climbed to the A Conference in 2020, but the subsequent pandemic season curbed its chances of remaining.
Kostacopoulos knows as well as anyone who’s been in Annapolis for an extended period of time just how good the MIAA and IAAM A Conference is. His role, he said, is to provide as much support as he can to those programs and those coaches.
“Fundamentally, that’s the most important part of the athletic department,” he said. “Buildings are buildings, schedules are schedules, but coaches matter. Keeping the continuity of our veteran coaches, helping the younger coaches and building a synergy with the whole staff is so important. We’re fortunate to have so many good ones.”
Have a news tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
]]>She overcame the adversity and scored 35 goals with a team-leading 13 assists. She made the All-County first team for the second straight season after piling up 58 goals as a junior and she amassed 154 career goals in her four varsity seasons.
She was also a four-year varsity guard on the basketball team and was honored as the 2025 Towson Times Female Co-Athlete of the Year. She shares the award with Dulaney junior Kimani Dennis.
Schmidt injured her hip in a 12-10 victory over Towson on March 21 and didn’t want to come out of the game.
“I played through it and my coach was a little iffy about it, but I was like, ‘Come on guys it’s Towson, I’ve got to play,'” Schmidt said.
“She’s tough as nails and she is certainly someone that never wants to be on the sideline and she struggled having to do that, but gosh she was such an amazing teammate coaching the other girls,” Dulaney coach Kristi Korrow said.
On the field, she was content feeding cutters or beating defenders.
“I love them both. If I’m scoring, it’s usually off of a 1-v-1 and if I’m setting people up, it’s because I see them in the middle and I lead them and they get there and get a good pass and get a goal,” she said.
With three freshmen in the starting lineup, she provided veteran leadership and helped lead the team to an 11-5 mark.
“She is one of those players that when she is on the field she makes everybody around her better,” Korrow said. “She gives everybody more confidence and she struggled to do that a little bit from the sideline, but she was such an amazing teammate, like really encouraging.”
One her most memorable games was a 14-13 victory over Catonsvillle in the regional semifinals after the Lions trailed by five goals in the second half.
“She took charge in that game,” Korrow said of Schmidt’s six-goal performance. “She just kind of put the team on her back. Everybody just kind of got a little nervous, but Heidi just kept her focus and put the team on her back and said, ‘You know, we’re not losing this game.'”
“That was like one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in high school other than the state games I’ve been to,” she said. “That game was so fun, just like, at one point I really thought like we were going to lose, like it was like the worst feeling ever, but that was when everyone was like, ‘No we are not losing this game. We’ve got to focus, we’ve got to lock in.’ And we did and that was a really, really fun game.”
Schmidt will continue her lacrosse career next season at Dickinson College.
Her prep basketball career may be over, but she made her senior year a memorable one despite having to shift from shooting guard to point guard at times.
“I got nervous playing point guard,” she said. “It’s not my favorite to play because I’m not as confident, but I think it helps me out in the long run for sure.”.
She didn’t get a break on the defensive side of the court.
“She was our defensive go-to, our defensive spark,” Dulaney coach Courtney Lewis-Orr said. “Some people can’t guard on the open court, but she can, like in a full-court press, just her by herself. You can tell her to face-guard someone and she will do it, lock her girl down and get it done.”
“It was fun, definitely stressful at times, but it also helped me out with my footwork in lacrosse,” Schmidt said. “It definitely was helpful.”
Offensively, she had one of her more memorable games on senior night when she scored 15 points.
“Senior night was really fun,” she said. “We were all really excited because the team we played against wasn’t the best team, but we all had a lot of fun that night.”
Her versatility on the court impressed her coach.
“Her speed was definitely a big plus,” Lewis-Orr said. “Her aggressiveness and her leadership on the court, she hustles, she gets rebounds, she makes good strong moves to the basket and good Euro steps to the basket. She does that really well.”
Schmidt was also a captain on the basketball team that finished 19-7.
“We knew when [center] Kiri (Faimanifo) transferred we had big shoes to fill along with our point guard not playing this year, like we knew it was going to be a tough year, but I think we all kind of knew since four of us were seniors we really wanted to make it far,” Schmidt said. “We knew we had to step up and really focus and I think we did a good job of that this year.”
Korrow was also happy to attend some of her basketball games and was impressed.
“She is the hardest working player on the court, up and down, like again, she is that ultimate team player, super competitive, hates to lose and really pushes everybody around her,” Korrow said. “It was cool to watch her on the court kind of taking on that different role and I think that helped her leadership skills, having to make adjustments and kind of having to take charge in a different way and I think that’s going to benefit her in the college game.”
Although she admitted she was emotional after her final game on the basketball court, the memories from her final season will be everlasting.
“This season was definitely a good one,” Schmidt said. “I think we had a lot of fun this year, compared to the other years,” she said. “I think the four seniors we just really had a lot of fun because we knew it was our last year and I think that made all the difference.”
“She will definitely be missed as our floor general next year,” Lewis-Orr said.
Have a news tip? Contact Craig Clary at cclary@baltsun.com and x.com/ClaryCraig
]]>Garrity said when she took the job about a year ago, the position was always meant to be temporary. Garrity, who is also campaign manager for Annapolis mayoral candidate Jared Littmann, said she might work in his administration if he is elected. She will officially leave PlayAnnapolis once a new executive director is hired.
The organization supports sports and recreation programs across the city with scholarships, which are of various amounts and cover equipment and season registration fees, and advocacy. It also has some of its own programming such as its sports fair. The organization was founded in 2023.
Bess Langbein, PlayAnnapolis’ board chair, said she could not give an exact number, but a good number of applications were received before July 15 when the application process closed.
At the center of the organization is the PlayAnnapolis playbook, the strategies and goals the new executive director will be asked to put into practice.
“We heard from over 300 families, including many of whom have children who are served by the Title I schools in the city, as well as those for whom Spanish is their primary language or native language, and through that data collection, we’re able to lift up some of the those voices to identify what the needs were in the city, and then use that data and the knowledge of our coalition crew to create a playbook,” Langbein said.
The new executive director will also have to build relationships with partners and the community, in addition to ideas they bring to the organization.
Langbein expects to hire someone by the fall in time for sports season.
Have a news tip? Contact Benjamin Rothstein at brothstein@baltsun.com, 443-928-1926.
]]>Among the top 44 boys and girls selected to play in the prestigious North vs. South showcase games are nine area girls and seven boys. The girls game starts at 5:30 p.m., and the boys game follows at 8, with both televised on ESPNU.
Here are a few storylines to follow on Saturday:
Area girls looking to make their mark at Clemson
Led by Manchester Valley graduate Emma Penczek, The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year and recently named girls Athlete of the Year, upstart Clemson is bringing in a strong 2025 recruiting class with area flavor.
Penczek, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 2 recruit, headlines the group as a highly skilled, do-everything midfielder. Joining Penczek are St. Paul’s attacker Marleigh O’Day and Maryvale Prep goalie Tess DeLuca. This past spring, Clemson went 14-7 overall and 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, making it first NCAA Tournament appearance and claiming an opening-round win over Navy.
Penczek is looking forward to helping the Tigers continue their upward trend. In leading Manchester Valley to the Class 2A state crown and a 19-0 record this spring, she closed her stellar four-year career with 329 goals, breaking the Carroll County record of 307 set by Century star Katie Schwartzmann in 2010. In addition, her 158 assists, 487 points, 437 draw controls and 122 caused turnovers are all program bests.
“I’m so excited to go to Clemson — everything about it is so perfect,” Penczek said. “The people, the place, the atmosphere, the coaches. The group of girls I’m going into freshman year with are all so amazing and I can’t imagine doing it with anyone else.”
A sneak peek at future Terps
Maryland lacrosse fans will get a preview of what’s to come from three area standouts who will be on the field Saturday before heading to College Park to start their college careers.
Boys’ Latin attackman Matt Higgins and McDonogh goalie Aidan Seibel — both two-time All-Metro first team picks — will be playing in the boys game. St. Paul’s defender Sofia Herrera is the lone area girl.
Two more future Terps were named All Americans. Midfielder Christopher Alexis (Salisbury, Connecticut) will be participating in the boys game and attacker Ava Meyn (Bayport-Blue Point, New York) is set to play in the girls game.
Cuomo will be locked in
While players often don’t go all out in all-star game settings, Calvert Hall faceoff specialist Ben Cuomo sees Saturday’s showcase as a valuable chance to see how he measures up with the other country’s top players at the X.
“With faceoff guys, there’s a ton of good ones, but very rarely do you get to go against the best of the best,” he said. “So to be able to play against the top-ranked guys in the country is truly an amazing opportunity. I’m excited to go to battle.”
The chance to play in the prestigious game caps an incredible senior season for Cuomo, a first-team All-Metro pick who was instrumental in the No. 1 Cardinals run to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship.
The Yale commit won 78% of his faceoffs (238 of 305) and added five goals and three assists.
Ever since watching Penn State faceoff star Chase Mullins play in the 2021 showcase, Cuomo made it a goal to play in the big game.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Cuomo said. “When I got the call from Inside Lacrosse, I mentioned having a vivid memory of watching Chase Mullins play when he graduated in 2021. He was my original faceoff mentor and, ever since, it’s been a huge goal of mine. So to get that call was amazing.”
Avery Saviano makes it two straight for Severna Park
For a second straight year, Severna Park will be represented in the girls game with Yale-bound defender Avery Saviano getting the nod after Alyssa Chung made the roster last season. Saviano and Penczek are the lone public school players from the area invited to play in the showcase.
Senior All-America Lacrosse Games
At Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium
Saturday
Girls: 5:30 p.m.
Boys: 8 p.m.
TV: ESPNU
Have a news tip? Contact Glenn Graham at ggraham@baltsun.com, 410-332-6636 and x.com/GlennGrahamSun.
]]>Three years later, Jackson’s flush with esteemed offers from Division I powers — and glad he stuck with the Panthers.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder with an 82-inch wingspan enters his third high school season with a haul of offers that most other kids could only dream of receiving. Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Auburn and Penn State headline the lineup, along with Maryland, Duke, Nebraska, Tennessee and others.
ESPN ranks the edge rusher as the No. 196 overall 2027 prospect. 247Sports’ composite rankings already place the rising junior at four stars.
“He’s explosive and very quick. He’s long and putting on more weight. And he’s only 15 years old,” Annapolis coach Dewayne Hunt said. “The upside of his potential is through the roof, and clearly coaches see that.”
Needless to say, Jackson’s disappointed quite a few private schools that’ve reached out this summer, but jumping ship is not in his makeup. He knows a player willing to devote four years to a single program is an endangered species, from college down to youth ball.
During visits to Annapolis, multiple college coaches offered praise for Jackson’s loyalty before anything else, he said.
“People proclaim Annapolis as a ‘bad school.’ There’s nothing bad about it. It’s no different than any other school,” Jackson said. “Coach Hunt stayed down with me since the beginning. So I’m going to stay down with him.”
Hunt always read the potential in Jackson’s long limbs and height while he competed for Cape Youth Football. The coach told the young player that if he worked hard, he could be an All-American. Then, he relegated the freshman to junior varsity to shape his “raw talent.”
Jackson “didn’t have nothing but a smile” on his face, putting in his hours in the JV uniform. When varsity called him up for a 2023 playoff game against Dundalk, Hunt knew Jackson was ready. You could “see it in his eyes.”
“I just knew something was going to happen,” Jackson said.
He made that “something” happen. In his sophomore preseason, Jackson served on the scout team for defense and found his way onto the field however he could: running with the kickoff, playing second-string tight end. He wanted to prove to his team he could be solid anywhere, not just in his natural position backing the defensive line.
The Panthers coaches picked Jackson over a senior for a starting spot by the first regular season game.
“The work ethic he came into the summer with made him better, a student of the game,” Hunt said. “He had talent and athleticism, but now he understands it.”
Jackson recorded four tackles for loss and the game-winning tackle on fourth down to secure Annapolis’ first victory over Old Mill in decades. Then in mid-October, Jackson made history again when he secured his Panthers’ narrow triumph over Class 4A power Broadneck.
Quarterback CJ Watkins had his Bruins on Annapolis’ 30 with less than a minute left. On third down, Jackson sprang off his rush to catch a Broadneck offensive lineman and failed.
“He had me, so I locked him out and jumped up. That’s what I resort to because I do have a lot of bat downs,” Jackson said.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore leapt before Watkins and batted his pass attempt down.
“I was running around, hype, but I looked back to make sure I didn’t get a flag for taunting,” Jackson said with a smile. “I knew, after that game, I’d be getting a call from somebody.”
He finished the fall with 50 total tackles, 16 for loss, as well as nine sacks, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and 13 deflections.
Morgan State arrived to offer another Panther, or so Jackson thought.
“The work,” Jackson said, “was finally paying off.”
Hunt spread praise of Jackson around the county, but compared against older players, his accomplishments were largely underrated. Anne Arundel public school coaches consigned him to their 2024 Second Team All-County list instead of First Team. He failed to make the Capital Gazette 2024 Football All-County teams, too.
Hunt got the sense people locally didn’t believe in his prospect. But in the spring, sentiments began to shift — because college coaches did.
Annapolis football posted a picture of Jackson on Maryland’s SECU Stadium field, shortly after the Terps offered the sophomore in mid-February. The defensive end took his official visit to College Park later in late April — a pin all over the map he’d spent the late spring and early summer traveling.
“That one got me,” Jackson said of the Terps’ offer. “I just really try to take it all in and be as humble as I can be. I know what I have, there’s a million other kids striving for it. I gotta keep my head down and grind.”
Jackson doesn’t bring up his offers to anyone. If someone asks about one, he’ll confirm and say little else. All he’s focused on now is bettering himself for his junior season, sharpening his drop-in and his pass-rush game.
“I’m gonna show the same thing I showed last season but 10 times better. This season’s gonna be a movie,” Jackson said. “I’m ready.”
Have a news tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
]]>Fittingly, the new church basketball court is also the birthplace of Wintarian Athletics — the multi-purpose gym where Davis is fulfilling his long-term aspiration and giving back to the local community in the process.
Wintarian Athletics currently offers basketball group training sessions Monday through Thursday and Saturday for elementary, middle and high school boys and girls of all levels. Beyond the two basketball courts and the weight room, Wintarian Athletics offers several other fitness opportunities including yoga and Zumba classes, plus soccer and volleyball rentals.
Davis is committed to further facilitating athlete growth across the board. He’s eager to bring on physical therapists and sports psychologists to assist young athletes in their physical and mental recovery before and after workouts.
“I never knew how close or far it was, but I definitely knew it was something I always wanted to do,” Davis said. “So, I wasn’t going to stop trying whether it happened 10 or 20 years later.”
A 2014 Marriotts Ridge graduate and Howard County Player of the Year as a senior, he went on to have an accomplished career at Johnson C. Smith University. After a year playing professionally in Portugal and Cyprus, Davis returned to the U.S. in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The church’s sports ministry previously offered basketball, softball and track for many years. However, in 2020, Davis and his dad launched the Celebration Church’s outdoor basketball league, which ran from July through October. They even built a new court for the inaugural season.
One of Davis’ first calls was to Jerard Rucker, who coached him in high school AAU on what is now known as Team Melo — one of the nation’s elite programs in the Nike EYBL Circuit. Rucker has trained several NBA players, including Baltimore native and Washington Wizards point guard Bub Carrington. One of the Baltimore area’s most highly respected basketball trainers, he spread awareness about the league.
What initially started out as a men’s league with 15 teams boomed in popularity and extended down to leagues for second and third graders. Social media helped drive that influx with a mix of private clubs, school and AAU teams participating.
While the league functioned as an extension of the ministry early on, Wintarian Athletics quickly blossomed and began establishing its own brand. Robert and his dad worked through the entire process together, including the name Wintarian.
Robbie coined the term and defined it as, “a human being who never gives up regardless of the circumstances of their lives.”
“COVID had shut down everything as far as organized sports were concerned inside and so we thought it was a great opportunity to be able to serve the community in an outdoor venue,” Robbie Davis said. “When I tell you it was explosive, it was absolutely explosive. Hundreds of kids and adults, teens from all over the DMV, men, women, boys, girls. It was powerful.”
The league’s participation dipped some in the following year with indoor gyms opening back up, but the younger Davis opened an indoor weightlifting facility in the church. In addition to basketball, several trainers brought their clients in for workouts, which only enhanced Wintarian’s presence.
The chance to open a gym became increasingly realistic and in October 2023, Davis connected with Marques Sneed through a mutual friend. At that time, Sneed was preparing to leave the facility where Wintarian Athletics now resides in Elkridge, looking to break out on his own.
Davis and Sneed ultimately decided to merge and start looking for a facility together, ideally a gym that combined the basketball, weight room and training element. After extensive conversations, the gym where Sneed previously worked checked all of those boxes and Wintarian Athletics opened at that facility in October 2024.
They understood the potential for early struggles when the gym first opened. However, between Davis’ extensive Howard County connections and Sneed’s training ties with his brand, 90/10 Fitness, Wintarian Athletics quickly built up its clientele. Sneed is from the Baltimore area, also a teacher and an assistant football coach at Meade, which helped attract more clients.
“I had no idea we were going to be moving this fast,” Sneed said. “Rob is the biggest key to that. He has a serious stronghold on Howard County with him being the county player of the year when he was in high school. Having the backing of the church, his connections with Coach Rucker, his connections with people that I’ve trained, and he’s trained alongside with. The glue to all of this is Rob.
“I’m from the Baltimore area, so a lot of my friends are coming up. Me having this connection with Anne Arundel County public schools, coaching and teaching has been great. We’re branching out to different parts of Anne Arundel County that we wouldn’t if we didn’t have that connection already. It’s surreal, I didn’t think that we would be this large, this fast.”
With Sneed already in the fold, Davis reached out to Rucker in October 2024, who at the time was the head basketball trainer at Coopermine Gym. He called to gauge Rucker’s interest in being the head basketball trainer at Wintarian Athletics.
Rucker accepted the offer after meeting with Davis and his dad.
“I knew with my passion for basketball; I wanted to be somewhere where basketball was one of the main focal points,” Rucker said. “It was two-part because I really wanted to transition to a location like this, and he wanted me, because he knows how passionate I am about basketball. He knows my pedigree and work ethic. It was really a win-win. It didn’t take a lot of selling.”
Rucker’s rich basketball cache and coaching acumen are bringing some of the area’s top talent to the gym. The 17U Team Melo group that he coaches features several elite talents, including 6-foot-9 forward Chase Foster, the No. 42 overall recruit in ESPN’s top 100 for the Class of 2026. They practice at Wintarian Athletics once a week.
Meanwhile, in their offseason, former Baltimore-area stars like Darryl Morsell, De’Vondre Perry, Rucker’s son Jalen and Jordan Brathwaite come to train. Morsell and Perry have played overseas in multiple countries, while Jalen Rucker excelled at Army West Point and Brathwaite is a rising sophomore at Yale.
A former Howard County star in his own right, Davis is hopeful that the gym showcases the potential in and around the Howard County area. He has relationships with multiple Howard County coaches and several teams have trained in the facility.
While he wants to maximize every athlete’s gift, there’s an added drive and motivation to elevate Howard County’s basketball reputation.
“That’s my end goal anyway to be able to be in this community and be able to give back. To just give people an outlet,” Davis said. “I feel like this area is not really a basketball-centered area in terms of the level. People usually go to Mount Saint Joseph or Mount Carmel or St. Frances, to get better competition. This area does have a lot of talent. Guys like [Oakland Mills’] Greg Whittington and [River Hill’s] Charles Thomas IV are really good players that are from this area but they kind of go under the radar because they went to Howard County schools.”
Business, as in athletics, requires extensive time and effort. Davis is well aware of that sacrifice, often in the gym 13 to 14 hours on weekdays.
Despite those long days, he is doing what he loves most: helping young athletes and serving as a positive role model like other coaches once did for him.
“He’s committed to it. This is very much a calling for Robert,” Robbie Davis said. “He’s a pretty steady personality and just keeps on doing what he feels called to do. There are highs and lows—and there have been since the beginning but at this point — he just has a steady presence in the community and people know who he is and what he represents. Wintarian Athletics is becoming its own thing that was birthed out of Celebration Church but now has its own identity in the community.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
]]>By the end of it, she was a first-team All-County selection in soccer and basketball, served a key role in South River’s state championship basketball run, and earned an unlikely starting spot on a competitive Seahawks lacrosse squad, despite having retired from the sport years ago. She was also one of 13 student-athletes in the United States named a Green Award recipient by Lead ‘Em Up, a national program meant to teach leadership and build character in athletics.
One more award – the Capital Gazette 2024-25 girls high school Athlete of the Year – follows her to Frostburg State women’s basketball.
“She’s a kid that, you see her play, you’re gonna instantly love watching her,” South River girls basketball coach Michael Zivic said. “That was the biggest thing when we played Oxon Hill, we’re in Prince George’s County where they’re known for basketball. I can’t tell you how many people were coming up to me after the game to tell us we’re they’re new favorite team because of players like her.”
An ACL tear during Ogle’s sophomore basketball season stole not only a promising season, but pivotal development and recruitment months as a junior, too. She still wonders what could have been had she stayed healthy.
The fear of suffering a season-ending injury again threatened to cloud Ogle’s convictions for her last year. Basketball, her main sport, was never in question. Everything else?
“A lot of stuff went through my head, like, ‘Should I not play soccer?’ And at the end of the day, I just wanted to have fun,” Ogle said. “I didn’t want to regret or miss anything. And I think it was really good for me. Soccer built my confidence going into basketball.”
South River soccer coach Christine Flanagan reckons a junior season sidelined gave Ogle a chance to absorb the entire field – and, in turn, expand her abilities. It would’ve been easy to confuse Ogle, a forward, for a midfielder. She hung back 10 yards, fooling defenders into thinking she wasn’t a threat. She proved how wrong they were with nine goals and nine assists.
“There’s so much footage of her not being looked at and then just flying through,” Flanagan said. “She’s little, so defenders think they can just push her off the ball. And she’s so physical that she’s a huge threat, and that’s why she was our top scorer and assists leader.”
South River might have ruled county girls basketball without Ogle, but it does not capture its first state title without her. The point guard grabbed 4.1 steals per game and averaged around nine points, capping her career with 600 points, 400 assists and 400 steals. In the final quarter of the 3A state championship on March 14, Ogle sparked the lopsided scoring against Oakland Mills, 21-5, to ensure her team’s title.
“It took her some time to get her sea legs – or her ‘ACL legs’ – after coming back her junior year,” Zivic said. “I thought this year she got back to being her normal self.”
In years past, the Anne Arundel County Senior All-Star Basketball Classic might’ve been her final athletic performance for South River. But her longtime teammate, Adella Norton, wouldn’t stop pestering her to pick up a lacrosse stick again.
Knowing AAU basketball was her main path to recruitment, Ogle gave up her third sport before high school. But with her commitment locked, there was no reason to forgo another experience. Within weeks of the spring season, Ogle earned a starting role, predominantly as a defender and an aide on the wings of the draw circle.
“That’s where I really found my spark,” Ogle said. “I’m more of a physical player and in lacrosse, you have to stand in front of them and be just be big.”
Ogle may not have to give it up, either.
She’s bringing all of her pesky stealing and scoring abilities to Frostburg State women’s basketball next season, though she may be allowed to play lacrosse, too.
“I borrowed my coach’s lacrosse stick because mine was bad. And when I tried to give it back at the end of the season, she told me to keep it: ‘I want you to keep it and try to play wherever you go.’”
Ogle tried to remind South River girls lacrosse coach Annie Martin that she was college basketball-bound.
“She said, ‘Try anyway,’” Ogle said. “And you never know.”
Have a sports tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
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