HCPSS Athletics Weekly Update - Lacrosse Regional MVP, Previews and more...

SPOTLIGHT

Caroline Cudzilo leads Centennial to its first regional championship win since 2008

Five HoCo lacrosse teams won their respective regional championships, marking an increase from last year’s four.

One player would be a unanimous regional MVP if such an award existed for Howard County.

Centennial Girls’ Lacrosse attacker Caroline Cudzilo put on a show in one of the biggest MPSSAA playoff shakeups so far this spring.

The junior had one of the best performances in Centennial playoff history in the 2A West II regional championship.

The Eagles got ambushed early by the Lions, who were looking to win this rematch after losing to Centennial 18-10 on April 10. Howard played as one of the toughest opponents for the Eagles in that game, being the third team to score double digits against them. The other two games ended in Centennial losses.

Howard scored three of the game’s first four goals and kept their momentum going early in the game with a 7-6 lead. Scoring defined the Lions' playoff run, who entered the game with 32 goals in their prior two playoff matchups.

Fortunes changed for Centennial once Cudzilo turned into an unstoppable force. A scoreless first half for the junior did not deter her performance at all.

The Hofstra Women’s Lacrosse commit previously described the development of her winning mindset in an interview with The Wingspan.

“Centennial lacrosse has helped me become a better leader on and off of the field,” Cudzilo said. “I’ve grown to be a problem solver.”

Cudzilo brought solutions for the Eagles down the stretch. She posted seven goals in the second half, finishing with a total that no other player could reach all game. Her performance allowed Centennial to pull away late and win 17-7 over Howard.

Centennial snapped an 18 year regional championship drought. They earned the berth for the third time, becoming the fifth program in Howard County history to make it this deep into the playoffs at least three times.

The Eagles will host their state quarterfinals game tomorrow at 5:00. They welcome a 12-3 C. Milton Wright team that has scored 18 goals six times, including most recently against Bel Air in the regional championship.

Centennial will need more of Cudzilo’s clutch gene to keep pushing toward the first state championship in program history.

Girls’ Lacrosse 🥍

Centennial, Glenelg and Marriotts Ridge all have spots in the state quarterfinals after exciting regional wins.

The Eagles could be this year’s team of destiny if they pull off an underdog win over juggernaut 12-3 C. Milton Wright.

Glenelg embarks on a championship rematch to start its state run. 15-0 Manchester Valley has scored at least 15 goals in its last 10 games and has not allowed more than seven goals all season. They have lost three times since 2022, with two coming at the hands of Glenelg.

Defending champion Marriotts Ridge is already on a better offensive pace than last season. The Mustangs have scored 34 goals this year in two playoff games, improving from 28 in their first two last year.

Baseball ⚾

Long Reach and Glenelg face off for the second time in four weeks. The Lightning won their last meeting 4-2 and just won a playoff rematch against River Hill 8-3.

Centennial rebounded with a 13-8 playoff win over Howard after ending their season with a 2-3 record in the last five games. Aidan Banks drew a season high three walks and Aiden Gauthier stayed red hot with a 1.058 OPS in the last month.

Reservoir is 8-2 against out-of-county opponents since the start of last season and faces one for the first time this postseason. The Gators have played close recently, with four of their last five games being decided by two or fewer runs. 18-2 Sherwood has only lost in one-run games this season.

Boys’ Lacrosse 🥍

Centennial and Glenelg both won their regional championships yesterday

The Eagles won 14-5 against Howard in a big rematch after previously losing 7-5 on April 10. Centennial has a 5-2 record against non-county opponents across the last two seasons and faces one for the first time this postseason tomorrow.

The Gladiators scored their second-most goals all season with 19 against Walkersville. Glenelg previously beat Northern 13-2 as part of their current 14-game winning streak.

Softball 🥎

River Hill is fresh off a rout against Hammond and are trying to become the 17th HoCo team to make the regional championship this spring. A win would let them face 17-0 Mt. Hebron in the championship tomorrow at 4:15.

The Hawks will lean on their ace Annie Levine, who has a 2.81 ERA alongside a 25 K% in the last month.

Aviana Sekarak is the Hawks’ hit leader and went 3-3 with a home run against Mt. Hebron just two weeks ago.

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