Gore Expected To Visit Greenway Ave. Stadium

By Sheldon Shealer

Democratic Party presidential candidate Al Gore, the current vice president, is expected to visit Greenway Ave. Stadium on Friday to watch his son, who plays for Sidwell Friends of Washington, Cumberland radio station WCBC reported Tuesday.

Sidwell Friends is playing against Allegany.

Last year, Allegany traveled to Sidwell Friends. The game was halted at halftime due to an electrical storm, and was completed a few days later at St. James School in Hagerstown. Gore was in attendance at both contests, WCBC reported.

Sidwell Friends and Allegany are both 2-0.

Rios is Back

Only 10 days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, Edwin Rios of Eleanor Roosevelt was back in action and running wild through opponents defenses.

Rios rushed for 128 yards on 14 carries and had four catches for 45 yards in the Raidersí 46-24 win over Warrick (Pa.) on Friday.

Rios was a Big School second-team All-State honoree last year after helping Roosevelt win the Class 4A crown. Roosevelt is 2-0 and ranked No. 2 in this week's A.P. state poll. The Raiders came in only one point behind No. 1 Gilman.

Eighteen of the 20 ranked teams won last week, resulting in very little movement. The Top 5 remains the same -- Gilman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Suitland, Seneca Valley and DeMatha. Urbana, riding a 27-game win streak moved up a spot to No. 6, while Westlake inched up to No. 7. Both teams advanced after Sherwood, the former No. 6 and current No. 8, struggled to a 13-6 win over unranked Walt Whitman.

The biggest mover in this week's state poll was McDonogh, which vaulted from the "others receiving votes" to No. 13 following a 42-22 win over previous No. 12 Mount St. Joseph. McDonogh made an appearance at No. 20 last year, but the team hasn't been a consistent state Top 20 team since the 1993-94 seasons. Oddly, at that time, McDonogh was coached at Mike Working, who is now the Mount St. Joseph coach.

Paint Branch also jumped from No. 19 to No. 12 following a 50-22 win over Watkins Mill. It's the first time since 1998 that Paint Branch is in the rankings, and the No. 12 position marks its best showing.

TOP PERFORMANCES

Hassan Muhammad, Cardinal Gibbons, Running Back: Muhammad had 275 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns as Gibbons handled Boys' Latin, 29-7. Muhammad has rushed for more than 100 yards in all of Gibbons' (3-1) contests this season.

Ambrose Wooden, Gilman, Quarterback: Wooden, Gilman's option quarterback, rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns (22, 12, 85 yards), helping the Greyhounds to a 41-0 victory over St. Paul's.

Kevin Flynn, Damascus, Running Back: Flynn rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns, leading Damascus past Linganore in a key central Maryland rivalry. The winner of this contest has advanced to the state playoffs each of the last five years.

IN CASE YOU WHERE WONDERING

The the first time in Monocacy Valley Athletic League history, the conference's four Frederick County teams -- Brunswick, Catoctin, Middletown and Walkersville -- are all 0-2 at the same time.

STREAK BUSTERS

The following winning or losing streaks ended last week:

South Hagerstown's hold on the state's longest losing streak lasted just one week. The Rebels knocked off Smithsburg, 21-0, ending a 19-game drought, and handing the state's longest current losing streak to Montgomery Blair at 18 games.

Thomas Stone's 11-game regular-season win streak, which was tied for seventh best in Maryland, was snapped in a 13-10 loss to McDonough.

Francis Scott Key defeated Middletown, 21-7, ending the Eagles' 22-year losing streak to the Knights. FSK's last win over Middletown was in 1977.

AROUND THE STATE (Week 2 Notes)

Suitland's Thomas Smith has verbally committed to the University of Pittsburgh. ... Hereford's Mike Rosteck has connected on 14 extra points to leads the state. ... McDonogh's E.J. Hamilton rushed for four touchdowns in the Eagles' 42-22 win over Mount St. Joseph, and none of his scoring runs were greater than 3 yards. ... Archbishop Spalding, Harford tech, Largo, Rising Sun and West Nottingham have failed to score this year. ... Franklin was forced to forfeit its season opening game to Pikesville after suspending practice following an incident where a Franklin player was assaulted by his teammates. According to a story in The (Baltimore) Sun, five Franklin players have been suspended from the team and school and coach Greg Fuhrman has been suspended due to lack of supervision. The incident occurred on Aug. 30, when a player was hit on the back of the neck by a broom, then by a thrown chair, and was punched several times. A police report was filed, but the family has not pressed charges. Franklin returned to action this week, and edged Overlea, 18-13. ... Poolesville boosts one of the state's best defenses -- allowing only six points in two games -- and one of the state's worst offenses -- scoring only seven points in two games. Speaking of low scores, John Carroll has been involved in three games with a total of 31 points scored. The Patriots won a 9-6 decision and lost games 7-0 and 6-3. ... It's official -- DeMatha's consecutive game scoring streak was 196 contests. School officials confirmed the number early this week. After getting shut out by Bishop O'Connell in 1981, DeMatha proceeded to score in the next 87 games it played during the 1980s and all 109 games in played in the 1990s. The Stags were shut out by Gilman, 14-0, to start the 2000 season. ... Queen Anne's took a major step toward representing the Class 2A East in the playoffs with a 9-0 victory over James M. Bennett. Queen Anne's, which made the playoffs last year, is favored along with Wicomico. ... Chesapeake-BC is 2-0, an amazing feat for a school that has won only four games since 1995.

LOOKING AHEAD

Westlake at Calvert, Friday, 7 p.m.: These teams have lived up to early projections, and meet Friday in a battle for first place in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. Westlake is 2-0 and has outscored its opponents, 85-14. Calvert has been equally as impressive with a 2-0 record and a 91-20 scoring margin.

Catonsville at Hereford, Friday, 7 p.m.: The Baltimore County 2A/1A title will be on the line when the Comets (2-0) visit the Bulls (2-0). The winner has the inside track on a playoff spot as well as the league title. Hereford has scored 98 points in two easy, early season wins. Catonsville, which has allowed only six points in two games, struggled past Western Tech, 14-6, last Friday.

Oxon Hill at Eleanor Roosevelt, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: The first of many big P.G. County 4A clashes this season. Roosevelt (2-0) is averaging a state-best 56.5 points per game. Oxon Hill (2-0) edged Northwestern-PG, 15-13, last week. Edwin Rios, who underwent an appendectomy on Sept. 6, is back in the lineup for the Roosevelt Raiders.