Jacksonville Jim Brogan

High School Sports

Steve Miller found the players he wanted, saw their potential and knew they'd be celebrating at Ripken Stadium before they were finished. He wasn't there on the field, but his vision was in full bloom last Tuesday.

"Coach Miller got us ready," said Archbishop Spalding starter Austin Clark, one of a roster full of juniors. "We came in, and we did it."

The Cavaliers, who rebounded after Miller resigned from his coaching spot in July to give way to his friend, Jeff Palumbo, knocked off perennial power Calvert Hall in the second game of the championship series to win their first Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference final.

Nick Freeberger, the only addition to the lineup, hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Jamal Clarke followed with a two-run shot in the third for a 6-0 lead, and Clark kept the Cardinals chasing until the last pitch - a swinging strike to Alex Pastorius.

"They're juniors and seniors this year, and they've always been young," Palumbo said. "Steve started a bunch of them when they were freshmen and sophomores. Physically, they're stronger, and they can play. When we started the season, everybody knew the goal was to win a championship. It would've been a disappointment if we didn't."

Spalding, which lost to Calvert Hall in the 2007 final and dropped both regular-season games this year, made all that a memory during the postseason. With Clark on the mound, the Cavaliers handed the Cardinals a 7-1 loss to take over the top spot in the tournament.

Calvert Hall, which had to beat St. Paul's on Sunday to advance to the final, needed to top Spalding twice at Ripken Stadium. The Cardinals grabbed a 13-3, six-inning victory on Monday to force Tuesday's game.

"We knew with our mentality, we were pumped up," said third baseman Austin Neary, one of the Cavaliers' 10 seniors. "We got text messages at 2 a.m.; we can't sleep, we're so pumped up.'"

Ryan Metzler singled, moved to third on Sean Miller's double and scored on Neary's groundout before Freeberger lined a shot to left field for a 3-0 lead. Phil Kreis' RBI single in the first surpassed Spalding's run total in the previous night's six innings.

"Up until this year, it's been more than 10 years since we've beaten Calvert Hall at Calvert Hall," said Freeberger, who transferred in after Cardinal Gibbons closed. "We did that last week. We'd never won an A Conference championship. … Gibbons closing was really sad. But when I knew I was coming to Spalding, I knew it put me in a position to win a championship.

AFC South Blog: Jarett Dillard's odd goal: 67 catches

On if he has a goal this year for number of receptions: “Yes actually I do. I have the goal of catching 67 passes. Speaking with a psychologist, Jim Brogan, we were just doing the math, he was doing the math for me. He said the goal is 67 catches and I think as a receiver and at any position you’ve got to have a goal to set for yourself and that was it.

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International Stereotypers' and Electrotypers' Union Journal

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