Basketball State Championship Results and Boys Lacrosse Preseason Power Rankings

Just a few games remain in the basketball season with the first day of spring play being just four days away! No matter what season, at CSZ, we work hard to get you the high school sports info you are looking for, faster and easier. This weekly newsletter brings the latest scores, updates, and highlights straight to your inbox. If you live it, share it so others can subscribe too. If it is not for you, feel free to unsubscribe and visit us anytime at CountySports.Zone. Most of the content below is image based, so depending on how you are viewing, you may need to download the images to see everything.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 🏀

On Saturday afternoon, the Pikesville Panthers looked to make state history and win their sixth consecutive state championship as they faced Southern Garrett for the third straight year. Scroll down or click this link for a full game recap to learn how the title match played out!

The 1A Girls Basketball season wrapped up at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Saturday afternoon, where the 24-2 Pikesville Panthers faced the 21-5 Southern Garrett Rams for the third consecutive state championship. Coming in with five consecutive state championships, the Panthers took down the SEED Sabers in the semifinals in a 67-29 rout, while the Rams needed overtime to overcome the top-seeded Smithsburg Leopards 63-59.

After falling in the two previous state championships to Michael Dukes’s squad, Southern Garrett head coach Landon Todd focused on scheduling more regular season opponents that echo the Panthers’ style of play. His athletes undoubtedly felt the difference.

“Mt. Zion, Osborne Park, and South County were those teams. The pressure they give you on defense, the reaching and getting the ball is so much different than what we see back at home,” junior guard Jayden Weaver said.

The game got off slow, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead in the first quarter. Pikesville senior Mariah Jones-Bey nailed a two-point shot from the short corner at the buzzer to put her team ahead after one. The second quarter belonged to the red and white from Garrett County, as the Rams outscored the Panthers 13-6. In the quarter, six different SG athletes found the net, with each contributing between two and three points. By the break, the Rams led 20-14.

In the first half, Pikesville was led by Jones-Bey, who contributed six to the scoreboard, while Emelee Parks, Jayden Weaver, and Joycelyn Ward each contributed four, leading their team.

In the third quarter, Southern’s offense continued pushing strong. In the quarter’s first four minutes, the Rams outscored Pikesville 11-5, with no individual player pulling ahead, but the team shining as a whole. The Panthers began to turn up the heat though, with Kennesaw State commit NyJae Malik-El scoring four in four minutes, and junior Calia Carter adding three in the same time frame.

With an eight-point lead heading into the game’s final eight minutes, Coach Todd and his athletes knew the championship was within reach. Despite Pikesville pulling within four of the lead just one minute in, the Rams’ attack turned up the heat, regaining a nine-point lead with 3:52 to play. Pikesville sophomore Qaidence David shined as the team tried to get back on top, contributing nine over a two-and-a-half minute stretch.

Despite Pikesville scoring a game-high 18 points in the final quarter, it would not be enough to win their sixth-straight state title, as Southern Garrett won gold for the first time since 2018, defeating the Panthers 52-46.

The Rams had four athletes who played all 32 minutes, with Weaver leading the scoring, contributing 14 points and seven rebounds. For the Panthers, Qaidence David’s strong fourth quarter propelled her to 16, which led the purple and white. After the game, Pikesville head coach Michael Dukes tipped his hat to the newly crowned state champions.

“I thought [Southern] moved without the ball really well,” Dukes said. “Some things we wanted to do in our game plan we didn’t do the best job of executing. They were able to get downhill… they got us on the offensive glass and that’s not something we've done well against this team in the past.” Despite the loss, Dukes and his athletes were proud of a season that saw 24 wins, and they’re determined to make it back to the big game in 2027.

Coach Todd, after dropping the previous two state title games to Pikesville, couldn’t have been happier with how this game played out. “I’m so happy for our girls and our community,” Todd said. “It’s no secret we’ve been here two other times and we didn’t walk away with the same result. This is extra special.”

BOYS LACROSSE🥍

Click this link or scroll below to read about the top eight Boys Lacrosse teams in BCPS, as the county looks to break a five year streak without a state title! The first day of spring play is this Friday so stay tuned for our first standings update next week!

In the 2025 season, the Towson Generals advanced farther than any other Baltimore County boys lacrosse team, falling in the 3A state championship. Last year’s Towson team came closer than any other BCPS team has since Hereford brought home the county’s most recent championship in 2021. Aside from Towson, Dundalk (4A) and Hereford (2A) were the only other teams to advance beyond regionals, but neither of the two earned a win in the state bracket. This season, every team looks to what hasn’t been done in half a decade, win Baltimore County a state championship. Here are the eight teams from the county most likely to win the big trophy:

1. Towson (2025: 14-3)

Last year, Phil Rossetti’s squad had three college commits at the helm: Brody Donovan (Harford CC), Jackson Harris (Stevenson University) and Alex Tyler (Frostburg State University). With seven additional seniors on the roster, the Generals only dropped two regular season games, coming in a midseason road loss at Hereford, and in the last game of the regular season on the road against Urbana, the 4A state champions. In the state bracket, the team cruised by Rockville and Marriotts Ridge before falling to Severna Park in the title game. This season, Coach Rossetti had named Kelly Award finalist Hudson Arrup, Detroit Mercy commit Zach Mangiafico, and Max Kosmides his captains. The three of them, along with three other returning athletes who received all-county honors last spring, will look to bring Towson their first state championship since 1997.

2. Dulaney (2025: 10-6)

The Lions were eliminated in the 3A North I regional championship at the hands of Towson. The loss came as Dulaney worked to put themselves on a six-game win streak, dating back to mid-April, where the team scored at least 10 goals in each of the wins. However, this year, the Lions will be without 12 members of last year’s squad, including Angelo Schuler who now plays for McDaniel College. The bright side for head coach Mike Ricucci is that, this season, his team will be led by St. Mary’s College of Maryland commit Jake Carlson and Grove City College commit Max Cooper, who was also a Kelly award finalist in 2025. Beyond those two, junior Constantine Bellios looks to have a promising future ahead of him, as the attacker garnered over 100 points before the end of his second season. After reaching the state semifinals or beyond 20 times between 1990 and 2015, the Lions now find themselves prowling for their first appearance in a decade.

3. Hereford (2025: 11-4)

The Bulls went into the 2A state bracket as the six seed and fell in their first game to the future state runner-up, the Stephen Decatur Seahawks, 11-5. This game didn’t come before Hereford went undefeated against county opponents in the regular season, and then went on to take out rival Eastern Tech 12-3 in the regional semifinals. The maroon and yellow will be losing eight seniors from last year’s squad, a few of whom received all-county honors. But despite the losses, this year’s team will be in good hands. They are set to be led by Ryan Nash, an academic all-American, and Ian Smith, who was selected first-team all-county. The roster also includes three more returning athletes who were given second-team all-county honors.

4. Dundalk (2025: 9-6)

Last year’s Owls made history, becoming Dundalk’s first boys lacrosse team to win a regional championship in almost 50 years. The MPSSAA record book, which only dates back to 1990, only has last year’s appearance listed. To get there, the Owls knocked off Perry Hall 13-7 in the regional championship, avenging a 12-11 home loss to the Gators from the season opener. This coming season, the two will rematch again, but the green and gold will be without eight seniors, including Devin Fields, who plays at Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Jered Reine will play at Onondaga CC in Syracuse, New York. Despite these big losses, Dundalk will return three athletes who were selected to the first all-division team: Sylvester Agyapongwiafe, Clayton Fraser, and Russell Shifflett. These three will have a huge role in bringing the Owls back into the state bracket for the second straight season.

5. Patapsco (2025: 6-6)

The four seed in the 2A North I region looked very solid in their regional semifinal game against Overlea, as the Patriots defeated the Falcons 16-1. However, that’s where the good fortune came to an end, as their season was ended by C. Milton Wright in round two. Coming into this spring, Drew Mininsky and company will undoubtedly miss first-team all-division nominees Samaj Moyd, Joshua Cornish, and many others, but they have several stars coming back to this spring’s roster. Nick Adkins Jr. will be in a spot to have a commanding role on this year’s Patapsco squad following his first-team all-division selection in 2025. Also, Gage Cockrell will have an opportunity to make the jump from second-team all-division to the first-team roster as Patapsco will search for their first regional championship in program history.

6. Parkville (2025: 10-3)

The school’s bread and butter seems to be dominating in the regular season but falling short early in the playoffs, which is just what happened to last year’s Knights team. After a regular season that saw just two losses, Parkville went into the 4A North I bracket as the top seed, but after a quarterfinal bye, they were eliminated by Perry Hall in the second round 9-6. This result echos 2024, where after a 4-8 season, the Knights were taken out by Dundalk 16-14 in their first playoff game. In 2026, the black and gold will look to end this streak. While they will certainly miss Oscar Escobar, who now plays at Lebanon Valley College, junior goalie Korey Treadwell shined in his first season blocking the net, while Miquel Ramirez had several flashes of greatness last season as well for Parkville.

7. Perry Hall (2025: 7-8)

In the regional championship, the Gators were knocked out by three-seeded Dundalk Owls, the first time Perry Hall lost to Dundalk since before the pandemic. In 2023 when Perry Hall finished with a 2-13 record, one of those wins was against the Owls. Next season, getting back on top will not be any easier for Perry Hall, as they are set to lose eight seniors. What works in their favor is the majority of the opponents on their ten-game schedule. Perry Hall will face 10 opponents in the regular season, seven of which had .500 or worse records in 2025. This schedule could boost the Gators’ record, and therefore seeding for a potential playoff rematch. Before that, Perry Hall and Dundalk will face off on opening day.

8. Pikesville (2025: 6-6)

The three-time 2A-1A state champions, most recently in 2009, took care of business against the Carver Wildcats in the regional quarterfinals, defeating the magnet program 21-0, but they fell in the region semis to Western Tech, as their season ended with a 16-12 loss. Coming into this year, the Panthers will only be without six members of last year’s program, most notably attacker Noah Goetz, the school’s all-time leading scorer. This season, senior LSM Grant Livne will be the team’s leader, with junior attacks Ryan Beck and Kayleb Gallant also in position to contribute in a big way.

SOFTBALL 🥎

Spring sports kick off the regular season this Friday, and BCPS is set for no shortage of games in just the first weekend! Read below the schedule for Baltimore County softball’s opening weekend!

Friday: Eastern Tech @ Towson, Perry Hall @ Sparrows Point, Catonsville @ Kenwood

Saturday: Dulaney @ Catonsville, Dundalk @ Carver A&T, Towson @ Century, Overlea @ Parkville, Pikesville @ Randallstown, New Town @ Milford Mill, Loch Raven @ Patapsco, Hereford @ Lansdowne, Franklin @ Western Tech

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SPRING SPORTS ⚾🥍

Stay tuned to CSZ for preseason power rankings for spring sports including Baseball and Girls Lacrosse next week!

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