2A

Kaleah Anderson (Glen Burnie) and Chloe Greenway (Oakland Mills) earned MVP honors in a back-and-forth battle. Anderson got things rolling early, knocking down a three to open the scoring—setting the tone for a game full of shot attempts on both sides. A standout from Anne Arundel showed out as well, making a big impact throughout the game. Anne Arundel led 37-29 at the half, but Howard County came out of the break firing, going on a 12-0 run to flip the momentum. Lauer caught fire in the second half, drilling a logo three and following it up with another from the top of the key. Howard County took a 64-60 lead with just over 3 minutes left and held a one-point edge with 30 seconds remaining. But Anne Arundel responded with a clutch bucket to take the lead late. Anne Arundel escapes with a 69-68 win. 🔥

After a long hard fought game against Glenelg, Manchester Valley was able to capture their first girls basketball state title in program history!

Howard County saw two teams make championship appearances and three win their region this season. Glenelg and Reservoir powered their way to have a chance at a title. Howard made it to the state bracket. Here are CSZ’s awards for the best of the county this season: Team of the Year - Reservoir Gators Reservoir tied for the best regular-season record at 16-4 and won a county-high five playoff games. The Gators hit the ground running in December, winning all six of their games and keeping opponents under 40 points in four of them. Their seven-game win streak to open the year showcased that this year’s team would not take a step back, leading the county once again. A January lull, which had a 1-4 stretch for the Gators, proved to be the outlier in the year. Reservoir returned to its winning ways in February and carried that momentum for the rest of the season. Since the start of February, they won 12 straight games, including the playoffs, before the championship against the Poly Engineers. A 57-34 loss to that Poly team ended the playoff run, but Reservoir still managed to defy expectations by remaining at the top of the county. Coach Deb Taylor reflected on what she and her players accomplished this season. “At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think we would win as many games as we did…We graduated 2 all-county players and people thought we would be down. Instead, we won our first county championship and made school history,” Coach Taylor said. Most Improved Team - Glenelg Gladiators Glenelg boosted its record by six regular-season wins and eight total this year, turning the page after finishing under .500 in 2025. The Gladiators built early momentum and sustained it this year. They won their first five games of the season with a key one early against a talented Mt. Hebron team. In CSZ’s preseason power rankings, we placed Glenelg seventh with concerns about the team’s defense. The 2025 team had a 3-9 record when the defense allowed more than 40 points. The Gladiators allowed 40 points in the same number of games this season, but showed the offensive grit to overcome it. Glenelg improved by three wins in the stat to have a 6-6 record in those games, including the playoffs. Their playoff journey featured four blowout wins, taking down Southern, Wilde Lake, Frederick Douglass and Williamsport. The dominance carried into the start of the championship game, but Glenelg got outlasted by Manchester Valley, who won its first championship in the process.

Brynn Bauer- 15 pts 4 Rebs Taylor Fique - 9 pts 6 Rebs 4 assists 4 steals Lilah Kresslein - 8 pts 3 Rebs 6 assists Lauren Khuene - 8 pts 2 steals

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlyPuKHDE1M 🏀🏀 ROAD TO UMBC MPSSAA GIRLS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 🆚 (5) Manchester Valley vs (7) Glenelg 📍 UMBC, Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena 📝 Kmillz (MFVAllSportsNetwork) MPSSAA took a different route for basketball states and hosted their main event at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena located on the beautiful campus of UMBC. Seems like it was a new for everything today. New weather as we went from 80 degrees to sleet, rain, and snow. New coach, Maureen Roberson, of the Glenelg Gladiators, as it was her first time bringing her team to a state championship. For Manchester Valley, it would be their program’s first state championship if the won. A new stage was set in a new arena, readying us for some championship basketball. 1ST HALF - When normally you expect first quarter jitters, Glenelg killed that notion starting out on a 9-0 run. They stayed steady knocking down threes and getting some nice floaters. It would take a minute as the Mavericks rallied back from a 7 point deficit, and brought the Mavericks to within two at the half, 22-20. This was due to their impressive defense, making it hard for Glenelg to add points. They applied pressure as the Gladiators brought the ball up court. Also their leading scorer, #4 Brynn Bauer made this possible too scoring a key drives. 2ND HALF - Manchester Valley stayed on brand, adding the same type of pressure to their opponents. Glenelg did put up a good fight. There were pockets of opportunity, and the team stepped up and made plays. However, the Mavericks added the critical points to maintain their lead, winning their first ever state title, 46-39. SUPER PROUD of you Glenelg. You made it far and that needs to be noted. You grind hard, and we know you’re going to learn and be shining again come next season. CONGRATULATIONS Mavericks, blessed to watch you win a states in another sport. First in girls lacrosse, and now ladies basketball. PROUD OF YOU, your hard work and excellence paid off. Continue being great, hope to see many more of these!!! MFV MVP - Brynn Bauer 15pts

On Thursday afternoon, the fifth-seeded Manchester Valley Mavericks faced off against the seventh-seeded Glenelg Gladiators in the 2A Girls Basketball state championship. In the state semifinal round, the Mavericks upset the top-seeded Wicomico Indians 55-31, while the Gladiators took down the Williamsport Wildcats in a 49-32 final. The first quarter of the state championship was all Glenelg, as the red and black led 9-0 after the first five minutes, coming on six early points from junior forward Stephanie Bunker. Despite the lead, the Mavericks got to work. Junior guard Lilah Kresslein, the Carroll County steals and assists leader, explained that neither she nor the team was intimidated by the early deficit, especially considering her squad was used to adversity. “We stayed calm, we never put our heads down,” Lilah said.. Even if a shot didn’t fall or something didn’t go our way… we knew we could do it.” The Maverick offense got a jumpstart from Taylor Fique with 3:03 left in the first, followed by points from Lauren Kuehne and a three from Brynn Bauer to bring the navy and silver within one. Manchester Valley’s scoring run continued through the start of the second quarter with Brynn Bauer knocking down another triple. Following a Glenelg timeout, their offense started to heat back up with the Gladiators going on an 11-4 run led by Bunker and MJ Dabiri. Manchester Valley put a few late points on the board, cutting Glenelg’s lead to 22-20 by halftime. By the break, Brynn Bauer led the scoring for her Mavericks, contributing 12 of the team’s 20 points. Stephanie Bunker had ten on the scoreboard for Glenelg, with Emily Delle Russo and Dabiri each contributing six. The game remained close at the start of the third, with the two teams trading early buckets. The Mavericks’ biggest lead of the quarter came with 1:17 left on the clock, as Taylor Fique knocked down two free throws to put her team ahead by six. Throughout the third quarter, Manchester Valley’s offense was spread around, as six separate players found the net. After losing leading scorer Brynn Bauer to injury, ManVal’s offense immediately got going, bringing the lead back to six with a triple just twenty seconds into the quarter. The Gladiator attack tried to retake the lead, with Bunker tacking on four more points to cut the deficit to just three. However, ManVal went on a late seven point run, with a late three from Kuehne, and three made free throws from Fique. Despite a late show from Glenelg’s Ava Karbacka, Manchester Valley made history, winning their first state championship in program history, as they defeated Glenelg 46-39. After the game, Maverick head coach Heather Wable DeWees was overcome by emotion reflecting on her team’s season. “These kids are like my family. Basketball is a tremendous part of my life, and this is just icing on the cake,” DeWees said. “We’re gritty and we’re small, but we believe in each other and they believe in me as much as I believe in them.” With just three seniors departing, Manchester Valley looks forward to making it back to the big game in 2027.

Manchester Valley found a way to overcome a slow and frustrating start, showing resilience and determination as they battled back to secure an impressive comeback victory. Early in the game, things did not look promising for Manchester Valley. The team struggled to find its rhythm, with missed opportunities and uncharacteristic mistakes allowing their opponent to gain momentum and take control of the early stages. Offensively, Manchester Valley had difficulty getting anything going, and defensively they were forced to spend much of the opening portion of the game reacting rather than dictating the pace. Despite the early challenges, Manchester Valley never lost its composure. As the game progressed, the team slowly began to settle in and find its footing. The defense tightened up, making key stops and limiting big plays that had hurt them earlier. At the same time, the offense started to move the ball more effectively, putting together longer drives and creating scoring opportunities that had been missing in the opening stretch. The turning point came midway through the game when Manchester Valley strung together a series of strong plays that shifted the momentum completely. A key defensive stop was followed by a well-executed offensive drive that resulted in a much-needed score, energizing both the players and the crowd. From that moment forward, Manchester Valley played with a new level of confidence and intensity. In the end, Manchester Valley’s ability to stay composed after a slow start proved to be the difference. Instead of letting early struggles define the game, they regrouped, adjusted, and fought their way back. The victory served as a testament to the team’s resilience and belief in one another, showing that even when things do not go according to plan early on, determination and effort can turn the tide. The comeback win not only secured the result on the scoreboard but also demonstrated the character and toughness that defines Manchester Valley’s team.

Manchester Valley captures the first state championship in program history!

16 minutes into the state championship, the Glenelg Gladiators are clinging to a 22-20 lead over the Manchester Valley Mavericks. After opening the game on a 9-0 scoring run that lasted five minutes, the Gladiators gave away their lead within the first minute of the second quarter. Junior forward Stephanie Bunker leads the scoring for Glenelg with 10 points, while sophomore Brynn Bauer has scored 12 of her team's 20. Stay tuned to NFHS Network for the second half!

The Manchester Valley girls basketball team beat Forest Park 54-50, advancing them to the State Semi-Finals!

The Cougars fell short to the Tigers Thursday night in the Regional Championship saying farewell to their impactful seniors such as Brooke Bolesta with over 1000 career points and Phaedra Michaelides who was a defensive threat the whole season. Congrats to the Cougars for a fantastic season!

Led by MJ Dabiri with 25 points Photo by Maureen Robinson

Brynn Bauer - 21 pts 9 Rebs 2 assists 3 steals Lilah Kresslein - 11 pts 4 Rebs 3 assists 1 steal Taylor Fique 7 pts. 7 Rebs 7 assists 2 steals Cara Staiger 7 pts 4 Rebs. 2 steals

Brynn Bauer 23 points. 5 Rebs. 2 steals Lilah Kresslein 14 points. 5 assists. 2 steals Taylor Fique 14 Rebs. 2 steals 4 assists

It was Rising Sun 38 and Fallston 37. Rising Sun won!

40–37, in a hard-fought battle. The Cougars were led by Maura Lawall with 13 points, followed by Brooke Bolesta, who recorded 10 points and 15 rebounds. In addition, Brooke Bolesta reached a major milestone, scoring her 1,000th career point during the game. Andrea Dorezas added 4 points, while Marisa Dixon and Kaylee Dillard each chipped in 4 points as well. -Matt Drzik

Payton Dinbokowitz 15 points Peyton Dawson 12 points 10 rebounds Lauren Nicholson 7 points

Wrong score: Correct Score: Poolesville 53 Magruder 28

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPr_hKQvb9g

Senior night. Senior Chloe Theresa Nguena has team high 21 points.