Sports December 11, 2018

Centennial Boys’ Basketball Defeated in Season Opener

Words: Caleb McClatchey

The Centennial Varsity Boys’ basketball team fell to Atholton at home by a score of 58-40 in its season opener on Friday.

Centennial’s Matt Merkey scored the first point of the season, making a free throw which gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Eagles, however, that ended up being their only lead of the night. Atholton quickly answered with a 6-0 run, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

Both teams played solid defense early, with only 12 total points being scored in the first quarter, but Centennial had trouble capitalizing on their possessions the whole night. Atholton’s physical and aggressive defense forced many turnovers and helped the Raiders go on another dominant run in the 2nd quarter, outscoring Centennial 13-1.

The Eagles entered halftime trailing 22-12, a large deficit but certainly not insurmountable. However, Atholton began the 2nd half hot and jumped out to a 38-16 lead, their largest of the night. Centennial battled back late in the 3rd and early in the 4th quarter, going on a 14-4 run which cut Atholton’s lead to 12. The comeback attempt ended up falling short in the 4th, however, as Atholton took back control of the game and defeated Centennial 58-40.

One of the stories of the game for Centennial, besides turnovers, was Atholton’s dominance from the three-point line. While Atholton made six from beyond the arc, Centennial only managed two- both by Ryan Hollwedel late in the 2nd half.

Senior Michael Kefyalew led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points, followed by junior Joey Sedlacko with 9 and senior Cameron Berkeley with 7. For Atholton, senior Casey Parkins led the team in scoring with 26 points.

The Eagles will play Atholton again on February 1st and have a chance to avenge Friday’s loss. Last year, Centennial also began its year with a season-opening loss to Atholton but ultimately had the last laugh as Centennial eliminated Atholton in the playoffs.

Centennial’s next game is on Wednesday, December 12th at home against rival Mount Hebron.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports December 10, 2018December 10, 2018

Centennial Volleyball Celebrates the End a Great Season

Words & Photos: Ellie Zoller-Gritz

After a great season on the court, Centennial’s volleyball teams celebrated off the court with a cheerful banquet.

To kick off the evening, all the players, coaches, and families were welcomed into the cafeteria and greeted with food, brought in by the players.

Kenny Mills started the awards by announcing some of the top stats of the season. He followed this by giving his players certificates and sharing a quick few words about each player.

After lots of applause for the freshman team, Junior Varsity coach, Bill Shook, came up to award his team. He started similar to Mills by sharing the team’s top stats. He then called up each girl and told a story about them. Some were personal, funny, or even embarrassing.

After each girl was given their award, their teammates gave them thunderous applause and cheered them on.

Shook also announced that this would be his last year coaching, but said he is glad that he got to spend it with such an amazing team.

Varsity coach Michael Bossom followed Shook’s announcement by sharing that Mills will be taking over as JV coach next year.

Bossom continued the night by announcing his team and their performance throughout the season. He awarded each of his players with pins, certificates, and, for first year Varsity players, Varsity letters.

After all the awards were given the players each received superlatives from their team captains. These superlatives ended the night on a high note, along with one last cheer to close out the season.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports December 10, 2018December 11, 2018

Boys JV Basketball Preview

Words: Thomas Hitt

For the last two years, the Junior Varsity Boys’ basketball team has won a vast majority of their games.

In the 2016-17 season, the JV basketball team finished their season with a record of 18-2. During last year’s season, the JV team finished first in the league with a record of 19-1.

The JV team has seven new players this year, along with six returning members. The team carries a lot of experience into the upcoming season since the JV team has many returning sophomores.

Christian Sanders, the head coach of the boys JV basketball team, is excited to be a part of such a great team.

“We have had much success and feel that the basketball program has benefitted from a strong JV team year after year” said Sanders.

“We’ve been working as hard as possible to be the best team we can be,” said sophomore Bryson Baker.

“I want to push my teammates,” said Baker. He feels as though the county will be competitive this year, believing that Centennial is up for the challenge. “We want to be great, and go undefeated.”

Freshman Cameron Grable feels as though the JV team will be very successful this year.

“We have a deep team with a good combination of size, athleticism, and skill,” said Grable. “With a mixture of talent and excellent coaching, we won’t be surprised with an undefeated season.”

Baker holds high hopes as a captain for the Boys’ JV basketball team as he believes the JV team is great and can potentially have an undefeated season.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Centennial JV Wrestling brings home a win, Varsity not as fortunate against Hammond

Words: Minah Mubasher

Photos: Zach Grable

The Centennial High School JV wrestling team started the season off great, defeating the Hammond Golden Bears 48-34 on Thursday, December 6. Unfortunately, Varsity was not as lucky, ending the night with a final losing score of 46-21.

JV player, Ibaad Shaikh made excellent pins on his opponent and won his match. “I think we did better than last year,” said Ibaad.

Varsity player, Jason Kraisser scored the first few points for the Varsity team. His teammate, Chris Lee, had all eyes in the audience on him in his multiple-round match against his opponent. The tension in the gym was high, but Lee came through and won his match. However, his teammates were not as fortunate.

Both the Eagles and the Golden Bears worked very hard at last nights’ match, and we can be sure to expect more greatness. With this year’s wrestling team, Centennial is definitely going to be on its best game.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

News December 5, 2018December 5, 2018

Centennial Advances to the National History Bowl Competition

Words: Delanie Tucker

Photos Contributed by: Cynthia Dillon

On Saturday, December 1, five teams from Centennial High School participated in the National History Bowl Regional Championship, held in Washington, D.C. Of the five teams, teams A and B were Varsity, while teams C, D, and E were Junior Varsity.

A total of 41 teams attended the competition, ranging from elementary school to high school.

Centennial’s A Team came in second place, earning a finalist trophy and a spot in the National History Bowl Competition. This team consisted of Anthony Duan, team captain, Peter Wilschke, and Mahta Gooya.

The second place slot did not come from a lack of trying, though, as the A Team placed higher than Richard Montgomery High, Montgomery Blair High, Georgetown Day School, and two teams from Thomas Jefferson High before falling to McLean High in the final match.

In addition to the varsity team’s success, the C Team, made up of Pingan Tang, Nathan Ho, and Benjamin Kantsiper, also qualified for the National Tournament.

Duan and Tang also advanced to the finals of the JV History Bee in 2019.

Beyond the high school teams, Burleigh Manor Middle School won in the middle school division, beating Centennial Lane Elementary School in the finals.

Six of the eight playoff teams were from Burleigh Manor or Centennial Lane.

The National History Bowl Competition will be held in April 2019.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Announcements December 4, 2018December 5, 2018

REBEL Chamber Ensemble Performs at Centennial

Words: Caleb McClatchey

Photos: Ellie Zoller-Gritz

On Friday, the REBEL Ensemble for Baroque Music performed for Centennial orchestra students in the auditorium.

In addition to playing multiple pieces, the group also taught students about their unique instruments and playing style. Following their performance, REBEL held a clinic for one of Centennial’s orchestras during 6th period.

A professional chamber orchestra, REBEL formed in 1991 and specializes in music from the 17th and 18th centuries.Their use of period instruments- instruments from the time period the music was written- sets them apart from other ensembles. These instruments produce an authentic sound and allow the musicians to be more expressive.

REBEL is currently on tour and was in the area for a concert at Howard Community College on Saturday. They will return to Maryland on March 29th for a concert at St. John’s College in Annapolis.