All-Met High School Sports Show
With Jon DeNunzio
Washington Post High School Sports Editor
Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2001; 7 p.m. EST
RIGHT NOW!

The Washington Post publishes the first All-Met section of the 2001-2002 school year in tomorrow's paper. The section honors the top high school athletes in such sports as girls and boys soccer, cross-country, field hockey and football.

Washignton Post High School Sports Editor Jon DeNunzio was online to give a preview of The Post's All-Met section and take questions and comments on high school sports. DeNunzio and his staff discussed the selection process works, what kind of athletes generally make All-Met and how the athletes are honored.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Jon DeNunzio: Hi, and welcome to the chat. Tonight, our goal is two-fold ... 1) To announce the names of the athletes who made first-team All-Met this fall and 2) Answer your questions about All-Mets and other high school sports-related issues. The All-Met section comes out in tomorrow's Post, complete with the second teams and honorable mention selections. We'll stick to announcing the first team tonight, for brevity's sake (and to give you a reason to get the section ... besides the nice photos).

In these chats, I generally will not discuss why a certain player did NOT make All-Met, but I welcome these sorts of questions via e-mail at denunzioj@washpost.com.

All right, let's get going ... I'll release the teams a little at a time as we chat tonight ...

Waldorf, Md.: Can a player that plays multiple positions but had mediocre stats in each position still make all-met as a well rounded athlete?

Jon DeNunzio: Waldorf: That certainly can happen--we're looking to recognize the best players, period, and stats don't always tell the whole story. As you'll see later, the top three running backs by yards gained weren't our three All-Met running backs ...

Arlington, Va.: Are there any All-Met selections in soccer(girls) this year that are All-America candidates?

Jon DeNunzio: I'm not sure whose all-American team you might be referring to, and I don't always know how those organizations pick their teams. It must be hard--it's hard enough for us to consider the players at about 250 high schools in the Washington area.

But what I can tell you is there certainly are national-caliber girls' soccer players in the D.C. area. Start with Noelle Keselica of Watkins Mill, who plays for the national under-19 team ... and several of the girls who played for the Bethesda Fury (the under-17 national champs last summer) are top-notch players. I think seven Fury players made first-team All-Met. Check it out when we release the team ...

Woodbridge, Va.: I have four questions for you.
1. Who do you think has the best district in the state of Virginia?
2. What is your opinion of Ahmad Brooks from C.D.Hylton?
3. How do you feel about the rivalry between Gar-Field and C.D.Hylton?
4. What is your opinion of Jamar Atkinson and Loren White of Gar-Field?

Jon DeNunzio: Four questions ... wow. I hope there are no follow-ups ...

1. Best district ... well, the districts in the AAA Eastern Region (Norfolk/Va. Beach/Tidewater) often have teams win 7 or 8 games and not make the playoffs. The Penninsula District has Division 5 champ Phoebus and multiple-time champ Hampton ...

2. I think Ahmad is a heck of a player. You'll see how highly we regard him in a second when I put out the football All-Met team.

3. Gar-Field and Hylton have a great rivalry, one that was building when I covered Prince William County in the early to mid-90s. Bill Brown's program is amazingly consistent at Hylton, and Gar-Field's Jim Poythress seems to have that program in at least as good shape as it has been over the past several years. the question is, when/if the Indians can pass Hylton, right? I'm not touching that ...

4. I've heard good things about both. I believe Jamar Atkinson is unoffically committed to Syracuse.

Greenbelt, Md.: Could you please explain the criteria for All-Met running backs? I heard some of the top backs from our area (3 for sure) were never considered for first team. How can that be when they are all D-I prospects?

Jon DeNunzio: This is a good question to use to introduce the football All-Mets ...

FOOTBALL
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB J.D. Ricca, St. John's
RB Terry Caulley, Patuxent
RB Mike Imoh, Robinson
RB Marcus Mason, Georgetown Prep
WR Josh Baldwin, North Stafford
WR Billy Gaines, Urbana
TE Brad Schell, Paint Branch
OL Ramon Davis, Largo
OL Brandon Gore, Liberty
OL Rob LaHayne, Glenelg
OL Daniel Orlebar, DeMatha
OL Lloyd Washington, Seneca Valley
PK Will Troost, Georgetown Prep

Defense
DL A.J. Lillie, Gaithersburg
DL Justin Parrish, Fairmont Heights
DL Keenan Carter, Potomac (Va.)
DL Adam Fassnacht, Robinson
LB Justin Barnes, Oakland Mills
LB Ahmad Brooks, Hylton
LB Reggie Holmes, Bowie
LB Shawne Merriman, Douglass
DB Luke Cain, Dunbar
DB Chris Choice, Eleanor Roosevelt
DB Stefan Orange, Culpeper
DB Brandon Wells, Bowie
P Mike King, DeMatha

Coach of the Year: Dave Carruthers, Urbana
Defensive Player of the Year: Ahmad Brooks, Hylton
Offensive Player of the Year: Terry Caulley, Patuxent

Springfield, Va.: Who are the top defensive linemen?

Jon DeNunzio: You can see who we thought the top four were, above. And let me tell you, it was not easy to pick them ...

Getting back to running backs, let me say that running back is the most competitive position in teh area. There are SOOOO many great ones. I like the ones we chose ... Terry Caulley was the area's leading rusher and had his best games when they counted most, in the playoffs (306 vs. Urbana in the state championship game). Mike Imoh was the best player in Nortehrn Virginia (and one of the best in teh whole state); without him, no way Robinson wins the state title. And Marcus Mason ... coaches from all over the area loved him. he's just a junior--very rare for a junior to make All-Met--but he's a special player for a Georgetown Prep team that went 10-0.

Bethesda, Md.: I assume that Marcus Mason was a lock for first team, but I was wondering what you thought of the rest of Georgetown Prep's junior class such as: Bode Ogunwole, Greg Davis, James Rump, and Tommy Firth? Many feel that this maybe one the more talented classes that has come around in awhile.

Jon DeNunzio: The word is Prep will be good again next year, and it's up to these guys to prove it. We'll see ... I've heard good things abotu a bunch of those guys.

Sunderland, Md.: Can you give me your feelings about Taros Harris of Calvert and what you feel about his impact this year and what his impact will be next year?

Jon DeNunzio: This guy was a FANTASTIC kick returner for Calvert (which went 8-1 and missed the playoffs, barely. Their one loss was to Patuxent, which just missed teh state title).

Harris was so good that teams just stopped kicking to him. I can't remember his exact stats, but he returned several kicks for TDs.

I imagine he'll have a big impact next year, too. Anyone who can do what he did as a junior is a real talent.

Potomac, Md.: Is it true that the B-CC Girls Field Hockey Team set a national record for consecutive state titles?

Jon DeNunzio: Yes, this is true. They won their record eighth straight title in teh fall.

Speaking of field hockey, here's the All-Met team:

Player of the Year: Shannon Karl, Centreville
Coach of the Year: Jenna Siegel

GK Kristin Cousin, South River
D Michelle LaForce, Centreville
D Meg Palisoul, Whitman
D Erin Burns, Broadneck
MF Kathleen Miller, St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes
MF Corey Samperton, St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes
F Paula Faherty, Lake Braddock
F Emily Swartz, Severna Park
F Tyler Leachman, Holton-Arms
F Shawn Sullivan, McLean
F Katie Field, Quince Orchard

Rockville, Md.: What do you think about Wheaton High School going 8-1 and missing the post season?

Jon DeNunzio: It's a tough break, but the playoff system is what it is, and everyone knows how it works going in. Calvert--last year's 3A champion--also was 8-1 and sat at home in the playoffs. Wheaton had a great season, but played one team with a winning record (Seneca Valley, which beat them 47-6). You get points for the wins your defeated opponents had, and Wheaton's opponents didn't have a ton ...

Chevy Chase, Md.: Wow, not a single B-CC player made All-Met, though. That's a first.

Jon DeNunzio: B-CC has a great program. The Coach of the Year, Jenna Siegel, is a product of that system. I'm sure we'll see more B-CC players on the first team in teh future ...

Also, remember that there's a second team and honorable mentions (in teh paper tomorrow). There's no shame in being on those lists (I'd say it's an honor). We cover nearly 250 high schools, and the competition to get one of the 12 first-team spots is incredibly intense.

Washington, D.C.: Why won't the Post put a district private school, namely Gonzaga, at the top of the Soccer rankings? Look at their overall record the last three seasons, which includes two consecutive WCAC Championships, three consecutive WCAC "Players of the Year", this year's All-Met "Coach of the Year", in a league with arguably the premier players in the area. Show me a public private school that goes beyond that!

Jon DeNunzio: I'd argue with the assertion that The Post "won't put a district private school ... at the top of the soccer rankings." We consider District schools as equal as Virginia schools as we do Maryland schools. Gonzaga and Magruder each had phenomenal seasons, and the Eagles have a great program. But how do you argue with Magruder's run? They play in ultra-competitive Montgomery County, and they captured the 4A title in Maryland, which I believe required five wins in playoff situations ...

This is a good time to unveil the soccer teams ...

Boys' Soccer
Player of the year: F Pele Paelay, Sr., Magruder
Coach of the year: Don Smith, Gonzaga

GK Mark Murphy, Sr., DeMatha
D Leroy Oligie, Sr., Springbrook
D Steve Gahl, Sr., Walter Johnson
D Danny Sheridan, Sr., Gonzaga
MF David Glaudemans, Sr., Whitman
MF J.P. Murphy, Sr., Severna Park
MF Matt Boras, Sr., River Hill
MF J.J. King, Sr., Damascus
MF Stephen Deroux, Sr., High Point
F Kwaku Boateng, Jr., Hammond
F Ben Young, Sr., Georgetown Day


GIRLS SOCCER
Player of Year: Kelly Hammond, St. Mary’s-Annapolis
Coach of Year: Joan Kelso Smedley, River Hill
GK Amy Franciscovich, Thomas Johnson, Sr.
D Phela Townsend, National Cathedral, Sr.
D Megan Buescher, River Hill, Jr.
D-MF Carolyn Ford, St. Andrews, Sr.
MF Meggie Curran, Good Counsel, Sr.
MF Tory Dunnan, National Cathedral, Sr.
MF Kelly Hammond, St. Mary's-Annapolis, Sr.
MF Noelle Keselica, Watkins Mill, Sr.
MF Julie Napolitano, Mount Hebron, Sr.
F Jenna Linden, Potomac School, Sr.
F Danielle Malagari, Good Counsel, Sr.
F Danielle MacDonald, Paul VI Catholic, Sr.

Rockville, Md.: Last year I believe there were two QB's selected. What's with the change this year?

Jon DeNunzio: Good question. We have 26 spots for first-team All-Met in football. Sometimes, we vary the number of players at each position--but we try to keep enough players at each position so you could hypothetically take the 26 out and make a real team out of them (I don't know who our long snapper would be, though).

Last season, there were two great candidates at QB (Josh Cribbs at Dunbar and Mike Pfisterer at North County). This year, we thought the talent was spread into other areas ... Ricca had a great season and impressed everyone who saw him. Did you see that strike he threw vs. Gonzaga that was shown on the great Wash. Post High School Sports Show a month or so ago?

Hyattsville, Md.: I see that Reggie Holmes and Brandon Wells both made first team defense which was a excellent selection, but how come Barrington Edwards did not make the first team? Scott Chadwick in my mind should have been coach of the year. What Dave Carruthers did with Urbana is amazing, but Bowie came from the bottom of Prince George's 4A champs in his four years as coach! That is amazing.

Jon DeNunzio: Are you from Bowie?

Chadwick and Edwards were discussed, seriously, for the awards you mention. Edwards joins a group of GREAT running backs who didn't make first team ... while I'm comfortable with our selections, I'll say that guys liek Edwards, Elijah Brooks at DeMatha and Josh Allen at E. Roosevelt were all spectacular. Running back was the hardest to choose.

Coach of the year wasn't much easier: Chadwick, Carruthers, McGregor (DeMatha), Bonavia (R. Montgomery), Bendorf (Robinson), Paro (G'town Prep) ... geez, how could you go wrong with any of those guys? Or Esposito at Patuxent?

Rockville, Md.: How do you determine your second team All-Mets and honorable mentions?

Jon DeNunzio: The process is much the same as first team ... we take the nominations coaches have sent us, combine their opinions with our reporters' observations, and try to select the players who have the best mix of talent and accomplishment.

Rockville, Md.: Who was the best girls tennis team in the area this year?

Jon DeNunzio: Hmmm ... Centreville went all the way to the state final (losing to Mills Godwin of Richmond); Episcopal beat Sidwell Friends (a big suprise) in the ISL Tournament, but Sidwell was great throughout the season.Paul VI Catholic was the WCAC champ, too ... they all had good seasons. I'm gonna wimp out and not make a definitive judgment.

This is a good time to mention that the All-Mets for some sports played in the fall come out later in the year ... tennis comes out after the spring season (because some schools play spring tennis), as does golf (for the same reason). Volleyball comes out after the winter season, because some smaller Virginia schools play winter volleyball.

And before I forget, here's the cross-country teams ...

Boys Cross-Country
Runner of the Year: Bobby Lockhart, Handley, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Beth Muehl, Northwest

Maksudal Ali, Gaithersburg, Sr.
Phil Gaeta, Oakton, sr.
Izudin Mehmedovic, Oakland Mills, sr.
Rasheed Thompson, Herndon, sr.
Ben Stern, Georgetown Day, sr.
Shane Stroup, River Hill, sr.
Steve Bloom, Georgetown Prep, Sr.

Girls Cross-Country
Runner of the Year: Keira Carlstrom, Oakton, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Ed Linz, West Springfield

Karen Pulliam, Quince Orchard, Sr.
Kristin Hart, Herndon, Soph.
Susan Hendrick, Patuxent, Jr.
Jemissa Hess, Hylton, Jr.
Ashley St. Denis, Walter Johnson, Soph.
Kristyn Shiring, North Stafford, Sr.
Kelly Swain, Lake Braddock, Jr.

Jon DeNunzio: There are several more good questions ... I'll keep going till we get a lot of them answered ...

Bethesda, Md.: Why are there 11 boys on first team but 12 girls in soccer?

Jon DeNunzio: That's my fault. We listed Kelly Hammond (the girls' Player of the Year) twice. Including the players of the year, there are 12 athletes on each soccer team.

Silver Spring,Md.: Who do you think was the best all around football player in the area this year?

Jon DeNunzio: That's a tough question. Ahmad Brooks from Hylton might get the nod ... not only is he potentially the best LB prospect in the nation, he ran for 890 yards. And he returned a kickoff for a TD in the playoffs. I met him at the All-Met shoot ... he's big.

Washington, D.C.: How do you feel about the job Gonzaga's first year Head Coach Kenny Lucas did?

Jon DeNunzio: My college professors always said they considered improvement when grading ... and Gonzaga certainly improved as the season went on. The Eagles lost, 34-0, to St. Albans in Week 2, but everyone who watched them said they were not teh same team by the end of the year. DeMatha needed an 80-yard drive at the end of the game to beat Gonzaga in the WCAC title game. So Lucas gets some credit there ...

Richmond, Va.: Thanks for taking the question. I'd first like to make a point of what I think is the most blatant example of inequity in the polls I have seen in a long time. Bowie with 2 losses overall moves from #12 to #4? And Robinson, with a loss, moves from #7 to #3? When will private schools stop being penalized for not having the opportunity to play more games? Georgetown Prep is the clear #3, and I don't think there's any question they could play with Urbana or DeMatha, hopefully they'll be able to get DeMatha on the schedule since none of the top public school programs will schedule them, so they can finally get the respect they deserve. That being said, what's your opinion on Georgetown Prep's RB Marcus Mason, and his prospects for next season?

Jon DeNunzio: Okay, this is tough. I'd say Bowie jumped up quite a bit because they proved they were a top-5 team with that win over E. Roosevelt in the state title game. I don't know what you mean about Robinson .... they didn't lose after that regular season game vs. West Potomac.

Georgetown Prep is certainly good (in our opinion, the fifth-best team among 190 or so schools, the top .2 percent--check my math) ... but to say there's no question they are No. 3 is a remarkable statement. There's a lot of question. They are a good tyeam that had a great season, but there's question as to whether they're No. 5, and there's question as to whether DeMatha is absolutely the BEST team in the D.C. area until they play everyone, right? It's subjective, and we take what I think is a well-educated stab at it. We have a lot of access to information and we see a lot of games, so I think we have pretty good rankings ... but I'd be a dope if I didn't acknowledge there is room for argument.

Forestville, Md.: I went to the first and second DeMatha versus McNamara games. In both games LB Otis Grandson was all over the field. He silenced many of his critics this year. I think he deserves a first team all met selection.

Jon DeNunzio: While Otis did not make first team, I can tell you I heard a lot of good things about him. He had a great year and is very talented. Theer are a lot of great players we simply didn't have room for.

Binghamton, N.Y.: Hi Jon, I am a graduate of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, and I was wondering, what do you attribute to their sudden success this past fall in football? It felt good to cheer Rocket Pride again, but can we expect to see Richard Montgomery do well again next season? Thanks a bunch.

Jon DeNunzio: Richard Montgomery had a great year, and Coach Mike Bonavia seems to be a key. He's got this program on the right track. His challenge will be to get the etam to the mythical "next level," where they contend for a state title. There is still some question as to how the Rockets will perorm against elite competition.

Jon DeNunzio: About finished here, gang ... The entire All-Met section will be available online, too ... if it's not up right now, it will be soon.

Fairfax, Va.: What is the make up of the panel that votes in your weekly "high school rankings" and that votes on your team? I frankly have been surprised at those who rated Robinson a "surprise" this year. Last year their only loss was a narrow loss to Centreville (whom they beat earlier in the season), so this year's performance, with guys like Imoh and Fassnacht returning wasn't that much a surprise to their fans. Are Virginia suburban schools fairly represented? It seems to many of us that they are not, particularly the "outside the beltway" schools.

Jon DeNunzio: Our rankings are compiled by our editors and reporters, and each of the nine or 10 reporters were assigned to talk to an area coach for input each week.

While I neveer would call Robinson (a huge AAA school with a proud sports tradition) a "surprise" this season, one thing I remember from August is that almost the entire line that blocked for Miek Imoh last year graduated last June. So who knew what to expect? Turns out Imoh did fine with the new cast.

Virginia suburban schools that finished in the Top 20: Robinson, Hylton, Centreville, Liberty, Culpeper, Park View and Gar-Field. That's pretty good representation.

Potomac, Md.: We would like to know why Bullis does not get ranked in your football final rankings. Here is why they SHOULD be in: They only lost ONE game to Georgetown Prep -- who could easily be ranked in your top three. Secondly, Bullis beat St. Albans easily and St. Albans CRUSHED Gonzaga by 34 and you have Gonzaga ranked at 19 with THREE losses. Thirdly, you have Oakland Mills ranked 20th with FIVE losses and a loss to Alleghany, which Bullis beat easily without four starters.

Jon DeNunzio: Bullis has a good argument. On the other side of the coin, Oakland Mills won seven or eight staright to get to a state final, and you can't discount that. Winning in the playoffs is worth something, in our opinion. Re: the St. Albans-Gonzaga argument, look above for another way to look at that. I think Gonzaga got a lot better ...

Again, Bullis has a good argument. A good team. 9-1. But there are only 20 spots, and we had to make tough decsions.

Washington, D.C.: Why doesn't Archbishop Carroll High School get any respect? We have proved that we can produce the best athletes: John Thompson, Lawrence Moten, Marvin Graves, David Hawkins, etc. This year our senior quarterback Mike Holley passed for over 2000 yards, and was only 50 yards behind senior quarterback J.D. Ricca of St. Johns. Neither one of these senior WCAC quarterbacks made All-met, but they were the top passers in the area. I would appreciate it if you would at least mention Mike Holley's name tommorow. (and if you have time, J.D. Ricca.)

P.S. It would be nice to see someone else mentioned in the WCAC besides Dematha.

Jon DeNunzio: I would argue that this is not the case. Carroll has some great programs, and we try hard to get all deserving athletes in the paper at some point. Holley had a great year ... he wasn't first team, but he was in the running. (Ricca did make first team, by the way ... I don't know where you got that part).

Finally, that's not fair to say about DeMatha. They get their share of ink when they win, and their teams win a lot. But the other WCAC teams have our respect, trust me.

Jon DeNunzio: All right, I think that will do it. Thanks for particiapting. It was fun ...

Check out the All-Met section in Wednesday's Post. And it should be online, too.

Take care everyone, and have a great holiday season.

Jon

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