THE GAZETTE
Page B-2
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 r
SPRINGBROOK
Continued from Page B-1 could excel in their program. “They told me I can play, and I could be a future player there, and a good player at ECU,” Evans said. Coach Bahr said he noticed that Alex has been much more determined since the end of last year. “He’s definitely been a lot more committed,” Bahr said. “He really worked hard in the weight room this offseason, and he has been working with the speed guy.” Bahr noted that toward the end of last season, Evans began to play lower on the line, which is not always an easy thing to do with someone as tall as he is. “That is a key for him because he is so big and rangy,” Bahr said. “He makes progress every week.” Bahr, who is also Evans’ English teacher, believes Evans is primed to benefit from college
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Col. Zadok Magruder High School girls’ volleyball player Lizzi Walsh passes the ball against Springbrook last week.
MAGRUDER
Continued from Page B-1 she’s getting better,” Zanni said. “This kid works hard. The average kid says she loves the game, but [Walsh] takes it to a whole new level of love for the game. She sort of added something new to her game each year so she’s kind of an all-around player.” What’s more alarming than the sheer power and versatility Walsh brings to the court is the rate that she assembled her skill set. From a competitive standpoint, she hadn’t played volleyball prior to attending Zanni’s camp at the end of middle school. Yet by her freshman year, the coach had already deemed her varsityworthy.
SPOTTSWOOD
Continued from Page B-1 Sherwood (2-1). When he lines up at running back, opponents stack the box. At cornerback, teams throws to the other side of the field. As a returner, kickers and punters angle the ball away from him. “It’s really annoying, actually,” Spottswood said. “The reason it’s frustrating is because
“In the last 10 years I’d say I’ve had less than a handful of freshmen make the varsity team,” Zanni said. “They just generally don’t make it. You either got a lot of potential or you’ve played a lot of volleyball. It’s either one or the other. I saw a tall and athletic kid who has one of the strongest arms I’ve ever seen. She just destroys it when we get it to her.” So it began with the power for Zanni, too. And, make no mistake, it is her power that mainly gives teams fits. Over her first three seasons and eight matches into this one, Walsh has recorded 425 kills, fourth all-time for the school and just 100 shy from the Magruder record. This year, she is tops on the team by a long shot with 52 kills in just 106 swings, good for almost a 50 percent clip, and is
I need film, so I can play football at the next level.” Spottswood has received plenty of interest — Appalachian State University, Stony Brook University, Towson University, Wake Forest University, Temple University, University of Toledo, Old Dominion University, James Madison University, Boise State University, University of Kansas and Tusculum College — but no team has offered a scholarship. He at least takes solace that
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Continued from Page B-1 Amankwah-Ayeh admits he didn’t play particularly hard as a freshman. His effort improved as a sophomore, but he realized moderate gains weren’t enough.
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third on Magruder with eight aces. “She hurt us a lot over the years,” Sherwood coach Brian McCarty said. “I know that we’ve come out on top but just to watch her develop from kind of a timid player into someone who demands the ball and someone her teammates always look for, it has been fun. “Whenever she gets some swings early on it was, ‘Whoa, that girl is going to be good.’” When she’s not at the net, there’s a fair chance you can find her on the floor. Despite standing 6-feet, Walsh isn’t one to shy away from hitting the court in the name of saving a ball. “She’s six-foot tall and she’s on the floor as much as anyone,” Zanni said. “It’s rare to see someone so tall be such
a good defensive player. If you can find a kid who can attack the ball and play defense like that, that’s something. That’s what we’re looking for in an outside hitter.” Walsh admits to being a little reluctant when Zanni first asked her to move from her spot in the middle over to the outside, where the best hitters will typically be slotted, but she soon realized that’s also the best showcase for that power she loves to break out. “I have the option to do more,” she said. “You get the chance to kind of take over more because you get a lot more swings.” And more swings for Walsh generally translates into more wins for Magruder.
his presence has helped Sherwood, even if he’s not directly responsible. With more balls coming his way, cornerback Alec Perez already has four interceptions this season. Running in relief of Spottswood at times, freshman running back Travis Levy has impressed Grier. “I love to see my teammates do well,” Spottswood said. “It also shows me that my opponents in the county respect me as an athlete, and they know what I can do.”
“I told myself, ‘You need to step your game up if you want to take football where you want to take it and not just let your dreams float away,’” Amankwah-Ayeh said. He dedicated himself to lifting weights and studying film in a bid to become a legitimate college prospect, and he became a starter as a junior.
coaching because he is a great competitor. “He is a good citizen,” Bahr said. “He gets good grades and I don’t think you would find anybody who would say anything negative about him.” Although Evans is rather reserved and is not a vocal leader, Bahr considers him a leader by example for the rest of the Blue Devils. “He’s very quiet so he leads with his play,” Bahr said. “He is not a real rah, rah guy.” Evans said one of his goals for this fall is to make the Maryland Crab Bowl, which is a postseason all-star game between Baltimore and D.C. area high school players. In order to prepare for the level of competition that Evans will face in the Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision, he plans to continue his dedication to keeping his body in shape in the weight room and will play again for the Blue Devils’ basketball team this winter.
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
tmewhirter@gazette.net
Springbrook High School’s Alex Evans attempts to tackle a Sherwood player on Friday.
Against Springbrook last week, Spottswood intercepted a pass, delivered a stiff arm and made a couple spin moves during a long return. He needed a breather, and Levy took the next handoff for a touchdown. When Levy returned to the sideline, Grier told him to thank Spottswood for setting up the score. “Elijah was certainly smiling to see that,” Grier said. Earlier in the game, Spott-
swood ate a couple granola bars on the sideline during a timeout. He suffers from Type-1 diabetes, and though he usually manages the disease by carefully monitoring his pregame eating, this was a rare instance of it affecting him during play. Usually, postgame cramps are the only footballrelated symptom. Now,the5-foot-10,190-pound speedster says everything, including his knee and diabetes, is back under control. So, his coach is
Now, Singer called Amankwah-Ayeh the team’s “heart and soul” and credited him with “creating a lot of positive energy.” But Amankwah-Ayeh says he takes losses especially hard. He isolates himself from his family — which dubbed him Nana, a common nickname for Ghanese children, so long ago that it
has essentially replaced his first name of Yaw — and broods in his room. Unfortunately for AmankwahAyeh, Bethesda-Chevy Chase has lost the past two weeks, falling to Walt Whitman and Thomas S. Wootton. Amankwah-Ayeh will have an opportunity to help Bethesda-Chevy Chase right the ship Friday at Seneca
devising ways to get him the ball more — for good reason. “He’s a kid that deserves his touches,” Grier said. “He works really hard, works hard in the offseason. So, he’s definitely going to continue to carry the load for us. “He’s a great athlete. He’s good at whatever he does. Put a basketball in his hands, he’s good at basketball. I’m pretty sure he can do whatever he wants.” dfeldman@gazette.net
Valley, and he said he’ll do it with the mindset that impressed those college coaches. “The next time I go out there to play football could be my last play ever,” Amankwah-Ayeh said. “So, I just want treat it like it’s my last.” dfeldman@gazette.net
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