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Jensen Pupa, Too!
June 20, 2003 --
Mea culpa! Many apologies to sophomore Jensen Pupa, who was also named honorable mention All-County infielder by the Journal. The article that was sent to me with the All-County selections was clipped off at the bottom, so Jensen's name was not in my article. Jensen certainly had a season worthy of All-County honors, and I was a littled miffed when he was not (or so I thought) selected. Congratulations Jensen, and please accept our apologies for not recognizing you with the others.
The lesson learned here? I will subscribe to the Journal next season!
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More Post Season Honors
June 17, 2003 --
Four Jaguars players were honored by the Journal newspaper this month. Senior pitcher Mike Beck and sophomore shortstop Brady Stouffer were named second team All-County, and senior catcher Adam Swanek and senior infielder Michael Mauk were named honorable mention All-County. The selections were announced in the June 4 edition of the paper. Coach Noble apologizes for the delay in recognition since he did not see the selections until this past weekend.
Congratulations to Mike, Brady, Adam, and Michael for this well-deserved honor and recognition.
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Six Seniors Moving On
June 10, 2003 --
Six seniors from the 2003 Jaguars baseball team will graduate with their classmates on Wednesday, June 11 at 10 AM at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC.
1B-DH Matt Sentfle, catcher Adam Swanek, infielder Michael Mauk, 2B-outfielder Patrick O'Connell, pitcher-third baseman Mike Beck, and outfielder James Trenda have earned diplomas and will be attending college in the fall.
Senftle will attend York (PA) College, Swanek will enroll at Frostburg University, and Mauk will matriculate at Methodist (NC) College. Also continuing their education will be O'Connell at East Carolina University, Beck at Montgomery College-Germantown, and Trenda at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
University of Maryland broadcaster Johnny Holliday will be the commencement speaker. Former NWHS principal Dr. Edward Shirley, who recently accepted the job as superintendent of schools in Caroline County (MD) will also be on hand to congratulate the class of 2003 along with current principal Sylvia Morrison.
Congratulations Matt, Adam, Michael, Patrick, Mike, and James. We would not have had the success we had this season without you. The future success of our program is being built on the firm foundation you laid. Please check in with the web site in the future, keep in touch, and visit us at a game or two next spring. Have a fun and SAFE beach week.
PS--You will be mailed this year's stat pack at the end of the week.
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Players Receive End-of-Year Honors
May 30, 2003 --
Senior Mike Beck received the Jaguar Award for Baseball at the annual Spring Sports Awards Night held at Northwest High School on May 29. The Jaguar Award is given to an athlete in each sport at Northwest that best exemplifies the qualities desired in a Northwest athlete. The award, which traditionally goes to a senior, but does not have to, was voted on by the players and coaches of the varsity baseball team.
Beck and Michael Mauk were selected by Montgomery County coaches to play in the senior all-star game. Unfortunately, as was the case so many times during the regular season this year, the game was rained out. Due to conflicts with graduations and American Legion games, the game will not be made up.
Additionally, sophomore Brady Stouffer was named first team All County by the Gazette newspaper. The team picture and article will appear in the June 4 edition of the paper.
Also at the awards night, sophomores Jimmy Diegelmann and Sam Davies received gift certificates to Best Buy for being the top two pledge collecters for the hit-a-thon. Stouffer and sophomore Kyle Esche also received gift certificates to Best Buy for having the highest point totals in the hit-a-thon for the varsity and JV respectively.
Assistant coach Gene Saxman also presented an award to the varsity team called the Clean Bench Award (Not) for the team's outstanding (and frustrating for the coaches) ability to leave the bench area a mess after games. The special trophy consists of a mounted Gatorade bottle filled with gum wrappers and sunflowed seeds.
The players presented Coach Noble with a plaque and autographed team photo, and also presented Coach Saxman and Coach Varesco each with an autographed baseball and display case.
Special thanks were extended to Joe Senftle for coaching the summer and fall league teams, to Stacy Luckett for organizing the after-school pizza sales, and to the parents for their tremendous support throughout the season.
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Mauk and Beck To Play in All Star Game
May 22, 2003 --
Seniors Michael Mauk and Mike Beck have been selected by Montgomery County high school coaches to play in the 21st Annual Montgomery County High School Coaches Baseball All Star Game. The game will be played at Whitman High School at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, May 28.
Mauk, who split time between third base and second base this season, was Northwest's second leading hitter this season, finishing with an even .400 average. He led the Jaguars in stolen bases with 11, in slugging percentage at .567, and was tied for the team lead in doubles with five. Mauk is headed to Methodist College in the fall and will study in the professional golf management program. He was the number one golfer this past fall on the NWHS golf team.
Beck started the season off with a bang, hurling a 62-pitch, complete game no hitter in beating Blake 9-0. In fact, only one Bengal reached base in that game, and that was on a one out, fifth inning walk. Beck also recorded victories against Seneca Valley and again against Blake in the 3A West semi-finals. He finished the season with a 3-3 mark and a 4.77 ERA. He batted .269 with 10 RBI's. Beck will be playing for Tom Cassera at Montgomery College-Germantown in the fall.
Congratulations to both players for their selection to this game.
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South Carroll Ends Jaguars Season
May 19, 2003 --
Homestanding South Carroll scored three first inning runs in route to a 6-2 victory over the Jaguars to capture the 3A West Region title. The loss ends the deepest playoff run in Northwest's five year history.
Five of the six Cavaliers runs came with two men out. South Carroll scored three times in the first inning, with only one run being earned, to open up a 3-0 lead. The home team picked up another unearned run in the second inning, and their fourth run in the third inning before Northwest could dent the scoreboard.
The Jaguars got a leadoff single to left field in the top of the fifth from senior Mike Beck, who had two hits on the afternoon. Senior James Trenda followed with a walk, then sophomore Seth Pearman blooped a single to center to load the bases. Sophomore Brady Stouffer then hit a grounder to short, but the South Carroll second baseman dropped the ball on the attempted force out of Pearman at second. That allowed Beck to score and kept the bases loaded. Sophomore Jensen Pupa then grounded into a short-to-second-to first double play with Trenda scoring the second run on the twin killing.
In all, Northwest was held to just five hits, two by Beck, two by Pearman, and one by Mauk. After committing just six errors in the last six games, the Jaguars were charged with five errors on the day.
Pupa went the distance pitching, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. He had one walk and no strike outs. It was Pupa's second complete game in the playoffs to go along with complete games by Beck and sophomore Jimmy Diegelmann.
Northwest finished the season 9-9 with rainouts against Magruder and Rockville.
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Jaguars Top Blake To Advance To Regional Championship Game
May 14, 2003 --
Northwest advanced to the regional championship game for the first time in the school's five year history by defeating visiting Blake 12-4 on Wednesday afternoon (May 14). The Jaguars will travel to defending state champion South Carroll on Friday for a 4:30 game for the 3A West regional championship and a berth in the state final four.
Senior Mike Beck pitched a complete game in picking up his third victory of the year. The right hander allowed four runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits. He struck out two and walked one.
After Blake went up 1-0 in the top of the first, the Jaguars tied the game up in the home half of the inning when senior Adam Swanek's single to left plated sophomore Jensen Pupa who had reached earlier in the inning on a single to right.
Blake regained the lead in the top of the third, scoring twice to make it 3-1. NWHS tied it back up in the bottom of the inning. Senior Michael Mauk doubled to start the inning and came in to score on senior Matt Senftle's sacrifice fly to center. Junior Wes Fry, who reached when he was hit by the pitch before Senftle's at bat, came around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning.
The Jaguars put the game away in the bottom of the fourth with six runs on just two hits. Pupa and Fry both doubled in the frame and Mauk hit a sacrifice fly to short right. Northwest added three more runs in the fifth. Sophomore Seth Pearman doubled to start the inning and scored on sophomore Brady Stouffer's fielder's choice. Stouffer later came in to score on a Mauk single to center, and Mauk eventually scored on a Bengal wild pitch.
Northwest has now scored 50 runs in three playoff games. The winner of the Jaguars at South Carroll tilt will play Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the state semi-finals at Joe Cannon Stadium, located near BWI Airport.
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Jags Top North Carroll, Host Blake Next
May 13, 2003 --
Northwest used a strong offense, solid defense, and an excellent pitching performance by sophomore Jensen Pupa to win at North Carroll 12-1 in five innings on Tuesday (May 13). The win moves the Jaguars into the 3A West Region semi-finals at home on Wednesday against Blake at 5:15.
After a scoreless first inning, NWHS scored five times in the second to take the lead for good. Senior Mike Beck drilled a one-out double to deep center to drive in juniors Danny Hansen and Wes Fry to put the Jags up 2-0. Hansen was a courtesy runner for senior Adam Swanek, who reached on an error, and Fry reached on a walk. Senior James Trenda and sophomore Seth Pearman drew walks, then Beck scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Brady Stouffer to make it 3-0. Pupa then belted a two-RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
Northwest made it 6-0 in the third when senior Michael Mauk led off the inning with a single and eventually came around to score on Fry's ground out. Three more runs came in during the fourth with Stouffer recording an RBI single and Swanek belting an RBI double. Stouffer's hit was his 30th of the season, breaking the Norhtwest single season record for hits held by Bobby Coleman.
The Jaguars closed out the scoring in the fifth with three more runs. Senior Matt Senftle led off the frame with a single and came around to score on Stouffer's second single of the game with two outs in the inning. Pearman, who reached on a walk prior to Stouffer's at bat, scored on a passed ball, and Stouffer eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Pupa worked all five innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out three and walked only two batters.
The winner of the NWHS-Blake game will meet the winner of the Linganore-South Carroll contest on Friday for the 3A West title and a berth in the state Final Four.
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Jags Top Kennedy, Play at North Carroll Next
May 12, 2003 --
After being rained out on Friday and Saturday, Northwest finally began play in the 3A West Region playoffs on Monday (May 12), soundly defeating visiting Kennedy 26-2 in a five inning game. The win moves NWHS into the regional quarterfinals on Tuesday (May 13) at North Carroll.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first thanks to four walks in the inning, the Jaguars scored six times in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good.
Kennedy added one more run in the second to round out the Cavaliers scoring, while Northwest tallied nine times in the second and eleven times in the third. In all, the Jaguars combined for five doubles, two triples, a home run, and twelve stolen bases.
Sophomore Jensen Pupa had two RBI triples and a single, scored four times, and stole a base to lead the offensive attack. Senior James Trenda had an RBI double, a solo home run, and an RBI walk. Seniors Michael Mauk, Adam Swanek, and Matt Senftle also had two hits and three RBI's, and sophomore Seth Pearman had a pair of doubles, two RBI's, and scored three times.
Sophomore Jimmy Diegelmann picked up the complete game victory, working all five innings, while allowing only two runs and two hits.
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Rain Washes Out Rockville Game
May 7, 2003 --
Rain washed out today's (May 7) game with Rockville with the Jaguars leading 3-2 in the top of the second inning. The game will not be completed. Individual statistics will count.
Sophomore Jensen Pupa drew a one-out walk in the first then stole both second and third. He scored the Jags first run on a wild pitch. Senior Michael Mauk, who reached on a walk, stole second, and moved to third on the wild pitch that plated Pupa, came into score on junior Wes Fry's RBI single to left. Fry moved around to third on senior Matt Senftle's single to right, then scored on another Rams wild pitch.
The Jaguars finished the regular season at 6-8 with the Rockville game not being completed or the Magruder game being made up.
NWHS will look to surpass last year's win total with a win in the first round of the 3A West Region playoffs on Friday at home against Kennedy. Game time is 4:00.
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NWHS Tops Seneca Valley 9-6
May 6, 2003 --
Northwest used excellent defense and timely hitting to defeat rival Seneca Valley 9-6 on Tuesday (May 6) at Northwest. The Jaguars, who will host Kennedy in the first round of the 3A West Region playoffs on Friday, improve to 6-8. Seneca Valley, who is the number one seed in the 3A West Region tournament, falls to 10-5.
The Jaguars went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Brady Stouffer led off the inning with a single and moved to second on an error by the centerfielder. Junior Wes Fry then came through with a two-out single to center to score Stouffer.
After Seneca tied the game in the top of the second, Northwest moved back ahead 2-1 in the third. Senior Michael Mauk led off the inning by reaching on an error and came around to score on senior Matt Senftle's single to center.
The Screaming Eagles tied the score again in the fourth, but the Jaguars tallied four times in the bottom of the fourth. Stouffer blasted a one out triple to left center and junior Jensen Pupa walked and stole second. Mauk then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that scored both Stouffer and Pupa. Mauk stole second and third and Fry walked and stole second. Then Senftle drove a single to center to drive in two more runs to put the Jags up 6-2.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Seneca Valley scored four times in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Northwest then scored three more times in the bottom of the fifth to close out the scoring. Stouffer doubled and stole third, Pupa walked and stole second, then senior Adam Swanek drove a single to left to drive in both runners. Sophomore Jimmy Diegelmann served as a courtesy runner for Swanek and stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored on another wild pitch.
Pupa started the game and worked four innings before turning the game over to senior Mike Beck, who worked the last three innings to record the win. The Jaguars wrap up the regular season with a home game on Wednesday (May 7) against Rockville at 5:15. Northwest then hosts Kennedy in the first round of the playoffs on Friday (May 9) at 4:00.
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Jaguars To Host Kennedy in Playoffs
May 6, 2003 --
Northwest will host Kennedy in the first round of the 3A West Region playoffs on Friday afternoon. The Jaguars defeated the Cavaliers 21-0 in five innings this past Saturday afternoon (May 3).
Should NWHS prevail on Friday, the Jaguars will travel to second seeded North Carroll on Monday afternoon (May 12). In the other half of the bracket, Blake visits Liberty of Carroll County on Friday with the winner meeting third seeded Urbana on Monday. Monday's winners will meet in the regional semi-finals on Wednesday, May 14.
Seneca Valley drew the top seed in the region and a first round bye. The Screaming Eagles will meet the winner of Friday's Walter Johnson at Linganore contest on Monday. The other Friday contests feature Richard Montgomery at Einstein and Paint Branch at defending state champion South Carroll, with the winners meeting on Monday.
For the complete bracket, go to www.mpssaa.org.
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NWHS Rolls Past Kennedy
May 3, 2003 --
Northwest picked up its second win in its last three contests, easily defeating Kennedy 21-0 in five innings on Saturday (May 3). All 17 Jaguars played in the contest, with 13 getting at least one hit in the game.
Five different pitchers worked one inning each for Northwest, as the team finished 5-8 for state playoff standings purposes, and is an overall 5-10. Sophomore Jimmy Diegelmann worked the opening frame, retiring all three men he faced and striking out one. Sophomore Jensen Pupa struck out the side in the second to record the victory. Sophomore Brady Stouffer struck out two in the third and senior Mike Beck struck out the side in the fourth. Junior Cory Luckett finished on the mound for the Jaguars in the fifth.
Offensively the Jaguars were paced by Stouffer's three hits and three runs scored. Beck, Pupa, junior Danny Hansen, senior Patrick O'Connell, and junior Chris Mustico each had two hits for Northwest, which tallied a season-high 19 hits in the game.
A busy week awaits the Jaguars beginning Monday (May 5). NWHS visits Magruder at 3:30 followed by the Outta The Way Cafe fundraiser evening that night at 6 PM (see the link on the left of the page). Tuesday Northwest will host Seneca Valley at 3:30 in a make-up game, followed by a regularly scheduled contest at home against Rockville on Wednesday at 5:15.
The playoffs begin with first round 3A West Region action on Friday afternoon. The playoff draw will be held on Monday evening.
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May 5 Game Time Changed
April 30, 2003 --
The varsity game at Magruder on May 5 will now be played at 3:30 instead of the originally scheduled time of 5:15.
Montgomery County schedules games for the first full week in May at 5:15 due to Advanced Placement testing. Schools are given the option to move games back to the usual starting time of 3:30 if neither team has a player taking an AP test that afternoon.
The May 7 game with Rockville will be played at 5:15 because Rockville has players taking an AP test that afternoon.
May 5 is also the fund raiser evening at Outta The Way Cafe in Derwood. From 6 PM until closing the NWHS baseball team will receive 10% of all receipts taken in at the restaurant. The money will be used to help refurbish the baseball field at Northwest. For more information, click on the Outta The Way Cafe Night link to the left of this page.
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Pupa Shines, But Jags Fall to RM
April 29, 2003 --
Sophomore Jensen Pupa pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run and stroked an RBI triple, but the Jaguars fell at Richard Montgomery 3-2 in 8 innings on Tuesday (April 29).
RM jumped up 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs in the first inning. The Jags cut the lead in half in the third when sophomore Brady Stouffer reached on an infield single, stole second, and scored on Pupa's triple to right. Northwest tied the score in the fifth when sophomore Seth Pearman drew a leadoff walk, then moved around to third on Stouffer's single to right. The RM rightfielder misplayed the ball, allowing Stouffer to advance to second. Pupa then drew a walk to load the bases. Senior Adam Swanek then lifted a one-out fly to right to score Pearman with the equalizer.
Pupa worked seven innings, facing just 26 batters and allowing no earned runs and just three hits before turning the game over to the bullpen. RM got a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth for the victory.
The loss drops Northwest to 4-8 in the state playoff standings. Up next for the Jaguars is a Saturday afternoon home contest against Kennedy. Game time is 2:00.
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Jags Top Einstein 13-5
April 25, 2003 --
Northwest jumped out to a 6-0 lead and went on to pick up its fourth win of the year, winning at Einstein on Friday 13-5.
The Jaguars went up 1-0 in the top of the first when senior Matt Senftle drew a bases loaded walk. Senior James Trenda came up next and smashed a two-RBI single to center to give NWHS a 3-0 lead.
Northwest tacked on three more runs in the second on an RBI single by sophomore Jensen Pupa, one of his three hits of the day, and RBI ground outs by senior Adam Swanek and junior Wes Fry.
The Titans cut the lead in half with three runs in the bottom of the second, but the Jaguars got two back in the fourth. Pupa and senior Michael Mauk singled to start the inning and later came around to score on a fielder's choice by Fry and a ground out by Senftle.
After Einstein scored two in the fifth, the Jags put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh inning. Sophomore Sam Davies reached on a one out single, sophomore Seth Pearman drew a walk and sophomore Brady Stouffer singled to load the bases. After Pupa reached on a fielder's choice that forced Davies at the plate, Mauk cleared the bases with a double to deep left. Swanek then tripled home Mauk, and Fry drove in senior Patrick O'Connell, who was serving as the courtesy runner for Swanek.
Juniors Chris Mustico and Cory Luckett combined to hold the Titans to five runs on seven hits. Mustico worked the first four and one-third innings before giving way to Luckett. Although Mustico left with the lead, Luckett was credited with the win since baseball rules state that a starting pitcher must work five complete innings to earn a win.
Up next for NWHS is a home game against Sencea Valley on Saturday (April 26), weather permitting. The battle for Great Seneca Highway is scheduled for 1:30.
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April 23, 2003 --
Northwest fell to 3-7 in the state playoff standings and 3-9 overall with a 12-8 loss to Wootton at home on Wednesday (April 23).
Sophomore Jensen Pupa and senior Michael Mauk each had three hits and two RBI's. Sophomore Seth Pearman and senior Adam Swanek also contributed two hits a piece.
The Jaguars blew leads of 4-2 and 8-6, allowing the Patriots to score two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh. Northwest has led in all but two of its losses this season.
Up next is a critical game at Einstein on Friday (April 25) at 3:30.
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Stouffer Wins First Annual Hit-a-thon
April 22, 2003 --
Sophomore Brady Stouffer racked up 74 points to win the First Annual Jaguars Baseball Hit-a-thon held on Monday (April 21) afternoon. Sophomore Jensen Pupa finished second with 64 points and junior Wes Fry was third with 62 points.
Each player was given forty swings to accumulate points. Points were awarded based on various types of hits. Simply putting the ball in fair territory was worth one point, a ball hit to the outfield was worth two points, a ball over the outfielder's head or in the gap was awarded three points, a ball that hit the fence on a roll earned four points, a ball that hit the fence on the fly was good for five points, and a home run garnered seven points.
Players collected pledges per point earned. Funds collected from the hit-a-thon will go toward refurbishing the baseball field at Northwest. Players now have until April 30 to collect and turn in their pledges.
Sophomore Kyle Esche led all JV players with 50 points, followed by freshman Taylor Murdoch with 48 and freshman Joe Braun with 47.
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Jaguars Blanked by Gaithersburg
April 15, 2003 --
Despite excellent pitching from senior Mike Beck and sophomore Jensen Pupa, Northwest lost at home to Gaithersburg 4-0 on Tuesday (April 15). The loss drops the Jaguars to 3-6 in the state playoff standings and 3-8 overall.
Beck worked five innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits. He struck out four and walked just one batter in suffering the tough-luck loss. Pupa pitched two strong innings in relief, allowing just one hit.
Sophomore Seth Pearman had two of the four Jaguars hits on the day. Junior Wes Fry and senior Matt Senftle also had base hits.
The infield defense of senior Michael Mauk, sophomore Brady Stouffer, Pupa, Beck, sophomore Sam Davies, and Fry was stellar, making both the routine plays as well as some excellent ones.
After some time off for spring break, Northwest will return to practice on Monday, April 21 and will also conduct the hit-a-thon that was rained out earlier this year. The next game is at home on Wednesday, April 23 against Wootton.
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NWHS Drops a Pair in Silver Spring
April 14, 2003 --
Northwest dropped a pair of games in the inaugural Silver Spring Spring Break Mixer, falling at Springbrook 6-5 in 8 innings and at Blair 11-4.
Senior Adam Swanek smashed a two-out RBI single to center to pull the Jags to within 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning, then senior Mike Beck doubled home sophomore courtesy runner Sam Davies to tie the score.
Senior Matt Senftle went 2-4 with two runs and two steals and sophomore Brady Stouffer had an RBI single and a stolen base against the Blue Devils.
In the night cap the Jaguars fell behind 7-0 in the first inning. Stouffer and Beck each added two more hits in the losing effort. Freshman Justin Beroz made his varsity debut by pitching three and two-thirds scoreless innings before being touched for four runs in the fifth. Sophomore Kyle Esche finished out the game on the mound with two scoreless innings.
Northwest's overall record falls to 3-7, but the Jaguars remain 3-5 for state playoff purposes as the Mixer games do not count toward the playoff standings. Up next, an 11 AM home game with Gaithersburg on April 15. The game with the Trojans is a make-up game of a regular season game rained out a week ago.
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Errors Plague Jags in Loss to QO
April 10, 2003 --
Quince Orchard used four unearned runs to defeat visiting Northwest 5-2 on Thursday (April 10) afternoon. The loss drops the Jaguars to 3-5 on the season.
The Couguars scored their first two unearned runs in the bottom of the first with two outs to take an early 2-0 lead. Starting pitcher Jensen Pupa struck out the side in the second inning before Quince Orchard scored two more unearned runs in the third. Pupa, a junior, ended up working four innings, allowing no earned runs, four hits, and striking out five.
The Jaguars finally got on the board in the fifth inning. Sophomore Seth Pearman and senior Matt Senftle drew back-to-back one out walks. Both moved up a base on an error then scored on a two-RBI single to right center by sophomore Brady Stouffer to cut the Cougars lead to 4-2.
Junior Cory Luckett pitched the final two innings, surrending one run on two hits. Senior Adam Swanek and junior Wes Fry, who was celebrating his 17th birthday, each had singles. Senior Michael Mauk also doubled for the Jaguars.
Northwest is scheduled to make up its home game with Gaithersburg on Friday (April 11) at 3:30.
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Outta The Way Cafe and Jags Team for Fundraiser
April 9, 2003 --
The Northwest baseball program will be holding a fundraiser evening at the Outta The Way Cafe in Derwood on Monday, May 5. 10% of all receipts taken in by Outta The Way Cafe from 6:00 PM until close will be donated to the Jaguars baseball program to assist in the renovation of the NWHS baseball facility.
Team members, families, and friends of the Jaguars community are invited to attend the event. No coupon or ticket is needed. May 5 was selected because the varsity baseball team plays at nearby Magruder High School that day, thus making it easier for players and fans to travel to Outta The Way Cafe.
Outta The Way Cafe has always been very active in the community, assisting area schools and charitable organizations through many various activities.
For more information about Outta The Way Cafe, click on the Links section to the left or simply visit www.outta.com. For further information about the event, please e-mail the NWHS baseball staff at NWHSBaseball@aol.com.
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Late Rally Propels NWHS Over Poolesville
April 5, 2003 --
Senior James Trenda's sacrifice fly with one out in the top of the seventh inning drove in senior Ryan Johnson with the winning run as the Jaguars overcame a 4-2 sixth inning defecit to win at Poolesville 5-4 on Saturday afternoon (April 5). Johnson was running for senior catcher Adam Swanek who had reached on a one-out single.
Northwest banged out ten hits on the afternoon, but was plagued by poor base running throughout the day. The Jags got on the board in the top of the first when senior Matt Senftle, hitting in the lead off position for the first time this season, drew a walk and later came around to score on sophomore Brady Stouffer's single.
The Falcons scored twice in the second and once in the third to take a 3-1 lead, with two of the runs being unearned. Each team scored once in the fourth, with junior Cory Luckett singling home Trenda for NWHS.
The Jaguars tied the game on an unusual play in the top of the sixth. Junior Wes Fry was hit by the pitch to start the inning. Senior Michael Mauk then reached with his third single of the afternoon to put runners at first and second. Trenda then reached on a fielder's choice as Poolesville retired Fry on a force at third. Luckett was then hit by the pitch to load the bases with one away.
Senior Mike Beck was called on to pinch hit and hit a full count grounder to short which forced Luckett at second and plated Mauk with the third Northwest run. On the play Trenda got a late break going to third and would have easily been the third out of the inning. The throw from the Poolesville second baseman, however, hit Trenda in the shoulder and went out of play allowing Trenda to also score with the game tying run on the play.
Junior Chris Mustico worked four strong innings for Northwest in his second start of the year. He allowed only two earned runs on four hits and struck out two. Luckett came on in relief to pick up his first career victory, working one and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball. Sophomore Jensen Pupa came in to retire the final batter to pick up his first save.
The win snaps a three game losing streak for the Jaguars, who had lost tough games previously to three of the top teams in Montgomery County in Paint Branch, Damascus, and Watkins Mill.
Northwest returns home for a 3:30 game on Tuesday (April 8) against Gaithersburg.
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Jags Fall to #1 Watkins Mill
April 3, 2003 --
Despite jumping out to an 8-2 lead, Northwest could not hold on and fell to Watkins Mill 14-8 in Montgomery Village on Thursday (April 3). The Wolverines are the number one ranked team in the Montgomery Journal and are also in the Washington Post Top 10.
NWHS went up 1-0 in the top of the first when sophomore Brady Stouffer, who reached on a lead off double and went to third on junior Wes Fry's single, scored on senior Adam Swanek's sacrifice fly.
Watkins Mill tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, but the Jaguars scored four times in the third to open up a 5-1 advantage. Senior James Trenda led off the inning with the first of his two hits on the day. Junior Cory Luckett was then hit by the pitch and Stouffer singled to load the bases. Two men came in to score on sophomore Jensen Pupa's single to left. Swanek also added an RBI single in the frame.
After the Wolverines nothced another run in the bottom of the third, NWHS scored three more runs in the top of the fourth. Trenda, Luckett and Pupa all singled in the inning, while Fry drove in a run with a bases loaded walk and Swanek added his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon.
Watkins Mill exploded for six runs however in the home half of the fourth. Northwest started Mike Beck was cruising along until being hit in the pitching hand with a line drive in the fourth. He managed to finish the inning, but gave way to senior Matt Senftle in the fifth. Watkins Mill took the lead and padded it with six more runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Swanek finished the day with three RBI's and two hits. Stouffer, Pupa, Fry, and Trenda each also had two hits for Northwest. The loss drops the Jaguars to 2-4 on the season. The Jaguars will look to snap their three game losing streak Saturday afternoon in a 2:00 contest at Poolesville.
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Damascus Outslugs Jaguars
April 1, 2003 --
Damascus used three home runs to overcome a 5-3 defecit and defeat Northwest 16-8 on Tuesday (April 1). The game, originally scheduled to be played at NWHS, was moved to Damascus due to the wet field at Northwest. The loss drops the Jaguars to 2-3 on the season.
Senior Adam Swanek had another productive day at the plate, belting a three-run homer in the third inning and smacking a double in the seventh. Swanek's homer was his second of the season.
Sophomore Brady Stouffer had two hits and an RBI, junior Wes Fry contributed two hits, and junior Cory Luckett had two hits and an RBI as eight of the nine Jaguars starters recorded at least one hit. Luckett also worked one and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief.
The Jaguars continue their tough stretch against top 4A teams on Thursday when they visit Watkins Mill at 3:30.
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Baron, Panthers Shut Down Jags
March 29, 2003 --
Northwest's record dropped to 2-2 on the young 2003 season with a home 9-1 loss to Paint Branch on Saturday (March 29) afternoon.
Left-hander Casey Baron, who is slated to play for the University of Maryland next season, struck out 16 Jaguars hitters in route to the victory.
Junior Wes Fry singled to start the second for NWHS, but was left stranded. Sophomore Brady Stouffer's two-out single in the third was the only other Jaguar hit until the sixth inning. Senior James Trenda doubled to left center to start the bottom of the sixth. Senior Matt Senftle then walked. After Stouffer popped out, Sophomore Jensen Pupa lined a double to right center to drive in Trenda for the lone Northwest run of the day.
Senior Mike Beck pitched the first four innings and suffered his first loss of the season. Junior Cory Luckett made his pitching debut, working the last three innings. Both pitchers recorded two strike outs each.
Northwest returns to action Monday at home against 4A power Damascus. Game time is 3:30.
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Stouffer, Pupa Lead Jags over Wheaton
March 27, 2003 --
Sophomores Brady Stouffer and Jensen Pupa each drove in four runs as NWHS knocked off host Wheaton 12-4 on Thursday (March 27) afternoon. The win improves the Jaguars record to 2-1.
Stouffer recorded a single in the third, a two RBI single in the fifth, and a two RBI double in the sixth. Pupa drove in a pair with a single in the sixth inning and a one-out double in the seventh.
The Jaguars opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second inning. Junior Wes Fry led off the inning with a triple and came in to score on senior Adam Swanek's double. Senior Ryan Johnson, serving as a courtesy runner for Swanek, scored later in the inning when senior Michael Mauk reached on a Wheaton error.
NWHS tallied twice more in the fifth for a 4-0 lead. Senior James Trenda led off with a single to left center followed by senior Matt Senftle's single to right which moved Trenda to third. After Senftle stole second base, Stouffer came through with his two RBI single.
Wheaton bounced back with four runs, three of which were unearned, in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score. But the Jags quickly answered back in the sixth. Sophomore Seth Pearman drew a lead-off walk and stole second base. Mauk then singled to put runners on the corners, then quickly stole second base. After an intentional walk to Sentfle, Stouffer came through with his two RBI double followed by Pupa's two RBI single.
The Jags tacked on insurance runs in the seventh with Senftle picking up an RBI on a fielder's choice and Pupa driving in two with a double.
Junior Chris Mustico started and pitched three scoreless innings. Sophomore Jimmy Diegelmann followed with two innings and picked up the victory thanks to baseball's quirky rule stating a starter must work five innings to pick up a victory. Matt Senftle earned the save with two innings of work to close the game.
County power Paint Branch visits NWHS for a key, early season 3A West game on Saturday afternoon at 1:30. Senior right hander Mike Beck is scheduled to pitch for Northwest.
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Jaguars Drop First Game
March 25, 2003 --
The Jaguar varsity lost for the first time this season on Tuesday (March 25), falling at Urbana 10-3.
Senior Adam Swanek homered to left with one out in the second inning to put the Jags up 1-0. Northwest made it 2-0 in the second on an RBI single by sophomore Jensen Pupa that plated sophomore Brady Stouffer.
Urbana responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, but the Jags quickly tied the game in the top of the fourth with a two-out solo home run to left by senior Michael Mauk.
The Hawks offense took over from there however, scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth and four more times in the sixth inning to seal the victory.
The loss drops NWHS to 1-1 while Urbana improves to 1-0. The next Jaguar contest is Thursday (March 27) at Wheaton at 3:30.
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Beck Fires No-Hitter as Jags Win Opener
March 24, 2003 --
Senior Mike Beck needed just 62 pitches in firing a no-hitter as NWHS blanked visiting Blake 9-0 in the Jaguars opening game for the 2003 season.
Only one Bengal hitter reached base against Beck, and that was on a one-out walk in the fifth inning. The Jaguar defense was stellar, commiting no errors. One of the top defensive plays of the game came in the third inning when catcher Adam Swanek made a remarkable catch of a foul pop up near the Jaguar bench.
Northwest got on the scoreboard in the first inning when sophomore Jensen Pupa scored on junior Wes Fry's single to center field. The Jags were held to just the one run until the fifth inning when they pushed five runs across to open up the game.
Senior Michael Mauk, who had two hits and two RBI's, drove in two runs with a single in the fifth, and sophomore Brady Stouffer, who also had two hits on the day, drove in a pair with another fifth inning single.
Northwest got insurance runs in the sixth inning, scoring three more times, with two of the runs coming on senior James Trenda's two-out single to center.
Beck notched three strikeouts in recording the school's first seven inning no-hitter and second no-hitter in Jaguar history. The first no-hitter came in the opening game of the 2000 season when George Hackey and Steve Ashman combined for a 12-1 victory against visiting Einstein.
It's a quick turn-around for Northwest as the Jags return to action tomorrow (March 25) at 3A West Region rival Urbana at 4:00. Urbana defeated NWHS last year on opening day and again in the first round of the playoffs.
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Oriole Tickets Now On Sale
March 20, 2003 --
Tickets are now available for the Northwest High School Night at Camden Yards on June 17 when the Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays. June 18 is scheduled as an exam make-up day.
All tickets are $9.00 and are located in sections 382 and 384. The seats are located in the first five rows of the upper deck in left field, directly down the third base line. The ticket price is the same as you would pay if you purchased your tickets at Oriole Park, and even cheaper than purchasing your tickets on line or over the phone since there is no service charge.
You may purchase as many tickets as you would like. To order tickets, contact an NWHS baseball player or coach, or see Mr. Noble in Room 102. You can also e-mail your ticket requests to NWHSBaseball@aol.com. Payment must be made before or when receiving your tickets. Please make checks payable to Northwest High School.
A portion of each ticket sold will go toward upgrading the NWHS baseball field.
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Meet The Teams Night is Tuesday, March 18
March 16, 2003 --
Parents and fans of NWHS baseball are invited to attend Meet The Teams Night on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:00 in the Northwest Auditorium.
After a brief program in the auditorium, the baseball players and parents will conduct a 45 minute meeting to discuss the upcoming season. The coaches strongly encourage all parents to attend.
Attendance for players at Meet The Teams Night is mandatory. Players should wear a dress shirt and tie, dress slacks, and dress shoes.
The baseball teams will have a brief practice after school before having their team pictures taken at 4:00 in the gym. Following the team pictures players will be allowed to go home.
Picture forms have been distributed. Please be sure to bring in your forms if you intend to purchase pictures. All players are required to be in the team picture, even if they are not purchasing a picture package.
Questions should be addressed to Mr. Noble at NWHSBaseball@aol.com.
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Scrimmage Schedule Changed
March 14, 2003 --
The scrimmages scheduled for Friday, March 14 with Sherwood have been canceled due to wet fields. They will not be made up.
On Saturday, March 15 both teams will now scrimmage at Whitman. The JV will begin at 11:00 and the varsity will follow at 1:30.
The varsity scrimmage scheduled for Monday, March 17 at Watkins Mill at 3:30 will be played as scheduled. The JV will practice at NWHS on March 17.
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B-CC Scrimmages Canceled
March 11, 2003 --
The varsity and JV scrimmages with B-CC scheduled for Wednesday, March 12 have been canceled due to wet fields. They will not be made up.
Both teams will practice at NWHS on the baseball field on March 12. The varsity will meet at 2:30 in the team room. The JV will meet in the team room at 3:15.
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Scrimmage Schedule
March 9, 2003 --
As announced earlier at the team meetings, here is the scrimmage schedule for the 2003 pre-season:
March 12: Varsity at B-CC at 3:30
JV home vs. B-CC at 3:30
March 14: Varsity at Sherwood at 3:30
JV home vs. Sherwood at 3:30
March 15: Varsity home vs. Whitman at 1:00
JV at Whitman at 1:00
March 17: Varsity at Watkins Mill at 3:30
JV will practice at home
The varsity was scheduled to scrimmage Seneca Valley on March 7 and Walter Johnson on March 10, but both were postponed due to snow. The same is true for the JV scrimmage scheduled for March 8 at Paint Branch.
All scrimmages are subject to change based on weather and field conditions. Parents are needed to drive to all scrimmages and away games. Please e-mail Coach Noble at NWHSBaseball@aol.com if you are able to drive to any of the scrimmages.
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Jaguars To Get Early Jump On Season
February 28, 2003 --
The NWHS baseball team will begin practice at 5:59 AM on Saturday, March 1 for the 2003 season. The early start time is necessitated by the crowded gym schedule due to all of the spring sports teams having to practice indoors because of the snow, and also because both basketball teams have home playoff games on March 1.
"I can't believe anyone will be starting earlier than us," commented first-year coach Matt Noble. "I know one other school is going at 6 AM, so we will see if we can start a minute or two earlier. It is kind of like our version of Midnight Madness."
Returning players and new juniors and seniors will practice from 5:59 AM until 8 AM. New sophomores and freshmen will work out between 10 AM and noon.
Hopefully the 6 AM practice will be a one-time event. As soon as the snow melts off of the blacktops at school, the baseball team will move its practices to outside.
The varsity is scheduled to open the season at Urbana on March 21 at 4:00. The JV will follow on March 22 at 10:00 against Rockville at a site to be determined.
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Bond, Hansen Lead NWHS Wrestlers
February 18, 2003 --
Sophomore Ferris Bond and junior Danny Hansen were major contributors in the Northwest wrestling team's winning its first-ever dual meet regional championship.
The Jaguars defeated Paint Branch and Sherwood on February 11 to capture the 4A/3A Region dual meet title. Ferris Bond earned six points for pinning his man in the 189 pound bout in the title match against Sherwood. Bond's bout was the final one of the match and gave NWHS at 33-30 come-from-behind win. Bond is a catcher and outfielder that played on the Jaguar JV last season.
Hansen won both of his bouts, defeating his opponent from Paint Branch in the semi-finals and his opponent from Sherwood in the finals. Hansen is a second baseman and batted lead off for the JV Jaguars last season.
Northwest was scheduled to wrestle in the state 4A/3A dual meet final four at Catoctin High School on February 15. The snow storm postponed the match until February 18, and has since been postponed again to February 25 at a site to be determined.
Congratulations to Danny, Ferris, Coach Joe Vukovich, and the entire NWHS wrestling program for their title. The baseball program encourages its players to participate in other NWHS sports during the fall and winter seasons.
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Northwest HS Night at Camden Yards
February 12, 2003 --
Northwest High School and the Baltimore Orioles are teaming up for Northwest High School Night on Tuesday, June 17 when the Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays. Game time is scheduled for 7:05.
The Northwest High School baseball program will be selling seats in the first five rows of the upper deck in left field for the regular face value price of $9.00. A portion of the ticket sales money will go to the NWHS baseball program.
Tickets are available for anyone that wishes to purchase them. NWHS baseball players and families, as well as NWHS staff and students are encouraged to attend the game and thereby support the baseball program.
Players and members of the Northwest community can purchase as many tickets as they would like. Please note that no transportation will be provided. NWHS will not provide supervision at the game. The ticket sale is merely a fund raiser for the baseball program with the baseball team simply serving as a ticket broker for the game.
Tickets will be available around March 1 in Room 102. Posters will be displayed around school, players will be notified, and an announcement will be made on this web site when the tickets go on sale. All transactions should be cash or by check made out to the Baltimore Orioles.
For more information, please e-mail Coach Noble at NWHSBaseball@aol.com or see him in Room 102. Save June 17 for a night of Major League Baseball. Mark your calendars today!
One final note: June 18 is an exam make-up day for NWHS students. Students will be finished with exams after June 17 if they do not have any exams to make up.
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Yerger, Varesco Join Staff; Saxman Returns
January 28, 2003 --
Brian Yerger has been named the new junior varsity baseball coach at Northwest High School. Todd Varesco has joined the staff as an assistant coach, and Gene Saxman is returning for his second season as pitching coach.
Yerger replaces Matt Noble, who is now the varsity baseball coach at NWHS. A sixth grade science teacher at Redland Middle School in Rockville, Yerger comes to the Jaguars after serving as an assistant coach at Rockville High School last year. In addition to being on the baseball staff at Rockville, the Bloomsburg University graduate is also the boys' JV basketball coach and an assistant football coach at Rockville. Prior to teaching at Redland, Yerger taught fifth grade for three years at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Germantown.
"We are very fortunate to find an energetic and knowledgable young coach to work with our JV program," commented Noble. "Brian was very highly recommended by (former NWHS athletic director) Tom Manual and by Jack Freeman (the head football coach at Rockville)."
Pitching coach Gene Saxman returns for his second season with the Jaguars. Saxman, who has worked for over 30 years with Hewlett-Packard, will continue to work individually with pitchers during both practices and games. Saxman's son Glen played third base for Noble at Gaithersburg High School in 1986.
"The first person I contacted after I was named head coach was Gene," stated Noble. "The pitchers last year loved working with him. His insight for both the coaches and players about all facets of baseball and not just pitching helped our program tremendously. Coach Saxman will also bring continuity to our developing staff."
Saxman has coached at Montgomery Village Sports Association and is still an active player in Ponce de Leon baseball, a men's baseball league. In fact, Saxman will spend a week in Florida in February playing baseball and preparing for the upcoming season.
Todd Varesco, an instructional assistant at NWHS, joins the staff this year, primarily as a varsity assistant coach. The 1990 graduate of Magruder High School in Derwood was an infielder for the Colonels that also played football and wrestled. Verasco has also coached for Gaithersburg Sports Association the past several years.
Noble said, "Todd brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and energy to the program as well as an excellent baseball background. He has already been a bonus with our preseason conditioning program and will be a great help during the season."
"In fact," concluded Noble, "we may have one of the strongest coaching staffs in Montgomery County. Our combination of youth, energy, and experience should provide strong leadership for the baseball program, both now and in the future."
The staff has met as a group and in one-on-one meetings making plans for the upcoming season. Practice starts on Saturday, March 1. Each staff member can be contacted by clicking on the Contact link on the left of the web page.
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NWHS Baseball Web Site Debuts
January 2, 2003 --
The Northwest High School baseball program has created a web site that will keep players, families, fans, and NWHS staff updated on all baseball activities. The web site will be updated at least weekly during the months of January and February, and will be updated several times a week during the season.
The web site has many helpful features that are already included or will be added in the very near future. The varsity and JV schedule is on line, as is a calendar of events for baseball for January through June of 2003. The calendar, which will be totally completed right after the teams are selected in March, will contain games, practices, player birthdays, and other key events.
Detailed game results as well as team and individual statistics will be available during the season and will be updated after each game. There will also be a section for player biographies.
The game schedule will include results for games already played and directions to away game fields.
By clicking on the weather link at the top of the page, fans will be able to access the weather for the Germantown area. The links page also contains links to the NWHS web page, the MCPS county-wide baseball schedule, the MPSSAA page which has information about playoff pairings, and sites for the baseball programs at MC-Germantown, Maryland, and Mount St. Mary's.
Visitors will be able to contact the coaching staff via the contact information section. Fans will also be able to sign a guest book after visiting the web site.
In the near future, local businesses will be able to advertise on the NWHS baseball page. Be sure to patronize the businesses that advertise on the web page and tell them that you saw their ad. For banner ad information, please contact Matt Noble at NWHSBaseball@aol.com.
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Jaguars Take a Noble Step
Click here to download
December 18, 2002 --
Germantown Gazette
by James Peters
Staff Writer
For the third time in the school's brief five-year history, the Northwest High baseball program will begin the season with a new coach. Matt Noble follows the departed Brian Gregorich and the promoted Jim Tapley, who is now the school's athletics director.
Noble is anything but a fill-in, however, as the long-time Montgomery County resident brings a lot of all-around experience to the job.
"Matt is a very experienced coach in a number of sports, including baseball," said Tapley, who guided the Jaguars to a 6-10 mark last year after Gregorich left to pursue other interests. "He's very experienced in Montgomery County. We're very happy to have Matt take over for me."
Noble, the school's junior-varsity baseball coach last year, brings a wealth of high school coaching experience and some professional know-how after a stint as the Frederick Keys, the Orioles Class A affiliate, play-by-play announcer from 1992-98. During that time, he hobnobbed with some of the game's better minds during trips to Baltimore's spring training.
"I learned baseball [and] at spring training, I got to see how things are done," Noble said. "It was fantastic."
Before taking that job and after graduating from the now-defunct Northwood, Noble served as Northwood's junior-varsity coach and varsity assistant coach from 1982-84. He then became Gaithersburg's junior-varsity coach in 1985 before assuming the varsity job from 1986-88.
During that time, Noble guided the Trojans to a 4A West Region title. That team later lost to Annapolis, 2-1, in the state semifinals. The year before, Gaithersburg reached the 4A West Region title game.
His other high school coaching stints include a year as the Magruder junior-varsity baseball coach in 2000 and as the school's varsity girls basketball coach in the early 1990s. Noble moved to Northwest last year to run the school's Cooperative Work Experience program and become the school's junior-varsity baseball coach. The Jaguars compiled a 9-5 record under his direction last year.
Noble is also in his eighth season as the radio play-by-play voice for the Mount St. Mary's College men's basketball team.
"I grew up in the county and [coaching baseball] is something I wanted to get back into doing, especially since I left the Keys," he said. "I really wanted to coach where I'm teaching."
Noble inherits a team that followed a 2001 trip to the 2A West Region final with an early exit in last year's 3A West Region quarterfinal.
"I think Jim set the ground work last year," Noble said. "The first thing you have to have is talent and we're starting to get that now. We have kids who are involved in the summer and the fall leagues.
"They were 6-10 last year but we were in a lot of games that we lost. I think we're real close. It depends on the varsity guys and the front end of our schedule is really tough. Hopefully, we can build on what Jim did.
"I'm really looking forward to it. The JV guys were one of the best group of guys I've ever worked with. It was a real great help for me to be the JV coach. I already know a lot of the guys coming out. I have a feel for what's going on."
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