The sports year in review: Business as usual on Frederick County sports scene in 2022

Dec. 30—It was business as usual for Frederick County sports in 2022.

There were no more coronavirus pandemic-shortened seasons like there had been the previous two calendar years, and local teams and individuals with local ties continued to pile up accolades.

Frederick County Public Schools teams won nine state titles in 2022.

In the winter, Oakdale's boys basketball team, Catoctin's boys indoor track and field team and Urbana's girls indoor track and field team captured state crowns.

In the spring, Linganore's softball team, Catoctin's boys track and field team and Urbana's girls track and field team brought home state titles.

And in the fall, Tuscarora's boys soccer team, Brunswick's boys soccer team and Urbana's volleyball team won state championships.

In college basketball, Mount St. Mary's women's team earned a berth in the NCAA Division I tournament, and Hood College's men's team earned a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Former Frederick County athletes made noise on the national level, too.

Linganore grad Rob Havenstein became the first former Frederick County player to win a Super Bowl, helping the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.

St. John's Catholic Prep grad and Randolph-Macon College men's basketball coach Josh Merkel guided his team to the NCAA Division III national title.

Urbana grad Noah Grove helped the United States Paralympic Sled Hockey team win the gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

And Urbana grad Trey Lipscomb, a third baseman for the University of Tennessee, was drafted in the third round by the Washington Nationals.

Those are just some of the highlights in local sports in 2022. Read on to see what else happened in Frederick County sports over the past year.

JANUARY2—This proves to be a noteworthy day for two former Frederick County High School football players. Los Angeles Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein, a Linganore High School grad, returns to his home state to help the Rams beat the Baltimore Ravens 20-19 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. And Middletown High School grad Rick Leonard, an offensive tackle who had been on practice squads with seven different NFL teams since getting drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2018, makes his NFL debut as a special teams player with the Atlanta Falcons in their 29-15 loss to the host Buffalo Bills.

15—In Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Catoctin junior Brody Buffington wins the Golden Bear High School Invitational 55-meter dash with a time of 6.38 seconds, which at this point of the indoor track and field season is the the 10th-fastest time in the nation.

22—Defending champions prevail at the Frederick County Public Schools Indoor Track and Field Championships at Hagerstown Community College. Urbana's girls team wins its seventh straight indoor county team title, which sets a record. Meanwhile, Oakdale's boys team captures its third straight indoor county crown and its fifth in six seasons. Catoctin's Brody Buffington sets a county record in the 55-meter dash with a winning time of 6.49 seconds.

27—Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Branden Kline, a Thomas Johnson High School grad, is inducted into the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame. Kline had 18 saves in 2011, tying the ACC's single-season saves record and setting the University of Virginia's single-season mark. Kline pitched for the Orioles in 2019 and 2020, going 1-4 with a 5.48 ERA over 46 innings in 37 relief appearances.

30—Linganore grad Rob Havenstein will be heading to his second Super Bowl after helping the Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game. The Rams will play AFC champ Cincinnati in Super Bowl 56 in their home stadium. Havenstein, a right tackle, played for the Rams in Super Bowl 53, which New England won 13-3.

FEBRUARY3—Mount St. Mary's men's basketball team beats Merrimack 69-53 for its sixth straight win. It's the Mount's longest winning streak since 2017, and it's been fueled by anger the team felt over having to forfeit two games earlier in the season.

9—Piling up 15 pins in 28 contested bouts against Glenelg and host Poolesville, Middletown's wrestling team wins the 2A West regional duals championship. The Knights beat the Gladiators 47-29 in the semis and the Falcons 63-9 in the championship, giving them a shot at winning their third state duals title and first since 2017.

10—Middletown's Charlotte Claney and Oakdale's Kevin Tu win titles at the Frederick County Public Schools diving championships at Walkersville High School. Claney wins the girls title for the first time with 158.45 points. Tu wins the boys crown for the second straight year with 130.60 points.

11—Before Friday's boys basketball game against visiting Catoctin, Thomas Johnson High School holds a dedication ceremony to name its gym floor "Tom Dickman Court" to honor Dickman, who won seven state titles and 592 games during his 29 years as the Patriots' boys basketball coach. Dickman is on hand as current TJ players unveil lettering on the court that includes the former coach's signature.

12—Urbana gets a sweep at the Frederick County Public Schools Swimming and Diving Championships at Walkersville High School. The Hawks boys pull out a 114-107 win over Oakdale, which handed them their only regular-season loss. And the Hawks girls, who went unbeaten during regular season, roll to a 174-98 win over second-place Linganore. Middletown's wrestling team is the Class 2A State duals runner-up after losing 30-27 to two-time defending state champ Stephen Decatur in the championship match at North Point High School. The Knights reached the final by beating Sparrows Point 42-21 in the semis.

13—Linganore grad Rob Havenstein becomes the first former Frederick County player to win a Super Bowl after helping the host Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium.

16—Middletown's Ava Allen wins a state pole vault title at the Class 2A State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory. Allen's vault of 11 feet tops runner-up Lizzie Lopez (10-6) of Hereford.

17—Linganore's Mikayla Moxley wins a pair of titles at the Class 3A State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory, winning the 500-meter dash and 800-meter run. Other state champs from Frederick are Linganore's John Sears (boys 3,200), Oakdale's Samuel Starrs (boys pole vault) and Thomas Johnson's Elisa Ramos (girls pole vault).

18—Urbana's girls indoor track and field team cruises to its third straight state championship at the Class 4A state meet at Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory, beating second-place Northwest 91.5-53. Urbana gets state titles from Fiona Agyekum (shot put), Nia Kombe-Jarvis (pole vault) and the 4x200 relay squad of Haley Smith, Tessa Stanley, Cameron Vu and Angeline Amefia.

19—Middletown wins the team title at the Frederick County Public Schools Wrestling championships at Catoctin High School. The Knights send nine wrestlers to the finals, with six of them winning, and 13 of their 14 wrestlers finish in the top of four of their weight class.

22—Catoctin's boys indoor track and field team wins the first state title in program history at the Class 1A state meet at Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory, beating Smithsburg 72-63. Brody Buffington sprints to victories in the 55- and 300-meter dashes for the Cougars, and Catoctin's 4x400-meter relay team of Dennis Lease, Alexander Contreras, Furious Trammel and Garrett Sullivan also wins. The Linganore boys and Urbana girls both win Central Maryland Conference basketball championship games at Hood College. The Lancers boys beat Walkersville 55-42, and the Hawks girls beat Catoctin 55-45.

26—Middletown junior Heidi Tomlin wins the Class 3A-2A-1A state breaststroke title at MPSSAA Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center. Tomlin finishes with a time of 1 minute, 7.22 seconds to win a tight race over La Plata's Jadyn Woolsey.

27—Hood College's men's basketball team earns a berth to the NCAA Division III national tournament for the first time since 2007 by beating host Eastern University 74-71 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth championship game. The Blazers shared the MAC Commonwealth regular-season title with Eastern, but the Eagles handed Hood its only two conference losses to earn home court-advantage for the final.

MARCH2—Hood College men's basketball player Mason Wang is named the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Player of the Year and is joined on the All-MAC Commonwealth First Team by his twin brother Evan Wang. Mason had earned the conference's player of the week accolade eight times during the 2021-22 season and was named the MVP of the MAC Commonwealth Championships.

4—Hood's men's basketball team loses 83-72 to Oswego State in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships at Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. This was the second NCAA tournament appearance for the Blazers, who finish with a 20-7 record. Oakdale's boys basketball team advances to the state semifinals after Cameron Dorner's fast-break layup in the final seconds lifts the Bears to a 56-55 win over host Damascus. The last time the MPSSAA had a state tournament in 2020, Oakdale reached the semis but didn't get to finish its playoff run because the coronavirus pandemic canceled the rest of the postseason.

5—Middletown's Chad Hoy wins the 220-pound state title at the Class 2A-1A state wrestling championships at the The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro. Hoy (38-2) pins Patuxent's Jalon Edwards in 56 seconds in the championship match. Mount St. Mary's men's basketball team sees its season end after Bryant's Charles Pride hits the go-ahead free throw with eight-tenths of a second left to down the Mountaineers 70-62 in the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinals. Catoctin's girls basketball team advances to the state semifinals for the first time since winning its lone state title in 2006, beating Cambridge-South Dorchester 61-21 in the Class 1A quarterfinals.

7—UNC Charlotte coach Cara Consuegra, a Linganore High School grad, is named Conference USA women's basketball Coach of the Year after guiding the 49ers to a 19-9 record and the C-USA regular-season title.

8—Oakdale's boys and Catoctin's girls both advance to the MPSSAA basketball state finals. The Bears beat Atholton 66-50 in the 3A boys semis, while the Cougars defeat Fort Hill 50-40 in the 1A girls semis.

10—Oakdale becomes the first Frederick County boys basketball team in 23 years to win a state crown, rolling to a 61-40 win over Huntingtown in the Class 3A state championship game at the University of Maryland's Xfinity Center. As they had all postseason, seniors Alex Hawkins (23 points) and Cameron Dorner (19 points) lead the way for the Bears. The Catoctin girls team's bid for its second state title comes up a little short as the Cougars lose 51-42 to Pikesville at Xfinity Center. The Cougars led by 10 at halftime, but freshman Amori Jarrett and an effective 2-3 zone help the Panthers pull off the comeback.

12—In a UFC Fight Night prelim headliner, Urbana High School grad Matthew Semelsberger wins his welterweight bout over A.J. Fletcher via unanimous decision, getting a trio of 29-28 scores at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Linganore grad Cara Consuegra is heading to the NCAA tournament as a head coach after guiding UNC Charlotte to a 68-63 win over Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA women's basketball championship game in Frisco, Texas.

13—Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team earns a trip to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season by beating Bryant 60-42 in the Northeast Conference championship game at Knott Arena. The 16-12 Mountaineers have leaned on key returnees, such as Urbana grad Kendall Bresee, while breaking in a new head coach, Antoine White, and dealing with adversity. Urbana High School grad Noah Grove, a defenseman, helps the United States Paralympic Sled Hockey team beat Canada 5-0 in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics para ice hockey final. It's the second Paralympics gold for Grove, who won his first in 2018, and it's a record fourth straight gold for the U.S.

15—The Frederick Keys, a member of the MLB Draft League, name Joe Oliver as their new manager. As an MLB player, Oliver helped the Cincinnati Reds win the 1990 World Series. He joins the Keys after coaching a summer collegiate league team and managing three minor league clubs.

17—Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team loses 74-70 to Longwood University in an NCAA tournament First Four game at North Carolina State's Reynolds Coliseum.

19—Randolph-Macon College men's basketball head coach Josh Merkel, a Walkersville native and St. John's Catholic Prep grad, guides the Yellow Jackets to a national title as they roll to a 75-45 win over Elmhurst in the NCAA Division III championship game in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Merkel's Yellow Jackets finish with a 33-1 record, and he wins the D3hoops.com Coach of the Year award and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III Coach of the Year award for 2021-22.

APRIL6—Frederick Community College baseball coach Rodney Bennett gets his 700th career victory with the Cougars, who beat Gettysburg's JV team 15-6.

18—Mount Airy native Daniel Romanchuk wins his second career men's wheelchair title at the Boston Marathon, claiming the victory with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 58 seconds.

20—Noah Batchelor, a Frederick County native who has played basketball for the past two years at IMG Academy, an elite athlete factory in Bradenton, Florida, signs a letter of intent to play for Maryland's men's basketball team.

22—Entering this season, Walkersville grad Brady Policelli has played every position in minor league baseball except pitcher. He eliminates that void on this day, taking the mound to pitch for Triple-A Toledo in the ninth inning against St. Paul. Policelli works 1-3 of inning in the Mud Hens' 9-4 loss.

23—Oakdale senior Sam Starrs clears 16 feet, 1 1/4 inches in the pole vault at the Talley-Zimmerman Invitational at Walkersville High School. It's believed to be the highest vault ever for a high school pole vaulter in Maryland. It's a half-inch higher than the previous record mark for a Maryland vaulter, set by Brunswick's Jackson Tuomey at the Adidas Indoor Nationals in February 2021.

MAY1—Dan Jacobs, a Frederick resident and Hood College grad, wins the Frederick Half Marathon for the second time, crossing the finish line in a personal-best 1 hour, 11 minutes, 59 seconds. Baltimore's Meaghan Murray wins the women's crown with a time of 1:21:09.

2—Mount St. Mary's accepts an invitation to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association, effective July 1, marking the end of the school's 33-year membership in the Northeast Conference.

3—Tuscarora grad Jordan Addison, who won the 2021 Biletnikoff Award as a standout wide receiver for Pittsburgh, officially enters the transfer portal.

5—The Urbana girls and Linganore boys both win team crowns at the Central Maryland Conference track and field meet at Oakdale High School.

7—Middletown's girls team and Urbana's boys team both win Central Maryland Conference lacrosse championship games at Hood College. The Knights girls beat Linganore 13-8, while the Hawks boys beat Middletown 15-6.

10—Urbana beats Catoctin 8-1 in the Central Maryland Conference championship baseball game at Frederick Community College. In the CMC softball championship game, Catoctin pitcher Taylor Smith has 14 strikeouts to lead the Cougars to a 5-1 win over Linganore at Hood College.

12—Urbana's girls and Linganore's boys win team titles at the Frederick County Public Schools Track and Field Championships at Linganore High School.

15—Frederick Community College's baseball team earns a berth in the NJCAA D2 World Series for the second straight season, beating CCBC Catonsville 9-4 in the Region 20 D2 championship game at Catonsville.

16—Frederick County Public Schools pulls the plug on its annual county tennis championships after rain interrupted the tournament. The postponement meant the tournament wouldn't conclude before the MPSSAA's Class 4A regional tournament began. Urbana, which had numerous players qualify for the county finals, is the only Frederick County Class 4A team, and an MPSSAA rule doesn't allow teams to play in other events once a regional tournament begins.

19—Tuscarora grad Jordan Addison, who had starred as a wide receiver for Pitt, transfers to the University of Southern California. St. John's Catholic Prep wins the MIAA C Conference boys lacrosse title by beating St. Vincent Pallotti 7-6 at William G. Tierney Field in Sparks.

20—Linganore's girls lacrosse team hangs with perennial power Severna Park before falling 12-11 in the Class 3A state semifinals in Burtonsville. Urbana's boys lacrosse's bid for a second straight state crown comes to an end as the Hawks lose 10-2 to Broadneck in the Class 4A state semifinals.

21—Looking to reach the state final for the second straight season, Middletown's girls lacrosse team loses 19-8 to Century in the Class 2A state semifinals in Silver Spring.

23—Tennessee third baseman and Urbana High alum Trey Lipscomb is named First Team All-SEC. He led the conference in home runs (21) and RBIs (74), while his .351 batting average and 1.170 on-base-plus-slugging percentage were second on the Volunteers.

24—Thomas Johnson's baseball team loses 6-2 to Chesapeake in the Class 3A state semifinals, marking the end of Billy Gross' nine-year tenure as the Patriots' head coach. Gross is taking on a full-time role as assistant principal at TJ, and Frederick County rules do not allow administrators to coach high school teams inside the county. Salisbury junior pitcher-outfielder Lindsey Windsor, a Walkersville grad who helped lead the Sea Gulls to the NCAA Division III Championship Softball Finals, is named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-American First Team. Windsor went 18-2 with a 1.13 ERA while batting .445 with eight home runs, 57 hits and 33 RBIs with 21 stolen bases.

25—Linganore's softball team knocks off unbeaten Damascus 4-0 in the Class 3A state semifinals at Bachman Sports Complex. In the 2A state softball semis, Walkersville loses 11-0 to Calvert.

26—Middletown's Ava Allen wins state titles in the pole vault and triple jump at the Class 2A State Track and Field meet at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. Catoctin's Brody Buffington wins the Class 1A high jump state title. Middletown grad Megan Gebbia is hired as the Wake Forest women's basketball head coach. In her nine years as American University's head coach, Gebbia led the Eagles to three NCAA tournament berths.

28—Linganore's softball team captures its first state title by pulling out a 9-8, extra-inning win over Chopticon in the Class 3A state championship game at the University of Maryland. Two Frederick County track and field teams also win state titles at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. After winning its first state indoor title, the Catoctin boys get their first outdoor track and field state title by beating runner-up Mountain Ridge 73-51 in the 1A meet. Brody Buffington leads the way for Catoctin, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes, setting a 1A state record in the former. The Urbana girls win their third outdoor title by beating second-place Blake in the 4A meet. The Hawks get wins from Samantha Heyison (discus), Angeline Amefia (400 dash) and Nia Kombe Jarvis (pole vault). Thomas Johnson's Madison Warren wins the MPSSAA Class 3A State Tennis Tournament girls singles title by beating Centennial's Rose Haung 6-2, 6-4 at the Wilde Lake Tennis Center.

JUNE2—Tennessee third baseman Trey Lipscomb, an Urbana grad, is named a Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American. The honor comes right before Lipscomb and the Volunteers prepare for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships.

5—Tuscarora's Kyle Sanger and Urbana's Brendan Yagesh help the North get a 3-1 win over the South in the Brooks Robinson Senior All-Star Game at Camden Yards. Sanger walks twice, steals a base and scores the eventual winning run. Yagesh tosses two scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two.

7—Walkersville and Middletown will have to replace their athletic directors after the respective retirements of Mike Mummert and Mike DeSimone. Mummert was the Lions AD for 20 years, while DeSimone served in the capacity for nine years with the Knights. Urbana High alum and Hollywood stuntwoman Jessie Graff confirms that she will appear on "American Ninja Warrior," NBC's popular obstacle course show, for the first time since 2020.

9—University of Tennessee senior third baseman Trey Lipscomb, an Urbana grad, is named as a finalist for the 35th Dick Howser Trophy, which is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award.

13—Urbana grad Jessie Graff is eliminated on the third of six obstacles on "American Ninja Warrior." The episode she appears on was taped in the spring.

18—Former Old Dominion quarterback Reese Poffenbarger, a Middletown grad, is already participating in summer workouts at University of Albany after transferring to that school's football team.

JULY4—Brandon Price wins his third straight Barbara Fritchie Classic main event at the Frederick Fairgrounds, becoming the first racer in 20 years to accomplish that feat at the annual motorcycle race. Price needed four years to get his three-peat because the race was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

5—Ron Manges, the first starting quarterback for the Frederick Falcons semipro football team in 1968 and a fixture in Walkersville High School sports as a coach and game announcer, dies at the age of 77.

17—Brunswick Little League rallies from a five-run deficit in Bethesda to win its first District 2 11-12 Little League championship since 2013.

18—Trey Lipscomb, the Urbana High grad and Tennessee third baseman, is selected by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the MLB Draft. At 84th overall, Lipscomb is the second-highest drafted player ever from Frederick County, behind former Thomas Johnson standout Branden Kline, who was picked 65th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012.

21—Urbana grad Trey Lipscomb signs with the Washington Nationals for $758,900, according to MLB.com.

26—FSK Post 11 wins its first American Legion Baseball state title since 1998 by beating Fort Cumberland Post 13 4-2 at McCurdy Field. It's Post 11's eighth state crown.

27—Brunswick is ousted from the Little League Baseball state tournament, losing 5-4 to Conococheague in Perryville. Brunswick's Junior League Baseball team finishes third in its state tournament after losing 4-1 to Valley.

29—Five new Frederick County athletic directors are settling into their jobs — Kevin Lynott at Middletown, Sonny Joseph at Walkersville, Chris O'Connor at Tuscarora, Howie Putterman at Linganore and Mike O'Brien at Brunswick.

30—Urbana alum Matthew Semelsberger loses by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, to Alex Morono at UFC 277 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Semelsberger drops to 10-4 overall and 4-2 as an Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight.

AUGUST1—Chantal Ridlon Thacker, a 34-year-old Monrovia resident, is competing with the U.S. Women's Tackle National Team in the 2022 International Federation of American Football Women's Tackle World Championship in Vantaa, Finland. The World Championship ends Aug. 8.

4—Kaylee Franklin, a 16-year-old rising junior at Middletown High School, places sixth out of 87 competitors in the 15-16 year old girls javelin throw 600 grams at the AAU Junior Olympics in Greensboro, North Carolina. Competing for the Lightning Running Club, based in Frederick County, Franklin has a personal-best throw of 110 feet, 11 inches.

7—FSK Post 11 loses 12-2 to Chesapeake (Virginia) Post 280 in the American Legion Baseball Mid-Atlantic Region tournament championship game in Morgantown, West Virginia.

9—Urbana grad Trey Lipscomb, playing for the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals, hit a three-run homer in his first professional at-bat in the first inning against Augusta.

19—There is a nationwide shortage of football helmets as manufacturers can't ramp up production fast enough to meet demand after being shut down for an extended period because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all of the 10 public high school football programs in Frederick County are dealing with the issue on some level.

22—Tuscarora grad and USC wide receiver Jordan Addison is named a preseason first team All-American by the Associated Press after a breakout sophomore campaign as the country's top wideout.

26—Offensive lineman Rick Leonard, a Middletown grad, is waived by the Atlanta Falcons.

30—Cornerback Nate Hairston, a Thomas Johnson grad, is waived by the Minnesota Vikings.

SEPTEMBER2—Winters Mill football player Greyson Lyons is flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma after going down during a season-opening game against host St. John's Catholic Prep. First responders perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, do chest compressions and use a defibrillator on Lyons to revive him.

8—Brunswick's Hank Adams wins the Central Maryland Conference boys golf title at Black Rock Golf Course in Hagerstown, while the Railroaders' Alexandra Swam wins the girls title. Urbana captures the team crown, beating second-place Brunswick 308-310.

17—Thomas Johnson's James Partlow and Frederick's Caroline Gregory both get wins at Hereford High School's Bull Run Invitational, one of the state's biggest regular-season meets. Partlow wins the Large School Division boys race, and Gregory wins the Medium Schools girls race.

21—Cornerback and Thomas Johnson grad Nate Hairston signs to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad.

27—Brunswick's Luke Adams and Hank Adams, who are twins, finish 1-2 to help the Railroaders win the team title at the Frederick County Public Schools golf championship at Clustered Spires. Luke wins the boys crown after beating Hank in a playoff. The Railroaders, who also get help from girls county champion Alexandra Swam, capture the team crown with 302 points to top second-place Urbana (314 points), which had won five straight county team crowns.

OCTOBER21—Caroline Gregory wins the girls race to help Frederick cruise to the overall girls team crown at the Central Maryland Conference cross-country championships. Gregory and her Frederick team win individual and team crowns in the Spires meet, too. Thomas Johnson's James Partlow wins the overall individual and Spires boys titles. Catoctin's Alex Contreras claims individual Gambrill boys honors, helping the Cougars win the Gambrill team crown. Middletown's Erin McQuitty is the Gambrill girls champion.

22—Tuscarora's boys soccer team, Oakdale's girls soccer team and Urbana's field hockey team all win Central Maryland Conference championship games. The Titans boys beat Brunswick 5-0, the Bears girls beat Brunswick 3-0 and the Hawks' field hockey team beats Walkersville 2-1.

26—Brunswick places third in the MPSSAA Class 1A/2A golf match at the University of Maryland, marking the best finish in program history.

27—Frederick junior Caroline Gregory wins the girls individual title at the Frederick County Public Schools County Cross-Country Championships at Middletown High School, helping the Cadets girls get their first county cross-country team crown since 1993. Thomas Johnson's James Partlow wins the boys race, while Linganore takes the boys team crown.

NOVEMBER3—Frederick's girls and Oakdale's boys both capture team crowns at the Class 3A West Regional cross-country meet at Thomas Johnson High School.

4—Urbana's boys soccer team beats Duval 4-1 in a shootout in the state quarterfinals. Oakdale's girls soccer team also wins in the state quarterfinals, getting its 14th straight shutout en route to a 5-0 win over River Hill to advance to 3A semis. In the field hockey state quarterfinals, Urbana loses 2-1 to Whitman in 4A, and Tuscarora loses 4-0 to River Hill in 3A.

5—Tuscarora's boys soccer team reaches the Class 3A state semifinals by rolling to a 4-0 win over Wilde Lake. Brunswick's boys soccer team advances to the 1A semifinals with a 3-0 win over South Carroll. Walkersville's field hockey team loses 2-0 in a one-on-one shootout to North Harford in the 2A state quarterfinals.

9—Two Frederick County volleyball teams advance to the state quarterfinals. Urbana beats Clarksburg 3-1 to win the 4A West Region II final, while Middletown beats Hammond 3-0 in the 2A West Region II final.

11—Three Frederick County football teams reach the state quarterfinals with wins — Brunswick in 1A and Middletown and Walkersville in 2A. Tuscarora's boys soccer team beats Towson 4-0 in the Class 3A state semis, earning a berth in the state final for the first time since winning its only state crown in 2008.

12—Catoctin's Alex Contreras wins the Class 1A state boys title at the MPSSAA Cross-Country State Championships at Hereford High School, winning with a time of 17 minutes, 7.6 seconds. Oakdale's football team rallies from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and knocks off unbeaten Frederick 20-17 to advance to the Class 3A state quarterfinals. Urbana's football team reaches the Class 4A-3A state quarterfinals by beating Mount Hebron 42-7. Maryland School for the Deaf concludes its first season of eight-man football by beating Perkiomen 46-18 in the Keystone State Football League championship game. Defending 1A boys soccer state champ Brunswick earns a return trip to the state final by beating Perryville 1-0 in the semis. Urbana's boys soccer team and the previously unbeaten Oakdale girls soccer team both lose in the state semifinals.

14—Urbana's volleyball team reaches the state final for the second time in program history by beating Churchill 3-1 in the 4A semis. Middletown's volleyball team advances to the state championship match for the first time in team history by beating Frederick Douglass 3-0.

16—It's announced that Frederick will be home to a new baseball team in the spring of 2023 to play alongside the Frederick Keys, according to the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The new team, whose name has not been announced, will be owned by Attain Sports and Entertainment, the same group that also owns the Keys, a collegiate summer team in the MLB Draft League.

17—Tuscarora's boys soccer team wins its second state title by rolling to a 3-0 win over Centennial in the Class 3A championship match at Loyola University's Ridley Athletic Complex. The win caps a 19-1 season. Urbana's volleyball team wins its first state crown by holding on for a 25-22, 25-22, 12-25, 9-25, 15-11 win over Arundel, which had won 30 straight matches and was trying for its third straight state title, in the 4A final. The Hawks are the second Frederick County volleyball program to win a state title, joining Oakdale, which has won two crowns. Middletown's volleyball team, which caught fire in the postseason after having a losing record in the regular season, loses 3-1 to undefeated Liberty in the Class 2A final.

18—Four Frederick County football teams advance to the state semifinals by winning quarterfinal games. Brunswick beats Forest Park 17-8 in 1A, Middletown beats Hereford 21-0 in 2A, Oakdale beats Westminster 33-14 in 3A and Urbana beats Perry Hall 30-6 in 4A-3A. Walkersville loses to Milford Mill in 2A.

19—Brunswick's boys soccer team wins its second straight state crown in familiar fashion, beating Fallston 3-2 on Logan Malone's game-winning goal in overtime. When these same teams met in the 2021 state final, Malone scored the game-winner in overtime.

21—Albany quarterback Reese Poffenbarger, a Middletown grad, is named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the top freshman at the FCS level of Division I. In his first year with the Great Danes, Poffenbarger threw for 2,999 yards and 24 touchdowns. Towson University announces that Rob Ambrose, a Middletown grad, will not be brought back as the school's football coach. In his 13 seasons as the Tigers' head coach, Ambrose went 76-76. He guided the team to three NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff berths and an appearance in the 2013 FCS title game, which the Tigers lost 35-7 to North Dakota State.

25—Oakdale is the only Frederick County football team that advances to the finals, beating St. Charles 27-22 in the 3A semis. The Bears will face Damascus in championship game, which is their first time in the final since they won their only state crown in 2018. In other football semifinals, Brunswick loses to Mountain Ridge 49-20 in 1A, Middletown loses 14-7 to Kent Island in 2A and Urbana loses 17-0 to North Point in 4A-3A.

DECEMBER1—Urbana senior Samantha Heyison, a thrower, is named the US Paralympic field athlete of the year by the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field team. Earlier in the year, Heyison reached No. 1 in the world in her class in shot put and No. 2 in discus. Heyison is missing two fingers and has malformed feet caused by congenital constriction band syndrome, which led her to receive Paralympic certification.

3—Oakdale's football team loses 21-14 to Damascus in the Class 3A state championship game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

6—USC wide receiver Jordan Addison, a Tuscarora grad, is named to the All-Pac 12 first team offense. He led the conference with eight touchdown catches and led the Trojans in receptions (59) and receiving yards (875).

15—Kevin Pirri steps down as Frederick High School's football coach because, as an acting assistant principal at the school, he is in line to become the full-time assistant principal, a job that would prohibit him from also coaching the football team. In his final season at the helm, the Cadets posted their first unbeaten regular season since 1968 and finished 10-1. In 2021, Frederick went 10-3 and reached the state semifinals.

17—Urbana grad Matthew Semelsberger beats Jake Matthews by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, for a UFC Fight Night victory at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Quarterback Collin Schlee, an Oakdale grad who spent the last four years at Kent State, transfers to UCLA. With the Golden Flashes in 2022, Schlee put together a top 10 season in program history in yards (2,109), touchdowns (13) and completion percentage (59.0).

20—Oakdale High graduate Percy Agyei-Obese declares his intention to enter the NFL Draft after a lengthy career at James Madison University. The running back played in parts of six seasons, redshirting in 2021 after playing in four games. For his career, he's second in rushing touchdowns (39) and attempts (694), and third in rushing yards (3,503) and total touchdowns (39).

21—Tuscarora High grad and Southern California wideout Jordan Addison has elected not to play in the Cotton Bowl next month, USC coach Lincoln Riley announces. The star pass-catcher plans to rehab a nagging ankle injury that kept him out for a month earlier this season — likely in preparation for the NFL combine. Addison, a junior, is widely expected to enter the NFL Draft.