Announcement

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Basketball Powerhouses Spalding & Annapolis to Finally Play

Posted by Michael Glick on May 31 2002 at 05:00PM PDT
Boys basketball: Spalding, Annapolis join forces By CRAIG ANDERSON, Staff Writer It's official -- Archbishop Spalding will travel to Annapolis on Feb. 3 next season for a showdown between two Baltimore metropolitan area boys basketball powerhouses. The long-awaited matchup is set for a Monday at 7:30, typically a quiet night in the winter high school schedule. Fans from across Anne Arundel County should be in for a treat. Annapolis assistant coach Dale Chambers worked with Spalding head coach Mike Glick to work out a date and time for the event. "I'm not from the area, but from my first day at Spalding the feedback I've gotten is that people want to see Annapolis and Spalding play basketball," Glick said. "This is a chance for two of the best teams in the Baltimore area to play each other." Both sides agreed to play the game later in the season as a tuneup for their respective private and public school playoffs. "If you're going to play tough games, you might as well do it when all your (strategic) stuff is in and you know where you're going with your season," Annapolis coach John Brady said. "The only real time to play this game was late in the schedule." The programs vied for top spots in media polls during the past few years, but never met on the court for a firm conclusion. County champion and Class 3A East runner-up Annapolis (25-1) concluded last season ranked second in the Baltimore metro poll, and Spalding (29-7) was fourth after winning the Baltimore Catholic Leage/MIAA regular season and tournament titles. In 1999, a charity game for the Dick Hart Scholarship Fund matched Spalding against a team of public school all-stars. "We had a decent crowd for that, considering it came together late and was played on a Saturday afternoon," Brady said. "Obviously playing on a slow night in the schedule should help attendance this time." Annapolis returns county player of the year guard Laronja Owens and all-county forward Josh Johnson. Spalding features 7-foot all-county center Will Bowers and 6-11 junior Jason Loughry, plus starting point guard Jesse Brooks. "The players want the game, and it should generate some interest in the area," Brady said. "We wanted to play it on a night when as many people as possible could see it if they wanted." Right now, the teams are scheduled to play only next season. "From our perspective we'd like to play (Annapolis) every year if it can be worked out," Glick said. Brady said his team is still looking for a game to fill out the upcoming 2002-03 schedule. Published May 31, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright © 2002 The Capital, Annapolis, MD

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