Evan Laratta (left) wins the 3,200.

Jack O’Keefe is also a county champion in the high jump, and important second place finishes counted heavily in the team standings. Evan Burnham in the 800, Malcolm Brown in the long jump and Brandon McDowell in the shot all finished second.

Thirds in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays helped as well. Elliott Davis’s third in the triple jump marked another outstanding performance.

On the girls’ side, Sierra Isaac, who has been having a terrific season, tied in height in the high jump at 5’4” but placed second on more misses to Clarksburg’s Bailee Freeman. Isaac finished second to Freeman in the long jump as well, by ¼ of an inch and third in the triple jump.

The girls finished sixth in the team standings.

Jake Salzman contributed to this report.

Old Mill goes for two with star running back Rob Chesson.

The Cougars lost in overtime to Old Mill 36-35 at the state 4A championship.

The Red Army reacts to the Old Mill win.

When Old Mill scored a touchdown in the overtime period, instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game again, the Patriots went for two and won.

QO ends its season 13-1. Old Mill finishes 14-0.

The Cougars beat C.H. Flowers in the state semi-finals game last week.

The Quince Orchard Cougars travel to Baltimore tonight to take on Old Mill in the Maryland 4A state championship game.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at M & T Bank Stadium, tickets cost $8.

Both teams are undefeated and enter the game with a perfect 13-0 record.

Look for The Town Courier to update its Facebook page with the latest from the game.

Go Cougars!

Cougars Coach Dave Mencarini, seated next to his opposition from CH Flowers, Michael Mayo, hit the lunch line twice, his part in getting ready to go on Friday.

Quince Orchard (QO) faces the Jaguars at 7 p.m. at the Cougardome and QO should be favored as they are the 12-0 number 1 seed. With a record of 9-3, CH Flowers is number 4.

Both coaches expressed respect for each other.

“You have to respect him [Jaguar Coach Mike Mayo],” said Mencarini. “Opening up a new school, making them a perennial state contender. They’re very strong on offense with a number of guys they can go to. And they’re rough on defense, too.”

CH Flowers plays a 3-5-3 defense.

“It’s tough because they come at you from all over the place,” he said.

Still, the Cougars are seeded No. 1 and earned the home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“I think the home field is a tremendous advantage even at this level. We’ll have a lot of folks there Friday, but so will Flowers. They travel well,” Mencarini said.

Coach Mayo knows he’s in for a test.

“To go 12-0 in Montgomery County, with that great history, they have to be doing some things! We don’t get to see them all that much [Flowers is in Prince George County] but what we see really stands out,” said Mayo. “They’re fast on defense, tackle exceptionally well, with great team speed. They’re deserving of where they are.”

With the rains of today on an uncovered field, and rain possible on Wednesday, the ultimate condition of the Cougar Dome field is a question. Both teams will have to face the same conditions and both expect an outstanding game.

The gates will open at 6:15. All tickets are $6 and no season passes are honored.

With seven seconds left in the game, Chris McPherson kicks the winning field goal for QO.

There are few experiences in life that teach young people how quixotic life can be.

QO’s Chris McPherson, the Cougars’ place kicker, learned that lesson against Churchill in the 4A West Regional semi-final on Nov. 18.

He missed a PAT left with 1:52 left in the third quarter, making the score Cougars 20, Bulldogs 14. The game was clearly unlikely to end up with no more scoring.

“I picked my head up,” he admitted after the game and after a ride on top of his teammates’ shoulders after he kicked the winning field goal from 24 yards with 7.3 seconds left to the cries of “MVP! MVP!” from the Cougars.

What happened on the second kick, the winner?

“I thought ‘keep my head down and get a good plant.’ It felt good. There was a shaky snap, yeah, but I’ve got a good holder. It was fine,” he said.

The field goal ended a taut game, made tighter by the fact that, after playing against a triple option in their previous game and handling it well, they faced it again and didn’t fare as well. The difference? According to Marcus Newby, junior linebacker: “They [Churchill] run it better. A lot more physical a lot faster.”

The game nearly turned on a bizarre sequence of calls, mistakes and turns in the last quarter. First, the ball came loose in the QO backfield and Churchill recovered on the Cougar 41.

On the second play after the turnover, Kenny Lang made a brilliant play to break up a deep Bulldog pass but was called for taunting when he celebrated his play.

Three plays later, Darnell Leslie was called for a facemask on a sack of Churchill quarterback Lansana Keita. But on fourth and 2, the QO defensive line stuffed Keita for a 1-yard loss and took over on downs at their own 16.

After a three-and-out, trailing 21-20, Coach Mencarini called for a punt on fourth and 4. QO held inside their own 30 and with 2:52 left, more or less, they took over for what would be the winning drive.

It was clear to everybody that the Cougars would have to get close on the arm of Billy Plante. He hit one pass for 12, had a pass dropped and another fall incomplete. On third and 10, clearly 4-down territory, the call was play action to Mark Green and the senior took over.

“Yeah, the passes must have loosened them up, but still, I was surprised to get the calls,” he said.

Three runs in a row took the ball to the Churchill 7, first and goal—38 yards in those three crucial plays. After a yard loss by Plante and a controversial false start call on the Cougars took the ball to the 12, Green ran for 6 more of his 150 total yards to set up McPherson’s winning field goal.

The false start call was not as controversial as what happened after it. With time running down and no apparent signal to start the clock, it kept running during the markoff of the penalty and more than 10 seconds appeared to have been lost. Instead of second and goal with about :30 left, the Cougars had :17 and no chance to run another play without a timeout. By the time things got sorted out there was 7.3 left and MacPherson had to kick on second down.

Asked what he felt after the sequence of fumble-penalty-penalty, which ended on the QO 16, Coach Mencarini said: “I did at that point think: here we go. We’ve been in this situation six times now. I was just proud of my kids. They hung in there.”

What did he say to Chris McPherson before the big kick? “I didn’t say a word to him. I didn’t want to bug him.”

Churchill regularly beat the Cougars to the corner on offense. “I was surprised at that. We gave up big plays tonight. We do that in the future, and tonight will have been our last game of the season,” Coach Mac said.

Churchill players react to the Cougars' winning field goal.

On Nov. 25, the Cougars host the regional championship game for a chance to go to Baltimore and compete for the state title again.

Judy Laratta hugs her son after he wins the county championship.

Will Conway of Churchill was the favorite based on faster times during the season. Conway lost to Laratta by 9 seconds as the QO harrier won in a personal record time of 16:00.92 that also set a new course record at Gaithersburg’s Farm Park. Nick Simpson of Einstein finished 1/100th of a second behind Conway as both pushed the Cougar runner. Laratta quickly admits, however, that his effort was not his alone.

Lakelands resident Evan Laratta crosses the finish line.

Judy Laratta is fighting a rare form of cancer, carcinoma sarcoma that has moved from her cervix to her bones. “It gave me more strength, not to give up and try to find some inner strength on the days that are difficult,” she said of her son’s victory. She paused for thought. “It doesn’t make me feel all alone in my situation.” Told she was cancer free, further tests showed her fight was not over. “One doctor told me I had eight months with treatment, a year without. That made me really angry. I was shocked to hear that because I was feeling good. I was ready to start running again.” Judy Laratta is a striking, very attractive woman who happens to have very short hair. She also laughs loudly and a lot, but she is clearly on an emotional roller coaster. Her emotions spilled over, telling me about her prognosis but she recovered quickly. Her flashing eyes signal a readiness to fight the disease and the process. “I decided I don’t want to deal with doctors who tell me I only have a year to live. So I decided to search for a doctor who is going to work with me to try to get the best treatment for me.”

QO Cross Country Coach Seann Pelkey hugs Judy Laratta after her son's big win.

The extent of his effort is indicated by the fact that he beat Conway, in second place by 9 seconds, a huge margin in a cross-country race. “At the end, I was just dead,” he admitted. “ At the same time I was excited and surprised that I won.” His highest previous finish in the Counties was in the top 20.

His mother was in his mind the whole race, particularly near the end. “My mom pushes through everything so why should I just stop when it hurts? The chemo has taken a lot out of her and it’s been very hard. Very hard.” She’s in his mind as a runner for other reasons: a runner herself, Judy pushed Evan to run when he was young.

“I know it’s been a struggle for him [Evan] because he has his studies, a full schedule and he’s a really great kid. He’s my easy boy. He’s like ‘Momma’s Boy.’”

We share a laugh as Evan rolls his eyes but one suspects he didn’t really mind.

David comes home frequently from LaSalle and has taken Evan to several campuses. The application process has been complicated by the demands of Judy’s illness. She and Evan are both optimistic about the chances that the County win may open some doors to college scholarships for him that were not previously ajar.

Judy Laratta is clearly the source of her son’s determination. “This is both boys’ senior year. I want to make it special for them. I’m going to battle this the best I can with what I have. Evan’s my inspiration now. I’m so proud of what Evan did, and I think it’ll push his brother a little harder now, too!” More laughter.

Evan has States coming up. Can Evan beat his brother’s 2nd place finish four years ago? He will probably not be favored to win, even he admits, because the Parkton championship course is very hilly—not Laratta’s strength. But Judy Laratta is used to facing long odds. “Sure I’ll be out there. Indoor was difficult but outdoors? I’ll be right on the front line.” She could be no other place.

The Cougars are ranked number four in the Metro area as they prepare for their first game against Sherwood. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 at the Cougardome.

Talking about them, Mencarini almost drools: “We have seven starters back and they are the heart and soul of the team.”

Kieran Gregory and Darnell Leslie will anchor the outside at end with Marcus Newby, a junior, centering the linebacker corps with Marty Heyn and Carlo St. Regis flanking him. There is experience in the secondary as well with Billy Plante at safety, doubling at quarterback on offense, and Kenny Lang at the other safety. Isaac Ankomah and D’Andre Johnson will hold down at the corners. Johnson, stepbrother of All-Star and Maryland freshman Alex Twine, transferred in from Oakton, Va.

On offense, a mix of veterans — Plante and All-League Mark Green in the backfield with Tyrell Williams and a young but promising line anchored by veteran Kieran Gregory. The bulk is in the persons of Brandon McDowell and Matt Luke while the Trach brothers, Spencer and Austin, are expected to contribute along with Darnell Leslie.

Mencarini said of punter Bailey Avissar, a junior, “He’s the best I’ve ever had,” which is saying something given the success of Mike Shapiro last season. Kickoff and placement duties fall to Chris McPherson.

Mencarini is high on two underclassmen coming up. Kyle Gregory was MVP of the JV team last year and Elliott Davis, a wide receiver and cornerback, expects to get a lot of minutes.

Of his expectations, Mencarini said, “I don’t pay any attention to rankings. We really look only one game ahead. But that defense is going to be fun to watch.”

Gillian Erdrich contributed to this report.

The Quince Orchard Cougars are practicing plays for their fall season that kicks off at home against Sherwood on Sept. 2.

Last fall he completed his career as a fifth year senior with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Now he’s moving up a step. He is a UFA with the Oakland Raiders. That translates to “Undrafted Free Agent.”

He is also the first QO Cougar to make it to the NFL.

Quince Orchard-Penn State- Oakland Raiders. Part of the plan?

He has said that football was his entire life as he dealt behind the scenes with problems of adjustment from Liberia and with his brother and father who had troubles with drugs and alcohol respectively. He says that he learned from Coach Dave Mencarini: “…to be dedicated to the game, to love it and no matter what’s happening in my life it’s not as important as how football can change my life.”

At QO, Gbadyu made First Team All-State and captained the Cougars his senior year. He also contributed greatly to the two 4A West Divisional Championships that QO won in 2004 and 2005. At one time Cougar fans believed that the running back/linebacker/safety was going to Louisiana State but he ended up at Penn State after his graduation from QO in 2006.

Why the change of mind?

“Just the fact that Penn State was knows as ‘LBU’ [“Line Backer U”] and the opportunity. The coaching staff, especially [linebacker] Coach Johnson—it was all just a great fit,” Gbadyu said. “They stand for what my dad, Coach Mac and people close to me stood for. I just knew it would be a blessing.”

At Penn State, Gbadyu, dogged by academic problems, missed the Rose Bowl in 2009. That was his personal wakeup call. “There’s no shortcut to life. You have to pay the price and learn. I learned another thing: I can’t carry everybody’s cross but my own. By helping me I can help other people.”

When it was pointed out that the step up to the NFL means a step into a much faster game, he said: “I don’t think that’s the biggest adjustment because I’m fast. I just think it becomes a thinking game and who is more mentally prepared and who does the extra work to be successful. That’s what I plan to do: study and know the game inside out.”

His chances of making the team are slim– the Raiders’ undrafted free agent list last year numbered nine players, only three of which saw regular duty during the 2009-2010 season.

Gbadyu assesses his chances this way: “Realistically I see myself on special teams, making the squad and then earning my stripes. Raiders’ Nation is an awesome place and the philosophy’s that’s being preached here I’m buying into. That’s exactly what I stand for…Being here is a great achievement but having an impact is a dream of mine. I’m not a quitter. I strive for perfection and I know how hard I’ve worked to get here. I’m not going to fail now.”

Quince Orchard Park resident Dominic Valis broke several team records this summer and is now training for All-Stars.

“The spirit of our team continued to amaze me as it has all season; each meet this year topped the one before as we improved as a team,” said Stingrays Head Coach Chris Franklin.

Quince Orchard Park resident Dominic Valis continues to wow his swim coach.

“Dominic Valis rebroke two of his own records and qualified for Individual All-Stars as well as breaking a West Hillendale pool record to finish his amazing season,” said Franklin.

The first-year coach is quite proud of his swimmers.

“Lauren Codina on the girls’ side broke a team record in the 13-14 backstroke, and our men’s graduated relay team managed to finally break our team record also dropping four seconds on their way to a first place finish at divisionals,” said Franklin. “As a team, we performed very well, anywhere where one swimmer was struggling another was there to make up for it and we won the N division after finishing second in the O division last year.”

Franklin credits the team’s success to the swimmers’ hard work and dedication in the pool and to their parents, especially those, he said, with a swimming background. He said his swimmers are excited about moving up a division.

“I know the whole team is very excited to have the opportunity to compete with teams at a higher level as we continue looking to improve,” he said.