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. >> The fall sports season is underway. Highlights next on "High School Sports Scene." >> Hi, and welcome to a new season of "High School Sports Scene." I'm Capri Gaines. Last year, Franklin and New Town both made the state football playoffs. The two teams met in week two of the football season. >> A hardy crowd braved a stormy evening at Franklin High School as the Indians hosted the New Town Titans. [Whistle blows] On their first possession, Franklin driving, as quarterback Jacquez Adams picks up 19. [Whistle blows] Adams then targets Jordan Adams, who wrestles the ball away from Titan defender Sean Stewart for a big gain. [Whistle blows] But Stewart came right back with a diving interception to end Franklin's drive. The Titans were having a tough time moving against the Franklin defense. [Whistle blows] On Franklin's next possession, Jacquez Adams recovers an errant snap and takes it to the one. [Whistle blows] Two plays later, Adam dives in. Point after was good. Franklin up 7-0. [Whistle blows] In the second quarter, Franklin got their passing game going. Jordan Adams with a nice pickup off the screen. [Whistle blows] And Adams adds another reception on a quick slam. [Whistle blows] From the 10, Jacquez Adams connects with Steven Smothers for the score. The point after is good. Franklin goes up 14-0. After forcing New Town to punt, Franklin got the ball back in Titan territory. Jacquez Adams keeps it for a big gain... and, on the next play, scrambles into the end zone for the score run. The Indians go up 21-0. [Whistle blows] But the Titans struck back quickly. Kevin Miller connects with Andre Neal and, Neal takes it the distance for an 80-yard pass play, cutting the Franklin lead to 21-6. But Franklin came right back with a big pass play of their own, Steven Smothers coming up with the catch. Then Maurice McFadden rambles 16 yards for the score, giving Franklin a 28-6 lead at the half, on their way to a 51-12 win. [Whistle blows] >> In another week-two football contest, Parkville traveled to Owings Mills to play in the Eagles' new stadium. >> When the school year opened, the Owings Mills High athletic program had something new to show off -- Eagle Stadium was ready for game time. The project added seating for 1,000 spectators, a new press box with camera platform, and a resurfaced track. Eagle fans hope to have many victories in the new facility. In week two of the football season, the Eagles played host to Parkville. In first quarter action, Eagle running back Brock Zollicoffer takes it around end for a short gain, but Owings Mills was forced to punt. Parkville with the ball. Toss goes to Aaron Topp for a pickup of 10. Knight qb Danny Whittler finds Leroy Smith for the first down. [Whistle blows] Then Whittler hits Daquel Brandon. Pick up of nine. But the Knights' drive stalls, and with a fourth and 10, Parkville fakes a punt but comes up about six yards short. After trading punts, Knights with the ball midway through the second quarter. Whittler hits Key Dennis for a 20-yard gain. Whittler then scrambles for a first down and a late hit moves the Knights closer to the end zone. From the nine, Aaron Topp gets the pitch, reverses field, and takes it in for the touchdown. Whittler finds Leroy Smith for the 2-point conversion to put Parkville up 8-0. Following a storm delay, the Knights would go on to a 22-20 win. >> On the hockey field, Catonsville traveled to the Hereford Zone to face off against the Bulls. >> Hereford Stadium was the site as 12th-ranked Catonsville met the ninth-ranked Bulls. Early on, the Bulls working in the Comets' end, Rachel Karwacki gets off a shot, but it's blocked. Shortly after, the Bulls with a penalty corner, but the ball scoots past the goal mouth. The Comets, meanwhile, began to pressure the Bulls' defense. Catherine Sweeney passes ahead for Meghan Sadler, but the Bulls clear. Then Sadler gets off a shot, but Hereford goalie Jessie Lynch is there for the save. The Comets broke through midway through the half, as Brianna Spinnato sends a shot just inside the near post to put Catonsville up 1-0. Hereford was determined to tie things up before the half, and with two minutes remaining, Rachel Karwacki did just that, knotting the score at 1-1. Four minutes into the second half, following a penalty corner, a scramble in front of the goal and Layne Litsinger puts the ball in for a 2-0 goal lead. [Whistle blows] Less than three minutes later, Lucy Reider redirects a cross from Litsinger in for the Bulls' third score. Hereford kept up the pressure. Litsinger with another chance, but saved by Comet goalie Vanessa Tracy. Midway through the half, Litsinger on a breakaway, challenged by Tracy and Lila Radebaugh, puts the loose ball in to put the Bulls up 4-1. That would be the final margin, as Hereford tops Catonsville. >> And two consistently strong girls soccer teams met as Perry Hall hosted Loch Raven. >> Loch Raven's girls soccer team took a 4-1 record to Perry Hall to meet the 8th-ranked Gators. Early on, Gator striker Melanie Garrison gets the ball on the wing, but Erica Carpenter closes quickly and clears. Shortly after, the Perry Hall attack gets the ball ahead to Sofia Perzan, but her cross is safely gathered in by Maggie Burnett. At the other end, Erica Carpenter's free kick is saved. Aniya Flanagan pushes the ball up to Melanie Garrison, who gets off a strong shot, but goalie Maggie Burnett makes the save. Katie Krejcik crosses for Alex Hamill, but Gator keeper Maggie Lent gets there first... and later comes out to cover another Raider crossing attempt. The Gator attack began to increase the pressure, as Maria Ambridge sends the ball ahead for Sofia Perzan, but Burnett is there. Perry Hall finally breaks through, as Garrison streaks past the Raider defense, and slides a shot past Burnett for a 1-0 lead at the 32-minute mark. Just before the half, Garrison has another chance, but Burnett covers the ball. Early in the second half, Loch Raven pressing, and Katie Krejcik's shot hits the far post. Then Maria Ambridge drives a low shot into the far corner to give the Gators a 2-0 lead. Perry Hall continued to dial up the pressure, as Garrison chips a shot that Burnett gathers in. Then Sofia Perzan pushes a shot just wide of the far post. But with seven minutes remaining, Perzan knocks the third Gator goal, on the way to a 4-0 victory. >> That's all for this time. Coming up next is Randy Dase with "Coach's Corner." We'll be back in two weeks with another edition of "High School Sports Scene." We hope you'll join us then. Until then, I'm Capri Gaines. Thanks for watching. >> Hi. I'm Randy Dase and welcome to "Coach's Corner." My guest today is Michael Sye, the coordinator of athletics in the Baltimore County Public School System. Michael, welcome to "High School Sports Scene." >> Thank you very much. >> And I'd like to say congratulations. I know you've now served as one year and now a few more months in preparation as the coordinator of athletics. How's it feel so far after one year? >> It's been great. I think that the wonderful thing about being in Baltimore County or being a product of Baltimore County is that I'm very familiar with a lot of the principals, the coaches. So it's just been a whirlwind, just trying to get things under your own leadership, but it's also has been a very great adventure in terms of putting things together for the benefit of the Baltimore County kids. >> You said you're a product of Baltimore County. I know you're a graduate of Woodlawn High School. Tell us how your career proceeded in life in terms of finally getting back to Baltimore County. >> Wow. Like you said, I'm a product of Woodlawn High School. I graduated in 1990. Had a full scholarship to the University of Delaware to play football, so I went there. Played football for four years. Came out, and I went back to my high school. I had the opportunity to work out for some professional football teams, but I would train back in my old high school. So when I was out there, I would get out there and I would be doing my thing, and as the kids were out there practicing, and I had a connection 'cause my brother and sister both went there behind me. So some of the kids knew who I was, and I was also fortunate enough to be state champion in track and field. So I was coming out, helping with the track team and doing my workout at the same time, and I really fell in love with helping the kids. I was very fortunate at Woodlawn to have just great coaches, great mentors, so that's my root, my basis, so I'm always trying to make sure that the kids have great coaches and great mentors. So I came back and, like most people say, I got hooked. I started working with the kids. Next thing you know, the track coach needed an assistant, and I came on to help him out, and then I started working with the football coach as well, who is Brian Scriven, who is the principal at Woodlawn right now. And so that was just a great opportunity and it just kind of snowballed from there. I started as assistant track and football coach. I became the head track coach when I took over for Gerald Russell. We had the opportunity to win a couple state championships, and the principal at the time was Annette Woodley, said, "Have you ever thought about being the A-D?" And I said, "No, not really." But I went ahead and kind of thought about it and thought about the impact that I could have at my alma mater, so I kind of dove in headfirst, was fortunate and got the position. And then I spent 13 years as the A-D at Woodlawn. And then the opportunity came to impact Baltimore County on a larger level, and I said, "Hey, you know, sometimes it's just the right time," and I just kind of threw my name in the hat, went through the process, and here I am now. >> And you had a pretty good mentor. I think a gentleman by the name of Ron Belinko, and Ron was in the county since birth, wasn't he, it seems like? >> 46 years. >> 46 years. >> 46 years in Baltimore County. Ron is a legend, an icon. And I've been trying to establish that same type of rapport for myself. A lot of time people refer to me as, "that's Ron's replacement." They don't even know my whole name yet. But as you get in and put the years like Ron did in and establish and create guidelines that impact the kids in a positive manner, then people begin to know your name and know the type of person that you are. >> As coordinator of athletics, what's been the biggest challenge? >> The biggest challenge is just getting used to trying to be in so many places at so many different times. You know, there's one of me and 24 high schools, 27 middle schools, so it's really about just trying to give your attention to every single program, 'cause you want them to think that they have the same value as the next program. So you don't ever want a program in Baltimore County to feel like they're not being valued. So I try to make sure that I get out to the soccer games and to the badminton matches and to the golf tournaments and to the football games. So just trying to be all over the county and show my face, that I'm in support of all the coaches, all the kids, all the schools and all the communities, has probably been the toughest part. >> And that's something I know that Ron really believed in, I know that you're following through, is you have to be seen. And when you're seen every day out there between 3:00, 4:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, the late games, I think that's very important to the athletes, to the coaches and to the parents, and I think that's fantastic. August... well, it was 13th, 14th, 15th. We had a floating date this year to start the fall athletics. But whenever you started, what were some of the goals, you think, for our total athletic program for the 2013, 2014 year? >> Well, I guess the main goal was safety. And, as you stated, the calendar started three days earlier than it normally would, and that was primarily because of the heat acclimatization policy that went into affect last year. So, Ned Sparks, who was the head of the MPSSA, and the executive council, which I sit on, we sat down and met and tried to determine, how can we give the coaches more practice time, because they were losing practice time with the kids. And also when you lose practice time with the kids, you're not probably getting the same techniques across or having the amount of time to make sure that they're ready to compete in a safe manner on the field. >> And we talked about safety. I know as I attended my first coaches' meeting at Owings Mills for all soccer coaches, concussions, very important area that we have great concerns about. You want to tell us about the county's feelings about concussions? >> Well, again, safety is paramount when it comes to student-athletes of Baltimore County. The Concussion Management Program is something that's not new, but there have been new regulations that have come up this year, and I think that it's a positive thing, because what people don't understand is that concussion happens in all sports. It's not just about football. Actually, girls soccer is probably one of the areas where you receive the most concussions. So the policies that are in place are there to protect our kids. We have increased certification, where now you have to get recertified every two years, very similar to CPR and first aid. So we're moving in the right direction, and I think we'll continue to make sure that we're doing what we feel is best for our student-athletes in Baltimore County. >> I know Dr. Dance's favorite word is "technology." And how has technology impacted our sports program in Baltimore County this year? >> Well, it's actually an exciting time. Dr. Dance always talks about the digital conversion, and as we move forward in this digital age, athletics, we're trying to do the same thing. We've been very excited about updating our website, to provide some of the information about concussion management, provide a very comprehensive page where you can get information from the CDC, from the NFHS, and some of the other organizations, regarding, you know, information that parents might not be privy to on a normal basis. We're also trying to change the way in which we view our games. We've hooked up with Digital Sports -- I'm sorry, PlayOn! Sports -- which is an organization that does live Web streaming, and we're looking at doing live Web streaming at our games so that a parent who can't make it to their child's game can actually sit at home or on their cell phone and watch the game at home. And last but not least, County Sports Zone. We're in a society now where they want immediate response, and County Sports Zone is going to provide that for us by getting all our scores online, by hopefully 10:00 in the evening, so, as we move into that digital conversion for Baltimore County Public Schools, athletics is following it as well. >> But talk about fall athletics. A lot of different sports taking place. Are you seeing a large participation still this year in county sports, or are there any sports that might be declining in participation? >> I think participation numbers are very good right now. I think, with the change in eligibility policy in terms of ninth-graders coming and getting that free slate -- We strongly believe that those ninth-graders getting with a coach and having that mentor can help them academically. So giving them their free slate has definitely increased our JV numbers. One area that we are trying to work on is our female participation. I know our field hockey numbers have struggled a little bit with several programs having to shut down for this year, but I believe that we're continuing to work in a positive manner, talking to the schools. And really the key to it is having great quality coaches for some of these programs. >> Let's talk about the academic eligibility. It used to be, if you had two Es, you could not participate. Now you must maintain a C average. Has that hurt a lot of students? >> Actually, it hasn't. I think that, initially, we saw a little flux in the amount of kids that were coming out and were deemed academically eligible, but I think the biggest part of that is educating. You know, letting the kids know that you need a 2.0. Letting the kids know what the academic eligibility standard is. And I think, when you set those bars high, the kids will reach them, but it's just a matter of them knowing what it is to do to reach them and having the supports in place. And our coaches do a phenomenal job making sure that they follow their kids throughout the season. Making sure that the grades are done, making sure that they're getting those grades, and with the NCAA increasing their eligibility standards, it was time for us to raise ours as well. >> And it's interesting, most of our student-athletes, you'll find, are highly successful during season versus when they're not participating in sports, because I think that time management kicks in. >> Oh, absolutely, and again, when you have someone looking over you -- your coach -- and helping monitor you, the communication between the coach, the parent, the teacher -- I mean, the kid's really in a win-win situation. That's why you see a lot of student-athletes achieve, because they have a support system around them that's helping them move in the right direction. >> This is also an exciting year. We just had realignment take place, in terms of 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, which is based on population of the schools. And now there's something brand-new. We have regional tournaments, but there's called "sectionals" now. Can you explain the concept? >> Well, the concept "sectionals" is exactly what it is. It was pretty much formed because there was a lot of travel issues within the region. For example, you'll have, in the 3A north, you'll have Milford Mill playing the team C.M. Wright, which is in Harford County. So now, to help with travel time, loss of instructional time, giving kids the opportunity to get home at a decent hour, you're pretty much playing teams that are in your area. So, for example, sticking with the 3A north, you'll have Woodlawn, Randallstown -- pretty much all Baltimore County schools all in one section. The winners of section 1 and section 2 will play in the regional final to give you a regional champion. >> And so how will the seeding take place in such a tournament now? >> Well, pretty much, I mean, different sports have different seeding, but for the most part, the top 2 will be seeded in each section, and then there will be a random draw after that, and then you play within your section until you come down to your two final sectional winners, and then you play for regional championship. >> And we talked about coaches. Coaches are pretty vital in this whole athletic department. But, you know, in the past, many of your coaches were classroom teachers, but things have changed in the classroom and it's pretty demanding. Are we seeing more coaches coming from the outside to help out in the program? And do you see that will change in the future? >> Wow, it's a great question. I guess it's one of those subjects where you really appreciate the coaches that you get from outside of the education system. However, I'm a big proponent of trying to make sure we have coach-teachers. Because our program is education-based. And in that connection, a lot of your great coaches are teachers within our high school system. But the demands and just life in general, we've had to go outside and try to find coaches that are willing to coach at the high school level. We're probably at about a 60/40 ratio of teachers to coaches that are outside. Do we want to increase our teachers in the building? Yes, because they're right there with the kids. They can serve as the mentor in the building during the day, not just after school. And they have a direct access to the staff, the kids, and also the community. >> Well, Mike, it's been great to talk to you, and I'll tell you what. I caught you last fall when you first got the job, and you didn't look so good. >> Man, I had it tough. >> You had pneumonia, if I'm not mistaken. >> I had pneumonia. I was down for probably about three months. I mean, probably was out for... about two weeks, but I worked every single day. I was coming in a little later. And you saw me probably struggling. >> I was worried about ya. >> Yeah, I was worried, too. But I've been blessed, man. I'm sitting here and I got healthy again. And you know the one great thing about being in the Office of Athletics, I've got a great support staff. Lynette Mitzel, Pat Marston, Brad Kressman. And then all the coaches are all supportive. They all stepped up around me and helped make sure that things got ran until I got myself back together. >> Listen, stay well, and good luck, and we're pleased to have you heading up athletics in Baltimore County. Take care. >> I look forward to it. >> Okay. For "High School Sports Scene," I'm Randy Dase. Thanks for watching. See you next time.