Tuscarora boys soccer coach Todd Knepper

With his team about to play in its first Central Maryland Conference championship game, Tuscarora coach Todd Knepper is the guest this week on the Final Score podcast.

Knapper shares with host Greg Swatek the significance of his team reaching the conference championship game and why it is playing its best soccer at this late stage of the season. The Titans are unbeaten in their last eight games. He also explains why the Titans will defer home playoff games if it gives them the chance to play on a turf field.

The coach also talks about growing up the son of a professional baseball player, his own soccer career and why coaching was such a natural career progression for him. His first season at Tuscarora was spent as an assistant coach for the Titans' state championship team.

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Walkersville head football coach Joe Polce on the Lions' 4-1 start

With a big showdown against Catoctin looming this week, Walkersville football coach Joe Polce is the guest this week on The Final Score podcast.

The Lions are off to a 4-1 start this season with wins over Tuscarora, Liberty, Seneca Valley and Thomas Johnson and a loss to Linganore last week. Coach Polce shares his assessment of the season to date with host Greg Swatek. What is going well? What needs to get better? He also shares his feelings on the resumption of the Catoctin-Walkersville rivalry, which hadn’t been played for the last two seasons. What type of game does he expect on Friday?

Then, Frederick News-Post sports writer Joe Ferraro drops in to discuss the county football scene just past the midpoint of the season. What teams have made the biggest impressions so far? How deep is the running back position in the county? Is there a clear front-runner heading into the postseason?

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For a transcript of this podcast, click here.

Why Gov. Thomas Johnson had to pull the plug on its varsity football season

With questions swirling around the present and future of the Thomas Johnson varsity football program, coach Bobby Humphries and athletic director Mike Chavez are the guests this week on The Final Score podcast.

On Monday, the school decided to pull the plug on the rest of its varsity football season, citing a lack of numbers and player safety. Humphries and Chavez explain to host Greg Swatek why that decision was made and the various factors that went into it. They also share their personal feelings about having to make a decision like that and the reaction of the players to it.

Humphries and Chavez talk about why the TJ football program has fallen so far and what it will take to get it turned around. While TJ’s junior varsity team will continue on with its season, what is the future of the varsity program?

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Longtime Middletown girls soccer coach Heather Kline on why this is her deam job

Longtime Middletown girls soccer coach Heather Kline is the guest on this week’s Final Score podcast.

Coach Kline shares with host Greg Swatek how she got her start in both soccer and coaching, and why coaching the varsity girls team at Middletown High School was always her dream job.

She talks about the ways she has changed and the adjustments she’s had to make in 28 years of coaching soccer at Middletown, and she talks about her own team, which is off to a good start at 6-1, and the parity of girls soccer in Frederick County this season. Could her Knights be the team to beat?

Plus, News-Post sports writer John Cannon stops in to discuss the high school football scene and Urbana’s high-powered volleyball team. Can the Hawks win states this season?

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Gov. Thomas Johnson boys soccer coach Jim Reigel on the Patriots' strong start

With his team off to an encouraging start this season, Gov. Thomas Johnson boys soccer coach Jim Reigel is the guest this week on The Final Score podcast.

The Patriots are 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the Central Maryland Conference Spires Division so far this season. Coach Reigel chats with Greg Swatek about what he likes about his team and walking the fine line as a coach of allowing his players to be themselves while keeping them focused and on task.

Reigel also shares stories about his own playing days. He didn’t start playing the sport until he was 12 years old and went on to be a college goalkeeper. And he talks about the natural progression he made to becoming a coach.

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Transitioning former athletes into the next phase of their lives

When athletes stop playing, the transition into the next phase of their life is often uncertain and difficult. That’s where Aliya Hulse is trying to help.

Hulse, an entrepreneur and personal coach from Germantown, is attempting to start a non-profit business designed to help athletes begin the next chapter of their lives.

She chats with host Greg Swatek about the difficulties that some of these athletes face and how specifically she is trying to help. There is an upcoming event in northern Virginia that she will be apart of on September 23 designed to assist athletes on the high school, college and professional levels.

Then, News-Post sports reporter Joe Ferraro drops by to talk about the first week of the high school football season in Frederick County and touch on the local boys soccer scene.

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Urbana football coach Brad Wilson on the start of the 2019 season

As the high school football season in Frederick County gets underway, Urbana football coach Brad Wilson is this week’s guest on The Final Score podcast.

Wilson tells host Greg Swatek why he is so excited and optimistic about this year’s team. With 33 returning players, including 24 seniors, Wilson feels the Hawks can compete with everyone on their schedule and be significantly better than his first two seasons on the job when they went 5-15 overall.

The coach talks about the team’s significantly improved commitment in the weight room during the offseason and the advantages of having a three-year starting quarterback and five seniors starters returning on the offensive line.

Then, FNP sports writer John Cannon stops by, as he and Greg offer a synopsis of all 12 high school football teams in the county. The guys share their feelings on who the best teams will be by the end of the season.

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Catoctin Football coach Doug Williams on the 2019 season

With the start of the season less than a week away, The Final Score continues its Frederick County high school football preview with Catoctin head coach Doug Williams.

Williams is entering his 42nd year as a high school football coach and 29th as the head coach at Catoctin. He chats with host Greg Swatek about how players have changed since he started coaching and how he’s had to modify and adapt his style.

The Cougars return seven starters on both sides of the ball from a team that finished 10-2 last season and reached the Class 1A West regional final. Williams shares what he hoped his players took away from the experience and why he is so encouraged about this year’s team.

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Tuscarora football coach Vince Ahearn the 2019 season

With two weeks to go until the start of the season, the Final Score podcast continues its preview of the 2019 high school football season in Frederick County with Tuscarora coach Vince Ahearn.

Entering his fifth season as the coach of the Titans, Ahearn chats with host Greg Swatek about how he has modified the way he coaches, including an increased emphasis on rest and recovery periods for his players. He talks about making his team as versatile as possible, even at the expense of rhythm and continuity for his players at the same position. And he talks about how Tuscarora held things together through an injury-riddled 6-4 season last fall.

The Titans have a heavily recruited receiver and defensive back in Jordan Addison, who verbally committed to play at the University of Pittsburgh over the summer. They have an easily overlooked weapon in punter Ryan Barrick, who also doubles as lineman on offense and defense. What they don’t have is a proven running back, which has been a hallmark in the relatively brief history of their program.

How will this all mesh together on the field? How does Ahearn feel about the nine-game regular season?

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A look at Middletown Football with Coach Collin Delauter

The Final Score podcast continues to preview the upcoming high school football season in Frederick County with this week’s guest, Middletown coach Collin Delauter.

Practices are now underway across the county, and Coach Delauter reminisces with host Greg Swatek about the days when players were in pads on the first day. While Delauter wishes that was still the case, he understands it’s a precautionary measure to help keep the players safe. Delauter talks extensively about his concern for the dwindling numbers of players in youth football and why he feels the game is about as safe as it can be today.

He also talks about the heightened expectations swirling around his team with a three-year starter at quarterback and why his players are so good at holding themselves accountable. He talks about the pain of missing the playoffs the last two seasons with winning records and why he feels the new playoff format is beneficial for most of the teams in Frederick County.

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Oakdale grad Zach Thomas on playing pro basketball overseas

Before heading to Italy to being the next phase of his professional basketball career, Oakdale High graduate Zach Thomas stopped by The Final Score podcast to talk about his eventful last year and a half.

Thomas chats with host Greg Swatek extensively about the process of trying to establish a career in professional basketball. The all-time leading scorer for boys basketball in Frederick County talks about his successful summer league stint with the Houston Rockets that recently finished and how the opportunity in Italy came about. He also discusses what he learned from the season he spent playing in Belgium.

What have been the coolest moments of the journey so far? Who are some of the well-known people he has gotten a chance to meet or play with? How does he keep himself and his game in shape?

Plus, what does he enjoy the most about getting the chance to spend time at home in Maryland? And what did he say to the referee to receive a technical foul on his way to fouling out of his final college game at Bucknell in the NCAA tournament?

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Brunswick football coach Jerry Smith on the upcoming season

As the Final Score podcast continues its look at the upcoming high school football season in Frederick County, Brunswick football coach Jerry Smith is the guest this week.

Smith talks with host Greg Swatek about his first two years on the job, as Brunswick grew from a winless program to one with legitimate playoff aspirations. Has it been more difficult than he expected? What is he the most proud of?

Plus, how will the Railroaders replace some of their top players from last season’s 7-3 team? How does he feel about the nine-game schedule and the new playoff format? What would he say to critics of the team’s independent schedule?

Coach Smith talks about all of this and more, and explains why a small school like Brunswick has been able to sustain a football program for more than 50 years.

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Kurt Stein, coach of the 2018 class 2A state champion Oakdale Bears footabll team

The Final Score podcast continues its look at the upcoming 2019 high school football season in Frederick County with this week's guest, Kurt Stein of Oakdale High School.

The head coach of the Bears recalls his fondest memories from last season's unbeaten run to the Class 2A state championship with host Greg Swatek. He talks about how far the program has come since it was started from scratch in the fall of 2010 and what challenges lie ahead?

Who will be the key players to watch this season? Will Oakdale adjust its style of play after losing 26 seniors to graduation? Have expectations changed at all? What are the feelings about the new nine-game regular season and the adjusted playoff format?

Stein answers all of these questions and more on this week's episode.

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The life and career of legendary track and field coach Don Boyer

This week’s Final Score podcast pays tribute to the life and career of longtime Middletown track and field and cross country coach Don Boyer.

Boyer, one of the most influential coaches in Frederick County history, passed away Saturday after a years-long battle with Lewy body dementia. He was 75.

On this episode, three of Boyer’s closest confidants, Hal Grau, Tom Stevens and Dale Drum, reflect on his momentous life with host Greg Swatek.

They share some of their favorite stories about Boyer and explain why he was able to shape and influence thousands of lives, including their own, over a period of 50 years.

They talk about Boyer’s renowned competitiveness and how he balanced that with compassion and benevolence for just about anyone he crossed path’s with.

They also talk about the important role that his wife, Sharon, played in life and career, and why they were both so beloved in the Middletown community.

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Previewing the 2019 football season with Linganore coach Rick Conner

With the start of practice about a month away, the Final Score podcast begins its look at the 2019 high school football season in Frederick County.

The first guest is a coach who had his team on the precipice of a Frederick County record seventh state title last November before falling just short due to a last-second field goal.

Rick Conner of Linganore High School talks with host about the pain and the lessons learned from that 17-14 loss to Franklin High in the Class 3A title game last November. Typically someone who likes to keep moving forward, how long did an agonizing loss like that stay with him? What play does he want to have back the most?

Coach Conner also provides a glimpse of this season’s team at Linganore, which will feature new faces in several of the key positions, and why the Lancers plan to stay true to their identity. He also shares his feelings on the new state playoff format and why he is as passionate about his job right now as ever before.

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Frederick Keys starting pitcher Cody Sedlock

In the midst of his finest season as a professional, Keys starting pitcher Cody Sedlock is the guest this week on The Final Score podcast.

The Orioles’ first-round pick in 2016 chats with host Greg Swatek about dealing with injury issues through his first three professional seasons and how he feels to finally be pitching at 100 percent health.

Sedlock talks about the experience of being drafted in the first round and the pressures and expectations that come along with it. He also talks about growing up in a small town in Illinois wanting to be a big-league pitcher and the process of making that dream come true.

Some of his answers may surprise you.

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Zach Jarrett, outfielder for the Frederick Keys

Zach Jarrett, an outfielder for the Frederick Keys and the son of NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett, is the guest this week on The Final Score podcast.

Jarrett talks candidly with host Greg Swatek about his relationship with his famous father, and why he has no problem being asked about him or talking about his family. He talks about life growing up around the track, and some of the famous drivers and people he has met. He also explains why he is playing professional baseball instead of racing cars.

Zach also answers: Can he change a tire? How fast has he ever driven? How many speeding tickets has he received? What type of music does he like?

Some of his answers may surprise you.

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Steve Klimek, Carolina League All-Star with the Frederick Keys

Carolina League All-Star Steve Klimek of the Frederick Keys is this week’s guest on the Final Score podcast.

Klimek talks with host Greg Swatek about the influence basketball had on his life growing up in upstate New York and his love for the NBA champion Toronto Raptors. He also talks about going to Rochester Red Wings games a kid when they were the Triple A minor-league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and watching players such as Ryan Minor, his current manager with the Keys play for the Red Wings.

He also talks about how he always stays ready as a relief pitcher and why he has pitched so well for the Keys lately. During the month of May, he earned four victories. He also put together a recent scoreless of streak of 19 2-3 innings. Plus, he touches on what it means to him to be a Carolina League All-Star.

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Willy Yahn, Frederick Keys utility infielder and Carolina League All-Star

After being named a Carolina League All-Star this week, Frederick Keys utility infielder Willy Yahn is the guest this week on The Final Score podcast.

Yahn tells host Greg Swatek how he became obsessed with baseball while growing up in a small Connecticut town and what it was like to play baseball at a basketball school (UConn).

He also shares why he takes such good care of his bats, tales from the road in the minor leagues — What are his favorite towns? Where does he like to eat? — and why he would have better off being born in 1985 with his old-school taste?

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FCPS supervisor of athletics Kevin Kendro and Brunswick baseball coach Roger Dawson

Frederick County Public Schools supervisor of athletics Kevin Kendro and longtime Brunswick High baseball coach Roger Dawson are the guests this week on the Final Score podcast.

First, Kendro reflects with host Greg Swatek on the year that was for high school sports in the county during the 2018-19 school year. In the fourth year for the Central Maryland Conference and the second in partnership with Washington County Public Schools, what is the overall health of the league? What is going well? What can be going better? Are there any plans to expand or make changes? How did the changes to the football and tennis playoffs come about? And how were they received?

Then, Dawson stops by to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of his older brother, Ricky, setting the state record with 24 strikeouts in Brunswick’s 10-inning loss to Southern Garrett in the District 1 B-C championship game at McCurdy Field on June 7, 1969. How did Brunswick manage to lose a game in which its pitcher was so dominant? What type of player and person was Ricky?

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