Beau Traber, Thomas Johnson High Football Coach

Fresh off of his wedding weekend and with the start of his team's season looming, Thomas Johnson High football coach Beau Traber is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Traber chats with host Greg Swatek about his wedding in upstate New York. He acknowledges the timing was not ideal with the start of the season so close. But he and his now wife, Kristen, had set the date a few years ago, before he even was a part of the TJ football program. So, they had not originally planned for the schedule to be so compressed.

He also chats at length about the ongoing process of rebuilding the TJ football program and establishing a viable feeder program that could one day propel the Patriots back among the county heavyweights. Traber talks about his expectations for the coming season and why he has such a special bond with his senior class.

Prior to this discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to continue their preview of the upcoming football and girls flag football seasons in the county. Both begin next week. They focus on the Middletown High football team, in particular, as the Knights prepare to begin their 50th season.

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Tyler Thompson, Walkersville High Football Coach

With his first season as the head coach of the Walkersville High football team nearing, Tyler Thompson is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Thompson chats with host Greg Swatek about what he expects for his first season in charge of the program. Walkersville got significantly better over the course of last season and advanced all the way to the Class 2A state semifinals. Thompson takes over after serving as the Lions' defensive coordinator for the last five seasons.

What has the transition been like for him? Who will be Walkersville's players to watch this season? What challenges must be overcome? The discussion answers these questions and more.

Prior to that, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to share his impressions from preseason football practices he has visited so far and outline rule changes and expectations for the upcoming girls flag football season.

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Ryan Hines, Tuscarora High Football Coach

As he prepares for his second season as the football coach at Tuscarora High School, Ryan Hines is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Hines chats with host Greg Swatek about the challenges facing the program, particularly coming off a 1-9 season. Is the focus still on making incremental progress or has it shifted to winning more games?

The coach talks about his first season on the job and how much further along he is as he heads into Year Two. What did he learn from his first season? And what players does he expect to lead the way this season?

Plus, it is a bigger challenge to coach boys or girls? Hines would know after coaching the Urbana High girls lacrosse program to within one win of a state championship in the spring. He talks about the memorable run the Hawks made and what he enjoyed the most about the experience.

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about the first day of high school football practice and the task Frederick County teams face in replacing star players. Plus, the guys talk about the Washington Nationals once again demoting infielder and Urbana graduate Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A and what his future with the team might look like.

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Kurt Stein, Oakdale High School Football Coach

With the start of the high school football season looming on the horizon, the Final Score podcast kicks off its preview with Oakdale High coach Kurt Stein.

Last season, the Bears finished 14-0 for the first time and captured their second state title with a 42-35 victory over Linganore in the Class 3A championship game. It marked the first state football final contested between Frederick County teams.

Stein chats with host Greg Swatek about that epic moment and his team's epic season. They also steer the conversation toward the upcoming season.

What does he expect at Oakdale? Who will be the key players on this year's team? How will the team handle a very challenging schedule and the weight of expectations? Is he enjoying the job as much as he ever has heading into his 14th season as the only varsity football coach the school has ever had?

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss covering multiple no-hitters in a span of 23 days, including one in the major leagues, and the future of Urbana native Trey Lipscomb with the Washington Nationals.

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Jessie Graff, American Ninja Warrior legend, Urbana High graduate

As she swings and climbs her way through life, superhero style, Urbana High graduate Jessie Graff is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

After making her American Ninja Warrior debut in 2013 (Season 5), Graff talks with host Greg Swatek about what keeps bringing her back to the show more than a decade later. She's participating in the current season on NBC (Season 16) and recently qualified for the semifinal round.

Graff also talks about learning to accept less than her best results as she gets older, while still maintaining a strong drive to be better than ever. She discusses swinging through her kitchen on monkey bars to prepare and eat dinner and why she doesn't have a single chair in her house.

Plus, she talks about the personal-growth journey her mother, Ginnie, embarked on, from not being able to do a single pullup at age 60, to participating regularly in ninja events and being the oldest competitor ever to clear an obstacle on American Ninja Warrior.

Jessie will appear in the semifinal round of American Ninja Warrior on NBC on Aug. 12, following Olympic coverage.

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Alex Hoffman, Maryland Open golf champion, Middletown High grad

After winning the 103rd Maryland Open golf tournament on July 10 in Easton, former two-time state champion from Middletown High, Alex Hoffman, is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Hoffman, now 32 and an assistant pro at Columbia Country Club, talks with host Greg Swatek about winning the prestigious tournament and how he has benefitted as a result, including getting a shout out on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" He talks about managing the extreme heat and humidity at Talbot Country Club in Easton and pulling through a five-man playoff that extended to the sixth extra hole.

The conversation draws parallels between his Maryland Open title and state-championship wins, particularly his first at Middletown, and Hoffman talks about his background in golf and why he fell in love with the sport.

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about his upcoming interview with Trey Lipscomb and the Urbana grad's future with the Washington Nationals, as well as Brunswick's Little League Softball team in the regional championships and the new EA Sports NCAA football game, which includes five Frederick County players.

How do they feel about playing with a video game version of themselves, and are they happy with all of their ratings?

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Bo Eskay, FC Frederick Executive Director

As his soccer club enjoys a momentous summer, FC Frederick Executive Director and Director of Coaching Bo Eskay is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Eskay chats with host Greg Swatek about a variety of happenings at the club, including the 16U girls team playing in a national-championship tournament next week in Orlando, Florida, its men's semi-pro team reaching the National Premiere Soccer League Mid-Atlantic Conference playoffs and playing before 8,000 fans in Annapolis and the new soccer facility it is building in the south-eastern part of Frederick County.

He also talks about how much FC Frederick has grown since its inception in 1989 and the achievements he is most proud of.

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to preview the second half of the Frederick Keys' season in the MLB Draft League and discuss Brunswick's Little League's run to the Mid-Atlantic region tournament for softball in Bristol, Connecticut. The next stop could be the Little League World Series for softball in Greenville, North Carolina in early August.

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Reese Poffenbarger, Middletown High graduate, University of Miami QB

As he prepares for his first season with the stories University of Miami football program, quarterback Reese Poffenbarger, a Middletown High School graduate, is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Poffenbarger speaks with host Greg Swatek about what his life has been like since transferring to Miami in January from the University of Albany, where he led the Great Danes to the Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) national title game last season.

He talks about meeting and building relationships with some of the legendary players that have played at Miami, including Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly and former Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta. And he talks about his relationship and what he has learned from presumptive starter Cam Ward, as well as how he envisions his role in the program going forward.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about coaching changes around Frederick County, the local baseball scene and Urbana High graduate Trey Lipscomb's future with the Washington Nationals.

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Mike Wagner, New Catoctin Boys Basketball Coach

As he settles into his new job and begins preparations for his first season as Catoctin's boys basketball coach later this year, Mike Wagner is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Wagner chats with host Greg Swatek and FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy about his interesting life and career, which has taken him to coaching stops in China, Cambodia, Ethiopia, West Hollywood, California and now Thurmont, Maryland and Catoctin.

He talks about how and why he became interested in the Catoctin job and explains why he is so optimistic about the future of the program.

Wagner also shares some of his interesting life stories, such as eloping with his wife, Ann, the head of The Banner School in Frederick, in Prague and selling their home, cars and most of their possessions in California to pick up and move to China in pursuit of careers in education.

Prior to that conversation, Greg and Alexander discuss the summer sports scene in Frederick County, including the Frederick Tennis Series at Baker Park, as well as the major league debut of James Wood, a top prospect for the Washington Nationals.

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Shannon Breen, Former Linganore Football Standout, Hawg Performance CEO

As he helps mold the next wave of talented offensive lineman in Frederick County, former Linganore High offensive lineman Shannon Breen in this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Breen chats with host Greg Swatek about how his consulting business for high school age kids who want to become better offensive lineman, Hawg Performance, came about. The program has helped hundreds of lineman across the region earn a chance to play college football.

The business became much bigger than Breen ever imagined. So, he talks about how he manages it, along with the rest of his day-to-day life as a father and fulltime employee elsewhere.

Breen also discusses his own playing career, which took him to the Arena Football League, for which he was named the top offensive lineman in 2015. He also talks about how his best chance to hook on in the NFL was negated by high blood pressure, a condition that caught him by surprise, and all of the heartbreak that came along with it.

Prior to that, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss the summer sports landscape, which largely consists of baseball on various levels, in Frederick County.

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State Champion Brunswick High Baseball

For the final installment of a state-championship series on The FInal Score podcast, Brunswick baseball coach Roger Dawson, senior pitcher Tyler Lowery and senior right fielder Payden McDonald are this week's guests.

They guys discuss the Railroaders' 22-2-1 state championship season with host Greg Swatek. They talk about the team's 4-1 victory over Patterson Mill in the Class 1A championship game and everything that led up to it.

Lowery talks about being the starting pitcher in the state final and how he felt coming out of the game with one out to go because he hit the designated pitch count of 105. 

McDonald talks about the bad rap that right fielders get defensively and how he was able to contribute so much to the Railroaders this season.

And Dawson explains why he felt they were the best 1A team in the state at the start of the season and some of the memorable moments along the way, including picking up his 400th career win in his 32 seasons at Brunswick's coach.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss developments on the county baseball scene, including the opportunity he had to cover Japanese top prospect Rintaro Sasaki of the Trenton Thunder recently at the Frederick Keys' home opener.

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Kevin Kendro, FCPS Supervisor of Athletics and Extracurricular Activities

On the heels of a Frederick County Board of Education vote that will nearly double athletic participation fees for Frederick County Public Schools, Kevin Kendro, the head of school system's sports program, makes his annual appearance this week on The Final Score podcast.

Kendro answers questions from host Greg Swatek about the fee increase. After numerous motions and amendments, why did it ultimately go up from $95 to $185 per student, per sport? What sort of impact does he think it will have on FCPS athletics, which have been steadily growing over the past five years? Does he feel fewer kids will play high school sports in the county? Does he appreciate the financial hardship the fee represents for families of FCPS athletes?

The guys move on to other topics over the course of the podcast, which is informally dubbed every year as The State of FCPS Athletics address. They talk about the overall success of the county sports teams, which included another boys state lacrosse title, more state track and field dominance, and baseball state titles in two of the four classifications.

They also talk about the inaugural season of girls flag football as a varsity sport in the county last fall and how that sport could continue to grow and evolve going forward.

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State Champion Middletown Baseball

Continuing a state-championship series on The Final Score podcast, coach Andy Baker, senior pitcher/third baseman Hunter Barnes and senior first baseman Brett Lucas from the Middletown High baseball team are this week's guests.

The Knights won the Class 2A baseball championship on May 25 with a 6-5 victory over Glenelg. It was their second state title in baseball and their first since 2017.

Host Greg Swatek talks to the guys about what made this team so close knit and why they were able to pull through in so many close games. Prior to their one-run victory in the state final, they beat Patuxent 2-1 on a suicide squeeze in a 13-inning state semifinal that ended close to midnight at McCurdy Field.

The guys talk about those memorable moments and the future of the program going forward with so many players graduating.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss the baseball state titles won by Middletown and Brunswick, Frederick County players currently playing and thriving in minor league baseball and a dramatic increase to athletic fees for Frederick County Public Schools.

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State Champion Urbana Boys Lacrosse

After dethroning nemesis Broadneck to win the Class 4A state championship in boys lacrosse for the second time, Urbana coach Gavin Donahue, leading scorer TJ Harne and standout goalie Zach Thayer are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Appearing for the second time in a month, Donahue once again addresses the question from host Greg Swatek of whether this Urbana lacrosse team was the best ever from Frederick County. The Hawks finished 20-0, averaged roughly 14 goals per game and overcame the Broadneck hurdle after the Bruins had knocked them out in the state semifinals the previous two seasons.

Harne, the leading scorer in Frederick County this season by a huge margin, discusses how he developed such a pinpoint shot. And Thayer, a sophomore, talks about playing such a big role as one of the youngest players on the team and how he was able to stand so tall in such a pressure-packed moment, such as a state final.

With 28 players returning next season, the guys also talk about Urbana's chances of becoming the first lacrosse team from Frederick County to win back-to-back state titles.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer John Cannon joins Greg to talk about Middletown's state championship in baseball and near misses by the Linganore softball and Urbana girls lacrosse teams in state finals, among other topics.

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State Champion TJ Boys Track and Field

After winning the Class 4A team championship for the second consecutive year at the state outdoor meet, coach Bobby Humphries, senior sprinter Christopher Hall and junior pole vaulter Gilberto Ramos of the Thomas Johnson High boys track and field team are this week's guests on the Final Score podcast.

The Patriots scored 92 points, 24 more than second place Paint Branch, at the state meet, winning five of the 18 events, placing in the top three in nine and scoring points in 13 overall.

Humphries, Hall and Ramos talk about what made this TJ team so special, the strong bond that all of the athletes on the team share and the legacy this senior-laden team will leave behind after winning the state team title in back-to-back seasons (three straight counting their team title during the indoor state meet in February).

Hall, a Wagner college recruit, talks about how much better the sprinting scene has gotten in Frederick County over the last four years, and Ramos discusses the always deep and tight-knit vaulting scene in the county.

Prior to that, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss a wild and event-filled championship week on the county sport scene that included the Urbana boys lacrosse team winning its second state title, the Urbana girls lacrosse team falling just short against a juggernaut program in a state final and the Middletown and Brunswick baseball teams reaching the state championship game in their respective classifications in very unique fashion.

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Middletown High Regional Champion Baseball

After winning the Class 2A West Region I baseball championship on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory over Century, Middletown baseball coach Andy Baker and senior outfield and leadoff hitter Joey Nicholson are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Baker and Nicholson chat with host Greg Swatek about the bond, camaraderie and depth of talent on this senior-laden Middletown team and how that has carried the Knights to a 16-5 record and a trip to the Class 2A state quarterfinals.

Nicholson talks about how his love for the sport was born out of hitting crabapples in his grandmother's yard with a stick. He discusses how he gradually got better and stepping into the leadoff role for Middletown at the start of this season.

Meanwhile, Baker talks about challenging this team to help it reach its potential and what winning another state title, the school's first in baseball since 2017, would mean to him and his players.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss the state of the spring playoffs for Frederick County teams in baseball, softball and boys and girls lacrosse.

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Coach Gavin Donahue, Senior Aidan Casey, Urbana Boys Lacrosse

Is this Urbana boys lacrosse team the best ever from Frederick County?

Coach Gavin Donahue and senior long-stick midfielder Aidan Casey are posed that question by host Greg Swatek this week on The Final Score podcast.

Donahue talks about why this Urbana team has been such a powerhouse this season, rolling over a formidable schedule of teams on its way to a 15-0 record and Central Maryland Conference championship so far, and how it compares to some previous great teams, including the 2021 state championship team from Urbana that had five Division I college players on it.

Plus, what makes junior TJ Harne such a prolific goal scorer? How much pressure are the unbeaten Hawks feeling to finish the job and cap an unbeaten season with another state title?

Casey touches on those question, as well as his own career at Urbana and why these Hawks are such a hard-working, close-knit bunch.

Prior to this conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg for their usual discussion of the week that was in Frederick County sports. The guys discuss the CMC title games that were played over the course of the last week, including two more baseball games that ended in a tie as a result of coaching decisions. Are the CMC baseball games even necessary going forward?

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Taylor Smith, Coach Jess Valentine, Catoctin Softball

How does a team with high expectations respond to losing the best pitcher in the state to a serious injury right before the season starts?

Find out this week on The Final Score podcast when ace pitcher Taylor Smith and coach Jess Valentine join host Greg Swatek to talk about how the team has held up so well in the face of a lot of adversity.

Smith, a University of Virginia bound pitching recruit, talks about how she tore the ACL in her right knee near the end of basketball season and the immediate thoughts that went through her mind, knowing that her softball season could be in jeopardy. She talks about the rehab process, the support she has received from her family, friends and teammates and what she has learned by just watching and not being able to move as freely as normal.

Meanwhile, Valentine addresses what went through her mind as she watched Smith go down, as well as why the team has been able to hold it together so well in Smith absence on the field. Catoctin improved to 13-3 overall this week and is hitting the ball as well as any team in the county. What is Valentine the most proud of about her team?

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about spring sports happenings around Frederick County, including impressive wins for Brunswick baseball, Middletown baseball and Urbana boys lacrosse.

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Donny Lind, New Mount St. Mary's Men's Basketball Coach

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After being officially introduced as the 23rd men's basketball coach at Mount St. Mary's, Donny Lind is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Lind talks with host Greg Swatek about the whirlwind 9-10 day period that led him to getting the job. A former assistant coach at the Mount, he discusses how surprised he was that the job came open and why he was so eager to return to the Mount and become a head coach for the first time.

He talks about how he got his start into coaching, his qualities that make him ideally suited for this opportunity and his memories from previously coaching at the Mount under coach Jamion Christian, in addition to the playing style he plans to employ and why he feels Mount St. Mary's can be a destination for players and not just a stepping stone to a bigger school.

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss some spring sports happenings around Frederick County, including the 400th win for Brunswick baseball coach Roger Dawson, former Middletown star Saylor Poffenbarger transferring into the Maryland women's basketball program and Urbana graduate Trey Lipscomb being recalled to the major leagues by the Washington Nationals.

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Furious Trammel, Catoctin High Track and Field

As he heads down the final straightaway of his standout track and field career at Catoctin High School, senior Furious Trammel is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Trammel chats with host Greg Swatek about the origins of his unique first name and how people generally react to it. He also talks about the unlikely path that led him to track and field and how he became one of the top athletes in his events (the 400-meter dash, the long jump and the triple jump) in the state of Maryland.

How did he react to winning his first state title? What is his most memorable race? What would he like to accomplish before the end of the season? What are his ultimate goals in the sport?

Trammel answers all of these questions and more during this week's episode.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss Avery Neuman's incredible stat line for Tuscarora softball, Urbana's powerhouse boys lacrosse team, Trey Lipscomb getting sent back down to Triple-A by the Washington Nationals and other spring sports happenings around Frederick County.

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