Which public school has the most wins over the past eight years without a region title?
The answer to that question is the same as for the question of," Who's the newest Top 25 member?"
Charles Flowers (Springdale).
Coach Mike Mayo has built a perennial Class 4A South region challenger, and Flowers is off to a 3-0 start again this season. This week, the team cracks the state rankings at No. 25.
Flowers opened in 2001 and made a state Top 25 debut in 2002. Starting in 2003, Flowers has been the region runner-up in 4A South every season except one [2007, the year Prince George's County, including Flowers, was rocked by a rash of forfeits].
Flowers is 76-17 since 2002 and has spent 73 of a possible 97 weeks ranked among the state's top programs.
Flowers enters the poll at the expense of Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore). The Gaels, without Virginia Tech commit Kyle Fuller, lost to Fort Hill (Cumberland) last week, the team's second straight loss. Mount St. Joseph slides to the honorable mentions.
There were a few slight shifts among the ranked teams. The most noticeable was Gilman (Baltimore) falling to No. 10 after losing to Good Counsel (Olney).
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 -- Week 3 Poll
Compiled by Sheldon Shealer.
The poll is based on a state-wide voting of sports reporters. The 2009 season marks the 20th year of the official media state poll in Maryland.
Schools are ranked by points received. The number in parenthesis reflects first-place votes. LW is last week's ranking.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Urbana (3-0, 16), Allegany (3-0, 8), Walt Whitman (2-1, 7), Winters Mill (3-0, 6), Churchill (3-0, 4), Joppatowne (3-0, 4), Mount St. Joseph (2-2, 4), Douglass-PG (3-0, 3), Georgetown Prep (1-1, 3), South Carroll (3-0, 3), Wilde Lake (2-1, 2), Clarksburg (3-0, 1), Dunbar (2-1, 1), Huntingtown (3-0, 1), Paint Branch (3-0, 1).