Sherwood takes the field at Good Counsel

It's a game many would like to see, one of the top public schools in Maryland playing one of the state's top private schools. The schools are located a short jog apart on Route 108 in Olney.

Nothing is in the works to have Maryland 4A defending champion Sherwood play newly-crowned Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champion Good Counsel in a meaningful game, but Sherwood is getting a chance this week to test the new artificial turf at its neighbor's campus.

With No. 16 Sherwood's stadium field a muddy mess, Warriors Coach Pat Cilento phoned Good Counsel Coach Bob Milloy -- who coached Cilento at Sherwood -- and asked if his team could practice at No. 2 Good Counsel. The Warriors practiced there Monday and will be out on the field again Tuesday.

"You get so much more done there than being out on the mud," Cilento said Tuesday afternoon at the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's playoff luncheon.

Cilento said that while Good Counsel is off all week for Thanksgiving break, a handful of Falcons' coaches attended his team's practice, including Milloy.

"I congratulated him on his big win, that's great for their program," Cilento said. "Hopefully they don't try to raid any of our players."

Cilento asked to move Sherwood's Maryland 4A semifinal against No. 11 Old Mill to Good Counsel or Blair, which also has artificial turf, but was told the game will remain at Sherwood.