Howard County boasted another field hockey state championship and three regional winners this year. Glenelg went all the way again this year and two others, Long Reach and Marriotts Ridge, made it to the state bracket. The Gladiators and Lightning raced all season to take the county crown, making for a thrilling rivalry. The title came all the way down to the last game of the season. Facing then 8-5 Mt. Hebron, Glenelg needed a win to outright secure first place in the county. They took the Vikings down 6-0 and have now finished first in each of the last three seasons. Here are CSZ's awards for the best of the county this season: Team of the Year - Glenelg Gladiators Glenelg fired on all cylinders throughout the regular season and the postseason. The Gladiators finished the regular season with a +88 goal differential and played elite defense across five playoff games. They won their last three games by one goal and saved their best for last in the championship. In the last three seasons, including each postseason, Manchester Valley has only allowed 16 goals in 49 games. Glenelg has been their defense’s kryptonite in that stretch as the Gladiators scored seven of those goals in only three games. In overtime and tied 1-1, Glenelg found its hero in Lakshmi Almli ‘28, who scored the game-winning goal. Most Improved Team - Atholton Atholton boosted its record by two wins this year and finished the regular season at 7-5. The Raiders won their first three games of the season in a start that got the county’s attention. Atholton finished above .500 for the first time since 2021. They battled through a mid-season stretch against the county’s best teams and earned a playoff win against Guilford Park. The offense helped the team finish undefeated after scoring two goals. Best Game of the Season - Long Reach (1) vs. Glenelg (2), Quarterfinals on Oct. 31 The highly anticipated rematch of Howard County’s two best teams did not disappoint. After Glenelg won their regular season game 2-1 on Sept. 22, the two faced off again with the county championship on the line. Samantha Legge ‘26 scored Long Reach’s only goal, ending a historic campaign for the Lightning midfielder. The Gladiators powered their way to the end with shutdown second-half defense and two critical goals. Kareena Blackwell ‘27 provided the game-winner late in the second quarter. Glenelg did not look back after this game and took down Kent Island and Manchester Valley as Howard County’s top team.