The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page C1

THE JBfk SUN Section baltimoresun.comsports SPORTS Tuesday, May 18, 2004 No doubt, Boiler's in charge Ruling reversed, Broadneck gets back football titles Ravens teammates see a new poise, confidence in their second-year QB 'I am the leader of this team' Fundamentals stressed during first passing camp Player who moved in with teammate is deemed eligible for No. 1 Bruins By Jamison Hensley SUN STAFF By Pat O'Malley SUN STAFF mJK 1 SuvflEr-KMrfH Jp ''i "Winning the appeal is not unheard of, but most of the times it doesn't go down that way," said Ned Sparks, the MPSSAA executive director. The Anne Arundel County Board of Arbitration, a committee of three principals, three athletic directors and a representative of the county coaches association, ruled April 20 that Broadneck had used an ineligible player. That committee found junior Sam Boquist being an "out-of-area" player because he was living in the Broadneck district without a parent or legal guardian. Boquist had lived and attended school in the Broadneck district since fifth grade.

At the start of the 2003-04 school year, his mother left the Broadneck area and Boquist moved in with parents of a teammate who lived near Boquist's stepfather. Broadneck football coach Jeff Herrick was checking a list of underclassmen in April when he noticed two players with the same phone number. He notified his See Broadneck, 7c Broadneck's football team got its 2003 season back yesterday after a surprisingly quick ruling by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Reversing a decision made last month by the Anne Arundel County Board of Arbitration that had stripped the top-ranked Bruins of their 13 wins and county and region titles, the appeals committee of the MPSSAA ruled at the Best Western in Laurel that Broad-neck did not use an ineligible player. "We were going home because we were told we would get the decision in 24 hours, but a quick decision was made and they ruled unanimously in our favor, said Ken Kazmarek, the Broad-neck athletic director.

Kyle Boiler's second season as the Ravens' starting quarterback has begun with a new girlfriend, a new coach and a new target. The biggest change, however, may be with Boiler himself. As the Ravens kicked off their first passing camp of the offseason yesterday, coaches and players took notice of a calmer Boiler. The times of being unsure in the huddle or tight in the pocket appeared to have been left behind with his days as a rookie. "I can definitely sense a change in his demeanor," said Todd Heap, the Ravens' Pro Bowl tight end.

"You see that confidence that maybe wasn't there as much last year. This is the year where he knows he has to step up." Boiler's offseason which has included an ongoing romance with Tara Reid since he ran into the 28-year-old actress in New York a month ago has been more dedicated toward stepping up on the field. The former first -round pick has built a house in the area with a home theater room where he can break down film and has showed up regularly to throw to receivers at the team's practice complex. The Ravens, in turn, have assembled an improved supporting cast to help him rebound from a rookie season in which he finished with an AFC-worst quarterback rating of 62.4. They hired former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel as a senior consultant to tutor Boiler on fundamentals.

They traded for receiver Kevin Johnson to give Boiler one of the most reliable sets of hands in the league. But Boiler, 22, who went 5-4 before a leg injury forced him out of the starting lineup for the rest of the season, seems to understand it invariably will be up to him to re-establish command of this offense. "I'm the starting quarterback, and I am the leader of this football team," Boiler said. "It's going to be my job to get this offense being productive and efficient. I've done everything in my will this offseason to get better.

From my play, my teammates are going to See Ravens, 3c LLOYD FOX SUN STAFF Jim Fassel had a positive first impression after working with quarterback Kyle Boiler during passing camp. "I think he can be an outstanding quarterback. He has the physical traits you are looking for." Fassel giving Boiler ABCs of being a QB THE RAVENS were only three minutes into passing camp yesterday, and there was little question about Jim Fassel's new job. He was quarterback Kyle Boiler's shadow. Seldom were they apart for more than a few minutes without Fassel whispering in his ear or demonstrating technique.

Occasionally, he scratched his head at some of Boiler's passes, but he spent most of the morning being positive. Part II in the development of Boiler began on the field yesterday with Fassel replacing offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh and coach David Shaw as Boiler's tutor. The Ravens hired Fassel in February and the Ravens had the league's worst passing game. Boiler's problems last season were similar to the other nine quarterbacks who have stumbled, fumbled and fallen through Baltimore since 1999. Now, the Ravens finally have a coach who can teach their quarterback how to play and with some grace.

"He has helped me out a lot," Boiler said after yesterday's workout. "A lot of times during your rookie season, you forget about fundamentals. He's come in here and really explained to me what I got away from during my rookie year. "My feet were real tight in the pocket. I was holding the ball up real high," said Boiler.

"I wasn't moving flu- See Preston, 3c Mike Preston shortly after he was fired as the New York Giants head coach after seven seasons. What did we see yesterday? In a 75-minute workout, Fassel put Boiler through footwork drills and mechanics and gave him the special attention he didn't get last season, when he had a quarterback rating of 62.4, second-lowest in the NFL, ELIZABETH HALEY SUN STAFF Rodrigo Lopez is back as an Orioles' starter after being the most effective long reliever in the majors the first six weeks of the season. Here's a place where middle man is valued "Even if you're struggling, you're cultivating the skills to play in the NBA. Michael McCann, scholarresearcher at Harvard Law School Difficult jump shot: preps to NBA O's Lopez proof long relief is though coveted by managers, not players By Peter Schmuck SUN STAFF Orioles tonight Opponent: Seattle Mariners Site: Safeco Field, Seattle Time: 10:05 TVRadio: Comcast SportsNetWBAL(1090 AM) Starters: Orioles' Daniel Cabrera (1-0, 0.00) vs. Mariners' Freddy Garcia (1-2, 2.34) Basketball: More and more try the leap, but for every LeBron James who flourishes, there are a lot of James Langs who don't.

quire a search party. His fame might explain the unprecedented rush of high school talent going pro, with the league receiving notice of plans to enter next month's NBA draft from 13 players. To keep up with James Lang the fifth and last player the league drafted out of high school is a challenge in his current job with the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League. Lang, former star of Birmingham's Central Park Christian High, was last year's No. 48 pick of the New Orleans Hornets.

In midseason, he was picked up briefly by the National Basketball Development League's Asheville (NC.) Altitude. Whatever trappings of stardom have come to Lang through his leap into pro basketball, they don't extend to voicemail at the motel in Enid, where the Storm stays when the team is not crisscrossing the country to venues ranging from Brooklyn to Dodge City to keep the players' hoop dreams alive. "I hope they're making the right decision," Lang said of this year's crop of high school entries, ranging from potential top pick Dwight Howard of Atlanta to Tacoma, unknown Maurice Shaw. "Everyone's doubting you, and that's going to be hard. You just have to use that as a motivation." In Enid, the operator at the hotel See Prospects, 2c By Christian Ewell SUN STAFF Orioles pitcher Rodrigo Lopez was the most effective middle reliever in the major leagues over the first six weeks of the season, but all the while he was pining for an opportunity to return to the starting rotation.

He finally got his wish after the club's young starting rotation came unglued and will start tomorrow or Thursday against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field but the Orioles could come to regret digging a new hole to fill in an old one. In a perfectly balanced baseball world, Lopez might have realized that he had found the place where he fit perfectly on the Orioles' pitching staff, but he would concede only that the role was "necessary." The reason: No one has ever aspired to be a long reliever. Think about it. When was the last time you heard two 10-year-olds fighting over who gets to be Ramiro Mendoza? Nobody sets out to be an unsung hero, not even the guy who was signed off the roster of the Culiacan To- See Orioles, 5c To keep up with LeBron James former star of Akron's St. Vincent-St.

Mary High School, last year's No. 1 pick of the NBA draft, beneficiary of a $90 million endorsement contract and Rookie of the Year with the Cleveland Cavaliers doesn't exactly re James Lang, the fifth and last high school player taken in the 2003 NBA draft, plays for the Oklahoma Storm of the U.S. Basketball League. Inside 2c 2c NBA C. lacrosse Olympics Horses Fro football Sharpe runs an out route Former Raven Shannon Sharpe, the NFL's career leader in receptions and yards among tight ends, is retiring and will replace Deion Sanders on CBS' pre-game show.

Page 3c Baseball Glaus' year may be over The Angels' Troy Glaus, the American League's home run leader and a three-time All-Star, will have surgery on his right shoulder Friday and might miss the rest of the season. Page 4c Boxing Freed Bowe may box again Ex-heavyweight champion Rid-dick Bowe is released from Cumberland Federal Corrections Institute after serving 17 months and is said to be pondering a ring return at age 36. Page 5c Boys lacrosse No. 1 St. Paul's survives Bart Wagner (2) celebrates a goal as the Crusaders edge Loyola, 11-10, to secure a berth in the MIAA A Conference final.

Elsewhere, Gilman defeated Boys' Latin, 8-5. Page 6c 3c 5c 6-7c 7c Preps NHL Sailing 7.