by Tom Luffman

Before being taken by ambulance from Broadneck High School early Saturday evening, Glenelg High's Kerry Krammer had one request for her teammates.

"She kept saying 'guys please win this for me, win this for me,'" Gladiators forward Emily Horwath.

Glenelg came through for Krammer, defeating Sparrows Point, 2-0, for the Class 1A state girls' soccer championship. It's the second consecutive crown for the Gladiators (12-6-1), who claimed the 2A crown a year ago.

Krammer, the Gladiators' starting goalkeeper was suffered a kick to the head in a collision with a Sparrows Point player in the early moments of the second half. After being taken to the sidelines, she experienced symptoms of a concussion and was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Moments after play resumed, Horwath broke a scoreless tie with a goal, and Alaina Markwordt also scored. Glenelg coach Dean Sheridan wasn't sure how his team was going to react to Krammer's injury.  
 
"Kerry getting hurt could have caused our team to go many different ways.  We could have lost our wind and focus," said Sheridan. "One thing it did do was make each girl take responsibility for the whole game.  I think they put a little too much pressure on themselves to win it for her, but it also inspired us."

"Our intensity picked up a lot after that," said Horwath.

Markwordt sealed the crown for the Gladiators with her tally with 38.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Markwordt, a senior, tallied six goals in Glenelg's final two matches.
 
"Kerry has always been a leader on this team," said Markwordt. "We won this game for her."

Inspiration from Krammer’s injury aside, Markwordt also pointed to better execution as Glenelg had a decisive second half advantage.

"In the first half we had scoring opportunities and knew we could get it past their defense, but we couldn’t finish the plays," Markwordt said. "After halftime, we knew we had to finish better."

Despite falling short in the finals for the third time in the last four seasons, Sparrows Point coach Conrad Snyder wasn't disappointed.

"We have eight juniors on this team," Snyder said. "I think this game will show our underclassmen what it takes to be a champion."

Which is what the Gladiators are for the fifth time in 10 seasons. Glenelg closed the campaign with nine consecutive victories after starting the season 3-6-1. Sheridan remembers when the Gladiators got off to a strong start in 2005, but slipped in the postseason.

"We were 8-0, had only given up one goal and were considered the best team in Maryland , but at the end of the year we were not champions," said Sheridan, whose won titles in 1997, 1999, 2000. "This team never stopped believing in themselves.  This season we peaked at the right time.  At the end of the season we are the best 1A team in Maryland."