A staple of childhood lunches thanks to its canned incarnations, ravioli is an Italian classic in which pasta dough is filled with just about anything imaginable. In our rendition, we take homemade dough and stuff it with a delectable four-cheese filling, then top it all off with a creamy Alfredo sauce - infused with the flavor of nature's perfect food, bacon. Restaurant-quality ravioli made from scratch in your own kitchen is easier than you think. While we cannot condone the health risks associated with this dish, we can guarantee that the satisfaction from your palate will be more than worth any ensuing heart attack.
Feb. 27, 2007 was a momentous day at Magruder High School. The night before, the vaunted Colonels boys' basketball team had advanced to the third round of the regional playoffs with an impressive victory over the Montgomery Blair Blazers in front of their raucous home crowd. But then-Magruder English teacher Mark DeStefano was not in a celebratory mood. DeStefano, coach of the Blair boys' varsity basketball team, had been on the receiving end of the 58-31 trouncing.
Blair varsity boys' basketball (3-16) suffered yet another painfully close loss on Friday night, falling to the Quince Orchard Cougars (12-7) by a score of 45-39. The teams were evenly matched for three-and-a-half quarters before the Cougars finally pulled away and held on with superior foul shooting.
The Blair wrestling team ended its home season with a resounding victory on Tuesday night, decisively defeating the Richard Montgomery Rockets 54-24 on senior night. The blowout resulted from solid pinning from the Blazers as well as five forfeits by the Rockets.
The Blair wrestling team came through with a dominant effort on Thursday night, soundly defeating the outmanned and outmatched Watkins Mill Wolverines at home, 52-18 thanks in large part to four wins by forfeit and powerful performances from Blair's captains.
We're down to just four teams remaining in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy, with San Diego and New England battling in the AFC and New York and Green Bay duking it out in the NFC. Storylines for conference championship week include a injury-ravaged Charger offense, the return of legal troubles for Randy Moss, Eli Manning finally emerging from his brother's shadow, and a remarkable run from Brett Favre at 38 years old. Two of the top four picks from the 2004 draft, quarterbacks Manning (first overall) and Philip Rivers (fourth overall), take on two of the finest field generals of our generation in Favre and Tom Brady. Who will win out, youth or tradition? We'll find out on Sunday with a pair of entertaining matchups on tap.
After a grueling 17 week season, the NFL playoffs are finally upon us. And rejoice, our Washington Redskins are indeed in them! Wild card weekend is always one for surprises, and the four intriguing matchups on tap will have their share. Can the Redskins pull off the upset in the Emerald City? Our experts have their say.
The NFL regular season is officially in the books, and our predictions crew reflects back upon the 2007 season, with all its ups and downs. Congratulations to Nitin, who overcame half a season of last-place finishes to capture this year's SCO NFL Predictions title, edging last year's champ Pia by just one game. Anshul, our junior, will have his shot as he continues the hallowed tradition next season. And as for Andrew, well, there's always baseball...
Well we've come to the end of yet another eventful season in the National Football League. In the final installment of weekly predictions, we have our say on an busy Week Seventeen. For our Redskins, a matchup against the Cowboys directly dictates our playoff hopes. In the Meadowlands, New England's quest for perfection takes its final turn. Elsewhere across the league, teams play for playoff seeds and/or draft position. After a roller-coaster ride atop the leaderboard, Pia has once again taken command, although Nitin and Anshul are still well within striking distance. Andrew, not so much (it's okay, he won the SCO fantasy football league). Can Pia repeat, or will she cede her crown? Check back later this week, as we bring you the results of our little contest, as well as a look back at some of the most memorable moments of 2007. Till then, we bid you farewell and have just one thing left to say: Go Redskins!
The New England Patriots have looked all but invincible in 2007, sitting pretty at 14-0 with just two games away from the perfect season. Led by golden-boy Tom Brady, who juggles NFL record books and supermodel baby mamas with uncanny grace, this modern-day juggernaut is destined for greatness. But in their pursuit of history, there is one unlikely obstacle: the 1-13 Miami Dolphins.
Repent, for the end is nigh! We've reached Week Sixteen of the 2007 NFL season and it's been a quite a ride. Surprisingly, the Redskins are still technically in the playoff hunt with two games to go, and hey, the Dolphins finally won one! This week, playoff berths will be locked up for some and dreams will be shattered for others, as the dreaded words "There's always next year!" make their annual appearance. In fantasy-land, it's championship week for many leagues, including our very own SCO league where Andrew and Pia will duke it out for the coveted title. In our experts pool, once again Nitin and Pia are tied for the lead, but Anshul lurks just one game behind. It looks like the fate of NFL predictions will come down right to the wire - we'll have to see if our 'Skins can keep up.
Well, it appears that Michael Vick will be watching the next two years of football from the big house, earning a 23-month jail term for his canine shenanigans. Perhaps he could get a couple tips about a years-long layoff from Todd Collins, who is quite possibly the most intriguing story all year for our Redskins. Washington's playoff hopes dangle from a thread heading into a crucial divisional matchup in the Meadowlands. As for us, Nitin is once again sitting pretty in first place, while Pia, Anshul and Andrew are staggered behind. Let's just hope our experts are better at picking outcomes than Pittsburgh's Anthony Smith...
It's been one of the most memorable seasons of college football to date, with a flurry of unimaginable upsets and shuffling in the rankings. But like every year, the top performers in the sport have incredible seasons, and will be rewarded for such, with college football's most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy. This year's Heisman candidates include last year's runner-up, a record-breaking sophomore and two quarterbacks from unheralded programs.
Apparently, Joe Gibbs has yet to master the art of icing the kicker, "unsportsmanly" calling consecutive timeouts and all but handing the Bills a win on Sunday. Our Redskins get a shot at redemption in the latest Thursday night game, taking on the Chicago Bears at home. Elsewhere around the league, the Patriots get a tough test against Pittsburgh after looking awfully vulnerable the past two weeks while teams like San Diego, Minnesota and Cleveland (wait, really?) fight for playoff spots. And like in the real life standings, our experts are entangled in a vicious battle for supremacy, with Nitin and Pia tied for first. Last week was ugly for everyone except upset-minded Andrew, whose freewheeling ways actually paid off for once. As the season winds down and the pressure builds, we'll see once and for all who comes through in the clutch with eternal bragging rights at stake.
As promised, here we are with the rest of Week Thirteen. The story this week of course is the tragic passing of Sean Taylor, the enigmatic Redskins safety. Whether he deserves a moment of silence is not for comment on (see the discussion here). All we have to say is that he was one heck of a football player, and will be sorely missed in the Redskins community. Thursday saw three wrong experts and a potential threat to Brett Favre's consecutive game streak, but unchanged standings. As we head down the home stretch, a neck-and-neck battle is brewing just as the playoff picture gets interesting.
Thanks to Roger Goodell and his misguided dreams of a thriving NFL Network, we come to you with an early preview edition of our weekly predictions. Dallas and Green Bay duke it out on tonight in the battle of NFC heavyweights, and our experts have their say.
Ah Thanksgiving: a time for family, a time for gratitude, and a time for the hallowed American tradition of indulging in wanton gluttony while watching millionaires bash into one another. Which teams are turkeys and which teams are gravy? Our experts give their take in this special early edition of NFL Predictions. In the race for supremacy, Pia continues to maintain a slim lead, but Nitin is gunning hard after a 13-3 week. Our hometown Redskins are slipping - will our Editor-in-Chief follow suit?
Dallas Week used to mean so much for the DC-area. In 2007, all it means is an almost certain loss for the burgundy and gold. Oh well, at least it can't be any worse than the New England game. It appears that a bye week is the only thing that can keep the Patriots from winning. In other news, Pia has retaken sole possession of first place for the first time since Week Two, and Nitin has finally relinquished his spot in the cellar for the first time since...well, all year. Week Eleven sees the return of 16-game slates as byes come to an end. The picture is clearing up, but who will be in and who will be out?
Maybe it was the time change or the drop in temperature, but something threw the Redskins' world askew last week, as they barely managed to hold on and trump the New York Jets. On the other side of the NFL, the Patriots conjured up a few touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overcome the Colts and become the sole undefeated team in the league. What will Week 10 bring? Will the NFL's elite and bottom-of-the-barrel continue to widen the gap? Or with the Patriots off this week, is it finally time for some other team to shine? As for our panel of experts, Andrew's streak at the top of the charts has finally been broken by last year's champ Pia, who's looking to reclaim her throne, and the newbie Anshul. This week will hopefully bring some separation among these ranks too.
As expected, the Redskins were absolutely annihilated by the Patriots last week, but somehow three of our experts got that game wrong. New England was clearly the better team, but was running up the score like that really necessary? Maybe Bill Belichick is a Tom Brady owner in his fantasy football league... The news this week of course comes from the RCA Dome, where the Pats will take on the Colts in the battle of the two remaining undefeateds. It's Brady versus Peyton in a matchup we saw last January and will most likely see again come playoff time this year. Could this be the most anticipated regular season game in recent memory? Well, it looks to be a lot more exciting than Redskins-Jets, that's for sure.
We close in on the season's halfway point with an exciting matchup for Washington fans, as our Redskins travel to Foxboro to take on the seemingly-invincible New England Patriots. Even the most optimistic fans have tempered their expectations, but hey, here's hoping for a miracle. As for our gurus, Andrew has again resumed his place atop the standings after a 12-2 week. However, his leads have been short-lived so far this year - who will step up this week?
Are juniors somehow inherently superior at NFL picks? After lurking in the shadows with solid performance all season, Anshul has finally snuck into the lead six weeks in as the seniors, defending champ Pia included, lag behind. Well at least we're in charge of his class grade... Anyway if you haven't already noticed, those guys from New England are pretty good. Is 16-0 possible? Not for the Redskins, who fell to the Packers in a close one. A more favorable matchup is on tap this Sunday, though. Lucky week seven here we come.
New England at Dallas is the game to watch here in Week Six, although our Redskins are looking good, picking up another win last week by holding the vaunted Detroit offense to a single field goal. A win at Lambeau this week will surely bring about the inevitable, misguided Super Bowl rumblings. Meanwhile, our analysts are once more engaged in a three-way tie after Pia impressed last week by going 12-2, while Andrew took a tumble and saw his lead evaporate. Anshul has been steady all year to claim his share of first place, but Nitin continues to lag behind. Will Week Six bring the fix? Sorry, that was really bad. Here goes... Standings:
| Last week | Season total | |
| Andrew | 6-8 | 46-30 |
| Anshul | 11-3 | 46-30 |
| Pia | 12-2 | 46-30 | Nitin | 8-6 | 42-34 |
A quarter of the '07 NFL season is in the books, and it has been a wild four weeks, to say the least. The Saints, Bears and Chargers, supposed Super Bowl contenders, are a combined 2-9, with worse record than the Browns, Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Texans and hey, even our 2-1 Redskins. As for our pick 'em pool, defending champ Pia sits in last place after a 5-9 performance last week, while Andrew's slew of unlikely upsets has cushioned his comfortable lead. Will Pia and her beloved Chargers break out of their respective slumps? Another week should further filter the contenders from the pretenders. Standings:
| Last week | Season total | |
| Andrew | 10-4 | 40-22 |
| Anshul | 6-8 | 35-27 |
| Pia | 5-9 (ouch!) | 34-28 | Nitin | 7-7 | 34-28 |
With the Redskins enjoying their bye after all but gift-wrapping a win for the Giants last week, we can drift our attention to the rest of the league. The Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Cowboys and Packers (wait, the Packers?) are all undefeated as we move into the fourth week. Meanwhile our beloved sports editor Andrew has jostled to the front of the pack of so-called "experts." This week of games will bring the hope of the playoffs to some teams while effectively erasing it from others. And if Andrew continues to lead, an investigation will ensue into his possible use of illegal video equipment.
The Ohio shootout last week gave fans a taste of exciting offenses and laughable defenses, New England proved they belong with the NFL elite without a video man, while Washington managed to make Donovan McNabb look like a lost rookie. Could a 3-0 beginning for the Skins be possible? We hope so. Meanwhile, Nitin looks to even up the scoreboard after an embarrassing start to this year's NFL picks that has him looking up at Andrew, Pia and Anshul, who are all currently tied for the lead. Can Week Three turn his fortunes? Season standings:
| Andrew | 21-11 |
| Pia | 21-11 |
| Anshul | 21-11 |
| Nitin | 19-13 |
It may only be the second week of the season, but emotions are already running high. The Buffalo Bills are praying that their reserve tight end will walk again, the New England Patriots were found guilty of cheating and lo and behold -- the Redskins won! As for our humble panel of experts, there appears to be no such thing as beginner's luck; Pia has yet to be dethroned. And now without further ado: week two. Season standings:
| Andrew | 11-5 |
| Nitin | 10-6 |
| Pia | 12-4 |
| Anshul | 11-5 |
Another NFL season, and as per tradition, we here at SCO offer our weekly predictions and commentary. Previous analysts Abe, Josh and Phil have moved on to greener pastures after being schooled last year by Pia Nargundkar, who returns this year to defend her crown. In the challenger's corner this season stand resident sports guys Andrew Kung and Nitin Sukumar as well as Anshul Sood, our token junior staffer. Can Pia repeat in NFL pick supremacy? Let's see how the y-chromosome fares in 2007.
| Andrew | 0-0 |
| Nitin | 0-0 |
| Pia | 0-0 |
| Anshul | 0-0 |
Ah, September. The falling leaves and falling thermostat, the gradual transition back to the hallowed halls of Blair, and most importantly, the start of football season. Hope springs eternal in the NFL as all 32 teams stand undefeated. Savor it while it lasts, 'Skins fans. As always, SCO offers our predictions and insight, so that we can be ridiculed to no end come February. What time is it? It's game time!
Last Thursday saw the biggest moment in soccer for the Washington area since Freddy Adu, as British superstar David Beckham suited up for the Los Angeles Galaxy to take on DC United in his regular season debut. League execs hope that the presence of an international superstar of Beckham's caliber will be a turning point for the sport, as soccer establishes its presence here in the US, taking its place alongside football, basketball and baseball in the pantheon of American sports.
Erin Conley has been hired as the head coach of the varsity girls' basketball team, effective immediately. She will replace James Mogge, who resigned in May after three seasons as head coach, during which the team accumulated a 16-63 record.
After a long month and a half of intense playoff action, the NBA Finals are finally upon us. Beginning today, the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers will square off against the San Antonio Spurs, victors in the West, in a matchup billed as LeBron James versus Tim Duncan. Can King James lead Cleveland to the Promised Land, or are the Big Fundamental and crew just too sound to lose? We take a look at the factors at play with the Larry O'Brien Trophy at stake.
After Phillip Gainous announced May 8 that he would step down as principal at the end of the school year, the process of finding a replacement principal began.
James Mogge, head coach of the varsity girls' basketball team, has resigned from his position after three seasons. Mogge's had a tumultuous tenure as head coach. He found moderate success in his first year, but the team struggled the last two, posting a 3-20 record and a first-round playoff exit this past season.
Exhausted and sunburned from the previous afternoon's outdoor pep rally, and emotionally drained after a heartbreaking loss by the boys' team just minutes earlier, coed volleyball fell to the defending Montgomery County champion Sherwood Warriors on Friday night in three games, 25-15, 25-15 and 25-22. Despite a strong push near the match's end, the Warriors were too much to handle in the final matchup of the regular season, as the Blazers fell in straight sets for the first time all season.
Disappointment and DC sports have gone hand in hand for over a decade now, as overspending by the Redskins, the so-called curse of Les Boulez on the Wizards and the penny-pinching ways of the Nationals and Capitals have led to traditions of futility.
A valiant effort from coed volleyball could not overcome the resounding spikes and jump serves of Damascus, as the Blazers (7-2) fell to the Hornets in four thrilling games, 25-16, 26-28, 25-17 and 25-13, ending their six-game winning streak. Armed with superior height, power and depth, the Hornets were able to dominate the net game and prevail into the later sets as Blair's fatigue became evident. Although the Blazers lost the match, they were able to win the exhilarating second set, the first set that Damascus has dropped all season.
Friday the Thirteenth was anything but unlucky for Blair volleyball (4-1), as the coed Blazers soundly defeated the Einstein Titans in three games, 25-12, 25-10 and 25-19. After exceeding last year's win total two days before, Blair coed volleyball continued their sizzling play, picking up their third win in a row and improving their record to 4-1 despite missing four key players. Although Friday night's game saw unforced errors and some communication lapses by the home team, the addition of junior Julie Zhu, captain of the girls' volleyball team, sparked a fairly easy victory.
Geography dictates that Blair and Northwood are natural rivals in the realm of high school sports. Since Northwood closed its doors in 1986, Blair has been without a true go-to opponent, with Springbrook and B-CC the closest things since then. When the Downcounty Consortium came into fruition in 2003, Northwood was reopened, and now, three years later, the tradition has been restored. This past week, Blair's spring sports took on the Northwood Gladiators once again after a 20+ year hiatus, renewing a heated rivalry that shined in years past.
APR. 11, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM- Only four games into the volleyball season, the Blazers' coed volleyball team has already exceeded their win total from a year ago. On Wednesday night, Blair coed overcame a slow start to defeat the Northwood Gladiators in three games, 25-13, 25-11 and 25-13. This latest victory puts Blair's record at an impressive 3-1. Although the spring break rust showed in the game's early goings, the Blazers' superior serving and teamwork were more than enough to handle Northwood.
Blair coed volleyball began the seasonal campaign on a high note, soundly defeating the Springbrook Blue Devils in three games, 25-8, 25-17 and 25-8 on Wednesday night. In their first game action of the season, the Blazers looked sharp against an inexperienced Springbrook squad, dominating the net game and easily finding holes in the defense. Despite a scoring mix-up in the second set that erased three Blair points off the scoreboard, coed volleyball cruised to their first win of the year, a feat that took five games a year ago when the Blazers finished with a disappointing 2-11.
The 2007 season will not be an easy one for the Blair baseball team, as inexperience and injuries have already begun taking their toll on the program. Most of the team has limited varsity experience, and injuries have robbed them of some players who do. "There's not a lot of varsity success returning," said head coach John MacDonald.
Despite a myriad of struggles, Blair's varsity boys' basketball team managed to produce positive achievements during the 2006-2007 season. The team took home a trophy at a holiday tournament and won their first home playoff game in a decade, defeating Watkins Mill last Friday 44-37. Unfortunately, the season ended with a whimper as the Magruder Colonels (17-5) handily defeated the eighth-seeded Blazers (5-18) by a score of 58-31 on Monday night, ending their run in the Montgomery County 4A regional playoffs. While the Colonels shot lights-out from the field and from the free-throw line, the Blazers struggled mightily with their scoring all night, concluding the season with a deflating loss in the wake of back-to-back wins.
Plagued by inconsistent play and long losing streaks, the boys' basketball team has had a trying and often disheartening 2006-2007 season. But on Senior Night, the Blazers (4-17), who entered the game with eight straight losses and a weeklong layoff thanks to the weather, mustered a gutsy win in one of the best team efforts this season.
Former professional baseball player and Blair alumnus Steve Barber died on Feb. 4. A native of Takoma Park, Barber was a member of the class of 1956 and a star pitcher for Blair's baseball team. He was the first 20-game winner of the modern-era Baltimore Orioles and an inductee into the Orioles Hall of Fame, as well as the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.
The National Basketball Association has been a roller coaster full of surprises, highlighted thus far by dominating stretches by top teams (two 15+ game win streaks by the Phoenix Suns, 13 in a row by the Dallas Mavericks), uniform changes (Allen Iverson, Chris Webber) and an ugly brawl at Madison Square Garden. With the All-Star break fast approaching, we break down the top teams and dish out midseason hardware.
The new policy regarding student tardiness has been put into operation school-wide by the administration since Monday, Dec. 11. The policy was first tested in 9th grade hallways before being implemented for the entire school.
The '06-'07 winter season kicks off today with many teams looking to rebound from mediocre performances last year. With a talented batch of young athletes in different sports, Blair's varsity squads have the opportunity to lay down the building blocks for future seasons. Here's a quick preview of the Blazers' winter teams.
Highlighted by an impressive run by the boys' soccer team, Blair varsity sports finished their fall seasons in fine fashion. 2006 saw its share of triumphs and hardships, but in the end, all the teams had seasons to be proud of. We say goodbye to the seniors who have donned Blair colors for the last time and look to the next generation of Blazers to lead the way into the future.
Blair students competed in Final Frontiers, a regional multi-event physics competition, on Saturday Nov. 11 at Wootton High School.
Chicago snatched the upper hand over rival Detroit by signing four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace. With a talented core of young athletes, the Bulls already have their eyes set on championship rings, but Miami is hungry for more glory and Cleveland and Toronto are on the rise. Here’s a look at the Eastern Conference’s squads, ranked within their divisions.
Following Phoenix's suit, the West is moving toward a general run-and-gun offense. The teams that can actually do this have a shot at the championship. And once again, that means Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix. But key additions in Houston and Minnesota have at least two more teams eyeing the trophy in June. Here’s a look at the West, with teams ranked in order of predicted finish within their divisions.
The New York Yankees, backed by the pocketbook of free-spending owner George Steinbrenner, touted a 2006 payroll of $200 million-plus, exceeding the GDP of many a small country. With what was considered by many to be the greatest lineup assembled in history, the Yanks looked to cruise through the raw American League and add another World Series banner to illustrious Yankee Stadium.
Guests from the Liceo Giordano Bruno, a high school in Rome, Italy, will be visiting the Blair community from Oct. 9 to Oct. 19. Two teachers and eleven students, of which ten are female and one is male, will spend time as part of a foreign exchange program led by the International Studies academy.
October is just around the corner, and the playoff races in Major League Baseball are sizzling hot. Here's a quick team-by-team preview of the franchises hoping to be headed for the postseason:
With any movie starring The Rock, one can expect a healthy dose of shooting, shouting, and his signature angry, bewildered stare. "Gridiron Gang," the latest from director Phil Joanou, provides the aforementioned, but packs some surprisingly emotional performances as well. Although it may seem at times to be overdramatic and sensationalized, Joanou successfully turns a beautiful story into a decent movie.
Blair's varsity teams are on the move. Over the recent years, fall athletics have been improving, while dealing with both graduated players and injuries. This year will be no different. We'll give you a look into varsity's key athletes, games, and changes this year
If championships were awarded for off-season speculation, the Washington Redskins would have already won the Lombardi trophy. Sadly, what happens between the months of February and September has once more proved to be meaningless, as the revamped Redskins fell to the Minnesota Vikings 19-16 on Monday Night Football.
The July 31 non-waiver trading deadline came and went in Major League Baseball on Monday, and despite a flurry of rumors and possible scenarios, Washington Nationals All-Star second baseman-turned-outfielder Alfonso Soriano, one of the market's hottest commodities, was not one to don a new uniform. While some may applaud this action (or lack thereof) on the part of Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, it was an imprudent decision that will hinder the future of this organization.
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Senior co-captain Tim Lee leaps at the net while seniors Wendolyn Quintanilla (left) and Felicia Olawuni look on.
Senior Cal Burton sends the ball over the net as junior co-captain Julie Brice watches.
Junior Julie Brice gets ready to set the ball during the second game.
Senior Tim Lee sends the ball over the net while senior Wendolyn Quintanilla (19) and junior Olivia Bozik (15) look on.
Coach Greg Franklin discusses a scoring mixup with the referee and scorekeepers at the scorer's table.
Coach Franklin talks to his team during a third set timeout.
Coed volleyball gathers in a pre-game meeting.
