He's Alieu: a Blazer tried and true

Senior Alieu Terry streaks down the left side of the Germantown Soccerplex's stadium field, faking out multiple defenders before sending a shot blazing toward the upper corner of his opponent's goal.

The shot misses by inches, and so does Terry's team, the U-17 Bethesda Alliance, which is playing on the biggest stage in its history. After breezing through the Maryland State Tournament, the Alliance squeaked out a win in the Regional Finals at Niagara Falls, bringing them to the National Championships in Germantown during the summer of 2002.

Terry, an instrumental part of the Alliance's defense, is a multi-faceted player who, as a midfielder and forward for Blair, is also one of the most deadly offensive weapons in Montgomery County soccer.

While he also plays for the Maryland Olympic Development Program, it is Terry's brilliant play in the Blair uniform that has earned him widespread local recognition.

Not only did his eight goals last season attract the attention of the Gazette, which named him to the All-County team, but the Montgomery Journal also named him one of the "Players to Watch" for the 2002 season.

On the field, defending Terry is extremely difficult for opponents, who have trouble countering his combination of physical play and excellent ball control.

Terry's speed has amazed Blair coach Adrian Baez, who has coached Terry in all three of his seasons as a starter on Blair's varsity team. "His dribbling is by far the fastest I have ever seen. He leaves defenders dumbfounded," says Baez.

This season, Terry has tallied a whopping eight goals in six games, including two hat tricks against Wheaton and Paint Branch high schools. He is on pace to be one of the state's leading scorers this year.

While Terry has his share of on-field accomplishments, he also excels in the classroom, boasting a 3.5 cumulative GPA through his junior year.

Terry's ferocity as a soccer player and prowess as a student have caused him to be courted by major universities. He recently accepted an offer from Rutgers University, which features one of the top soccer teams in the nation.

As Terry's senior season continues, Baez expects to see even more brilliant play from his star, who he believes is a "dominant force" within the Blair soccer program. "I'm hoping this year he can put up some numbers and lead us deep into the playoffs," says Baez.