Bishop McNamara High School | Archive | December, 2008

CLICK ABOVE FOR THE PHOTO GALLERY AND VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AND INTERVIEWS!

By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

Ending the first day in first place was fun, but Tuscarora’s wrestling team still went to bed Friday night with the same goal it had when it entered the Damascus Holiday Tournament.

Place in the top three.

Then, surprisingly enough, the Titans entered Saturday’s championship finals still ahead, this time by just one point. And yet again, with just one finalist compared to multiple finalists by their challengers, they just hoped to hold on to a top three finish.

One by one, everybody Tuscarora needed to lose lost. And the big win the Titans had to have came from a freshman, who like his team had a worse showing in Tuscarora’s own, less-challenging tournament two weeks ago.

By the end, Tuscarora couldn’t believe it had just won the Damascus Holiday Tournament, beating last year’s champion Glenelg and Virginia’s South County by five points, 165-160. Georgetown Prep finished in fourth with 154 team points.

Tuscarora had just one champion – 135-pound freshman Austin Wenzlaff – and he was the only Titan in the finals. Tuscarora had two third-place finishers in  senior Robby McClughan and sophomore Johnny White, and eight placers in fifth, sixth and seventh. The Titans had 11 of their 13 wrestlers in the top eight.

By comparison, Glenelg, South County and Georgetown Prep had a combined nine wrestlers in the finals.

“I didn’t expect to be here right now, but it feels good,” Wenzlaff said. “I didn’t think I was going to win the semifinals match. I went out there and wrestled hard and did it again in the finals.”

Wenzlaff (12-2) beat Georgetown Prep’s Eric Fessell, 2-0, in the 135-pound final for the decisive match. After two scoreless periods Wenzlaff notched a reverse on the edge of the mat.

Wenzlaff was as shocked as anybody. He finished third at the Titan Thunder tournament two weeks ago and entered against a much tougher bracket this time around.

But despite being a freshman, Wenzlaff is accustomed to winning. He won states in fifth grade, placed seventh at Eastern Nationals and placed at states every year for the past seven years.

He’s the perfect example of the kind of wrestler Tuscarora Coach T.J. Salb expected to make a big impact in a year or two. But not this quickly.

“We knew we had the talent,” Salb said. “We just didn’t know it would come to fruition this quickly … I figured we might be still a year away from being at this point.”

Tuscarora got inspired performances from little-known wrestlers such as 189-pounder Nick Bradford, who won a combined 10 matches over the past two seasons while he shed more than 50 pounds of weight. Bradford pinned his way to a seventh place finish.

The Titans won all but one of their consolation finals matches after trailing Glenelg by 6.5 points entering the consolation finals. After Liberty’s Jeff Shea beat South County’s John Fitzgerald at 145, Tuscarora knew it had the title locked up and immediately swarmed to hug Shea – a complete stranger.

For Tuscarora, it’s the school’s first-ever tournament title.

“It made everyone on the team happy, made my coaches happy and most of all made my parents happy,” Wenzlaff said. “Coach said he’d make me honorary captain for a week, so that’s good.”

GLENELG ADJUSTING

When Glenelg won the Damascus Holiday Tournament last year, it did it largely behind its big guns in Chris Stinnett, Tim Chase and Danny Bichner — all of which won state 2A/1A championships last year.

But now that they have moved on, Glenelg is undergoing some major changes.

Unlike last season, the team ran on the first day of practice. It was a sign that unlike last year when the Gladiators could lean on their handful of dominant wrestlers, Glenelg was going to have to work harder as a team if it was going to have a chance at defending its state title this year.

Glenelg 119-pounder Zach Gerber and 125-pounder Brendan Conway took a step towards showing the Gladiators’ cupboards are still stocked, both winning titles to bring the Gladiators six points from defending their Damascus Holiday Tournament team championship.

Gerber beat Williamsport’s Kemper Baker, 2-1, and Conway eked out a 4-3 decision over Severna Park’s Brady Massaro, which looks like it could be the start of a rivalry this year. It is Conway’s second Damascus Holiday Tournament title.

Glenelg also had 160-pounder Billy Kuczarski in the finals. Had he won by pin, the Gladiators would have won the tournament. But Kuczarski lost to Georgetown prep’s Billy Gribbin, 13-5.

“It’s a lot more serious now,” said Gerber, who notched his first tournament victory. “We have to set an example for everyone else in the room.”

BANNISTER IS OUTSTANDING AGAIN

When Andrew Bannister’s career record of 174-19 heading into the Damascus Holiday Tournament finals was announced, the crowd gasped in disbelief and applauded him before the match even started.

In a Maryland public school, 100 career wins is a major milestone. What Bannister has done at the WCAC’s Bishop McNamara, a school without much of any wrestling tradition, is remarkable.

Bannister built on his legacy by winning his second Damascus Holiday Tournament title in convincing fashion, 9-1, over Potomac’s Kaison Tanabe in one of the evening’s highest-anticipated finals. He was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.

It’s not every day that a three-time private school state champion goes against someone who has actually beaten him. Tanabe beat Bannister once in three meetings last year, knocking him out of title contention at the St. Albans tournament.

“He’s kind of strong, so I have to keep working on him and break him down,” Bannister said before the match.

Bannister did just that, methodically picking Tanabe apart throughout the match en route to a 9-1 major decision victory. Being named Outstanding Wrestler is nothing new either, as he was also named the Outstanding Wrestler at all three state championships he won.

“That would be pretty nice to keep piling them up,” Bannister said, looking ahead to a Damascus title. But while capturing the Damascus crown is quite an accomplishment, Bannister has bigger goals for the season.

“My motivation this year is to make it to the finals and try to win National Preps this year,” said Bannister, who took fourth at Nationals last year.

A TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR MROHS

It seemed like the perfect idea for Wootton heavyweight Kevin Mrohs to take off last season from wrestling. He wanted to hone his body for a potential college football scholarship, which paid off with a trip to the playoffs.

Just one problem, though. He missed wrestling.

Mrohs started to miss wrestling after sitting out all last year and has returned even better this season. He is now 11-2 on the season and has tournament championships at the Titan Thunder and Damascus Holiday Tournament.

Mrohs defeated Liberty’s Dan Duvall, 5-3, in Saturday’s finals. He won a 5-3 decision in the semifinals and via a pair of pins before that.

“I just missed it,” Mrohs said. “I realized it like the physical workout. It’s so intense. Just beating people one-on-one, its different then taking the whole team on.”

NICHOLS FEELING THE URGENCY

After placing second at states as a sophomore, a lot was expected of Severna Park’s Billy Nichols last year. First there were swollen glands in his throat, then came the mono.

After dropping 15 pounds, Nichols wrestled in the state tournament and didn’t even place. This was after placing second at Mount Mat Madness, a tournament considered more difficult than the Maryland state tournament.

“I’m looking to win it this year,” Nichols said. “A state title is my main goal and it’s my senior year so it’s what I need to do.”

But first things first, Nichols took care of business at the Damascus Holiday Tournament, pounding Williamsport’s Robbie Mies, 10-1, in the 215-pound finals. Mies finished fifth in the 2A/1A state tournament last year and had pinned his way to the finals.

Nichols got up 4-0 early and never relented, showing the urgency to dominate this season.

After finally getting healthy in April last year, after the wrestling season was over, Nichols went to Junior Nationals to show what he had. He came one place from placing, showing just how talented Nichols is.

“I had so many expectations and everybody expected me to do so well,” Nichols said. “There’s a lot of pressure on my from my coaches and especially my dad so I’ve been training hard.”

REPRESENTING FOR VIRGINIA

South County was one of just two Virginia schools entered in the tournament and the lone public school of the two. The Virginia residents nearly showed Maryland how it’s done.

South County put two wrestlers in the finals, and although both lost it was a good showing.

Senior 103-pounder Patrick Shaffer pinned his way into the finals, where he met Eric Friedman of St. Paul’s, who placed eighth at the prestigious Beast of the East already this season. Shaffer held his own but fell, 4-0.

Still, even placing that high is an accomplishment for Shaffer, who now just has two losses on the season and became the school’s first district champion last year. Shaffer has come a long way since the days when he weighed about 84 pounds as a freshman.

“Once you’re giving up 14, 15, sometimes 20 pounds to kids, it’s hard to battle,” South County Coach Andy Jimmo said. “He was still a tough kid, fought through all the way.”

“I always had the technique,” Shaffer added. “But technique only goes so far when you’re giving up 20 pounds.”

Shaffer began to start growing last year and finally was up to a healthy 103 pounds. Steadily, his record improved to the point where he feels he should be competing for some major hardware this season.

“This is the first year I’ve actually been the biggest kid in my weight class,” Shaffer said. “I think it helped out now with all the experience and wresting kids bigger than me.”

FRIEDMAN CONTINUES HOT START

He’s only a freshman and we’re not even into the New Year and St. Paul’s 103-pounder Eric Friedman’s wins are already starting to blur together.

After beating Shaffer in the finals, Eric said he wasn’t sure whether this was his first tournament victory or not. It may be memorable considering it came against a senior while Friedman is just starting what could be a long career of collecting medals.

Friedman did, however, know that he placed eighth at Beast of the East, where some of the nation’s best wrestlers come to play. He is now 17-3 on the season.

“I knew I had a tough match and I’m just glad I wrestled well,” Friedman said. “ I’m used to being the smallest so it’s nice to have someone older than me at the same weight.”

THE REPEATERS

Below is a brief recap for those wrestlers who repeated as Damascus Holiday Tournament champions.

Gonzaga 112-pounder Paul O’Neill was nearly on his back in the first few seconds of his match but quickly got a reverse and stuck Pete Galli of St. Paul’s in one minute, 32 seconds.

“I noticed he was high and I just stepped around and stuck with it and got him on his back,” O’Neill said. “He was good. Thank God I pinned him in the first.”

Walkersville brothers Tyler (140) and Zach White (152) each repeated as Damascus Holiday Tournament champions as well. Both were aggressive in the finals and scored easy wins.

Tyler beat Wootton’s Eric Mears, 14-2, and Zach topped Randle Hernandez of Bullis, 7-1.

“It feels good to get this one for our new coach,” Zach White said.

TEAM SCORES

1. Tuscarora – 165.00
2. Glenelg – 160.00
    South County – 160.00
4. Georgetown Prep – 154.00
5. Liberty – 123.00
6. Severna Park – 108.50
7. Williamsport – 103.50
8. Wootton – 103.00
9. Landon – 94.50
10. St. Pauls – 93.00
11. Good Counsel – 89.00
12. Calvert Hall – 76.00
13. Damascus – 74.50
14. Churchill – 65.50
15. Bullis – 58.00
16. Walkersville – 57.00
17. Bishop McNamara – 55.50
18. Gonzaga – 35.50
19. Potomac School – 19.50

FINALS RESULTS

103 – Eric Friedman (St. Pauls) dec. Patrick Shaffer (South County), 4-0
112 – Paul O’Neill (Gonzaga) fall Pete Galli (St. Pauls), 1:32
119 – Zach Gerber (Glenelg) dec. Kemper Baker (Williamsport), 2-1
125 – Brendon Conway (Glenelg) dec. Brady Massaro (Severna Park), 4-3
130 – Andrew Bannister (McNamara) maj. Kaison Tanabe (Potomac), 9-1
135 – Austin Wenzlaff (Tuscarora) dec. Eric Fessell (Georgetown Prep), 2-0
140 – Tyler White (Walkersville) maj. Eric Mears (Wootton), 14-2
145 – Jeff Shea (Liberty) dec. John Fitzgerald (South County), 5-1
152 – Zach White (Walkersville) dec. Randle Hernandez (Bullis), 7-1
160 – Billy Gribbin (Georgetown Prep) maj. Billy Kuczarski (Glenelg), 13-5
171 – Tony Gardner (Calvert Hall) fall Giancarlo Zerega (Georgetown Prep), 2:39
189 – Junioe Monzey (Georgetown Prep) dec. Cullen Cassidy (Landon), 3-2
215 – Billy Nichols (Severna Park) maj. Robbie Mies (Williamsport), 10-1
285 – Kevin Mrohs (Wootton) dec. Dan Duvall (Liberty), 5-3

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

By Joe Kvartunas
Paul VI student

Bishop McNamara defeated Paul VI Catholic on Friday in a close fought battle, 56-51. Though McNamara held the lead throughout the entire game, they never had a lead larger than nine points.

“It was a great defensive battle that went down to the wire,” Bishop McNamara Coach Marty Keithline said. “Luckily we came out on top.”

There was a scary moment for Bishop McNamara (5-0) early in the first quarter. Senior Talib Zanna caught a chin in his upper right arm, then air-balled a free throw. Zanna realized his arm had gone completely numb from the blow and the injury caused him to sit out for most of the game.

But even with Zanna — a senior already committed to Pittsburgh – out, Bishop McNamara was able to remain as dangerous as ever.

“Every time they made a run, one of our seniors stepped up and shut them down.” Keithline said.

One of those seniors was George Mason commit Rashad Whak, who led the Mustangs with 13 points.

“It was a good effort.” Whack said. “We didn’t rebound as well as we normally do in the first  half, but we stepped up on the second and got the job done.”

Early in the game, Bishop McNamara’s pressure defense seemed to fluster the Panthers (7-1) and allowed the Mustangs to jump out to an early lead. Paul VI was able to hand on and keep the game close, but McNamara just had too much in the end.

Paul VI was led in scoring by senior point guard Erick Green with 13 points and senior forward Dominic Sanders who had eight points.

“This was a hard fought battle by both teams.” Paul VI Coach Glen Farello said after the game. “Bishop McNamara is one of the best teams we will play all year. This game came down to a couple possessions, and today we were one possession short.”

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

Boys Beltway Basketball

Check back after the holiday tournaments for the next Top 10 release: January 5, and every Monday thereafter.
*Records as of Monday, Dec. 22*

1. Montrose Christian (Ind.) 8-0   

Click HERE to view the Washington, D.C. Area page of DigitalSports.com.

*Teams in
consideration for the Beltway Ballers poll include those in the DCIAA,
Loudoun County, Montgomery County, Northern Region, Prince George’s
County, Prince William County, Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and WCAC, as well as other independent private schools*

Wish to chime in on the Beltway Ballers poll? E-mail James A. McCray: tmccray@digitalsports.com        

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

Join us on Saturday, December 20, 2008 – 11:00 A.M. as the Eagle Bank Bowl proudly presents the DigitalSports.com 2008 Washington D.C. Area “Most Dedicated” Football Players of the Year!


DigitalSports.com has selected eight deserving Washington D.C. Metro student athletes to receive this honor for the dedication they have shown towards their football teams, their high school, their community and their families.  These athletes will be recognized at RFK Stadium when Wake Forest takes on The U.S. Navel Academy in the first-ever Bowl Game contested in the Nation’s Capital.  Scroll down to view this year’s honorees. 

Come be a part of sports history and show your Dedication to D.C.’s Most Dedicated!


Click here for ticket information!

	Bryn Renner, Quarterback, West Springfield H.S. (Fairfax County, VA) In two seasons as a starter, Renner threw for 5,872 yards and 67 touchdowns; Renner has committed to play college football at the University of North Carolina.
	Patrick Thomson, Quarterback, Stone Bridge H.S. (Loudoun County, VA) Thompson threw for a school record 4,424 yards and 51 touchdowns over the past two seasons and will be playing his college football at Wake Forest.
	Zach Thompson, Tight End, Stone Bridge H.S. (Loudoun County, VA) A devastating blocker, Thompson averaged 17 yards a catch and helped Bulldogs to a 27-2 record over the past two seasons and has also committed to play college football for Wake Forest.
	De’Antwan Williams, Running Back, Woodbridge H.S. (Prince William County, VA) Williams, who recently committed to Rutgers, compiled 6,909 rushing yards during his career, which ranks sixth all time in Virginia High School history.
	Jeremiah Mathis, Tight End/Defensive End, DeMatha H.S. (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) A 6-foot-3 two-way starter, Mathis helped lead DeMatha to its sixth Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.
	Zack Splain, Quarterback, Sherwood H.S. (Montgomery County, MD) Splain led Sherwood High School to the 4A Maryland State High School championship while throwing 35 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season.
	Peter Athens, Quarterback, Huntingtown H.S. (Southern Maryland Athletic Conference) Athens, a three-sport standout, passed for 1,550 yards and 15 touchdowns to lead Huntingtown to its first-ever Southern Maryland Athletic Conference championship.
	Anthony Wright , Running Back, Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. H.S. (Prince George’s County, MD) Wright rushed for 1,760 yards and 21 touchdowns this past season and helped lead Wise High School to its first ever 4A South regional championship.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

1.    DeMatha, 10-2
This was the year DeMatha was supposed to fall. Once again, the Stags lost to Good Counsel during the regular season. Instead, the Stags won a sixth-straight WCAC championship to set a program record. The Stags will graduate quarterback Tommy Chroniger and a host of other stalwarts, but something tells me DeMatha will be just fine next year.

2.    Good Counsel, 11-1
Another year of disappointment in Olney despite an incredibly fine season. For the fifth straight year, the Falcons fell to DeMatha in the championship game and next year they will lose their key pieces in Jelani Jenkins, Caleb Porzel and Tyler Campbell. Who will be the next crop to challenge the Stags?

3.    St. John’s, 7-4
The Cadets were masters of pulling out the close win and Coach Joe Patterson deserves some major credit for guiding this team to such a fine season. St. John’s had nail-biters against O’Connell, Paul VI and McNamara and beat Gonzaga in the Great American Rivalry Series.

4.    McNamara, 5-6
It was great to make the playoffs again, but McNamara’s goal of breaking into the championship game didn’t come true yet again. Still, this team had some huge wins this season, none bigger than beating O’Connell at their place in come-from-behind fashion to all but win a playoff spot.

5.    O’Connell, 6-4
O’Connell started the season with four straight wins but suffered some crushing defeats that caused them to miss out on the playoffs. First it was an overtime loss to St. John’s at home. The final blow was a last-minute loss to Bishop McNamara at home. The team still won more games

6.    Paul VI, 4-6
It could have been a very different season for the Panthers. They took St. John’s to overtime, nearly knocked off McNamara and only lost to DeMatha by eight points. That said, it was still a good season as the Panthers knocked off Gonzaga and increased their win total.

7.    Gonzaga, 2-8
After starting the season with four straight losses, the Eagles got off the schnide against Carroll and then notched a huge win over McNamara in Forestville. The problem was, the big boys still loomed after that. The Eagles closed the season with four straight losses, including to DeMatha, Good Counsel and St. John’s.

8.    Bishop Ireton, 4-6
The Cardinals beat one  WCAC team in Carroll in Week 1. Other than that, they struggled against WCAC foes. But outside of it they went 3-3, including a big 21-0 win over St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes, who had a 5-4 season in the IAC.

9.    Archbishop Carroll, 1-9
Carroll improved throughout the year under first-year Coach Rick Houchens. They only lost to O’Connell by six points on Oct. 18. But the Lions also struggled with injuries, which hindered the team’s hopes for a turnaround season from last year’s 0-10 campaign.

10.    St. Mary’s Ryken, 1-9
It was an extremely tough season at Ryken in the program’s first year playing at the varsity level. The Knights scored  19 points all season after defeated Annapolis Area Christian in Week 1 and were shut out in their final four games. But nobody thought this program would blossom happen overnight.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

*** Click here for video highlights and interviews from the game***

By James A. McCray III
Prince George’s County, Content Manager

Lay-up baskets, put-back baskets, and rebounds was the common theme for Bishop McNamara Mustangs big man Talib Zanna in Saturday’s contest with St. Frances Academy of Baltimore in game No. 3 of the DTLR National Hoops Festival hosted at Henry Wise High School.

When a shot when up, Zanna would get position under the basket and prepare for a missed shot, and often found himself with an easy basket en route to a 55-37 victory over St. Frances, one of the best teams out of the Baltimore area.

McNamara improved to 2-0 early on the season and controlled the game enough for a wire-to-wire victory.

As the Mustangs went into the half with a 32-17 lead, St. Frances came out of the locker rooms and promptly went on a 13-2 scoring run to cut the lead down to only four points at 34-30.

“I think the first, second, and fourth quarters we played very well offensively and defensively,” McNamara head coach Marty Keithline said. “In the third we just got stagnant. We did not create any turnovers and we allowed them to come back in the game. We gave them open shots and open looks and to their credit they did a good job and cut the lead down to four [points].”

However, that would be as close as St. Frances would get to within the lead as the Mustangs closed the door by only allowing five fourth-quarter points.

“I am really excited about this one,” Zanna said. “We are 2-0, and I was really proud of my team.”

Zanna scored a game-high 17 points and was also named Most Valuable Player for his performance.

On the third quarter thoughts when the lead was cut to only four points, Zanna added: “I was just frustrated. But, you know, my coach called me back to the bench and told me to calm down … and I just did what he told me.”
 
Although Zanna was the only McNamara player to score in double figures, eight other players were able to find the bottom of the net, including seven points from guard Rashad Whack.

“We came out strong in the beginning, you know, getting a good run in the first half,” Whack said. “[In] the third quarter we came out and didn’t play that good. … After that timeout we came out and showed the other team who we are.”

As to why the team is 2-0 early on and what he likes about this year’s team, Whack added: “The excitement and the fire that we bring. … Defensively this year, we are doing way better than we did last year.”

St. Frances (1-1) was led by a 13-point performance by senior guard Terrell Vinson.

tmccray@digitalsports.com



BISHOP MCNAMARA 55, ST. FRANCES 37
St. Frances —    7   10   15   5
McNamara  —    15  17   6   17

St. Frances: Vinson 13, Lewis 8, Holmes 6, Sparrow 5, Rodgers 3, Williams 2

McNamara: Zanna 17, Whack 7, Washington 7, Coleman 6, Muhammed 5, Bazilio 5, Smith 4, Shipe 3, Buyck 1

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

The WCAC is always stocked with talent, but this year may be even more special than others. Not only are there blue-chip recruits, but there are several teams that could challenge for a conference crown and a handful more that won’t make it easy for anybody.

As evidence, three WCAC teams are nationally ranked in the ESPN Rise Fab 50 Preseason Boys Basketball Rankings.

DeMatha leads the group at the No. 13 with Bishop McNamara at No. 30 and defending WCAC champion Gonzaga at No. 48.

“This year probably has more depth in the league than any year in the past 10 or 15 years,” Good Counsel Coach Mike Hibbs said.

“We were talking over the summer and said, ‘Imagine, one of these teams is going to be in sixth place in our league,'” Hibbs continued. “It seems almost unfair for that to happen because they’re going to be a very good team.’”

DEMATHA FUELED BY FAILURE

As if dropping a massive lead over O’Connell and lose in the WCAC playoffs last season wasn’t bad enough, DeMatha wasn’t invited to the Alhambra Tournament for the first time in 34 years.

“That definitely hit home for us,” Coach Mike Jones said. “To win three [WCAC titles] in a row and then a couple guys that weren’t part of the last one, they were disappointed. Then also not getting invited to Alhambra last year. … Our season ended awfully early as far as what we’re used to.”

Thus, this year’s squad is motivated by the shortcomings of last year to prove that DeMatha is still the dominant program people have come to count on. And this year’s Stags may just be one of the most talented team, top to bottom, to ever step onto the court.

The team is led by junior Tennessee recruit Josh Selby, who scored 31 points in DeMatha’s season opener against Archbishop Spalding Tuesday night.

“This year we’re just more motivated and more enthusiastic about the championship and everybody want it,” Selby said.

Selby, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 13 ppg last year but will likely increase that this year as he continues to improve his overall game. He also showed the knack for scoring dramatic points when he put DeMatha on his shoulders late in the finals against McNamara, leading the Stags to the Rock Summer League title.

“I haven’t been bashful in saying Josh Selby is a pro,” Jones said. “I know what pros are and he’s definitely one of them.”

The rest of DeMatha’s roster is deep and extremely talented at every position. Jones said it’s as talented as he’s had while at DeMatha. His only complaint is that his team isn’t that big. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in athleticism.

Texas A&M recruit Naji Hibbert will be one of the team’s main scoring threats while senior Marcus Rouse has become a skilled distributor who can also score. Junior Jerian Grant, sophomore Quinn Cook and junior Victor Oladipo can all do multiple things on the court.

Oladipo showed off his athleticism by slamming down a one-handed alley-oop from Cook right overtop a leaping Spalding defender. The gym burst into screams as Oladipo shouted with excitement. (CHECK BACK FOR VIDEO)

“Everybody is so athletic,” Oladipo said. “It’s way better than last year. It’s like everybody grew and everybody just transformed into something better than they were before.”

Oladipo said that he’s heard the Stags are favorites to reclaim the WCAC title, and those whispers certainly are justified. But he said the Stags will always play like underdogs, especially considering what happened last year.

“We’re going to play like we usually play at DeMatha, like we’re down 100 all the time,” Oladipo said.

McNAMARA MAKES A STATEMENT

In reaching the Rock Summer League championship game and nearly knocking off the fully-loaded Stags, Bishop McNamara vaulted itself into WCAC title contention status. McNamara fell to DeMatha, 56-52, in the Rock finals.

“These guys are ready to go for their senior year,” McNamara Coach Marty Keithline said this summer. “I’m very encouraged by their effort on both ends of the floor and their enthusiasm and their work ethic this summer. … We’re learning how to win and how to solidify ourselves for next season.”

The Mustangs return Pittsburgh commit Talib Zanna and also bring back 6-foot-2 guards Rashad Whack and Trask Ivey as well as 6-foot-4 forward Lawrence Smith. Zanna proved he may be the best big man in the conference during the summer.

“This is a big confidence booster because we know next year we’re going to be unstoppable,” Zanna said after the summer loss to DeMatha. “We’re going to be like the Celtics.”

McNamara made another statement to open the season by defeating defending IAC champion Georgetown Prep, 64-62, in Rockville.

“We’re feeling great, feeling good. We’ve just got to keep up the intensity,” Whack said Tuesday before talking about the team’s expectations. “To get to the championship and take it game-by-game and do what we’ve got to do to get the win.”

EAGLES DEFEND

And of course, who can forget the defending conference, city and Alhambra champions?

Replicating that success will be difficult considering Gonzaga graduated much of last year’s title team’s scoring in point guard Rodney Gould, wing/forward Cameron Johnson and guard Max Kenyi. But it’s not impossible by any means as the Eagles still return plenty of firepower.

“We’re coming off a big season and I think we can contend for a championship again this season,” Coach Steve Turner said. “It’s a new group and they’re excited about doing new things.”

First there’s 6-foot-7 forward Ian Hummer, a Princeton commit who averaged more than 14 ppg and 9.5 rebounds last year. Hummer will look to continue his strong inside play this season.

“You’re going to see the same player you saw last year,” Turner said of Hummer. “He’s a warrior down in the paint.”

Gonzaga also has Duke recruit and junior point guard Tyler Thornton, who will likely step into more of a scoring role this year after averaging 8 ppg last season.

Senior 6-foot-8 center Connor Ford and last year’s sixth-man Cedrick Lindsay step into the starting lineup after being role players on last year’s team. Lindsay could be one of Gonzaga’s main scoring threats with his outside shooting.

“I think he’s emerged as one of the top guards in the city,” Turner said.

CAN THE FALCONS MAKE A RUN?

Good Counsel has many banners from many different sports in its gym. But there’s one sport missing: boys basketball.

This year, with a deep, experienced roster, Good Counsel has a chance to change that.

“Every time I look up there I get mad,” senior guard Recardo Gaddy said. “We’re still the underdogs in the league. Nobody really respects us. … We’ve got to earn our respect.”

The Falcons return nine players and four starters from last year’s team that went 21-8. This is Coach Mike Hibbs’ fourth season and he purposefully put many of the players on varsity their freshman year to slowly prepare them for a championship run this season.

“The kids like each other, they’re working hard, they’re playing hard,” Hibbs said. “So we do have that opportunity. Like I told them, that opportunity doesn’t come around every year here at Good Counsel.”

Gaddy is one of the team’s best all-around players, but he has plenty of other weapons around him. The Falcons have two adept point guards in 5-foot-8 Rodney Glasgow and 6-foot-0 Stanford football recruit Louis Young. Ben Hazel, a three-year starter and sharpshooter, gives the Falcons four high-caliber guards.

Down low the Falcons have 6-foot-11 Southern Methodist recruit Julius Omoniurhie, who gives Good Counsel a defensive presence in the paint. Omoniurhie has worked to improve his offensive game. Also watch for 6-foot-7 forward Sean Wright.

Devin Wright-Nelson is the newcomer to what would be called the typical starting five, although he may be one of the Falcons’ top threats this season. He steps in for last year’s top scorer Jordan Clarke, but showed his rebounding and scoring touch this past summer as Good Counsel reached the Rock League semifinals.

“I don’t think anyone can key on one player this year,” Hibbs said. “We’re very well balanced. I think we play different styles. So I do think we have the possibility to be there in the end.”

DANGEROUS FROM THE OUTSIDE

St. John’s has the parts to challenge the upper-echelon. The Cadets are led by sophomore Chris Martin, who was named to the third-team WCAC squad last year as just a freshman. But look out for senior 6-foot-3 New York City transfer Derrick Thomas, who announced his WCAC arrival this past summer at the Rock Summer League after playing junior varsity last year.

O’Connell won’t be the same without last year’s star Jason Clark, who is now at Georgetown. Clark averaged more than 20 points per game in leading the Knights to the WCAC and Virginia private school tournament finals. The Knights have three seniors this season and will now lean on returning 6-foot-4 junior North Carolina recruit Kendall Marshall.

Paul VI welcomes Millbrook transfer Erick Green with open arms.
The Virginia Tech recruit lead Millbrook to the Virginia AA title last
year. The Panthers have a rather young roster but could still be
dangerous on any given night. The Panthers are already 2-0 after a
68-42 win over Cesar Chaves Tuesday night.

NEWS AND NOTES

Carroll has to fill the place of Kris Joseph, the 6-foot-7 Syracuse freshman, and Rodney McGruder, the do-it-all Kansas State recruit who transferred out of Carroll to play in Florida.

St. Mary’s Ryken has a pair of transfers from Turkey in 6-foot-9
forward Gokham Sirin and 6-foot-5 forward Gorkeem Sonmez, which will
help the typically undersized Knights. St. Mary’s Ryken went 13-15 last
year under then first-year coach Dave Tallman but could surprise some
people this season.

Ireton started it’s season with a win over Christ Chapel, 87-25.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

For the record, from the very first minute Bishop McNamara’s season started, it was challenging.

The first time Mustangs center Talib Zanna touched the ball, the lively Georgetown Prep fans let him have it. And from that point on the lively Little Hoyas on the court let McNamara sweat too.

But by the end of Tuesday’s opening night, the Mustangs had passed their first test, beating the defending IAC tournament champions, 64-62, in their own boisterous North Bethesda gym.

“It was pretty tough. It was a close game, came right down to the wire,” McNamara senior guard Rashad Whack said. “It feels good to come out strong.”

Whack and Zanna paced McNamara (1-0) offensively, scoring 23 and 18 points respectively. Georgetown Prep’s Robert Olson led the Little Hoyas with 15 points and point guard Markel Starks chipped in 13.

Zanna was held to two points in the first quarter – which he got on the first possession of the game – and 7 in the first half. He took over in the fourth quarter, however, notching three blocks and posting seven points.

“The first half we weren’t playing really hard,” Zanna said. “What our coach told us is that we had to go on the floor and work harder. I just took that as motivation and knew we had to get the job done.”

The Pittsburgh recruit was obviously the target of Georgetown Prep fans before he stepped onto the court. The minute he touched the ball they started deliriously screaming to distract him. And it didn’t stop the entire night.

“Their fans, they were loud,” Zanna said. “They were like Gonzaga fans last year. … This was a good challenge.”

The two teams traded shots early on with Whack leading the way for the Mustangs with nine first quarter points. Georgetown Prep began to pull away in the second quarter and took a 33-27 lead into the locker room.

The Little Hoyas had three different players score in the first quarter and a different set of three score in the second quarter. Starks came alive in the second quarter, scoring eight points, after being held scoreless to start the game.

The Mustangs, who are currently ranked No. 30 in the nation by ESPN and Rise Magazine, came out of halftime shooting. They went on a 13-3 run to take a 40-36 lead, capped by a Brandon Coleman put-back, with four minutes, 23 seconds left in the third quarter.

But Georgetown Prep came back to take a 49-47 lead in the fourth quarter following a Starks steal and score. The Hoyas hit key three-pointers throughout the game but struggled from behind the line down the stretch.

That’s when Zanna emerged. He hit both free throws after being fouled on the next possession, then hit two more the following trip. He blocked a Prep shot on the resulting play, leading to a Whack bucket. McNamara’s next points were a Zanna shot and foul. He sunk the free throw to give the Mustangs a 56-51 lead.

“He gave us a lot of problems … he’s an all-around very good player,” Starks said of Zanna, whom he plays with on AAU. “McNamara’s a very good team, very athletic. I think they should be ranked 30th in the county.”

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

The current four Good Counsel girls basketball seniors were in awe of what they witnessed as freshman.

Sitting on the bench, Katie Sheahin, Symone Lyles and Sarian Snyder, with Kyleen Armstrong looking on from the stands, the four witnessed some of Good Counsel’s finest win the WCAC title. Four seniors from that team went on to play college basketball.

And ever since then, the four girls have been trying to prove that the Good Counsel legacy didn’t leave with them. So far, they’ve come short in two straight seasons.

But this year is their final chance.

“We didn’t want people to think it was just them who could do it,” Snyder said. “We could do it too. We’ve been working hard. It hasn’t happened for us yet but hopefully it will happen this year.”

Good Counsel Coach Tom Splaine called Sheahin, Lyles and Snyder to varsity for their freshman year because he wanted them to see how hard they would have to work to win. By now that lesson has been well learned.

The Falcons are coming off a loss to Bishop McNamara in last year’s conference final and they lost in the WCAC semifinals the year before. In both seasons, they finished tied or at the top of the regular season WCAC standings. Last year, the Falcons finished 28-3 compared to McNamara’s 23-7.

This season, the Falcons don’t want to let another chance to prove themselves slip away.

“I think they’ve kind of grown to appreciate what they were able to accomplish their freshman year after falling a little short their sophomore and junior years,” Splaine said. “And they had great seasons both sophomore and junior years.”

Like previous seasons, there’s a top-notch talent leaving the program. This season the Falcons will have to make due without Shanel Harrison, who averaged 17.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg last season and now plays for Virginia Tech.

Good Counsel will in turn rely on its team defense. Sheahin, while averaging the second-highest number of points per game on the team last year with 10.5 ppg, was more of a weapon on defense, where she shut down some of the conference’s top threats. The Loyola signee averaged four steals per game.

Lyles, who has committed to Ohio, has also been more of a defensive player during her years, although she has worked hard to improve her offensive game. Snyder is also extremely quick on the ball.

“They’re probably the best trio of defenders I’ve ever had,” said Splaine, who qualified his statement with the fact that he’s been coaching in the conference for 16 years. “They’re something really special.”

Through their three years the girls have learned that they can’t sleep on any team, even though no team outside of Good Counsel, Holy Cross, St. John’s or McNamara has made the girls final over the past six years.

And they also won’t sleep until they make their own name for themselves.

“Until we get another year on that banner I feel like it’s not fully achieved,” Snyder said. “We started on a win; hopefully we can finish on a win. That’s how I see it.”

ST. JOHN’S IN THE LEAD?

While the Cadets were on the outside of the conference finals last year, they may be the early favorites to win the crown this season.

St. John’s lost just one senior from last year’s squad and returns Division I signees Dymond James and Sydney Wilson, which gives St. John’s two of the top individual players in the WCAC.

“We’re a senior-heavy team, which always works in your favor,” Coach Jonathan Scribner said. “Our expectations are high every year. We feel we should compete for a title every year.”

James, an Air Force signee, is the heart-and-soul of the Cadets from her guard position. She averaged 9.3 ppg and 9 rpg and was named to the second team All-WCAC squad.

Wilson, a Georgetown signee who joined the Cadets last season after transferring from Pittsburgh, quickly made her presence known. Wilson averaged 9.6 ppg and about 4 blocks per game.

Both girls have grown as leaders of the six seniors the Cadets will trot onto the court. St. John’s should also benefit from the additional experience Scribner has now in his second year coaching the Cadets.

“They’ve decided this is it, this is senior year, they’ve got to be the leaders and take the ball,” Scribner said. “I’m expecting a big season out of both of them this year.”

MUSTANGS UP FOR DEFENSE

McNamara loses all five of its senior starters from last year’s team, including main scoring threat Tiana Myers and defensive specialist Tierra Thomas.

But that doesn’t mean the Mustangs are ready to fork over the WCAC trophy.

“When you lose five seniors it makes a big difference on your roster,” Coach Robert Surratt said. “We’re all working hard to make our own reputation and it’s been going pretty well so far.”

This year’s team has four seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and a freshman, thus giving McNamara a good mixture of experience. The seniors are Ashley Liles, Michea Bryant, Cierra Strickland and Loutice Logan. Also look out for 6-foot-2 freshman Dionna Joynes.

“We don’t really have any standout person,” Surratt said. “We’re really playing as a unit. We’ve got people that can score, but we don’t really have one high-scoring person.”

Surratt isn’t concerned by that at all. He said last year’s team didn’t have a go-to scorer either, although Myers made a strong case, especially with 19 points in the final against Good Counsel. There have been a few many turnovers during the preseason for Surratt’s liking, but he felt confident that with more playing time the players would adjust.

“With our defensive pressure and our conditioning, we will score,” Surratt said.

CROSS YOUR FINGERS

Holy Cross should be right in the thick of the championship chase once again and this year it’s likely going to be because of the Tartans’ depth.

Holy Cross brings back three starters in seniors Lia Henry and Stephanie Anya and sophomore Akilah Bethel.

Adding additional firepower is sophomore point guard Channell MacKey, who led the junior varsity to a 21-1 record last year. She steps in for Shontice Simmons, who averaged about 14 ppg last year and is now at Central Connecticut State.

Joining MacKey are three standout freshman and a transfer from Michigan, Natasha Thames.

Scoring should be fairly spread out as Anya, who signed with American, averaged 8 ppg and 10 rpg last season. Bethel averaged 6 ppg, 6 rpg and 3 steals per game as a guard and Henry also chipped in 8 ppg and 6 rpg.

“We have more balanced scoring this year,” Coach Russell Davis said. “We had two scrimmages and we’ve had almost eight people score about 10 points. … I think if we stay healthy we have a good chance at getting back to the championship game.”

The Tartans will once again hang their hat on the defensive end of the court, which is Holy Cross’ trademark. Davis hopes that the Tartans’ depth will allow his team to maintain a high tempo while wearing down its opponents.

“This year, unlike the first three years I’ve been at Holy Cross, is the deepest team I’ve had,” Davis said. “There shouldn’t be a drop off from our starters to about 10 deep.”

NEWS AND NOTES

Paul VI could push the WCAC girls basketball elite this season. The Panthers are the two-time defending Virginia Independent Schools State champions.

St. Mary’s Ryken will surely have far fewer recruiters in its gym this season as the Knights bid adieu to now North Carolina freshman  Laura Broomfield, who was a gem in the conference during her high school career.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)