North

2025/2026 Regional Champions from MoCo

2025/2026 MCPS Division Champions

Northwest Jaguars (10-8 | 5-3) Defense shows up big as they defeat #5 Kennedy at Home in the Black Hole, 57-52. The Jaguars welcomed the #5 Kennedy Cavaliers to The Black Hole on Tuesday, a team that had won the previous 6 games with one of the county's top scorers, Gabe Colston (24.9 ppg). But for the second game in a row, the Jags Defense tightened around and slowed the top scorer to get the win. The first half saw the Cavaliers use their pressure defense, timely scoring, and work on the glass to hold control of the game, fighting off Jaguar runs throughout. Kennedy would hold as much as a 10 point lead late in the 2nd half and take a 6 point lead into half time, 28-22. The second half would be a different story. The Jaguars would come alive using ball and player movement to handle the Cavalier pressure creating open shots both inside and outside, and defensively keeping the Cavaliers away from the rim while contesting all shots that went up. At the end of 3, the Cavaliers were holding on to a 1 point lead, 42-41. The Cavaliers started the 4th quarter scoring the first 4 points but the Jags defense and offense would again lock in closing the game on a 16-6 run over the last 6 1/2 minutes. The Jaguars would outscore the Cavaliers 35-24 in the second half to get the win. The Jaguars were led by Senior Krishiv Ohri who dropped 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assist, and 2 blocks. Senior Kush Malhotra added 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assist while Junior Eric Odina chipped in with 8 points, a career high 13 rebounds, and 1 block. Sophomore Aaron Benjamin added 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assist, while Senior Jaylin Ouattara had 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assist, and 2 steals. The win bumps the Jags to 10-8 overall. and secures no lower than the 3 seed (and at least 1 home playoff game) in the 4A West Region I playoffs. They close to 1 1/2 games behind Seneca Valley, with whom the Jaguars play next for Senior Night, who holds the #2 seed and a 1st round bye.

Northwest senior, Jaylin Ouattara sank four free-throws in the overtime period to secure the win over the Wootton Patriots. NW improves to 5-3 in the County North Division. Wootton drops to 1-6 in the West. HOW IT HAPPENED Solid shooting in the 1st half gave Northwest the lead, 26-20 A balanced Jaguar offense was led by Kush Malhorta with 7 points and reserve guard, Trey Goodlow (8pts). Goodlow hit two consecutive three pointers in the 2nd period. Wootton came out in the 3rd quarter with an intense man-to-man defense that led to five steals, two by sophomore guard Ted Jeong. Jeong also had his way downhill to the basket forcing three Jaguar fouls. Jeong hit all six foul shots. For the period, Wootton sank 12 fouls shots out of 15 attempts to take the lead, 41-39. In the 4th quarter, Patriot senior guard, Chase Mitchell score 12 points, including a three pointer near the mid-court line. Jaguars were able to penetrate near the basket as forward Krisiv Ohri tossed in six points. At the end of regulation, the score was knotted at 53. Wootton was led in scoring by senior guard, Chase Mitchell with 21 points. Jeong added 12. Ohori led Northwest with 16 points. Guards Malhorta and Ouattara added 13 and 11 points respectively. NEXT GAMES: Wootton plays a makeup game at Quince Orchard on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip-off is slated for 12 NOON. Northwest returns home to take on Kennedy on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Northwest Jaguars (8-6 | 5-2) made it 2-0 this week winning their 5th straight MCPS North Division game and winners of 7 of their last 9 games by defeating Clarksburg (1-13 | 0-7). The Jaguars took control of the game right out of the gate getting out to an 18 - 4 lead with balanced scoring and swarming defense. Clarksburg would continue to fight and hang around as they would cut the lead to 9 at the end of the 1st quarter and 7 points at the end of the half. The Jaguars would reassert themselves in the 3rd quarter, limiting the Coyotes to only 12 points while offensively exploding for 23 points. The Jags would carry the momentum through the 4th quarter closing the game, winning by 15 points while also putting up a season high 81 points. The Jaguars were led by Seniors Kush Malhotra & Krishiv Ohri. Malhotra dropped a career high 23 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 assist, and 2 steals while Ohri post his 2nd double-double in a row with a career high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds, 2 assist, and 1 steal. Justin Harris ('26) added 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Aaron Benjamin ('28) chipped in with 11 points. Senior Jaylin Ouattara added 5 rebounds, 4 assist, and 3 steals while Henry Hecklinger '28 added 4 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assist. With the win, the Jags gain a game on Seneca Valley (9-5) who lost to Poolesville last night and Thomas Johnson (10-5) who did not play. 2 Games separate the Jags (5-2) from MCPS North Division leader Poolesville (7-0).

MoCo Hoops was back in action Wednesday Evening, returning from 12 days off due to snow and ice that left the area in a stand still. Due to unforeseen circumstances at Watkins Mill just hours before tip off, the Northwest Jaguars (7-6 | 4-2) returned to the Black Hole to face off against the Watkins Mill Wolverines (4-9 | 1-5) defeating them for the second time this season 68-64. As expected, the 1st quarter for both teams was sluggish and sloppy leading to numerous empty possessions and missed shots. The Wolverines would get on the board first going up 5-0 before the Jaguars would respond with a 6-0 run of their own. The 2 teams would close the 1st quarter deadlocked at 10. The offenses would begin to open up in the 2nd as WM would take a 30-26 lead into the half. In the 3rd, the Jags defense would settle in and clamp down on WM. The Wolverines would get their 1st basket of the half at the 4:27 mark and endure a 11-2 run out of the gate. The Jags would hold a 2 point lead going into the 4th. In the 4th, the Jaguars defense and offense would hit their stride at the same time. A 16-6 run in the 1st 4 minutes would give the Jags a 12 point cushion that they would ride out for the remainder of the game. A last second 3pt would cut the final deficit from 7 to 4. The Jaguars were led by Seniors Jaylin Ouattara & Krishiv Ohri who both had double doubles. Ouattara had 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assist, and 4 steals while Ohri had 12 points and a career high 15 rebounds to go along with 4 assist, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Justin Harris ('26) added 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Kush Malhotra ('26) & Henry Hecklinger ('28) chipped in with 6 points each. Malhotra added 5 rebounds and 3 assist while Hecklinger added 4 rebounds, respectively. With the win, the Jags keep pace with the other region leaders...Seneca Valley (9-4) and Thomas Johnson (10-5) hold the top 2 spots in the 4A West Region I, with the Jags close behind at 7-6. 2 Games separate the Jags (4-2) from MCPS North Division leader Poolesville (6-0).

Entering February, Montgomery County teams have had no action for over a week, with most team’s last games dating back to January 21. With three weeks to go in the regular season, the county will enter February with twelve teams holding a winning record, including an undefeated Whitman squad and two others with just one loss, Magruder and Poolesville. In the season’s final three weeks before the postseason kicks off, here are the top storylines to watch for in Montgomery County Varsity Boys Basketball: 1. Four of Whitman’s (11-0) final games will come against teams with +.500 records, as the Vikings are set to play Sherwood and Richard Montgomery at home while they will travel to Walter Johnson and Damascus. Thus far, Whitman has only played three throughout the entire season, two of which were in the team’s first two games of the year. They took down now 8-4 Blair by 15, followed by an eight point win over 9-3 Kennedy, but competition has since slowed down. Most recent games included 27-point wins over both 0-13 Gaithersburg and 1-11 Clarksburg. Junior Max Williams and senior Bobby Zedak are both averaging 16.5 PPG for the Vikings, and will need to keep performing at a high level if the Vikings want to remain undefeated as they look to avenge two consecutive state championship losses. 2. The game of the season for Montgomery County teams is yet to take place, and it won’t come until the final day of the regular season. Magruder (12-1) is set to travel to Poolesville (11-1) in the last game of the season on February 20. Prior to that, both teams have high-stakes match ups, as the Colonels are also set to rematch the 8-4 Paint Branch Panthers at home on Friday. The Panthers handed Magruder their lone loss, coming in a 62-48 road defeat. So far, Magruder has six wins over +.500 teams. Poolesville (11-1) is riding a 10 game win streak but they have not played a +.500 team in over three weeks. Their most recent game against a team with a winning record was against the 8-4 Seneca Valley Raiders, where they won by 20 points. The Falcons are set to face Northwest (7-7) and Clarksburg (1-11) before a rematch on the road against the Raiders, which is set to tip off on Friday at 7:15. 3. Five teams, Seneca Valley, Damascus, Walter Johnson, Paint Branch, and Blair all currently sit at 8-4. Out of these five, Paint Branch has the hardest schedule, with five games scheduled against winning teams, including 9-3 Kennedy, 11-3 Blake, and 12-1 Magruder while Blake has the easiest with just three, those being 9-3 Richard Montgomery, 9-3 Kennedy, and 7-5 Sherwood. Damascus comes in second, followed by Seneca Valley and Walter Johnson. 4. The Gaithersburg Trojans, who are yet to capture their first win this season have several chances before the end of the season to avoid a totally winless campaign. After tomorrow’s game against 12-1 Magruder, they’re set to travel to Paint Branch to take on the 3-8 Panther on Wednesday. Following that game, they’ll host the 3-10 Springbrook Blue Devils on Friday, and then the 2-11 Northwood squad to wrap up their season on February 20. Both of Northwood’s wins came against 1-11 teams, as they took down Rockville at home by five points in Mid-December, and Einstein on the road by seven on January 14. 5. Four teams in the East are separated by just one game in league play, with Blake and Magruder at 4-1 while Sherwood and Paint Branch sit at 3-2. Each team will face two of the others by the end of this week with the final of the three before the season’s end. Apart from divisional games, Blake will have a three-game stretch where they play 0-13 Gaithersburg, 6-6 Bethesda-Chevy Chase, and 4-8 Wootton. Sherwood will play 3-10 Springbrook in their first game back from the week off, but they will finish their season against 11-0 Whitman, 8-4 Blair, and 8-4 Walter Johnson. Finally, Paint Branch will host 8-4 Damascus and will travel to face 9-4 Kennedy in two of their final three games of the regular season. A big shakeup could be coming in the East division before playoffs begin!

It was a tough start to the season for the Northwest Jaguars MBB Team. After opening the season with a rout of Northwood on the road, the Jags would go on to drop 5 straight games against teams with combined records of 50-13. 4 of those games were heartbreaking as the Jags either held the leads late in the games (Richard Montgomery, Seneca Valley, Poolesville) or at halftime (Magruder). Things would begin to turn around at the Overlea Holiday Invitational, as the Jags split their games with C. MIlton Wright and North Harford. The win Vs. North Harford would spark the Jags to 4 straight wins...all by over 8 points and 3 of which against Division Teams. A loss to 4A state finalist Whitman would end the run but the Jags would bounce back on the road, winning at B-CC in Overtime (a rematch from the Capitol Hoops Summer League Playoffs) and at rival Quince Orchard. The Jaguars now hold a 7-7 overall record and 3-2 division record, are winners of 6 of 8 and are back in in the thick of the division race and 1 of 2 top seeds in the 4A West Region I. Additionally, the Jags have had some stellar performances during this run. In their win vs. Damascus, they held the Hornets to 2 points in the 4th quarter in a 12 point division win at home. Seniors Jaylin Ouattara (20 pts Vs. B-CC, 30 pts Vs. Blake), Kush Malhotra (20 pts Vs. B-CC), and Justin Harris (20 pts Vs. Watkins Mill) notched season and career high point totals. Ouattara also notched a career high 14 rebounds vs. Clarksburg. Seniors Krishiv Ohri (career high 11 reb Vs. Damascus, 9 reb Vs. Clarksburg, and 8 reb Vs. B-CC) and Joe Massong (8 reb Vs. Clarksburg), and Sophomore Henry Hecklinger (8 reb Vs. Damascus & Watkins Mill) have hit the glass hard. Defense has also taken a step in the right direction as 5 players have nabbed at least 3 steals (Notably Ouattara with 5 Vs. Blake, Malhotra with 6 Vs. Watkins MIll, Hecklinger with 4 Vs. North Harford and 3 Vs. Damascus) while Ohri and Massong have also defended the rim (Ohri with 4 Blocks Vs. Blake and Poolesville and Massong with 3 blks Vs. Clarksburg). The Jags hope to keep this momentum rolling as they (and the rest of the county) hope to return to action Friday, January 30th after a week off due to snow and ice.

Photo courtesy of @therealphotoking Instagram. The Montgomery County boys’ basketball standings are only getting tighter and tighter — with each passing week, razor-thin margins reflect a seriously competitive division. That trend continued on Friday, as Paint Branch earned its eighth win of the season in a comeback effort over Seneca Valley in overtime, 60-58. Both programs now sit with an 8-4 record, and both are top 10 in the county standings. Paint Branch was aggressive off the tip, trapping and double-teaming Seneca Valley at multiple points — on the wings, in the post and at the top of the 3-point line. But this confusing defense was handled by the Eagles, who quickly found the open man in the middle of the paint for the first bucket of the game. But the Panthers’ offense was equally aggressive. Paint Branch, which has been a steady shooting squad from downtown for most of the year, was instead intentional with its drives early. Some of the drives were a bit reckless, creating excessive contact, but the message was sent — the drives opened up the 3-ball later in the quarter. Paint Branch ended the first frame with a 14-9 advantage. The second quarter was a defensive clinic, for the large part. Seneca Valley moved the ball with pace and aplomb, but it had a much tougher time breaking Paint Branch’s shifting zone. The zone didn’t allow Ian Bullie, the team’s sizable big, to get any free looks or paint touches. Paint Branch’s Ryan Bobb and the Eagles’ Jamari Hoes traded late 3-pointers, and with the help of some free throws, Seneca Valley swung the tide in its favor, taking a 23-21 lead to the break. The advantage grew to as big as 10 points by the end of the third quarter. Seneca Valley used the Panthers’ turnovers to their advantage, and the size mismatches in the paint offered plenty of second chance opportunities — some big hitters came from beyond the arc in the third frame. The Eagles also consistently pushed the pace in transition, catching Paint Branch’s trapping zone in poor positions. With just eight minutes left to play, Seneca Valley led 41-31. Paint Branch needed a desperate response, so how did it get it? In regulation, it truly came down to the last 1:38, when Paint Branch assumed possession down 50-41. Quick ball movement led to a three, but it was off the mark. A quick turnover on the other end gave the Panthers the ball back. After getting fouled on a quick inbounds pass, Kahlil Fountain hit two free throws. Then the turnover bug struck again with under a minute to play. Instead of taking the open space provided to them with all of the Paint Branch defenders essentially attacking one player, the Eagles kept trying to play keepaway. In the end, that strategy backfired immensely. Charles “Malik” Simmons Jr. then missed a pair of free throws, as the ball continued to bounce Paint Branch’s way. A Bobb deep 3-pointer and steal-and-score ultimately tied the game and forced overtime. In the four minute extra period, the action was back-and-forth and foul-ridden. Seneca Valley nearly did to Paint Branch what the Panthers had done to it just minutes before, finding itself down six with 40 seconds left. Malachi Delaware was fouled on a three and then hit a layup shortly afterwards. But a Bobb free throw was enough to keep the game in hand for Paint Branch, who earned a resilient victory Friday night.

The Jaguars MBB team (6-6 | 3-2) fell short in Germantown to Blake (11-1 | 4-1), 77-65. The loss drops the Jag's record to 6-6 (7-7 Overall with Holiday Event Play). In front of an amazing crowd at The Black Hole the Jags and Bengals squared off in a rematch of last year's County Championship. Unfortunately for the Jags, the Bengals would take control of the game early and jump out to a 21-4 score to end the 1st. The Jags would get going in the 2nd Qtr behind swarming and tough defense and relentless attacks to the rim. They would close to the gap to as much as 6 before a last second jumper by Blake would give the Bengals a 31-23 lead going into the half. The 3rd and 4th quarter would be a back and forth affair between the 2 teams as the Bengals would hold the Jags off as Northwest would close to the deficit to as much as 5 before the Bengals reasserted themselves and stretch the lead back out...closing the game and winning 77-65. Fueling the Bengal's win was hot shooting from 3pt as Christian Kennard hit all 7 3pts for Blake. The Jags were also outrebounded 39-24. The Jaguars were led by Jaylin Ouattara '26 who had a career high 30 points, 5 rebounds. 2 assist, and 5 steals. Krishiv Ohri '26 added 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Justin Harris '27 and Kush Malhotra '26 both added 8 points. Malhotra also added a team high 7 assist. Even though the Jags loss drops them to 6-6 on the season, they are still winners of 5 of their last 7 games.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxuqwYivFOc 🏀🏀 MOCO GAME OF THE WEEK 
🆚 Blake Bengals vs Northwest Jaguars
 📍Germantown, MD (Northwest HS) 📝Zay Millz (MFVAllSportsNetwork) Today we headed to Germantown Md to see a matchup between (7-6) Northwest Jags and MoCo’s power house Blake Bengals (9-4) 1st quarter - Blake started off hot with scoring from Blake’s #11 and #1, dominating the broads and steals leading 14-4 to start off. Blake would continue the run leading 21-4 at the end of quarter 2nd quarter - Started off the same with Blake in the driver seat scoring all around playing as the more physical team. But Northwest #11 and #1 would score some buckets to push the score to a 12 point game. With 2 minutes left , a deep 3 by Jaguar’s #2, it would be a 8 point game under a minute to go. Northwest would have momentum going into the half down 23-31. 3rd quarter - Quarter would start off with Northwest on fire going on a 6-2 run with scoring from #11 before the Bengals would gain control mid 3rd and continue their momentum with a 49-37 lead going in to 4th quarter. 4th quarter - Northwest’s #1 would go crazy with constant steals and And 1 plays while Blake got control the lead at 12 mid-quarter. Blake’s #1 and #4 would get some excellent mid range shots and #11 from Blake would get a huge slam dunk to continue the lead as the game would conclude with two minutes to go. Number 1 would hit 2 night-closing 3s to close out the game and #55 from Blake would put the nail coffin as Blake would win 77-65 MFV Game mvps - Blake’s # 1 and #11 APOLOGIES as rosters were not available to me.

The Jaguars MBB team (6-5 | 3-2) got their 2nd win in a row and 5th win in 6 games with a road rivalry win at Quince Orchard (3-8 | 0-5), 61-51. This win improves the Jag's road record to 4-2 and improves on the trend of margin of victory. 6 of the team's 7 wins (includes Holiday Event win vs. North Harford) have been by 8 or more points In front of an amazing crowd at QO with JagsNation and QO's Red Army well-represented, the opening quarter was a back and forth affair with both teams fighting to gain control. QO would hold as much as a 4 point lead but would take a 1 point lead into the 2nd Qtr, 15-14. The Jags would get going in the 2nd Qtr forcing 8 QO turnovers and attacking the rim relentlessly. The Jags would outscore QO 22-7 in the quarter and take a 14 point lead into halftime. QO would cut into the lead in the 3rd as the Jags offense would go cold as the Cougars gained momentum and would outscore the Jags 13-4 in the quarter and head into the final quarter only down 5. The Cougars would push the deficit down to as little as 3 points before the Jags defense and offense would regain definitive control of the game and close it out, winning 61-51. Despite the Cougars hitting 7/18 shots from 3pt vs. the Jags 3/12, the Jaguars shot 44% from the field while keeping QO at 38%. The Jags also had a decisive edge on the boards 33 to 20, while only allowing 2 offensive rebounds for the entire game. The Jaguars were led by Justin Harris ‘27 who had a team high 15 points and 7 rebounds. Jaylin Ouattara '26 (12 points | 7 rebounds | 3 assist | 2 steals) & Kush Malhotra '26 (14 points (2/4 3pt) 2reb | 2 assist | 2 steals) were also key in the win. Krishiv Ohri '26 (4pts | 5reb | 4ast | 2stls), Henry Hecklinger '28 (2pts | 5reb | 2 stls | 1 blk), and Trey Goodlow III '28 (5pts (2/2 FG) 1ast) also chipped in, in the win. With the win, the Jags improve to 6-5 overall (3rd Overall in the MCPS West Region I) behind Seneca Valley (8-3) and Thomas Johnson (7-4).

The Watkins Mill Wolverines brought their "A game" to Wootton HS as they led at the end of the first quarter 19-14. In the second quarter, Chase Mitchell led the way with 2 treys along with one each by Chase Winokur, and Cameron Pietak. At halftime, the Patriots were within one, 31-30, In the second half the battle continued as Lester Walker of Watkins Mills seem to score at will with three treys. The Patriots were up to the task as well as three pointers came from guards, C. Winokur, C. Mitchell, and Ted Jeong. On defense, Wootton began to limit the Wolverine's "crosscuts' in the lane while wingman Darnell Egoto brought down 8 rebounds. The Patriots "4-out" offense began working as Egoto scored four points from the field and two shots from the foul line. By the end of quarter three, Wootton was up 48-44. In the final frame, Wootton got a lift from freshman guard as he hit two shots from beyond the arc. Wootton's lead stretched to 60-54 with over two minutes remaining. Walker gave it his all for Watkins Mill as he scored beyond the arc and inside the lane. Free throws by Mitchell and Roth sealed the victory for Wootton as they now have won three games in a row! Lester Walker finished with 35 points to lead the Wolverines. Wootton finished with five players scoring in double figures. Chase Mitchell ended with 16 points and Chase Winokur added 12. Darnell Egoto scored a "double-double" with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Cameron Pietak finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Kevin Roth add 11 points. One Friday, January 23, Wootton travels to Northwood HS. Watkins Mill continues on the road as they play Magruder HS.

The Jaguars MBB team (5-5 | 3-2) bounced back Friday Night in Bethesda vs. B-CC Barons (5-5 | 3-2) with a 72-69 Overtime Win. The Jags have won 5 of their last 6 while also closing out a week in which they won 2 of 3 games in a 5 day span! Out of the gate, and through the first half, both teams played a tough defensive game as the Barons took a 27-25 lead into the half. Things opened up in the 2nd half as B-CC began knocking down shots. They would outscore the Jags 20-12 in the frame and take a 10 point lead into the 4th. The Jags would immediately respond in the 4th quarter with a 9-0 run behind swarming, aggressive defense. The 2 teams would continue to battle leading to the Jags being down 2 with just over 5 seconds left and the ball on the baseline. Justin Harris ‘27, would get the handoff from Krishiv Ohri ‘26 after the inbounds and drive into the paint, knocking down a 6 foot jumper to send the game into overtime. B-CC would get the 1st basket in overtime but that would prove to be their last lead in the game as the Jags would win the extra period and take the game. Despite being out-rebounded and having 9 fewer shots from the FT line, The Jaguars forced 23 turnovers while only giving up 10. The Jaguars were led by Seniors Jaylin Ouattara (20pts | 6reb | 6ast | 4stls) & Kush Malhotra (20pts (4/8 3pt) 3reb | 6ast | 3stls). Krishiv Ohri ('26) chipped in with 10 points and 8 rebounds, 4 assist, and 3 steals. Justin Harris ‘27 & Henry Hecklinger ‘28 both had 7 points a piece. With the win, the Jags improve to 5-5 overall (3rd Overall in the MCPS West Region I) behind Seneca Valley (7-3) and Thomas Johnson (6-4).

Photo courtesy of @shotbyaidan Instagram. The Montgomery County standings race is only getting more competitive, and sitting at 6-5 on the season, Damascus boys’ basketball desperately needed a momentum boost. It got just that against Walter Johnson, and it was away from home to boot. The Wildcats were 6-3 heading into Friday’s tilt, but the Hornets emerged with the win, 58-53. Damascus imposed its will inside early on, scoring the game’s first few baskets on a tough drive to the rim and double-team hook shot. The Hornets were active on defense, too, either stripping the Wildcats or quickly transitioning their misses. Damascus even took a heady charge early on, providing it with some stellar momentum. It was ultimately a 9-0 run to start the game for the Hornets before the Wildcats' Will Kreisle netted a 3-pointer nearly three minutes into the game. That quickly became Walter Johnson’s calling card: shots from beyond the arc. The Wildcats deployed a five-out system, driving and kicking to try and manufacture some open shots. And while many of the shots were open, just two others went in throughout the course of the quarter — that served as the team’s lone points. Damascus continued to keep Walter Johnson at bay throughout the second quarter. It didn’t rush any of its shots or offensive sets, carefully setting screens and picks to open up midrange opportunities and drives. The Wildcats closed the gap to three points at the half, getting some trips to the line late, while Damascus missed some of its opportunities from the charity stripe to close the period. Walter Johnson earned the first points of the second half, getting a second chance bucket off an odd-man fast break. Just a minute later, the game was tied at 30 apiece after a hook shot from Jake Forburger. The next three minutes were almost completely dominated by Damascus. The Wildcats simply became stagnant on offense and had trouble breaking apart the Hornets’ half court zone. In all, it was a 6-0 run for the away squad. But by the end of the third quarter, things were knotted once more at 39 apiece — the Wildcats had found another way to battle back. But they simply couldn’t compete with Damascus’ 19-point fourth frame. Incredibly, it took over two minutes into the quarter before either team notched a point — the first came from a Tony DeStefano paint shot. But Jayden Thompson spinning layup soon tied things with just over five minutes left. So what separated the Hornets? A rapid 5-0 run ensued over the following minute, while the Wildcats’ outside shooting struggles and missed layups handicapped them. An Ethan Ray spinning layup with three minutes left to play nearly sealed the game for Hornets — the dagger felt like it was soon to come. But Walter Johnson’s defense suddenly came alive, rejecting Damascus layups that had easily gone through the net earlier in the game. A Thompson fast break layup cut the Hornets’ lead down to two with 1:41 left to play. It was ultimately Ray that delivered on Damascus’ game-sealing buckets; a midrange fadeaway and a heavily-contested reverse layup under the hoop. The Hornets will look to take the momentum from Friday’s win into their Tuesday contest against 2-9 Northwood.

Photo courtesy of Poolesville Athletics Instagram. Two 4-1 teams took the court Monday night for a heavyweight bout — and the product didn’t disappoint. Though low scoring, the Falcons ultimately seized the 48-44 victory to improve to 5-1 and tie for fourth in the county standings. The Panthers opened up an early 9-2 lead, thanks to a deep three and some free throw opportunities. Poolesville’s zone defense, combined with Paint Branch’s nifty cutting and quick finishing caught the Falcons off guard. Ryan Bobb hit his stride early for Paint Branch after being a huge factor for the Falcons in the second half of their game against Blake. Bobb was a consistent scorer from both deep and the midrange Monday, and even earned himself a trip to the free throw line early. His efforts accounted for the Panthers’ 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. It didn’t take long for the Falcons to get back in the game, however. Poolesville embarked on a rapid 8-0 run to seize the lead, and it was all done inside the arc. But the Panthers didn’t back down from this sudden explosion, using some of its own physicality to assert itself inside. A tough drive and and-one finish capped off a 6-0 run of their own to give them a 24-18 lead. Paint Branch ultimately led 28-25 at the halftime break. Armaan Jain was the catalyst for many of Poolesville’s scores late in the period, asserting himself on drives to the cup and contorting his body around defenders. Jordan Smith tied things immediately coming out of the break with a corner three. But after that, it took over two minutes before the next bucket was scored by either team. Jain potted the next bucket on a fastbreak to give the Falcons their first lead. Poolesville’s aggressive drives weren’t met with much resistance down the stretch — yet, Paint Branch found a way to keep pace. Despite being down 38-30 as the third quarter’s end approached, the Panthers slowly found a way to claw back as time ticked down, hitting multiple free throws. Paint Branch tied the game with four minutes to play, and then cut the score to 42-41 with a clutch and-one bucket with 2:43 left. An extremely timely corner three pushed that advantage to four on the next possession, and that score remained until the final minute. With 15 seconds left, Bobb had some last-second heroics left in him, unleashing a double-covered, fadeaway three that sunk right through the net. But still being down one, Paint Branch was forced to foul. And while Poolesville calmly hit its free throws, Paint Branch ultimately failed to respond, resulting in the loss. Poolesville is next set to take on Clarksburg on Jan 6.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c30GhJeRhfk

great game by clarkburg

THANK YOU THURSDAY HONOREE: Coach CJ Jenkins TEAM: Northwest Jaguars Meeting this gentleman this past 24-25 🏀🏀 season, wanted to give honor and thanks to Coach Calvin CJ Jenkins, who became the new varsity head basketball coach at Northwest HS in Germantown, Maryland early 2024. He is an alumni of Northwest, class of 2002 and holds records for NSU Men’s Basketball. But that’s not the reason he’s being mentioned. Coach Jenkins, by MFV’s observation brings a fatherly like style to his leadership of the team. You will observe the team responding to him like he is a father figure. When he’s coaching, he’ll tell you when you’re doing something wrong but have your back when there’s something he perceives is done wrong. He will speak up for you or to you, but in a manner of respect. You can see he treats his players like their his own children and has the support system of his wife and mom as he’s out there working. I was glad to witness his playoff run last season, and he handled the loss with class. Looking forward to see how he builds his team this upcoming season. THANK YOU Coach CJ for taking the time out to develop your “sons” while being a standup coach of discipline and poise. We appreciate what you do representing Northwest athletics, MoCo Sports, and the DMV Sports Community at large. Much more success to you.

🏀🏀 CAPITAL HOOPS SUMMER LEAGUE 1 @ AACS |
🆚 NW vs SPALDING Summer league players from the Northwest Jaguars face the Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers . GUYS, Keep shining and grinding while listening to the wisdom from your coaches. SPECIAL THANKS to AACS and CAPITAL HOOPS for allowing us to film. ✅ Final Score: JAGUARS - 51 CAVALIERS - 85 👀 MFV U📺🔗⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_2vNkLoiWI