North II

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFxjks-47pk 🏀🏀 ROAD TO UMBC MPSSAA 3A BOYS STATE QUARTERFINAL 
 🆚 Frederick vs Marriotts Ridge
 📍Marriotts Ridge HS, Marriottsville, Maryland 📝 Kmillz (MFVAllSportsNetwork) MFV arrived to what looked like to be a sold out Mustangs arena at Marriotts Ridge High School in Marriottsville, Maryland. (SHOUTS to CSZScores, as I met their student ambassador. Hope you are successful in your new opportunities on the rise!!!) The cheerleaders for Frederick traveled down to support their Cadets joining alonside a big crowd of Cadets’s fans. BUT, the Mustang fans packed out the house as well. The Marriotts Ridge Student section arrayed in American colors as their theme for the night. It looked like a never ending cycle as the Ridge staff directed numbers of them over to the student section. What I didn’t expect was the intense and loud atmosphere on the horizon. The Cadets team came out clapping and showing they were ready to play 32 minutes of basketball. Mustangs had a cool vibe and the team was rocking some old school warm up uniforms. They looked completely focused and locked in. A huge battled was brewing in the midst of a western Howard County high school. 1ST HALF - The beginning quarter was a knock down drag out fight for some points to get on the board. Both teams displayed excellent defense, causing their offenses to really struggle getting open lanes to drive the ball closer inside for points. By the second quarter things started to pick up as the Mustangs held a fair lead of 7 going in to the half, 23-16. 2ND HALF - The Cadets began to fight back pulling the score between 3 points at one point. HOWEVER, it was last minutes of the 4th period that became critical. After listening to the echoes of loud voices all around, cheerleaders having their own little summersault routine wars, and student sections yelling at one another; this game was decided in the last two minutes being tied at 42-42. The Mustangs had put up quite a fight to stay in front. It was Frederick’s guard, #10 AJ Spencer who scored the final basket, leaving the Ridge only 5 seconds to either tie, or hit a long ranged three for the win. I gave Spencer the name Tricky Fingers, because he was creating critical turnovers leading up to these moments. Marriotts Ridge just didn’t see AJ coming at those pivotal times. CONGRATULATIONS to the FREDERICK CADETS, who pulled off an awesome 44-42 victory, and they advanced on to the Semifinal round in states. SO EXCITED FOR YOU CADETS. Keep that flame burning. MUCH LOVE to the MARRIOTTS RIDGE MUSTANGS, you guys played with fire, intensity, and passion. Proud of you guys. You are awesome. MFV MVP - #10 AJ Spencer, 8 points, and the go-ahead basket in the final seconds of the game.

Seven Howard County teams advanced to the second round of regionals this weekend. The first round of regional games started and finished on Friday across all four MPSSAA classes. Four of the remaining Howard County teams used a first-round bye for an extra week of rest before the intensity of the playoffs ramp up. The other three teams prevailed in matchups against rival county teams. All of the Howard County teams are in the 2A and 3A classes. 2A: Glenelg, Hammond, River Hill Hammond holds the second seed in the West II bracket, standing ahead of the other two remaining teams. The Golden Bears pulled off a thrilling midseason comeback this year, posting an 8-4 record in 2026 after ending 2025 with a 45 record. Their opponent in this second round is the River Hill Hawks. 11-10 River Hill took care of business on Friday with a 65-47 win against 1-19 Wilde Lake. The Hawks will now hit the road to take on Hammond. In their last meeting, the Hawks won late and close in a 56-54 game. The Golden Bears and Hawks face off at 6:00 p.m. tonight. Glenelg are on the other wing of the bracket, coming off their upset win against Long Reach. Three weeks ago on Feb. 5, the Lightning comfortably beat Glenelg at Glenelg in a 67-57 game. The Gladiators appeared to have run out of gas with only one win in their prior eleven games. None of those games finished with a margin less than six points. Glenelg stunned everyone with a 68-62 road win to keep their playoff dreams alive. The path for a Gladiators miracle run will only get harder in the regionals’ second round. Their next opponent is a 12-5 Southern team that remained consistent throughout the entire season. Southern has not ceded an upset loss to a team with a lower winning percentage all season. Glenelg will try to become the story of the MPSSAA playoffs at 6:00 p.m. tonight. 3A: Atholton, Marriotts Ridge, Mt. Hebron, Oakland Mills Marriotts Ridge holds the top seed in North II and earned a first-round bye. Their first playoff opponent is a Franklin High School with momentum. They took down Howard in a thrilling 48-46 showdown, continuing their resurrection from an early-season 1-5 record. Marriotts Ridge will host the second round matchup at 6:00 p.m. tonight. South I number one seed Oakland Mills faces 10-11 Sherwood for its first playoff game. Sherwood routed Reservoir in the first round with a final score of 85-47. The Scorpions will look to bounce back from their county championship loss and regain their momentum for the playoffs. The two teams face off tonight at 6:00 p.m. Across the bracket, Atholton will prepare for a cross-country matchup against Mt. Hebron. The Vikings just secured their closest win of the season against Guilford Park, winning 59-58. They are 6-3 in their last nine and facing an Atholton squad that did not lose a single county game at home. Atholton and Mt. Hebron face off at 6:00 p.m. tonight.

New Town Won not Owings Mills

www.youtube.com/watch?v=flDGxH93SUg

The final stretch of the basketball season has arrived, with six games to go before the playoffs start. Three Howard County teams are in pursuit of the county’s best record and a neck-and-neck chase for a number one seed. Oakland Mills, Marriotts Ridge and Atholton will spend the next month fighting for that glory, setting up fans to watch high-stakes basketball down the stretch. Here is a breakdown of each team’s path to the best record this season: Oakland Mills: The Scorpions lead the way with a 14-1 record this year and six more games on their schedule. Oakland Mills has been a juggernaut on offense all season. They have played only four games without scoring at least 60 points, winning three of them. The Scorpions deliver late and close too with four wins by one possession. Oakland Mills has the hardest path to keeping possession of the top record. Their remaining strength of schedule is the highest of all the remaining teams at a .507 winning percentage. The Scorpions will only play four unique teams to close the season. They face an improved Guilford Park back-to-back over a three-day span and will also see Glenelg twice. The hardest game left on their calendar is the season finale, facing Atholton for a second time. The Scorpions lost their first matchup 49-25 at home, setting the stage for a potentially crucial matchup for tiebreaker and seeding purposes. Marriotts Ridge: Marriotts Ridge could have tied for the top record, but a cancellation last week keeps them half a game back in the standings. The Mustangs have been an elite force on both sides of the court all season, with a 49-48 loss to Oakland Mills as their only loss. Marriotts Ridge has the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams. However, the .430 winning percentage for the rest of their schedule is somewhat misleading. The Mustangs face strong Baltimore City, Hammond and Mt. Hebron teams over their next three games. That stretch transitions into the easiest part of their schedule all season. The Mustangs close out the season with matchups against Reservoir, Centennial and Wilde Lake. The last two teams combine for a 2-24 record so far this year, reducing the pressure for Marriotts Ridge once the next three games are over. The Mustangs are still in control of their destiny for the top seed. Atholton: Atholton is a dark horse for the county crown at 10-5. They have the slimmest margin for error of any of the three possible teams. The Raiders’ record is far sharper against county opponents, coming in at 10-2 in those matchups. An outlier holiday tournament saw a decline in offense that Atholton turned around immediately in 2026. The Raiders would need both Oakland Mills and Marriotts Ridge to lose at least four of their final games. The only direct influence Atholton can have on that is in their penultimate game, facing Oakland Mills. Atholton’s remaining strength of schedule has a .500 winning percentage that creates a challenging path since they can only afford one loss. The Raiders will need to win their rematch against Guilford Park, which beat them 56-48 a month ago, and a season sweep of Oakland Mills. The Raiders’ standout season will still deliver a top playoff seed, but the Raiders could sneak their way to the top of the county.

Colin Tucker 18 points 13 rebounds

TJ get the win in double overtime at Centennial.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_wX5xYu1fQ

The second week back from winter break in Baltimore County had no shortage of high-powered teams playing high-powered teams. With thirteen BCPS teams currently sitting with winning records, and the regional playoffs just over a month away, plenty of teams are vying for home-court advantage for late February. Several close games, road wins, and upsets went down throughout the county this week, and are highlighted in the top five boys basketball games from January 12-16: Lansdowne: 60, Catonsville: 52 The Vikings came into the game 4-3 following a ten-point home win over Woodlawn, while the Comets brought in a two-game win streak, including a home victory against Randallstown and another on the road against Western Tech. Lansdowne opened the first quarter on a 10-2 scoring run, forcing a Catonsville timeout. After the short break, the Comets fought back, shrinking the lead to 16-11 by the end of the first. In the last two minutes of the first half, Catonsville had several opportunities from behind the line, shrinking the Lansdowne lead to as few as one, but Lansdowne took a 29-26 lead into half. After the break, the Vikings continued to extend their lead, increasing their advantage by another three in the third, and two in the fourth. Despite a valiant effort from the Comets at home, their two-game win streak snapped as Lansdowne took the win 60-52. Parkville: 65, Perry Hall: 57 The Gators came in holding a two-game win streak since winter break, with strong wins on the road against Loch Raven and at home against Kenwood. The Knights had won just one of their last three, with a loss to Meade over the break and two games against county teams since returning to school. Perry Hall opened the game on an 8-0 scoring run that lasted for the first four minutes of the game, but Parkville had a 7-0 run of their own at the end of the quarter, bringing the deficit to just four. The Knights took their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter by just one point, but the Gators tied the game at 27 by halftime. Both team’s offenses were just as strong in the second half, as the Knights tacked on 38 in the second half while the Gators added 30. Perry Hall’s win streak was snapped on the road, as the Knights took this one 65-57. Dulaney: 55, Milford Mill: 32 The Lions came into this game at the top of the standings and riding a five-game win streak, with their most recent loss dating back to December 12 against Carver Vo-Tech. The Millers, also a strong team in the county, won their most recent game, a 30-point victory at home against Western Tech. Dulaney won the opening tipoff, but turned the ball over after missing two shots. After a Milford turnover, the Lions scored the first points of the game on a contested shot in the paint. Throughout the first half, the Millers struggled from beyond the arc, and simultaneously, Dulaney punished the Milford Mill defense, securing no shortage of offensive rebounds. The Lions offense continued playing well throughout the rest of the game, while the defense continued to limit Milford Mill on the way to a 55-32 win. Kenwood: 45, Towson: 32 Towson hit the road to take on Kenwood holding a two-game win streak after games against Patapsco and Carver. The Bluebirds, one game above .500, took down Eastern Tech by four points five days before this game. Both teams’ offenses got off slow, with just fourteen combined points in the first quarter, with three coming on a buzzer-beater three by Kenwood. The start of the second quarter had the same story, but eight combined points were scored in the final two minutes. Towson took their first lead of the game with five minutes left in the third, leading by as much as five, but Kenwood turned up the heat in the final thirteen minutes. To end the game, Kenwood won the scoring battle 27-9, en route to their second straight win, 45-32. Freshman Adrienne Guzman led the scoring for the Bluebirds, contributing sixteen points. Sophomore A’mare Gaulden-Saddler added ten of his own. Junior Zaaire Tucker had 13 rebounds, five offensively and eight on defense. Pikesville: 49, Hereford: 44 The 3-7 Panthers traveled up I-83 to face off against the 7-2 Bulls. Pikesville dropped two close games against Marriotts Ridge and Catonsville in their last two while Hereford came in riding a four-game win streak. Both teams’ offenses opened the game very strong, scoring fifteen each in the first quarter, but the Panthers went on to take a 25-24 lead by halftime. The Panthers offense won both of the final two quarters, taking the third by the three and the fourth by one, giving them the 49-44 upset win on the road. Sophomore Kylan Artis and junior Jonah Matz both played all 32 minutes and both scored fourteen points for Pikesville, while Matz added thirteen rebounds. St. Mary’s College of Maryland commit Tanner Diehl led with 23 points while senior Kreis Metz added eight rebounds and two steals for the Bulls.

1.Oakland Mills 2.Marriotts Ridge 3.Atholton 4.Long Reach 5.Hammond Hammond is trending up after a 2–1 January start and faces Reservoir and Howard with a chance at their first winning record since Dec. 17th! 🏀

Howard County basketball returns next week with most teams still in the mix for county glory. For this CSZ midseason check-in, we looked at what each school’s main goal should be for 2026. Note: The listed records are only for games against other Howard County teams. 1. Oakland Mills (5-0) New Year’s Resolution: Generate more offense The Scorpions are the last undefeated team in the county, earning that spot with a close 49-48 win against Marriotts Ridge. Oakland Mills will need more point separation to stay at the top of the standings. Most of their games have been within two possessions, including two very close wins against Long Reach and Marriotts Ridge. On an individual level, Daniel Ndiritu ‘27 became the first player to score 20 points this season for the Scorpions, reaching that mark in the final game of the year. Next up: vs Catonsville on Monday, Jan. 5 2. Marriotts Ridge (6-1) New Year’s Resolution: Stay on track The Mustangs are off to a nearly flawless start this season. They have scored 65+ points in six of their seven games and allowed fewer than 55 in five of those games. Marriotts Ridge closed out the year on a particularly high note, reaching a season high of 81 points scored against Reservoir. Next up: vs. Howard on Wednesday, Jan. 7 3. River Hill (5-2) New Year’s Resolution: Win on Wednesdays The Hawks have evened out after a strong 2-0 start against Hammond and Wilde Lake. A tougher schedule has contributed to a 3-3 record in their last six games, but River Hill has developed a clear split based on game time. The Hawks have not won a Wednesday game since Feb. 7, 2024, dropping the last eight across three seasons. River Hill’s four remaining midweek games could determine the fate of their season. Next up: at Reservoir on Wednesday, Jan. 7 4. Mt. Hebron (5-2) New Year’s Resolution: Enjoy being at home The Vikings opened the season with a challenging gauntlet, playing five of their first seven games on the road. Mt. Hebron pushed through and won four of those five. They have six more road games this season, but the final stretch of the season is almost exclusively on their home court, with four games in February as the playoff push intensifies. Next up: at Atholton on Wednesday, Jan. 7 5. Atholton (3-1) New Year’s Resolution: Trust the defense Atholton plays a unique brand of basketball compared to the rest of the county. The Raiders’ defense-first approach has singlehandedly brought their best county start in years. They have allowed an average of fewer than 50 points per game, including just 32 against River Hill. Before this season, they had not won three of their first four county games since 2022. Facing Marriotts Ridge and River Hill proved that this style of play can propel the Raiders into contention. Next up: vs Mt. Hebron on Wednesday, Jan. 7 6. Long Reach (3-2) New Year’s Resolution: Keep up the momentum The Lightning closed out the year on a high note with considerable improvement from last season. A 0-2 start looked like more of the same before a three-game winning streak provided a sharp turnaround. For reference, Long Reach did not have three county wins last season until Valentine’s Day. Next up: vs Centennial on Monday, Jan. 5 7. Reservoir (2-3) New Year’s Resolution: Forget the Marriotts Ridge game The Gators have hovered around .500 all season, with their longest winning streak standing at one game. For the most part, Reservoir has played solid basketball with a good defense and an inconsistent offense. The only outlier came in the final game of the year against Marriotts Ridge, where the team allowed 81 points to the Mustangs. Staying the course can keep the Gators toward the middle of the standings. Next up: vs River Hill on Wednesday, Jan. 7 8. Glenelg (2-2) New Year’s Resolution: Look for more synergy The Gladiators played fewer games than most county teams after a game against Oakland Mills was canceled. With four county games recorded, Glenelg has flashed the pieces needed for contention, but has not been able to consistently put them together yet. They did end the year with everything working in the year’s final game, beating Centennial 55-52. Next up: vs Guilford Park on Wednesday, Jan. 7 9. Hammond (2-4) New Year’s Resolution: Rediscover their offense The Golden Bears spent the first half of December playing well on both sides of the court. They took care of games against Glenelg and Wilde Lake before their season took a turn as the schedule grew more challenging. Games against Mt. Hebron and Oakland Mills closed the year in a slide that came down to the offense’s decline. In their last three county games, Hammond lost each and failed to score 55 points in all of them. Changing that will be their top priority for 2026. Next up: at Guilford Park on Monday, Jan. 5 10. Centennial (1-5) New Year’s Resolution: Trust the process The Eagles’ record is not yet indicative of their performance this season. They lost to River Hill and Marriotts Ridge, but their other games showed a team that should be better than 1-5. In two-possession or fewer games, Centennial has a 1-4 record, with the only win coming in the season opener against Reservoir. The Eagles should see more wins if they can continue to play close and wait for more late-game breakthroughs. Next up: at Long Reach on Monday, Jan. 5 11. Guilford Park (1-4) New Year’s Resolution: Tighten the defense The Panthers recorded their first December win in program history against Howard on Dec. 15. Outside of that game, the Guilford Park offense has performed well, but the defense has still not clicked. Against county opponents, they have averaged 59 points scored per game. Their win against Howard was the only time that they did not allow 55 points in a county game. Next up: vs Hammond on Monday, Jan. 5 12. Howard (1-4) New Year’s Resolution: Improve in-county scoring The Lions have stepped back so far after their strong performance last year. The offense has not recorded 50 points against a county team once this season and the team’s success is almost exclusively against other schools. Their two best wins came against Crossland and Winters Mill, which were two of their last three games. A Lions’ turnaround this season will only be possible if they can bring that offense to their 12 remaining games in the county. Next up: at Marriotts Ridge on Wednesday, Jan. 7 13. Wilde Lake (0-6) New Year’s Resolution: Turn the page on 2025 The Wildecats have not performed as many would have expected this season, following an 18-win campaign last year. Wilde Lake needs improvement offensively and defensively in 2026. Finding their first win quickly could be the spark this team needs to get back on track for the rest of the season. Next up: vs Oakland Mills on Wednesday, Jan. 7

Marriotts Ridge became the county’s second five-win team on Friday. The Mustangs’ 5-1 start is the school’s best since opening the 2021 season with a seven-game winning streak. They hosted the Guilford Park Panthers and secured a close 67-64 win. Marriotts Ridge took an early lead after the first quarter and held on to stay undefeated all-time against Guilford Park. The Mustangs continued their trend of controlling the first half of games. They outscored Guilford Park 16-9 in the first quarter and 20-15 in the second. On the season, Marriotts Ridge has a +72 point differential with just under 200 points scored. The Panthers pulled their way back into the game because of a late fourth-quarter surge to put pressure on Marriotts Ridge. They had 25 points to the Mustangs’ 11 in the largest difference across all four quarters. Marriotts Ridge has now been outscored in the fourth quarter in half of its games. The Mustangs will need to extend their first-half success to effectively close out games if they want to stay atop the county standings. Before the season, Coach Seth Willingham highlighted Blake Willingham and Aaron Hammann as players to watch for this season. Those two have led the Mustangs to a top record in the county and created momentum to close out the year, Blake Willingham led the team with a career high of 24 points scored. He thrived from the three-point line, going 7-14 in a season high in attempts. The junior has now shot at least 50% from three in half of the Mustangs’ games. Aaron Hammann recorded his fourth double-double of the season. The senior scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds. Hammann has already taken a considerable step forward this season. His defense has been a key factor in Marriotts Ridge's early success. The team has not lost when he picked up at least five defensive rebounds in a game. His 65 rebounds this year are already ahead of his 2024 pace by 38. The Mustangs will face Reservoir for their final game in December. The Gators currently sport a middle-of-the-pack record at 2-3 but should see better results soon. Reservoir has a +12 point differential and they lost two one-possession games. They just played their best game of the season last week in a 61-45 win over Howard. The Gators have recent success on the road against the Mustangs with two wins in the three games since 2022. Marriotts Ridge and Reservoir will tip off at 5:30 p.m. tonight.

Howard County high school basketball teams will not have full-time athletic trainers this season. The approved county budget did not include new trainers on the staff list. A previous draft from March created 13 full-time positions, adding one to each of the county’s high schools. Malcolm Tatum, the head coach for the Guilford Park High School boys’ basketball team, criticized county lawmakers for leaving his staff and players shorthanded again this year. “There is a big concern with the lack of trainers in Howard County. I don’t blame the trainers because they aren’t compensated the way they should be. But the increase in injuries and the prolonging of the injuries are because of the lack of trainers,” Tatum said. The second year coach played college basketball for Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia from 2013 to 2016. He credited his success to the training staff at his high school. “When I played in high school, we had a full-time trainer in the building most of the day. I believe that should be brought back to Howard County,” Tatum said. The Howard County Board of Education elected to keep the school system’s current model, contracting seven part-time trainers from Pivot Physical Therapy to split duties at the 13 schools. A Pivot representative declined to specify how often each trainer appeared. The 2026 operating budget approved $1.8 million in salaries for student health services in high school sports. That money did not include any personnel additions for trainers. The Howard County Board of Education office said the members had no comment. Boys’ basketball coach Seth Willingham had more time to adjust to a lack of athletic staffing at Marriotts Ridge High School. He described the abundance of player injuries as a distraction for the faculty. “We have not had a trainer at our school for three years. So coaches are left treating athletes, taping athletes, etc. It is very difficult to manage and takes away from coaching at times. Not only am I helping my players, but often other athletes from teams at our school because some of the coaches are not in the building,” Willingham said. Willingham heard about a junior varsity basketball player at Marriotts Ridge collapsing last season. The player hit their head and fell on the court. No athletic trainer attended the game, so coaches had to call for an ambulance, fearing a severe injury. Hammond High School boys’ basketball coach Kyle Duffie worried that student-athletes would not find as much success in collegiate athletics without greater access to trainers. Glenelg High School girls’ basketball coach Maureen Roberson saw her players struggle to get ready to compete. “We need athletic trainers in every high school. I am concerned about the lack of athletic trainers. Players like to see athletic trainers before games, but there’s no one for them to see,” Roberson said. One Howard County basketball coach did not express any issues with athletic trainer coverage. Oakland Mills High School girls’ basketball coach Michael Coughlan had no problems at home games or during practices. “We are fortunate that we have a great four day a week trainer,” Coughlan said. Ryan Hudy, the new boys’ basketball coach at Reservoir High School, viewed the lack of trainers as his toughest challenge so far. He disagreed with the county’s approach to student-athlete safety. “I came from Montgomery County, where one trainer was assigned to every school full-time. Now I’m at a situation where we have been practicing or trying out for 13 days and I have seen our part-time trainer two times,” Hudy said. The Reservoir roster already acquired various preseason injuries, including a possible concussion, multiple rolled ankles and a sprained thumb. Hudy wanted to see more urgency from county leaders. “It’s a reactive approach, just waiting for something bad to happen and then the decision will be made to have each of the 13 high schools have a trainer. Instead of doing it now and being proactive,” Hudy said.

Here are CSZ's rankings of all 13 Howard County Boys' Varsity Basketball teams for this season. Each team's 2024-2025 record is included inside the parentheses. 1. Mt. Hebron (20-2) The Vikings firmly led the county last year with the deepest playoff run and the most wins. An outlier in the season opener did not stall their dominance, giving way to a 20-1 run and playoff victories over Chesapeake and Marriotts Ridge. Mt. Hebron’s season will open on Friday against Howard. 2. Marriotts Ridge (15-7) Marriotts Ridge enjoyed another strong season last year with momentum for 2025. They will try to get past Mt. Hebron after three losses in 2024. Coach Seth Willingham said fans should have high expectations again because of a “tough man defense and uptempo fast paced offense with multiple scoring options.” Marriotts Ridge starts its season against Wilde Lake on Friday. 3. Wilde Lake (18-5) The Wildecats powered their way to 18 wins with remarkable consistency. Interestingly, four of their losses came at home. They also had a close home loss to Southern in the first round of the playoffs. They will try to earn their first playoff win since 2022 this year. Wilde Lake opens its season against Marriotts Ridge on Friday. 4. Howard (15-6) The Lions took a big step forward last year with their best start in five years. They burst out to a 10-1 record before dealing with midseason adversity. Howard battled through and ended the season on a high note, carrying their strong offense into the playoffs. Howard will try to push their way further this year, starting with a key test against Mt. Hebron on Friday 5. Atholton (11-8) The Raiders used a late-season surge to go on a playoff run last year. They hovered around .500 through the middle of January before winning five of their last eight games. Postseason wins against Long Reach and Centennial highlighted their strong season. Atholton basketball returns on Friday against Long Reach. 6. Centennial (12-9) The Eagles tied Mt. Hebron for the best start in the county last season. They had an 11-1 record before things rapidly changed. They closed the year 1-8 and lost to Atholton in the second round of the playoffs. Centennial will try to put two strong halves of basketball together this year, opening their season against Guilford Park on Friday. 7. Hammond (8-12) The Golden Bears have serious momentum entering the season. They rebounded from a 2-10 start to win six of their last eight. Coach Kyle Duffie said that Hammond fans should expect a “hard nosed, fast and fun style of play” this season. Their journey starts on Friday against River Hill. 8. Reservoir (8-13) The Gators made significant improvements last season. They played hot-and-cold basketball all winter but picked up steam as they went. They beat High Point in the first round of the playoffs 79-37. With an all-new starting five, Reservoir will take on Centennial on Dec. 8. 9. Glenelg (8-12) The Gladiators battled through adversity in the first half of the 2024 season. They reached a season-best 7-5 record on Jan. 31 with a chance of securing a strong playoff seed. February became a struggle as the team went 1-7 before losing in the first round to Marriotts Ridge. Glenelg will try to find more stamina this year, starting on Friday against Century. 10. Oakland Mills (6-14) The Scorpions picked up a playoff win against Guilford Park last season. They rebounded from a 1-9 start and won three of their last four games, securing a better record than in 2023. Oakland Mills will face Howard on Dec. 8 for their first game. 11. Long Reach (5-17) The Lightning finish ahead of River Hill on this list because they beat the Hawks in the playoffs last year. They will try to return to the program that won 19 games in 2023 and prove 2024 is an outlier. Long Reach will face Atholton on Friday in a playoff rematch from last season. 12. River Hill (7-14) The Hawks struggled to maintain consistency last season. After posting a 3-3 record in December 2024, they lost 11 of their final 14 games. Their season starts on Friday against Hammond. 13. Guilford Park (5-17) The Panthers had a challenging debut season last year. They lost their first 11 games but rebounded to win five of their next eight. Their season ended in a four-game losing streak. Guilford Park will open their season this Friday against Centennial.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywgIoxRFtmk

The number 3. Seed Largio Lions defeat the number 1. Seeded New Town Titans in a 48-50 nail biter in the CLASS2A boys championship. The game started off slow with both teams demonstrating strong defenses until player number 0 Jaylen Johnson put points on the board. Both teams struggled off of missed 2 pointers and shot clock Violations, but Newton Had the upper advantage with scoring multiple shots in the paint, ending the quarter with New town leading 10-9. Largo wouldn’t hold back despite the slow offensive performance, hitting multiple layups and from number 3 star play Cameron Ward, pressuring into the paint and hitting an impressive Alley Oop dunk. Largo capitalized the momentum ending the half 23-24 with the lead. Largo remained dominating entering the second half, with Ward and number 0 Jalen Johnson bursting onto the court with dunks. Ward would stay strong in defense but gave up two technical fouls, leading to New town showing some life with free throws and three pointers, ending the quarter with Largo winning 31-38. New Town seemed to come out of a dark tunnel entering the 4th quarter. Despite Largo leading 37-44 with 5 minutes remaining, only taking two threes to keep the score 43-44. Largo would score some crucial points from a free throw and a 3 pointer from Jared Mobley to take the score up 43-48. New town later scored a crucial three pointer in hopes of making this comeback story true, but Star player Ward demonstrated strong defense and rebounded for a strong dunk. The score remained 46-50 with 40 seconds remaining until New Town scored a needed layup. New Town stopped the clock several times with fouling, later leading to a Ward free throw. Ward ended up missing the dagger to a New town team giving 18 seconds left for New town to throw a shot up. New town player #2 Tyriq Liggins possessed the ball and hit a very dangerous crossover leaving him space to shoot. Liggins took up the three pointer in hopes of a game winner but hit off the rim as time wear out. Largo became back to back state champions as New town took the title of runner ups, both teams able to look back on the season and call it a success.

The 1-seed New Town Titans took on the 3-seed Largo Lions at the Xfinity center in College Park on Friday afternoon. New Town came into the game following a double overtime 82-74 victory against Middletown while the Lions are coming off an overtime upset against Dunbar where they won 70-64. The first half was a rollercoaster of lead changes, but ended with Largo leading by one. Largo forward Cam Ward led both teams in points with 10 at the break. Despite growing their lead to 7 by the end of the third quarter, the Lions didn’t have the game squared away. With just over 2 minutes left in the game, New Town fought to come back to just one point down. After a foul, Ward stepped to the line to take two crucial shots, but missed them both. New Town had their shot to win the game. After several Largo fouls, the Titans missed a two pointer with one second left. Largo pulled out the narrow upset, taking down the top seeded Titans 50-49. Can Ward remained the Lions’ points leader with 20 throughout the game while Justus Stanton led with 13 for the Titans. This game marks two consecutive state titles for the Largo Lions. Congratulations to both teams for the achievement of making it to this game.

Largo leads 38-31 after three quarters

Largo leads 24-23 at the end of the second quarter

Q2 Starts now