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.
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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
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.
The Mustangs (1-0)captured their first victory of the season in their opening game with a hard fall road victory 62-53 at Southern. Junior Keon Scott led the way scoring 21 pts, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, while fellow seniors Arouna Soumaoro chipped in with 13 points & 8 rebounds and Jayvon Thomas had 13 points & 4 rebounds. The Mustangs next play tomorrow morning at 10:30am vs Loyola of Blakefield in the Xavian Classic at Good Counsel High School.
WOW! with 18.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter Wilde lake boys basketball holds an advantage of 13-6. This is a competitive game with both nice teams but it is so that Wilde lake basketball is crushing it. Will they always? I dont know but I’m praying on it. Keep up the good work wild cats 🙌🏾
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.
🏀🏀 River Hill vs Severn School: Capital Hoops Summer League Showdown at AACS River Hill Hawks and Severn School Admirals meet on the court for a summer basketball showdown. This high-energy matchup will feature exciting plays and intense competition as these two battle for bragging rights 👀 MFV U📺🔗⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA0MIW0dr1s
In a game where the final score that does not reflect the quality of the game, Glenelg Country cut the New Church lead down to 4 in the third quarter after losing by 19 at halftime. ANC then went on a 19-3 run with a barrage of threes, running away in the fourth quarter with a 92-66 win
Long Reach failed to get past River Hill in two matchups during the regular season, but used a home court advantage to reach a new peak in the 73-64 victory. "I've been working at this for 24 years and it's the first time that I personally have been a region champion," Long Reach head coach Andrew Lazzor said. "The best thing is we’ve got kids from the past few years in our program when we made this turnaround, they come in the locker room and they’re part of the program. Those are the guys that started this transition. We’re getting the right kids in here and their parents are supporting us no matter what. As a father, I appreciate them. That’s the one message I said to them, ‘It feels great to win a region championship, but you aren’t anything without the people in that gym.’ It’s been a great journey.” The Lightning built up a strong lead in the middle of the contest, but a late rush by the Hawks made things interesting at the end. Ultimately, 23 points by Jayden Saunders and 22 points by Rj Barnes, both seniors, combined for an offensive threat that was tough to combat. River Hill got out in front early, using advantages on the offensive glass. One possession in the middle of the first quarter saw the Hawks grab three offensive boards before finally making a bucket, but the Lightning could not keep them off the boards. Long Reach used an 11-0 run towards the end of the first quarter to grab a 21-13 lead. Both teams traded positions in the second quarter with the Lightning getting out in front, but the Hawks putting together a late run to cut the deficit to 10 points, 41-31, at halftime. The Hawks continued to battle, getting as close as eight points near the midway point of the third quarter, but another late run by Long Reach saw the Lightning grab a 57-40 lead through three quarters. Despite the large lead, Long Reach had to stay on top of its game and for good reason. The Hawks, led by Braden Sauritch who finished with 21 points, chipped away in the final minutes to make things interesting. A clutch three made it 69-64 Long Reach with about a minute to play, but the Hawks had to foul the Lightning into the bonus. "If you noticed on the bench, I started celebrating early and [said] 'We're not celebrating early. We got to go all the way through. All the way through.' And then finally with two seconds left ... 'I think we got this,'" Lazzor said. Time ran out on the Hawks and Long Reach enjoyed a court storm by its students, reaching a new height that the program hadn't seen in 16 years. "We got talented guys, but we got to have the hard-nosed, tough dudes," Lazzor said. "I want guys that are run through that brick wall for it at any given time, and that's what this group will do. We got guys that don't touch the court right now. And they're in practice every day running, they're playing, every single day, working. So I don't have any issues. We've got 14 guys in the gym every day and they are working their butts off no issues, no concerns... I'm looking at their faces after we win this game and they're so excited for our team because they help build that every day in practice, which is huge." Long Reach will learn of its MPSSAA Class 3A State Quarterfinal opponent on Wednesday and begin preparation ahead of hosting the game on Friday at 7 p.m.