West II

Kaleah Anderson (Glen Burnie) and Chloe Greenway (Oakland Mills) earned MVP honors in a back-and-forth battle. Anderson got things rolling early, knocking down a three to open the scoring—setting the tone for a game full of shot attempts on both sides. A standout from Anne Arundel showed out as well, making a big impact throughout the game. Anne Arundel led 37-29 at the half, but Howard County came out of the break firing, going on a 12-0 run to flip the momentum. Lauer caught fire in the second half, drilling a logo three and following it up with another from the top of the key. Howard County took a 64-60 lead with just over 3 minutes left and held a one-point edge with 30 seconds remaining. But Anne Arundel responded with a clutch bucket to take the lead late. Anne Arundel escapes with a 69-68 win. 🔥

Howard County saw two teams make championship appearances and three win their region this season. Glenelg and Reservoir powered their way to have a chance at a title. Howard made it to the state bracket. Here are CSZ’s awards for the best of the county this season: Team of the Year - Reservoir Gators Reservoir tied for the best regular-season record at 16-4 and won a county-high five playoff games. The Gators hit the ground running in December, winning all six of their games and keeping opponents under 40 points in four of them. Their seven-game win streak to open the year showcased that this year’s team would not take a step back, leading the county once again. A January lull, which had a 1-4 stretch for the Gators, proved to be the outlier in the year. Reservoir returned to its winning ways in February and carried that momentum for the rest of the season. Since the start of February, they won 12 straight games, including the playoffs, before the championship against the Poly Engineers. A 57-34 loss to that Poly team ended the playoff run, but Reservoir still managed to defy expectations by remaining at the top of the county. Coach Deb Taylor reflected on what she and her players accomplished this season. “At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think we would win as many games as we did…We graduated 2 all-county players and people thought we would be down. Instead, we won our first county championship and made school history,” Coach Taylor said. Most Improved Team - Glenelg Gladiators Glenelg boosted its record by six regular-season wins and eight total this year, turning the page after finishing under .500 in 2025. The Gladiators built early momentum and sustained it this year. They won their first five games of the season with a key one early against a talented Mt. Hebron team. In CSZ’s preseason power rankings, we placed Glenelg seventh with concerns about the team’s defense. The 2025 team had a 3-9 record when the defense allowed more than 40 points. The Gladiators allowed 40 points in the same number of games this season, but showed the offensive grit to overcome it. Glenelg improved by three wins in the stat to have a 6-6 record in those games, including the playoffs. Their playoff journey featured four blowout wins, taking down Southern, Wilde Lake, Frederick Douglass and Williamsport. The dominance carried into the start of the championship game, but Glenelg got outlasted by Manchester Valley, who won its first championship in the process.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPr_hKQvb9g

Senior night. Senior Chloe Theresa Nguena has team high 21 points.

51-43. Blythe Pietryka 18Sam Feher 12Chloe Nguena 9Leah Lauer 6Sydney Shelton 6Outstanding team defense. One of the best first quarters in the county by both teams. 23-17.

The Lady Hawks defeated the visiting bears, 51-36. Hawks were led by senior Gabby Shane with 18 points and sophomore Olivia Creighton with 17 points respectively.

Lady Hawks fought to the end led by Gabby Sane and Olivia Creighton with 14 and 10 points respectively

Coach Deb Taylor got her 300th career win. Sam Feher 14 points. Leah Lauer 10 points. Chloe Nguena 10 points.

Jaiden Bryant scored 18 points and had 7 steals. Sydney Nance contributed 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

After hammonds 0-10 run ridge fought back with defensive play and team effort on offense

River Hill Lady Hawks were led by junior Saniya Carter and sophomore Olivia Creighton's 14 and 13 points respectively. Kudos to junior Charlotte Lawaray for her major defensive contributions.

River Hill's Oliva Creighton and Gabby Shane scored 17 and 10 points respectively in the loss today to Stephen Decatur.

Jaiden Bryant scored a team high 9 points, she grabbed 5 rebounds, had 7 steals, and blocked 3 shots. Sydney Nance and Haley Ruddy scores 7 points each.

River Hill won one of the biggest upsets this season on Friday in a game against Marriotts Ridge. The Hawks entered the day on a six-game losing streak, dating back to Dec. 12 against City. Marriotts Ridge built momentum this month with two strong wins against Long Reach and Edmondson-Westside, winning both by margins of at least two possessions. River Hill’s 47-46 win continued a now nine-year winning streak against Marriotts Ridge. The Mustangs last won this rivalry matchup on Dec. 12, 2017. Both teams played evenly throughout the game with only one key differentiator. The Hawks and Mustangs shot identically from beyond the arc at 31% and posted roughly even field goal percentages at 40% and 36%, respectively. After an even first half, River Hill looked to pull away with a comfortable 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, going up 32 to 21. Olivia Creighton ‘28 used her speed and three-point shooting to build up that cushion with a key performance in the win. Marriotts Ridge chipped away from the Hawks’ lead and pulled within two points in the fourth quarter. Back-and-forth basketball, mirroring the first half of the game, took over and the Mustangs protected a late 45-42 lead in the fourth quarter. Creighton played hero again as the game came to a close, sinking a game tying three point shot before River Hill sealed the win with a block from Fiona Devine ‘28. River Hill’s offense has particularly turned a corner in January. The Hawks have three of their four highest scoring games this month with 39 against Howard, 48 against Long Reach and 47 against Marriotts Ridge. Their previous season high of 40 came against Atholton on Dec. 10. River Hill returns home on Saturday to take on 9-1 Stephen Decatur and 4-8 Hammond on Monday. The Hawks will play the Golden Bears twice this month, with an opportunity to boost themselves up in the standings. Their February slate includes five games at home with only one on the road, creating a path for a late-season surge if the offensive improvements can hold. Marriotts Ridge has one more home game, facing Glenelg, before a three-game road trip that starts against Hammond. The Hawks and Mustangs will see each other again soon at River Hill on Feb. 2.

Jaiden Bryant led LR with a double double, 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Overtime win for Long Reach led by Jaiden Bryant with 25 points and 8 rebounds. Kelsey Robinson grabbed 9 rebounds.

The Lady Hawks fought hard from a 16 point deficit to take the game into overtime at end of regulation. Hawks were led by Olivia Creighton with 20 points respectively.

Sam Feher team high 17 points. Chloe Nguena 9 points.

Great win for Long Reach. Sydney Nance and Jaiden Bryant scored 21points each, while Haley Rudy had 11 rebounds.

This week features key matchups that could shake up the leaderboard. Get ready for some exciting action! 🏀