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.
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