VHS Boys volleyball beat Paint Branch HS 3 x 0 tonight at home. Game 1: 25 x 14, Game 2: 26 x 24, Game3: 25 x 19. Next game is on Wednesday at away vs Blake HS at 7pm. Coed team also plays at 5:30pm.
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Boys JV Kennedy Lacrosse Team open up their first season in years with a win 4-2 against Paint Branch last night. Coach Elijah Faunteroy begins his first-year coaching JV and leads them to an amazing win with all four goals scored by Captain #8 - David Ramos.
This game will not be made up.
On Thursday night, Richard Montgomery competed in their last home game of the 2025 season. The Rockets defeated Paint Branch 58-18 on senior night in front of their biggest crowd yet. Family and friends filled the bleachers in support of the seniors. Emma Higgs, Aalyan Tariq, Isisah Womack, Justin Suh, and Benjamin Wong all graduate this year in June. They were all valued members of the team and contributed tremendously to the success of the program for the past 4 years. Richard Montgomery wasted no time taking control. The Rockets piled on points early. Each match brought louder cheers and energy from the RM bench. When a rocket pinned down their opponent, teammates jumped to their feet in joy. The 58-18 result sends the Rockets into the postseason with full momentum. More importantly though, it gives the seniors a sendoff that matches their commitment to the program. Congratulations to all seniors, best of luck in your next chapter of life!
Gaithersburg 55 Paint Branch 29
Schedule by mistake
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!
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.
What an amazing win for the JFK Boys' Swim & Dive Team as they secure their 2nd season win in 8+ years on the last Dual Meet VS. Paint Branch with an astonishing score of 104-64 points ending the regular dual meet season with 2-4!
The game with into OT.
Gaithersburg 64 Paint Branch 33
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.
Photo courtesy of @e.goody.photos (Instagram). After falling by two points to Magruder and putting an end to its unbeaten start to the campaign, Blake — the presumptive state title frontrunners — needed a response. The opportunity in front of it came in the form of then-undefeated Paint Branch. The Bengals pounced on it, ultimately taking the Panthers in a four-quarter, comprehensive showdown, 79-65. It was Eli Konkler who got the Bengals started, hitting a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer in response to Kahlil Fountain’s deep-range shots. Konkler was Blake’s engine during the first frame, helping his team open up a four-point lead through his lane-driving acrobatics and physicality. The Bengals interior size and leaping ability allowed them to garner an advantage on the offensive glass — Abder Ouattara found room for a layup early while being hounded by two Paint Branch defenders. But that added emphasis in the paint only created more opportunities for Blake outside the arc — and the likes of Konkler and Christian Kennard didn’t miss much. Once Blake got some buckets on the fast break in the second period of play, the Bengals increased their lead even further. A Konkler fast-break layup with seven minutes until half put Blake up 26-17. Paint Branch had virtually no answers for the remainder of the half, as a Konkler 3-pointer on Blake’s next offensive possession began to demoralize the Panthers’ efforts. A layup from the guard minutes later — once again on a fast break — put the Bengals up by 12, forcing Paint Branch to call timeout. From there, Blake went on a 13-10 run to end the half, putting it up 45-30 with 16 minutes still to play. But those 16 minutes didn’t end up working in Paint Branch’s favor, as it was hardly able to make inroads or cut into Blake’s deficit with any substantial run. Ryan Bobb, who hit a three with time expiring in the first half, was able to get off and sink some really quick-release downtown shots. But his efforts still couldn’t make a dent in Blake’s advantage. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Bengals led by 17, and the contest was essentially all but over. A deep Bobb 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining cut Blake’s lead down to nine points, but that was as close as the Panthers found themselves late Friday night. Next up on the docket, Blake is set to take on Westtown on Dec. 29.
Game is to be rescheduled
Photo courtesy of Churchill Bulldogs Football Instagram. With the Montgomery County standings tight and the state playoffs rapidly approaching, every win matters. On Thursday night, two formidable opponents squared off, each looking to make a statement in the final standings with both programs sitting at 7-1. What first appeared to be a game the Bulldogs would run away with quickly turned competitive. The Panthers rebounded, but it was too little, too late — and Churchill emerged as 20-18 victors. Bulldogs quarterback Hunter Humphries had a solid evening, completing 9 of 17 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He got the offense rolling early, connecting on throws of 18, 24, and 14 yards — the last one a touchdown to Nolan McHugh — to give Churchill an early six-point lead. The score came on a wide-open play-action shot to the end zone, catching Paint Branch’s defense completely flat-footed. But the Panthers answered right back, knotting the score at six apiece. Running back Alijah Bah found the end zone — and he’d go on to score all three of Paint Branch’s touchdowns Thursday night. With the game even, Humphries continued to pick apart Paint Branch’s secondary, consistently gashing it for chunk yardage. His deep ball was on point, including a 25-yard completion down the right sideline to AJ Wiseman. But just when it seemed the Bulldogs’ offense was unstoppable, Paint Branch swung the momentum with a sensational four-play goal-line stand — stuffing three quarterback sneaks in a row. Still, as the first half wound down to under a minute, Churchill struck again. After making several key catches earlier, Wiseman hauled in a 25-yard touchdown to put the Bulldogs ahead 13-6 at halftime. The third quarter was marked by offensive struggles on both sides. Each team opened with a three-and-out, and Paint Branch threw an interception — yet Churchill couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out immediately after the turnover. Finally, Acque Ashwood broke through to give Churchill some breathing room. On a sweep to the left sideline, he turned on the jets, staying glued to the boundary and outpacing the entire Paint Branch defense for a 67-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing Panthers drive, the ball went right back to their most dangerous weapon — Bah. He ripped off a 25-yard carry that brought Paint Branch to Churchill’s five-yard line, and a few plays later, powered his way into the end zone on a toss play. Despite all the explosive plays Churchill had throughout the game, the Bulldogs couldn’t produce offensively when it mattered most. A three-and-out handed the ball back to Paint Branch, trailing 20-12, with five minutes remaining. The Panthers did exactly what they needed to — almost. Bah again carried the load, driving the offense downfield and winding the clock under a minute. He appeared to score on a 12-yard rush, but it was called back. Three plays later, he muscled his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line. That set up a dramatic two-point conversion — a toss to Bah, the same play that had worked earlier. But this time, Churchill’s defense held strong. The Bulldogs secured the stop, the 20-18 victory, and an 8-1 record, while Paint Branch now sits at 7-2 heading into postseason play.
Ba injured. Taken away in ambulance.
We did not tie them 0-0 we beat them 2-0 but whoever was in the building that controls the score never changed it.
WE. DID. NOT. TIE. PAINT. BRANCH. WE WON. IT. ISNT. THAT. HARD. GET. IT. RIGHT
Photo courtesy of the Washington Commanders Paint Branch girls’ flag football has taken more than just Montgomery County by storm. Yes, the Panthers have started the season 4-0, with a combined margin of victory of 45 points. But Paint Branch notably began its season during Monday Night Football, at the halftime of the Commanders game. Its reach, along with the sport’s growth, is evident. And after going 4-4 in 2024, the Panthers are well on their way to surpassing that win mark — and more than certainly eyeing something bigger, Paint Branch head coach Greg Jolles said. “The feeling of playing in an NFL stadium reassured the girls that that’s where they want to be at the end of the year at Ravens Stadium playing for a State Championship,” he said. The 4-0 start to the season hasn’t surprised Jolles. He knew that the combination of returners and some talented newcomers left that door open, but the team needed to pass some early tests. They did so with flying colors. Paint Branch’s offense was tested early against Wheaton’s solid defense, but they prevailed with 18 points. Week 3 proved to be the program’s closest contest to this point. Ahead 13-6 over Whitman, the Panthers surrendered a late score, but were able to stymie the Vikings on the two-point conversion. “Last year, during times like those, our defense would be in their heads about giving that up but they stayed focused this time and were able to stop the conversion to tie the game up and give us the victory,” Jolles said. Paint Branch continued this 180-degree turnaround from last year’s shortcomings in a 12-0 victory over Sherwood the very week — the Warriors had defeated the Panthers in 2024. All this is to say that Jolles’ squad is becoming a comprehensive, well-oiled machine in the heart of Montgomery County. The Panthers, in his eyes, have a chemistry that allows them to have fun on the field with each other, but also understand when to lock in, focus and make the necessary plays. This mentality has allowed Paint Branch to string together long drives on offense, staying patient and taking what’s available to them. On defense, communication has been a strength — it’s helped the players stick to their respective assignments and pull flags with efficacy. Last year was Paint Branch’s first season as a program. The improvements they have shown already are due both in large part to the aforementioned mindset, as well as quality leadership. “For some of these girls, [last year] was their first real sport playing,” Jolles said. “There was a lot of learning not only about the game, but more importantly, how to go about the season. How to handle yourself after wins and losses, facing adversity in games. The leaders on this team have done a great job this season with understanding that and holding everyone accountable each day.” Some of those leaders include not only seniors like Madison Flowers (QB), Cienna Raphael (WR) and Euphie Lamptey (RB/R), but also sophomores Cayden Flowers (RB/R) and Aria Bandio (Safety). For now, the Panthers are keeping their focus one game at a time. Still, their goals are clear: win a division, county, and regional title — and ultimately chase the state championship under the bright lights of an NFL stadium, just as they began their season.
On September 8, the 1-0 Albert Einstein Titans faced the 1-0 Paint Branch Panthers in a 6-0 home victory. The game started with a strong offensive start for the Titans, scoring 2 quick goals from #3 Eliana Gardner and #9 Aelis Miller, within 6 minutes. Paint Branches defense continued to struggle, allowing an extra 2 goals from #2 Asha Goodell and #4 Cassidy Miller, with the score being 4-0 after 10 minutes. Einstein continued to dominate in Paint Branch territory, not allowing their offense to take a single shot within the quarter. The 1st quarter ended with Einstein standing strong 4-0. Einstein’s starters were already pulled out within the game, to give substitutes some playing time as the 2nd quarter started. The quarter remained slow, with Einstein keeping possession but attempting to waste as much time as possible. Paint Branch’s goalie, Megan Rozario, was preventing the score from extending for Einstein, recording 6 goals in the 2nd half. The quarter ended with no goals and a 4-0 Titan Lead. The 2nd half started with Einstein breaking the dryness from the 2nd quarter with a quick goal by #10 Katelyn Donnely, getting close to the goalie and having the ball roll under the goalkeeper's leg. Einstein Titan #11 Mary Wixson was given a card at 6:37 timestamp, showing signs of frustration when walking to the timeout bench. It was deemed that Einstein had 90% possession the entire game, with Einstein only keeping the game near the Panthers Goal. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Titans continued to lead 5-0. Paint Branch continued to play their starters due to the lack of players in their roster as the 4th quarter started. The Titans extended the lead with a crossbar bounce from #8 Amelie Kalam, putting the score up to 6-0. Einstein’s goalie #12 Lena Fleschner, was able to relax all game, having 0 shots taken against her and was seen visibly sitting in front of the net. Time expired as the Einstein Titans took their 2nd home victory in complete domination mode, with a final score of 6-0. The Einstein Titans move up to 2-0 and will head on the road to face the Whitman VIkings, whereas the Paintbranch Panthers drop to a neutral 1-1 record and will face the Blair Blazers at home.