After a strong start, the boys’ basketball team has continued with a phenomenal season, holding a 14-5 record. So far this season, the team has played Magruder, Richard Montgomery, Clarksburg, Rockville, Northwood, Seneca Valley, Sherwood, Blair, Watkins Mill, Damascus, Quince Orchard, Bethesda Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson, Whitman and Churchill twice.
On Jan. 12 the Patriots took out Seneca Valley. The team had tough luck with free throws but managed to control the ball for the majority of the game and pull out a 68-59 win.
The following week, the team faced Sherwood on Jan. 18, resulting in a 60-52 loss. “We didn’t match the energy Sherwood had on the ball so it came down to our defense to try and stop them from winning. Unfortunately we lost our momentum in the earlier quarters, which set us behind. However we took this game as a learning opportunity to see how we can improve,” sophomore Chase Mitchell said.
The next games were all wins, with final scores of 66-47 against Blair on Jan. 22, 65-25 against Watkin’s Mill on Jan. 23 and 62-36 against Damascus on Jan. 26.
On Jan. 30 The Patriots barely pulled off a 68-65 win over Quince Orchard. Both teams were dominant throughout the entire game with back-and-forth shots and aggressive defense. At the end of the fourth quarter the score was tied, leading the game to double overtime. There were under 10 seconds left when senior Jaiden Aze was fouled and given two free throws. These shots won the game for the Patriots. “I was put in a position to knock down a shot I practice often and I confidently knew the game was over once the ball left my hands,” Aze said.
The rivalry game against the Churchill Bulldogs took place on Feb. 2. This was the second game for the Patriots against Churchill this season. The first time the team faced Churchill, they lost 59-57, however this time they were ready to fight back. The crowd showed out big time for both schools, making the atmosphere energetic and motivating for the players. The Patriots felt the energy from the crowd and came out with a victorious 64-55 win. “We were all excited to play Churchill again after our previous loss to them. We came out with high energy from warmups and it translated into the game. As a team, we were able to execute our offensive sets and limit turnovers all game, which led to a much-needed win,” junior Shayan Kurup said.
The team then played Walter Johnson on Feb. 5, taking a 52-50 win and later that week on Feb. 9 they played Bethesda Chevy Chase, resulting in a 65-56 loss. On Feb. 13 the Patriots played their senior night game against Whitman. The boys had tough luck and ended with a 66-57 loss.
The next scheduled game takes place Feb. 20 against Blake. This is the final game of the regular season before the Patriots transition into playoffs.
Throughout the season, the team has grown accustomed to playing with each other and the chemistry has increased, allowing them to put in their full potential while on the court. They have worked during practice by pushing each other to be better and by playing competitive mimic games. It has worked well for the team and they plan to keep up this momentum as they enter the playoffs.
