Largo Coach Ayana Ball-Ward didn’t know her program would be receiving the talent of two local transfers until the school year began. Junior Aleah Rodriguez and senior Kieara Hughes both joined the Lions from National Christian Academy in Fort Washington this offseason, returning to their home public school.
The additions of Rodriguez and Hughes mixed with the development of the Lions’ returning players has catalyzed a major turnaround for the Upper Marlboro program, which is 15-2 with the playoffs around the corner. It’s just a year removed from a 3-14 campaign.
“This team is very different because they’re small, they’re scrappy,” Ball-Ward said. “They don’t give up — they play hard through everything.”
Rodriguez and Hughes both fit the Lions’ DNA, Ball-Ward said, and they immediately carved a role for themselves in her system. Rodriguez is a lights-out shooter — she netted a career-high 42 points and six three-pointers in an 80-68 loss to Gwynn Park in January — while Hughes brings an offensive swagger of her own.
The impact of the transfers, coupled with the improvement of returners Makaela Braxton-Brown and DaShai Morton-Hall, has Largo thinking big.
— Noah Ferguson
Clinton Grace Christian makes name for itself
Who is Clinton Grace Christian? The Prince George’s County private school has been listed everywhere this winter, from tournament brackets to showcase lineups to The Post’s Top 20 rankings. For much of this season, Clinton Grace has also been at the top of the Metro Private School Conference standings.
Clinton Grace has actually been around for some time, just under a different name: Grace Brethren. After a recent rebrand, the Eagles have reintroduced themselves to the area this winter with a superb boys’ basketball campaign. The Eagles closed the regular season last weekend at 26-5.
They earned the top seed in the MPSC tournament, which means they get a first-round bye and tip off their postseason Tuesday night. The MPSC, in its third year as an official conference, has quickly established itself as one of the best in the D.C. area.
“This conference has become so deep with talent and great coaching,” Coach Devin Paige said. “Every roster has at least one collegiate level player and some teams have multiple. So in the conference tournament, you have to be locked in or you’re going to lose.”
Last year, Clinton Grace made it to the MPSC finals but lost to Mt. Zion Prep Academy. Paige returned much of the talent from that squad, and the program has maintained the momentum of that postseason run.
They have a balanced offensive attack, featuring several Division I prospects, such as guard Kris Johnson and forward Daouda Traore. They have the talent to run up the score if needed, but Paige prides himself on a defense-first approach.
“Everything is built on getting stops,” he said. “We have a lot of speed and athleticism, so good defense can generate a lot of easy points. … We want to pressure you full court and make you work. No open shots, nothing easy.”
— Michael Errigo
Players of the week
Ivanna Manyacka, Bullis: The freshman guard poured in 33 points as the Bulldogs earned an impressive 62-38 win against Georgetown Visitation.
Kenny DeGuzman, Potomac (Va.): For the senior guard, it was a typical showing: 20 points, six assists and seven steals in a dominant win over Colgan. With the victory, though, the Panthers clinched the top seed in Class 6 Region B.
Kendall Alexander, Walter Johnson: The junior guard made a game-winning and-one layup with four seconds to go in the Wildcats’ win Feb. 5 over Wootton. Johnson had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and seven steals. On Friday, she had 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists and seven steals in a four-point win over Whitman.
David Bumpass, Friendship Tech: The junior guard scored a team-high 16 points in a 58-28 rout of Friendship Collegiate days after the Titans beat then-undefeated Gwynn Park.
Games to watch
Clarksburg girls at Seneca Valley, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
Patriot district boys’ championship at Lake Braddock, Friday, 8 p.m.
DCIAA championship at Coolidge, Saturday, 4 p.m.
IAAM “A” Conference championship, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Overton building in basketball, too
Back on the University of Virginia’s football field in December, Freedom (Woodbridge) football coach Darryl Overton rushed through postgame photos with players, zipped through media availability and generally looked like the first high school coach who didn’t treasure the ceremonial afterglow that back-to-back state championships beget.
The reason? He had another game to coach. A few hours later, he was back north to lead the girls’ basketball team. In back-to-back years, he never missed a practice or game despite the seasonal overlap.
In Woodbridge, it seems his accountability has resonated. Last season, the team made the region playoffs for the first time in program history. This week, after closing the regular season on a five-game winning streak, they became the first district champions for any girls’ team at the school since Freedom opened in 2004.
“Our success has also kind of just brought the school together a little more, where I felt like it used to be divided,” Overton said. “I feel like any success that football has had is shared now.”
“There isn’t much of a difference between how he coaches football and coaches us,” said freshman Mariah Overton, Darryl’s daughter, who also leads the team in three-pointers. “He’s always going to care. He’s always going to be there. He yells at us the same way he yells at them. He always makes sure we do what we need to do and we have fun and put in 110 percent effort.”
For Freedom, the raucous ride upward has been all about effort. Twins Keilani and Keilana Johnson, juniors, are their two-way engines. Savannah Price, their leading scorer, transferred in from a Brentsville District team that reached the Class 3 state final last year and has infused that DNA. After their lone district loss, Mariah Overton was in the gym at 5:30 a.m. the next day.
Senior Kenneah DeGuzman, though, has best shepherded a gritty psyche. When she tore her ACL in April, doctors told DeGuzman she would miss her senior year. She worked out three times a day and returned in late January.
“I didn’t believe what the doctors had to say,” said DeGuzman, who has scored 10.7 points per game. “I wasn’t going to let that stop me from playing my senior year.”
— Spencer Nusbaum
Blake gets gutsy, chaotic win
Baba Oladotun heard the final buzzer and thought he had won the game with a walk-off three-pointer.
The rest of the Blake boys’ basketball team concurred, streaking onto the floor to celebrate what they thought was a win at Sherwood on Friday. Players mobbed Oladotun and waved goodbye to the Warriors’ student section while Bengals coaches followed and exchanged emphatic high-fives.
But Sherwood had alertly called timeout to give it the ball with two seconds left. Even worse, Blake’s premature exuberance earned it a technical foul.
The Warriors knocked down both free throws, setting up a crucial possession. The Bengals could have — should have — been fazed by the turbulent and unforeseen reversal in circumstances.
Except, somehow, they were prepared for that very situation. Coach Desmin Wade has placed a premium on situational awareness, devoting practice time to run through anomalous scenarios and introducing them during intrasquad scrimmages.
“A shot would go in and they all cheer at practice, and we’re like, ‘No, no, no, no.’ Coach called a timeout. Give them two seconds and put it on the side,” Wade said, describing one such scene. “… In the moment, the kids are like, ‘Man, coach is cheating.’ ”
Against Sherwood on Friday, the Bengals got the necessary stop to secure their eighth straight win and avenge a Jan. 5 loss to the Warriors. They entered the year with high expectations, especially after Oladotun, a highly regarded freshman, arrived from DeMatha.
But Wade, seeing his team’s youth, expected some early-season struggles. Blake started 7-2 but lost three straight. The last defeat, to Springbrook, came after Wade’s team, in his words, “came out super flat.” Senior guard Blake Adams called a players-only meeting.
The Bengals, rejuvenated in their quests for the Montgomery County and Maryland crowns, haven’t lost since.
— Varun Shankar
