What was surprising was how easy Team Takeover made it look against some of the best competition in the country.

Team Takeover went 8-0 in the tournament and beat their opponents by an average of 13 points per game. Coach Keith Stevens said the goal was to hold every opponent to less than 35 percent shooting, which was exactly what happened.

"Last year we felt we should have won the title, but we lost in the quarterfinals," Stevens said. "These guys just finished what they started last year. The thing that really helped us out was team chemistry and focus."

The team features four players from Prince George's County: DeMatha High School's James Robinson and Mikael Hopkins, Gwynn Park's Brandon Ford and Bishop McNamara's Ibn Muhammad.

Robinson is one of the youngest players on the team and started at point guard. The rising junior scored 24 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the championship game against the St. Louis Eagles, which featured University of Florida recruit Bradley Beal.

Robinson said it's easy playing point guard for Team Takeover since everyone on the team can score.

"All you have to do is get the ball near them and everyone can take it from there," Robinson said. "There were no slouches in this tournament because even the teams that struggled were elite. It was great meeting a lot of the top talent from across the country. You really get a chance to bond with the players and become a family."

Ford came off the bench for Team Takeover in the tournament and guarded some of the best players in the country throughout the summer, including Beal, University of Kentucky recruit Marquis Teage and Florida recruit Austin Rivers. The rising senior, who averaged 19.2 points per game for Gwynn Park last season, said it took some time getting used to coming off the bench, but he realized it was best for the team.

"You check your ego at the door because everyone on this team is the man for their high school team," Ford said. "I had a fun time this summer and this helped me stay humble and focused. How many players can say they went against the same people I did during the summer? That was my last tournament with this team and that's how I wanted to end it."

Ford, Hopkins and Muhammad all enter their senior seasons and have played their last game for Team Takeover. Hopkins, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 14.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for DeMatha last season. Muhammad, a 5-foot-9 guard, averaged 6.9 points per game for McNamara last year. Robinson has one more year returning and said he will be back.

"I am going to miss those guys and have great memories playing with them," said Robinson, a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 5.8 points per game last season. "I now have the experience and next year I am going help lead this team and hope we can reach our goals."

jhudson@gazette.net

The day started with a 6:45 a.m. meeting at the high school prior to the start of the Gwynn Park Basketball Camp, where the Yellow Jackets' players served as instructors. The camp started at 8 a.m. and didn't finish until 4 p.m. The players and coaches rushed from the camp to Riverdale Baptist High School for their Falconers League game at 6 p.m. against Largo.

Some of the players and coaches were late for the game, and when they arrived they still had their nametags on from the first day of camp. But the Yellow Jackets settled down and defeated Largo, 49-42, to remain undefeated in the summer league.

Senior guard Daniel Henry said his day started at 5:45 a.m. since he had a 25-minute drive from his home in Accokeek to Gwynn Park High in Brandywine.

"I just downed a couple of Gatorades because I knew we had to come out here and play," he said after the game against Largo. "I am going straight to bed when I get home. I got to get ready to do it all again tomorrow because we got to get ready for Laurel."

The Yellow Jackets will have another long day ahead of them Tuesday, as they will help teach at the camp at 8 a.m. and will come back to Riverdale Baptist to play against Laurel at 6 p.m.

Varsity assistant coach Jarrett Thompson, who is coaching the Gwynn Park summer team, said the long day shows the dedication the players have for the program and the game of basketball.

"These guys are playing mostly off adrenaline right now because I know they are tired," said Thompson, who still had his camp nametag on his shirt after the game. "They are committed to winning and being the best. I am sure it helped a little bit that we played Largo today."

Monday night's game featured two of the three remaining undefeated teams in the Falconer's League as Gwynn Park entered with a 5-0 record, while Largo was 4-0. Riverdale Baptist, who has won the league title four consecutive years, is the other undefeated team with a 4-0 record.

The game featured the type of intensity that is normally on display in the County 3A/2A/1A League game in February. But Gwynn Park was able to wear down a shorthanded Largo team that played the game with only five players. Three of those players were varsity starters Brandon Bailey, Derrick Colter and Will Johnson.

But Thompson said it didn't matter who Gwynn Park was playing. He said the Yellow Jackets are trying to beat everyone and win everything, including the championship of the Falconers League.

"We are very competitive and take every game serious," Thompson said. "These guys have been through so much that they want to win everything. We are committed to getting back to states and winning a state championship."

E-mail Joshua Hudson at jhudson@gazette.net.

As Tion Barnes returned to the Comcast Center court, his head hanging and his steps begrudgingly slow, his body language put the sting of Gwynn Park High School's state final defeat on full display.

A 6-foot-5 junior forward, Barnes, along with Gwynn Park teammates Curtis Hardy and Mike Hemsley, attempted to make a quick exit to the locker room of the University of Maryland, College Park's arena. But coach Mike Glick tracked his players down and brought them back out to the floor so they could accept their Class 2A runner-up plaques and watch Baltimore's City College walk away with the big prize.

After taking a seat on the bench, Barnes hid his dismay from the 56-45 loss by pulling his No. 23 jersey over his head. Led by 19 points from Nick Faust and 10 from center Jordan Latham, City College celebrated at center court and coach Mike Daniel collected his second consecutive state championship trophy.

It was the end of a whirlwind 24 hours for Gwynn Park, which won its state semifinal Friday night, then watched City College win its own semifinal before trying to devise a strategy for stopping the eventual two-time state champions.

Friday, 9:01 p.m.

Just 26 minutes have passed since Gwynn Park's 69-37 thrashing of North Carroll in the state semifinal, but Glick is already looking ahead to tomorrow's title game as he takes a seat at the Comcast Center to watch the second semifinal between City College and Easton.

Viewing a game with the seemingly endless resource of local basketball history, statistics and strategy that is Glick is like having a personal color commentator at your side. The fourth-year coach will answer all the questions you have on the sport – and even some you don't have – without hesitation.

City College jumps out to a 13-4 lead, and Glick starts talking about the Knights' coach, Daniel. The two had many past battles while Glick was at Archbishop Spalding and Daniel led Towson Catholic. Although Glick had Villanova commit Derek Snow on his side, Daniel countered with future Syracuse and Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.

"We played some epic games, and we were blessed by the players we had," Glick recalls. "We're now both able to play a disciplined style of basketball in a public school environment."

In regard to the more pressing concern of Daniel's current crop of weapons, Glick immediately singles out Faust, the Knights' leading scorer, and the Xavier University-bound center, Latham. In order to win against City College, he says the Yellow Jackets will have to stop those two and make someone else beat them.

"That's next-level stuff right there," Glick says as Latham catches a pass, pulls up and knocks down a mid-range jumper in one smooth motion. "That's why he going to play for one of the top 20 teams in the country."

With the Knights enjoying a 30-10 lead at halftime, Glick tells his players to head home and get a good night's sleep. Now knowing for sure which team Gwynn Park is up against, Glick explains his squad's offensive tactics for the championship game.

"If it's an up-and-down game, we lose," he says. "A game in the 70s or 80s, we lose. If we shorten the game and we get good shots and we get them flustered, we're going to win the game. On offense, we're going to be patient."

Saturday, 6:12 p.m.

Two minutes into the 2A state championship game, Gwynn Park leads City College 6-4. Following more than 30 seconds of the Yellow Jackets patiently swinging chest passes around the perimeter, Ford dribbles around a screen and hits a three-pointer.

Faust promptly tries to respond with a 3-pointer, but Hardy contests the effort, and it finds nothing but air. Soon after, Latham gets the ball in the paint and an immediate double team from Barnes and Hemsley forces a turnover.

By the end of the first half, Glick's plan to keep the game low-scoring and shut down City College's daunting one-two punch of Faust (4 points) and Latham (2 points) is working. But an unexpected 19-point outburst from the Knights' role players has given them a 25-20 halftime lead over the Yellow Jackets.

Saturday, 1:36 p.m.

In a Gwynn Park classroom, one needs to look no further than the bulletin board labeled "SAT Information" to identify the room as Glick's. Instead of news of about the standardized test, the panel is covered, from corner to corner, with basketball newspaper clippings.

On the opposite wall, a quote is scribbled on the blackboard: "If you get a job you really love, you will never work a day in your life." Attributed to Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten, who led the DeMatha's boys' basketball program from 1956 to 2002, the words of wisdom seem particularly fitting as Glick spends his Saturday afternoon intently breaking down film of City College.

Staring at footage of his opponent's 59-52 loss to Ballou High (D.C.) in January, Glick sees Faust drill a 3-pointer before immediately telling assistant coaches Zach Sarver and Spencer Way his strategy for limiting the sharp-shooting junior.

"We're going to start the game with a box-and-one defense on number five," Glick explains. "We're not going to allow that kid to get into a rhythm. We have to take him out of the game from the very beginning."

The players, meanwhile, are taking part in a pregame shoot-around on their home court. At one end, Hardy, Hemsley and guard Brian Blue are in a 3-point competition. As Blue fires from the baseline, Hemsley lets out a distracting scream that throws the senior guard off and causes the shot to go awry. Minutes later, the two are still good-naturedly exchanging accusations of cheating.

"We're relaxed," says junior guard Brandon Ford, the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer this season. "We've been in this situation before and played in big games like this. It's just another game."

In stark contrast to the bright lights, slick hardwood and polished confines of the 17,950-seat Comcast Center, the dusty old gym at Gwynn Park is characterized by its aged floor and worn-down, wooden bleachers. Looming over the players is the past they are so desperately trying to live up to: 10 state championship banners won between 1968 and 1988.

"We think about that on a daily basis, and one of the things that attracted me to the job was the tradition of the school," says Glick, for whom the state final will be his 100th game with the Yellow Jackets.

Glick introduces his scouting report to the players by feverishly stating, "The number one thing you guys have to start doing right now, if you want to win, is you have to listen."

After breaking down City College's 2-3 zone and 2-2-1 press defenses and instructing Hardy to make Faust take bad shots under pressure, Glick moves on to the plan for dealing with Latham and his 6-foot-8 frame.

"He is trying to catch the ball, dribble to his right and he has a nice little jump hook," Glick says. "He will be the difference maker if you let him. Our game plan is to double him the second he gets the ball and to not let him get comfortable."

Saturday, 7:37 p.m.

Early in the fourth quarter, Faust takes another 3-pointer with Hardy in his face. This time, Faust drains the shot while falling out of bounds. On City College's next possession, Latham splits a double team and converts a layup plus the foul to make the lead 44-35. Following slow first halves, Faust and Latham have finally found rhythms.

Gwynn Park abandons its deliberate offensive approach in favor of a more up-tempo style, however, and claws back to within five with 2:45 remaining. But Hemsley, who leads the Yellow Jackets with 22 points, fouls out. With a chance to cut the lead, Hardy misses a pair of free throws, and back-to-back baskets from Latham and Faust push the City College lead to 11 points.

At the other end, Ford throws up a desperation 3-pointer that goes long. Blue's put-back attempt clanks off the iron and Latham snares the board in the final minute, ending Gwynn Park's hopes.

The night before, Glick said if the Knights wanted to beat the Yellow Jackets, they would have to limit Ford. Sure enough, the City College defense focused on the junior, and Ford only shot 3 for 13 from the field.

"It was hard to get shots off," Ford says at the postgame press conference. "They just shaded everything towards me. They made it tough for me to play."

Glick is quick to point out nothing is tougher than being on the losing end of a title game. In the end, though, Glick is pleased with his players' effort and the coaching staff's game plan, taking solace in feeling his team did everything it could to win.

"I couldn't be prouder of our basketball team," Glick says. "It's painful right now. At the same time, when we look back and reflect, I think we maximized everything out of this team."

City College has now won back-to-back state titles at the expense of Prince George's County schools. The Knights defeated Frederick Douglass in last year's title game.

"That was the best team we played all year and they are probably the best team in the entire state," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "They had a wide zone and we just didn't shoot well from the outside. That's been a problem for us all season long."

Outside shooting continued to plague the Yellow Jackets (20-6) in Saturday's game. Gwynn Park shot 1 of 13 from 3-point range and shot just 28.9 percent for the game.

City College coach Mike Daniel said his team aimed to make Gwynn Park struggle to find its shot.

"We wanted to put our size out there," Daniel said. "We wanted to challenge all of their shots and rebound the ball. I thought we did a good job of both of those things."

Despite the shooting difficulties, Gwynn Park was in a position to win the game until late in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets led 11-7 in the first quarter after Tion Barnes dunked an alley-oop pass from Brandon Ford. But the Knights answered the dunk with an 8-0 run to take a 15-13 lead in the second quarter.

The game remained close into the fourth quarter as City College slowly pushed the lead to 44-35. The Yellow Jackets answered with a 7-1 run to get within three points at 45-42, but they would get no closer.

Any momentum the Yellow Jackets had was lost on their next possession as Glick was called for a technical foul. The ball was heading out of bounds as a City College player was attempting to save it, but Glick caught the ball as it came toward him on the sideline and handed it to a referee. The referees decided that Glick was interfering in the play and called a technical foul.

"In my 17 years of coaching I have never seen that called," Glick said. "But I don't think that play made a difference in the outcome of the game. They missed one of the free throws and we forced a turnover on the next possession."

But the outside shooting didn't get any better for the Yellow Jackets, which kept them from making a run in the fourth quarter.

Senior Mike Hemsley led Gwynn Park with 22 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter, while Ford chipped in 14 points.

"I couldn't be prouder of the guys," Glick said. "We didn't get a couple of calls down the stretch and this is painful, but we got everything out of this team."

The Yellow Jackets (19-3) will take on Baltimore's City College (22-2) at 6 p.m. today for the Class 2A state championship. City College, the defending Class 2A state champion, had a similarly easy time against Easton in the other state semifinal Friday, cruising to a 64-38 win behind 21 points from Nick Faust.

The Yellow Jackets played City College last year in the first game of the season. The game was tied in the fourth quarter before the Knights used a 15-0 run to win, 54-36.

"It will be a great challenge for us, but I think we are up to it," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "We have had a rugged season and we had some tough games in Prince George's County. I definitely know our kids aren't going to be scared and it should be a heck of a game."

Gwynn Park did not hesitate to set up its half of the championship game picture.

North Carroll turned the ball over on its first possession and it was all downhill from there for the Panthers. Gwynn Park's Brandon Ford hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Yellow Jackets built a 19-10 lead. They pushed the advantage into double digits at the start of the second quarter on a basket by Tion Barnes. With an 8-0 run a few minutes later, Gwynn Park pushed the lead to 29-12, and the outcome was never in doubt after that.

"Not a lot of people think of us as a 3-point shooting team, so it was very important to hit some early shots," Ford said. "It was real big to knock them down because [North Carroll] started shading over toward me and forgot about the rest of the guys."

The Yellow Jackets were especially dominating on the boards as they held a 47-25 edge in rebounding, including a 14-2 advantage on the offensive glass in the first half.

North Carroll coach Chris Vaughn said Gwynn Park's athleticism was the main difference in the outcome of the game.

"They just absolutely killed us on the boards," Vaughn said. "We came out in a zone and that didn't work because Brandon Ford hit those early 3-pointers."

Mike Hemsley led the Yellow Jackets with 16 points, while Ford added 15 points. Barnes scored 12 and pulled down nine rebounds, while Brian Blue scored five points and dished out seven assists.

This season marks the 20th time Gwynn Park has played in the state semifinals. The Brandywine school won 10 state championships between 1968 and 1988. Gwynn Park has lost in the state title game six times, including four times since 1999. In their most recent trip to the state final four, the Yellow Jackets lost to eventual state champion Winters Mill in the 2008 2A semifinals. Their last state title game appearance was in 2004, when they lost the 3A final to Baltimore's Douglass High, 66-65.

The Gwynn Park High School boys' basketball program has won a county-best 10 state titles in its illustrious history, but it has been 22 years since the Yellow Jackets last hoisted a state championship trophy.

This weekend, the Yellow Jackets (19-3) will try for title No. 11 after winning the 2A South Region title with an overtime victory against Oakland Mills on Saturday. Gwynn Park will take on North Carroll (18-5) in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Maryland, College Park's Comcast Center.

Defending state champion City College (21-2) takes on Easton (18-4) in the other Class 2A boys' semifinal game.

The Yellow Jackets return to the state semifinals for the first time since 2008, when Winters Mill hit a buzzer-beating shot to slip past Gwynn Park, 58-56, in the semifinals. Winters Mill went on to win the state title.

It's the second trip to the state semifinals for the Brandywine school under coach Mike Glick, who said this season's circumstances are different than those two years ago.

"In 2008, we were senior-dominated and very experienced," Glick said. "This year we have a bunch of younger guys that are contributing to this team."

The Yellow Jackets are battle-tested this season. The team won a thrilling 79-75 decision against Oakland Mills in the region final on Saturday, and doesn't count on just a few players for most of the team's production, like the 2008 squad did.

The Yellow Jackets are led by juniors Brandon Ford (19.8 points, four rebounds, three assists per game) and Tion Barnes (14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds per game, 28 blocks for the season), and seniors Mike Hemsley (13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists), Brian Blue (five points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists) and Curtis Hardy (six points, 4.5 rebounds).

Also adding key contributions for the Yellow Jackets have been sophomore guard Eric Batts, junior guard Daniel Henry and sophomore forward Marcel Boyd .

Ford said that the team possesses certain intangibles.

"It's really like a brotherhood on this team," Ford said. "I love these guys. It's just the way we have bonded this season. We have really grown in our time together. Everybody on the team is on the same page and we are all friends."

North Carroll runs a slow-paced offense that thrives on off-ball screens, back cuts and discipline.

The Panthers are led by 6-foot-5 forward Danny Hoffman (18.6 points, 11.3 rebounds per game), junior forward Charlie Clark (10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds) and senior guard Brian Kron (10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds).

"I think we've gotten to this point because of how well we play together," said coach Chris Vaughn. "Everybody plays a role on this team. We lost last year's regional final game and the region final the year before that."

An interesting coaching matchup could occur if Gwynn Park and City College advance to Saturday's 6 p.m. title game.

When Glick coached at Archbishop Spalding prior to joining Gwynn Park, he had regular showdowns against City College coach Mike Daniel, who then coached at Towson Catholic. Glick said he has a winning record against Daniel in head-to-head meetings.

2A Boys State Semifinals

Gwynn Park (18-3) vs. North Carroll (20-5)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Comcast Center, College Park

Players to watch: Roosevelt: Brandon Ford (19.8 points per game, four rebounds per game, three assists per game); Tion Barnes (14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg). North Carroll: Danny Hoffman (18.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg); Charlie Clark (10.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg)

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.

The Scorpions appeared in control of the game after junior forward Kerry Bethea hit a layup with 5 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the game to give his team an eight-point lead.

Nine minutes of game time later, the Yellow Jackets punched their ticket to next week's state semifinals. The Yellow Jackets came up with a series of clutch plays to force overtime and eventually prevailed, 79-75, at Henry A. Wise High in Upper Marlboro.

Gwynn Park will head to the University of Maryland, College Park's Comcast Center to take on North Carroll at 7 p.m. Friday. The Yellow Jackets have one of the county's most storied programs, with 10 state championships in their history. This year marks the Brandywine school's 20th trip to the state semifinals.

Yellow Jackets' junior guard Brandon Ford kept his team in the game, scoring 16 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

"I just didn't want to lose," Ford said. "It was our goal to win the county, region and state championship and while we didn't win the county championship, we got the region. Our seniors wanted this game so bad."

Gwynn Park junior forward Marcel Boyd had perhaps the biggest play in a game that was filled with great plays. With the Yellow Jackets trailing, 54-49, with 3:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, Boyd came up with a blocked shot despite facing a three-on-one fast break.

Another critical play for the Yellow Jackets was a steal and layup by senior forward Tion Barnes with 29 seconds to play that gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead since the 6:19 mark of the third quarter.

Gwynn Park had its hands full with the Scorpions' Greg Whittington, Sean O'Callaghan and Bethea, who combined to score 48 points and gave the Yellow Jackets problems all afternoon.

But both Whitting and Bethea fouled out of the game in the first 17 seconds of overtime.

"The game was never in doubt in my mind because we've been down by a lot before this season and came back," Barnes said. "I didn't feel that [the 6-foot-7 Whittington] was that tough of a matchup. I thought [Bethea] was much more of a problem for us. We wanted this game for all of our seniors so we can keep our dream alive of finishing as champions."

The Yellow Jackets got a balanced effort as Mike Hemsley (17 points), Brian Blue (five points, double-digit rebounds), Curtis Hardy (15 points), Barnes (six points, double-digit rebounds) and Ford all had key contributions.

"They have the heart of lions," Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said of his players. "These kids were all a part of our junior varsity program and it's a testament to our program. The way they played in this game is a microcosm of our season."

Thursday evening, in front of a capacity crowd at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine, the Yellow Jackets shook off several droughts and disposed of rival and reigning region champion Frederick Douglass, 64-60, in a 2A South Region semifinal.

Hemsley and his Gwynn Park teammates will face Oakland Mills on Saturday in the 2A South Region final at Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro. The winner will advance to the 2A state semifinals at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center next week.

"Me and the other four seniors all got together with the other players without the coaches," Hemsley said of their impromptu meeting after the loss to Oxon Hill. "We just wanted to make sure that we would stay together. That [county championship] game hurt. But it wasn't the end of the season. We had to get back and start working on our goal of winning the region. Douglass knocked us out the last two years, so it meant a lot that we beat them my senior year. Now we're going to play for the region championship."

Through three quarters of play the game was so evenly matched that both teams were in position to make a pivotal run. Douglass, which trailed 19-10 at the end of the first period thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Gwynn Park's Brian Blue, used runs of 6-0 and 9-0 in the second period to claim a 29-26 halftime advantage. The Eagles held a two-point lead, 41-39, heading into the final period.

But in the fourth quarter the Yellow Jackets were the more resilient team, and the senior-laden squad also got to the foul line early and often. Gwynn Park was in the double bonus for the final six minutes and made 14 of 22 free throws over that span, while the Eagles finally reached the bonus with 42 seconds remaining. Douglass managed only 1 of 3 free throws down the stretch.

"I really think our free-throw shooting was the difference," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "We missed a lot of free throws the other night against Oxon Hill, but tonight we converted on them. I think we still have to work on them in practice. We're looking forward to playing Hammond. It's the one seed against the two seed, so that should be exciting. But we knew all season it would be either us or Douglass that represented the county in the region final."

Douglass coach Tyrone Massenburg likewise sensed throughout the season the path to a return trip to the Comcast Center would go through Gwynn Park. Thursday evening his team nearly battled through the mounting foul trouble to overtake its rival. Junior Timmone Whatley scored 25 points, including his team's last 11, and he capped the scoring with a dunk as time expired.

"Timmone's a warrior," Massenburg said. "We just had too many turnovers in the fourth quarter. But I'm proud of these kids. All year long we knew we would have a target on our back. We were not going to surprise anybody after last year. It takes a special team to win a state title. So many things can happen along the way."

Gwynn Park junior guard Brandon Ford opened the fourth quarter with three-point play to give the Yellow Jackets a 42-41 lead. That triggered a series of lead changes, with Eric Washington and Whatley responding for the Eagles each time the Yellow Jackets forged ahead.

Douglass enjoyed two scoring runs in the second quarter, but with the game tied at 49-49 with four minutes to play before halftime it was Gwynn Park's turn to gain some momentum. Deante Brown scored and then Ford added a bucket and a free throw and Curtis Hardy made one free throw to give Gwynn Park a 58-49 lead with 1:32 remaining.

Consecutive baskets from Whatley gave the Eagles a glimmer of hope in the fourth quarter, and his three-point play narrowed the deficit to 59-54 with 50 seconds remaining in the game. But the Yellow Jackets got three free throws from Brown and two more from Ford, and that was enough to offset the last three baskets from Whatley.

The Yellow Jackets will play host to County 3A/2A/1A League rival Frederick Douglass on Thursday in a region semifinal game. It's a contest that seemed destined to happen at the beginning of the season. But before both teams began preparations for Thursday night's clash, they both needed to take care of business in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The Yellow Jackets easily defeated Long Reach, 66-44, in a 2A South Region quarterfinal, while Douglass took care of McDonough, 57-45.

"You have two very evenly matched teams that have great players and are well coached," Glick said of his Yellow Jackets and Douglass. "The team that does the little things right is probably going to come out with the victory."

Four players scored in double figures for the Yellow Jackets in their victory against Long Reach. Brandon Ford and Curtis Hardy each had 12, while Mike Hemsley added 11 and Tion Barnes scored 10.

Gwynn Park led 21-5 at the end of the first quarter and stretched that lead to 20 points midway through the second quarter. Long Reach cut the lead to 10 several times in the third quarter, but Gwynn Park pushed it back to 20 points midway through the fourth period.

It was a convincing victory for a Gwynn Park team that suffered a heartbreaking defeat the last time it was on the court.

In their last game prior to Tuesday's regional quarterfinal, the Yellow Jackets dropped a 73-72 decision to Oxon Hill in the Prince George's County championship on Feb. 24. Gwynn Park led by 12 late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't hang on as Oxon Hill closed the game on a 14-1 run.

Hemsley said the team called a players-only meeting after the loss to Oxon Hill to refocus on the ultimate goal, which is getting back to the University of Maryland, College Park's Comcast Center for the state tournament.

"We needed to come together as a family," Hemsley said. "We needed to remain focused and try and win this thing."

But before the Yellow Jackets think about making another trip to the Comcast Center, they need to win the season series against their rivals from Douglass. The teams split the first two meetings with each winning on its own court. Douglass defeated Gwynn Park, 77-73, while the Yellow Jackets evened the score, 67-51.

But Douglass still holds bragging rights against the Yellow Jackets. The Eagles won at Gwynn Park last season in the 2A South semifinals on their way to a Class 3A state runner-up finish.

Glick said Thursday's game is going to be similar to the first time the two teams met.

"It's going to be a heck of a game," he said. "Both teams have one day to come up with a game plan. The previous two meetings mean nothing."

The senior was held scoreless in the first half, which ended with the County 4A League champion Clippers trailing 3A/2A/1A League champ Gwynn Park.

But Baker eventually found his shot. He scored 20 points in the second half, but none were bigger than the final two points of the game.

Baker banked in a floater with 1.9 seconds remaining to lift the Clippers past Gwynn Park, 73-72, at Henry A. Wise High School.

Baker said he saw an opening in the lane and decided to be aggressive.

"I knew I was quicker than their big men, so I just tried to get into the lane and find my shot," he said. "Coach [Richard Little] told me to be more aggressive in the second half and to not stop shooting."

But as Baker and teammate Ray Gatling began to heat up in the second half, so did the Yellow Jackets. Gatling also scored 20 points in the second half, finishing with a game-high 26, which equaled his county-leading average this season.

Nonetheless, Gwynn Park started to pull away. The Yellow Jackets built a 71-59 lead midway through the fourth quarter and seemed to be in control of the game.

But Oxon Hill stepped up the defensive pressure and started to chip away at the Gwynn Park lead. The Clippers forced seven Yellow Jackets' turnovers in the fourth quarter and used a 12-0 run to tie the game at 71-71. Baker scored the final six points of the run, including the tying layup with 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining in the game.

Gwynn Park worked the clock, and Mike Hemsley drew a foul with 17.4 seconds remaining. Hemsley hit one of two free throws to give Gwynn Park a 72-71 lead.

Oxon Hill called a time out and originally designed a play for Gatling, but the ball was knocked out of bounds with 6 seconds remaining. Clippers' coach Richard Little said there was no design after the ball was knocked out of bounds. He just told his team to make a play, and that's what Baker did.

After Baker's shot put Oxon Hill ahead, 73-72, with 1.9 seconds remaining, Gwynn Park's Brandon Ford put up a shot at the buzzer, but it hit the backboard before falling to the floor. That set off a wild celebration as the Clippers rushed the court.

"I just wanted the guys to keep attacking and keep fighting and that's what we did," Little said. "We were able to get some easy shots because of our defense. We put some pressure on them and we started making some shots and got some calls."

Ford scored 19 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Tion Barnes added 18 points, while Hemsley scored 13 and Curtis Hardy added 10.

Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said the tough loss could either spark the Yellow Jackets in the playoffs or it could tear their hearts out.

"We told the guys we were 0-0 now and we still have the bigger goal ahead of us," he said. "This was a tough defeat and we will see how we respond. We have to bounce back because this game didn't end our season."

Gwynn Park has the No. 1 seed in the 2A South Region and will be idle until 7 p.m. Tuesday, when they will play host to the winner of Friday's first-round game between Patuxent and Long Reach. Oxon Hill is the top seed in the 4A South Region, and the Clippers also are off until Tuesday, when they will have a 7 p.m. tipoff at home against the winner of Friday's Suitland-Laurel game.

Oxon Hill 73, Gwynn Park 72

Gwynn Park (17-5): Tion Barnes 18, Brandon Ford 19, Brian Blue 7, Mike Hemsley 13, Curtis Hardy 10, Eric Batts 2, Daniel Henry 3.

Oxon Hill (16-4): Ray Gatling 26, Sedric Baker 20, Denzel McGuine 3, Vincent Walker 4, Aaron Venson 8, Michael Smith 4, Timon Johnson 8.

Gwynn Park used that defeat as a springboard of sorts, and it hasn't lost a game since. The Yellow Jackets got a bit of revenge on Thursday night as they crushed the Eagles, 67-51, to take sole possession of first place in the league.

If the Yellow Jackets defeat Forestville on Friday night, they will earn a spot in the county championship on Wednesday and the top spot in the upcoming 2A South Region playoffs, which get under way with first-round games on Feb. 26.

"Those have been two of our goals the entire season," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "We have played a lot better the second time through the schedule, and I think that shows the improvement of these guys."

Tion Barnes led the way for the Yellow Jackets (16-3 overall, 12-3 league) with 26 points, as Gwynn Park blew a close game open in the second quarter. Douglass led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter, but Gwynn Park opened the second period with a 14-4 run and took a 35-22 lead into halftime.

The Eagles got within nine points in the third quarter, but the Yellow Jackets answered with an 8-0 run and were never threatened again. Brandon Ford chipped in 13 points for Gwynn Park, while Mike Hemsley scored 10.

"We needed this one if we were going to make it to the county championship," Barnes said. "We treated this like it was just another game, but it was bigger. We knew we needed to come out and play hard."

Terel Bonhom scored 13 points to lead the Eagles, while Timmone Whatley had 11. Douglass coach Ty Massenburg said his team isn't playing well lately, which isn't a good thing with the playoffs right around the corner.

The Yellow Jackets and the Eagles could meet again in the 2A South Region tournament, but that's not what Massenburg is thinking about.

"We had some really good chemistry earlier in the year, but we just don't have that now," Massenburg said. "The playoffs are a new season and we just have to find a way to get back on stride."

The Eagles get that chance Friday night as they play host to Surrattsville.

Gwynn Park 67, Frederick Douglass 51

Douglass 15 7 17 12 - 51

Gwynn Park 12 23 22 10 - 67

Douglass (14-5, 11-4): Timmone Whatley 11, Kavon Glover 3, Jeron Beasley 4, Purnell Murray 4, Marvis Davies 1, Sam Lester 3, Teron Elias 5, Terel Bonhom 13, Angelo Williams 6, Vincent Williams 1.

Gwynn Park (16-3, 12-3): Brandon Ford 13, Tion Barnes 26, Mike Hemsley 10, Eric Batts 4, Raymond Barnes 3, Curtis Hardy 9, Marcel Boyd 1, Brian Hall 1.

Bowie High School boys' basketball coach Cedric Holbrook spent Monday afternoon helping shovel his mother out of her house in Bowie. Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick had time to play with his three children in the snow.

Such was life this week for Prince George's County high school basketball coaches and teams after one of the biggest snow storms in Maryland history wiped out any basketball games for the foreseeable future.

The games scheduled for last Friday were postponed when the snow storm started to move into the area. The storm dropped 30 inches of snow in some areas, which was enough to cancel all the games scheduled for Tuesday night. With forecasts calling for another storm beginning Tuesday afternoon, the rest of this week's games were in jeopardy, and county athletic officials had not yet determined makeup dates as of press time.

For a team like the Gwynn Park boys (14-3 overall, 10-3 in the County 3A/2A/1A League), who had won four consecutive games entering the week, the break in play seemingly comes at a bad time. But Glick said he told his team not to worry about the situation since there is nothing anyone can do about it.

"I have lived in the area my whole life and I have never seen anything like this," Glick said. "Everyone is in the same position, so no one is getting any advantage from this. I told the guys to shovel snow, do some pushups or do some type of cardio work to stay in shape. We knew on Thursday [Feb. 4] that it could be a long time before we played another game."

The time off may be a good thing for some teams. Bowie has been banged up for most of the season with starters Jared Carithers, Randall Castleberry and Kyle Jordan missing time with injuries. Bowie lost three in a row without its three hurt starters, but the Bulldogs were starting to get healthy for the stretch run.

The Bulldogs (13-4 overall, 11-3 County 4A League) had won four in a row, including a 50-44 decision over Charles H. Flowers on Feb. 4, before the storm hit.

"We had been erratic at times, so I think this time off is good because it gives the players a chance to re-energize for the stretch run," Holbrook said. "Now the guys get to be off their feet and resting, which is a good thing. The only negative is we can't practice until we get back to school, which might not happen until next week."

If all the games scheduled for this week are cancelled, that puts Prince George's County in a difficult situation. All of the boys teams have five games remaining, but only have a week to get them in before the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association draws the brackets for the regional tournaments on Feb. 21.

That could be a tough situation in the County 4A League, where five teams are within one game of each other. Only the top four teams in the league, based on overall records, will receive first-round byes for the 4A South Region tournament.

Some of the coaches said they hoped the MPSSAA would consider pushing the seeding draw back a couple of days, but that's not going to happen.

MPSSAA Executive Director Ned Sparks said the dates for the seeding draw and the start of the state's regional tournaments will not be changed. He also said it would be up to the individual counties to determine what the schedules would look like for the final week of the regular season.

"Once the time runs out for the regular season, we will seed for the tournament," Sparks said. "All the counties are going to be in the situation where they have to drop some games. I am sure they will figure something out."

Regardless of what happens to this week's schedule, Oxon Hill coach Richard Little is convinced that the day students return to school, they will be playing that night. That would be a welcomed sight for Little and the Clippers (11-4 overall, 11-2 County 4A League), who had won 10 consecutive games before the storm hit.

"We need to keep playing because we had developed a nice momentum," Little said. "There really is no way to prepare for this because there is nothing you can do. We are going to watch some film and look at some things we can do better that will help us the next time we take the court."

The three teams that entered Friday tied atop the County 3A/2A/1A League boys' basketball standings – Largo, Frederick Douglass and Potomac – will take center stage over the next week as they play one another. But a fourth team stands poised to be a factor during the final six regular season games and into the postseason: Gwynn Park.

The Yellow Jackets (12-4 overall, 8-4 league) were missing starting senior guard Brian Blue (football recruiting visit), but defeated Friendly, 67-60, Friday at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine. Juniors Brandon Ford and Tion Barnes led Gwynn Park past Friendly with 25 and 17 points, respectively. It was Gwynn Park's fifth win in its past six games.

"We're getting better, that's the key," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "I thought Curtis Hardy did a great job of stepping in and providing excellent defense in Brian Blue's absence."

Ford scored 10 points in the first quarter and connected on 11 of 13 field goal attempts, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Barnes gave the near-capacity crowd something to cheer about with three powerful slams and led his team with seven rebounds.

"Last year all I did was drive [toward the basket], so as teams would back up off me, I developed a jump shot," Ford said.

All nine of Ford's 2-point field goals came from in the lane. Reginald Sims scored 15 points, Michael Johnson added 12 and Davon Morton had 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Patriots.

Gwynn Park held a 33-31 halftime lead and Friendly was able to cut it to 36-35 with 6 minutes, 21 seconds to play in the third quarter on a layup by Johnson. But then both teams struggled to score. After two Gwynn Park free throws and a Friendly layup, the score was 38-37 with 4:33 left in the period.

The Yellow Jackets pulled away by scoring eight unanswered points over the next two minutes, with Ford and Barnes combining for six of them. Gwynn Park held a 50-41 lead heading into the final quarter.

Friendly (7-8, 6-7) was not able to get closer than five points in the fourth quarter, 63-58, with 59.2 seconds to play. The Patriots struggled to score after that and the Yellow Jackets extended their lead with two free throws and a layup.

Friendly, which was the Class 3A state runner-up last season, has lost three in a row and six of its last eight.

"It's been a long, trying season," said Friendly coach Rob Garner. "Our gameplan was we had to keep Ford out of the lane, and we had to keep Barnes and [Mike] Hemsley off the boards, and for a while we did that. And then for a two-minute stretch, they just absolutely overpowered us."

Gwynn Park plays at Largo on Tuesday, which entered play Friday night tied with Frederick Douglass and Potomac for first place in the County 3A/2A/1A League. Douglass beat Largo by a point on Friday.

Gwynn Park 67, Friendly 60

Friendly 18 13 10 19 - 60

Gwynn Park 21 12 17 17 - 67

Friendly (7-8, 6-7): Reginald Sims 15, Michael Johnson 12, Davon Morton 11, Justin Strong 7, Lovell Brooks 6, Sherrod Baltimore 4, Chris Adewole 3, Bernard Savoy 2.

Gwynn Park (12-4, 8-4): Brandon Ford 25, Tion Barnes 17, Eric Batts 11, Mike Hemsley 6, Curtis Hardy 6, Daniel Henry 2.

With less than two minutes remaining in the Gwynn Park High School boys' basketball team's rematch against County 3A/2A/1A League-leading Potomac on Friday night, Yellow Jackets' forward Tion Barnes leaped high toward the basket to connect with teammate Mike Hemsley's underhand lob before completing the alley-oop with an emphatic slam.

It was the last of seven dunks from Barnes as his 30-point output paced Gwynn Park to a 96-79 victory against visiting Potomac on Friday. After only scoring five points and admittedly losing his focus during the teams' first meeting, an 81-80 win by Potomac on Dec. 11, Barnes listened to his coaching staff's advice and used his athleticism to aggressively attack the basket from above.

"My coaches told me that I needed to score, to step up," Barnes said. "They wanted me to play above the rim, so I said "OK" They wanted me to take more shots, so I started taking it to the hole. I do whatever my teammates need me to do to win."

Gwynn Park improved to 10-4 overall and 6-4 in the County 3A/2A/1A League with the victory, while Potomac dropped to 9-4 (8-2). Hemsley scored 15 points and Brandon Ford chipped in 11 for Gwynn Park. Anthony Murray led the visitors with 20 points.

The Yellow Jackets dictated the frantic pace throughout, finding success in the transition game as the Wolverines struggled to get back on defense.

"That's when we're at our best, when we can limit teams to one shot, control the rebound and get out in transition," said Gwynn Park coach Michael Glick.

Potomac center Antonio Jenifer, who tallied 23 points against Gwynn Park in December, missed his second game in two weeks due to illness. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of Potomac's lack of an inside presence, scoring in the paint at will.

In addition, Wolverines' coach Torrence Okendine said his squad had some "team issues" while preparing for the game "that affected us a lot more than we thought," but declined to elaborate.

With the game deadlocked at 19 with two minutes left in the first quarter, Gwynn Park reeled off a 10-0 run to end the period and build a lead it would never surrender.

Barnes took control with his team leading 49-42 early in the second half, notching 10 points during a 16-2 spurt that put the Yellow Jackets comfortably ahead. The agile forward capped off his standout period by driving the baseline and throwing down a one-handed jam at the buzzer.

Gwynn Park maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter. Trailing by 12 points, the Wolverines lost their cool when David Brockenberry committed a flagrant foul with six minutes remaining. Dominique Green and Tracey Barner subsequently picked up technical fouls for arguing the call, giving the Yellow Jackets six free throw attempts and possession of the ball.

Gwynn Park made three of the free throws and converted a layup on the ensuing possession, pushing the cushion to 17 points. For the Yellow Jackets, being able to coast to victory was a reward for focusing on the intangibles.

"I thought it was our best total performance of the year, rebounding, defense and intensity-wise," Glick said. "We've gotten a lot better in terms of handling pressure and rebounding the basketball."

Gwynn Park 96, Potomac 79

Potomac 19 19 17 24 – 79

Gwynn Park 29 18 24 25 – 96

P (9-4 8-2): Anthony Murray 20, David Brockenberry 12, Tracey Barner 12, Devin Miller 11, Davion Brandon 10, Dominique Green 8, Da'ron Wiseman 6.

G (10-4, 6-4): Tion Barnes 30, Mike Hemsley 15, Daniel Henry 12, Brandon Ford 11, Curtis Hardy 8, Brian Blue 7, Eric Batts 4, Marcel Boyd 4, Raymond Barnes 3, Deante Brown 2.

Marcel Boyd has lost count of how many times people ask him, "Who do you play for?"

Until recently, the sophomore at Gwynn Park High School never had an answer.

Standing 6-foot-8, it's easy to assume Boyd is a star on a high school Amateur Athletic Union basketball club.

"When I was younger, coaches used to come up to me and ask me to play for them [on a basketball team]," said Boyd, who is the tallest person in the building at the Brandywine school. "I would tell them that I'm not that interested in basketball; I want to play football. I didn't really like basketball that much."

Now that Boyd is a center on Gwynn Park's boys' basketball team, he can offer an instant answer to the questions he has heard for years.

This is not only Boyd's first year with the Yellow Jackets — it's his first year playing basketball. Despite being just a beginner, Boyd has an important role on his team. He's playing anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes per game and is averaging 1.1 blocked shots and 3.5 rebounds per game. Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said Boyd's inexperience is actually a virtue.

"Marcel has grown tremendously in learning the game," Glick said. "The No. 1 reason he's grown is because he has an excellent attitude and he's open to learning, and he's receptive to criticism and he's his harshest critic. The fact that he hasn't played a lot of basketball has translated into the fact he doesn't have a lot of bad habits. It makes him more hungry instead of if he was playing AAU since he was 8. Obviously he's improved by leaps and bounds."

Boyd and his family are still relatively new to the county. The Boyds have moved around the country as Marcel's father, Frank Boyd, is in the army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan. The family has previously lived in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.

Boyd's mother Consuelo said Marcel has matured as his father has been deployed for extended tours of duty.

"Marcel is a really good kid," Consuelo Boyd said. "In ways he does take over the father spot because he has two younger brothers. He actually tells them right from wrong. He wants them to play sports and is trying to groom them."

The Yellow Jackets find themselves in the thick of the race in a competitive County 3A/2A/1A League, and that means they need Boyd to catch on quickly. He has received increased playing time lately, as Gwynn Park senior forward Mike Hemsley has missed two games because of a broken left pinky.

"I know I have to step up and be the starting center, and I see myself as probably the best big man defender on this team," Boyd said. "Every time I put my hands up, I alter shots so that's basically what I'm used for."

Chances are that Boyd will greatly help the Yellow Jackets once the postseason starts, as county teams have discovered in recent years that their lack of height has been a downfall in the state playoffs.

Last season, Friendly High lost 75-50 in the state Class 3A title game to a Lake Clifton squad that featured four players 6-foot-6 or taller. Friendly had no players taller than 6-foot-5. In the state Class 2A title game, Frederick Douglass lost 55-42 to a City College team that had three players who were 6-foot-7 or taller, while the Eagles' tallest player was 6-foot-5.

The buzz in Prince George's County prep basketball circles is that many taller players opt to play at private schools or focus on their AAU clubs in order to gain the most exposure. Many private school teams travel to play in high-profile tournaments and showcase events, and the summer AAU circuit is built to serve as a showcase for top-level players.

Boyd said he has been approached by private schools, including Gilman and Cardinal Gibbons, both in Baltimore. But he said he feels comfortable at Gwynn Park.

Glick said playing for a public school could be beneficial for Boyd's development.

"I think that his size is unique," Glick said. "There are not a lot of kids in the county with his size and skills. Marcel has made a great decision with coming to Gwynn Park. He's gotten a lot of individual attention as compared to being a role player off of the bench at a private school. The only way he's going to get better is by playing."

Boyd is still keeping his options, adding that he will try to play basketball and football in his junior year.

"Everybody is telling me I'm good in basketball because of my height and everything, but I love football," Boys said. "If it comes down to it, if college football recruiters are giving me a lot of attention, then we'll see. As of right now, basketball is more of [a certainty] for me because they're always repeating ‘size, size, size,' and I've got plenty of it."

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net. 

With Tuesday night's game against Gwynn Park tied with 73-73 with less than a minute remaining, Glover found himself open in his favorite spot and he didn't hesitate.

Glover's jumper from the top of the key broke the tie, and Douglass went on to a 77-73 victory against the Yellow Jackets at Douglass High. The Eagles (9-3 overall) have won five in a row and remain in second place in the County 3A/2A/1A League with a 7-2 mark.

"It was a clutch shot and we needed it," Glover said. "I was open in the middle, so I just made sure I followed through and hit the shot."

Gwynn Park had a chance to tie the game in the finals seconds, but Tion Barnes' shot went off the rim. Douglass collected the rebound and Angelo Williams raced down the court for a layup as time expired.

The wild ending capped a frantic 2 minutes that saw Gwynn Park erase a five-point deficit with five quick points from Brandon Ford. But the Eagles came back and answered with Glover's shot to win the game.

"We expected this to be a 12-round fight and we were lucky enough to get in the last punch," Massenburg said. "That's kind of the way this series goes. We had a lot of different guys step up tonight and Glover hit a clutch shot."

Williams led the way for the Eagles with 21 points, including three 3-pointers. Timmone Whatley was next with 15 points, while Glover added 13 and Devon Hall scored 10.

Ford scored a game-high 35 points, including 26 in the first half, while Barnes added 22 points.

"We need to keep improving on the boards and we need to keep getting better on defense," Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said. "We just have to look at the big picture and realize that everyone is 0-0 come March."

Gwynn Park (9-4, 6-4) returns to action on Friday as it hosts Potomac, while Douglass hosts Central.

Frederick Douglass 77, Gwynn Park 73

Gwynn Park 18 23 20 15 - 73

Frederick Douglass 10 27 20 20 - 77

Gwynn Park (9-4, 6-4): Brandon Ford 35, Tion Barnes 22, Brian Blue 5, Mike Hemsley 7, Marcel Boyd 2, Curtis Hardy 2.

Frederick Douglass (9-3, 7-2): Timmone Whatley 15, Angelo Williams 21, Kavon Glover 13, Devon Hall 10, Terel Bonhom 8, Geron Beasly 3, Jashean Smith 4, Teron Elias 3.

The Gwynn Park High School boys' basketball team produced what coach Mike Glick called its best performance of the season on Thursday night. But all was not completely smooth for the Yellow Jackets.

Gwynn Park jumped out to a 12-0 lead, then survived the ejection of two players in a 77-60 victory against Largo. The Yellow Jackets improved to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the County 3A/2A/1A League, while the Lions dropped their second in a row and are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the league.

"We had really put the emphasis on rebounding and defense after a terrible defensive performance in our last game [a 61-56 win against Forestville on Tuesday]," Glick said. "I thought today was the best we looked this season."

With 6 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Gwynn Park senior guard Brian Blue was issued a technical foul for pushing Largo guard Will Johnson. Blue then proceeded to run up to Johnson and exchange words with him, which prompted a second technical foul, ending his night. Yellow Jackets' guard D.J. West Jr. was given an automatic ejection for leaving the bench during the brief fracas.

By Prince George's County rules, the ejection requires Blue to sit out the Yellow Jackets' next game, scheduled for Friday night against Surrattsville. West will be available, as his ejection only resulted in one technical foul.

The brief disruption did not stop the Yellow Jackets from finishing off the Lions.

Gwynn Park senior Tion Barnes continued his impressive play with 21 points and nine rebounds. It was the third game this season that the 6-foot-5 forward has scored at least 20 points. Teammate Mike Hemsley added 21 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Eric Batts added 14 points and five rebounds.

Forward Damante McNeill led Largo with 18 points, and guard Derrick Colter added 17, but the Lions lost their second in a row. They blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against Potomac on Tuesday night. Despite the two-game skid after a 5-0 start, Lions' coach Lewis Howard is confident in his team.

"We're in great shape now," Howard said. "This is practice. I know they say the standings mean a lot, but what we want to do is continue to get better. This was nice intensity out there between the two teams, but that helps with our competitive edge and we need that. It's only early January."

Ford, a pivotal part of the Yellow Jackets'

18-5 season last year, missed the playoffs after falling awkwardly and suffering a concussion in the final regular season game, a 54-43 loss at Friendly. Ford's injury was a huge blow for the Yellow Jackets, who ended up losing to arch-rival Frederick Douglass in the 2A South Region semifinals.

"Ever since I got hurt, I wanted to get them back," said Ford, who had a game-high 24 points in his return to Friendly, a 68-67, victory for the Yellow Jackets on Friday night. "Honestly it took two or three months after the concussion for me to feel normal. It was an unfortunate incident and I'm thankful to even be able to play basketball, because some people can't come back from head injuries."

Friendly High School boys' basketball coach Robert Garner accurately predicted Friday's early-season showdown against Gwynn Park when prior to the game he called it a "rumble."

In an early candidate for game of the year in the County 3A/2A/1A League, Gwynn Park earned a huge win on the road in Fort Washington, edging the Patriots, 68-67.

The victory was hard fought for a Class 2A Gwynn Park team team that is 3-1 and already battle tested, having faced two of the area's better Class 3A teams – Friendly and Potomac (an 81-80 setback Dec. 11) – on consecutive Fridays.

"This was a very big win for us," said Yellow Jackets' sophomore guard Eric Batts. "We wanted to come back from that Potomac game and beat Central [Tuesday night] and Friendly. Coach told us we're never out of it."

The game went back and forth most of the way, but the Patriots (2-1) appeared in control and ready to put the game away at the start of the fourth period.

After the Patriots took a 59-48 lead with 6 minutes, 50 seconds remaining, Gwynn Park took a time out, during which coach Mike Glick implored his team that "the game isn't over." And the Yellow Jackets responded – particularly Tion Barnes, who turned up his rebounding and defense and scored all of his eight points in the fourth quarter. Gwynn Park used a 20-8 run to come back and win the game.

"I thought the way the schedule broke was crazy because we had two of the hardest games on the road in a week," Glick said. "That Potomac game really prepared us for this environment. I'm glad we're not in [Class 3A]."

Junior guard Brandon Ford led the Yellow Jackets with a game-high 24 points. Senior forward Mike Hemsley added 20 points. The Patriots were led by a balanced effort from junior forward Davon Moore (17 points), Bernard Savoy (10), Michael Johnson (eight) and Justin Strong (eight).

Patriots' coach Robert Garner said the game could help his team.

"We talked about this all week being a rumble," Garner said. "You have to be able to give a punch and take a punch, and it comes down to the last man standing. We've got to make better decisions out there. This game will help us for many different reasons."

Gwynn Park 68, Friendly 67

Gwynn Park 16 19 13 20 – 68

Friendly 22 20 13 12 – 67

GP (3-1, 2-1) -- Ford 9 4-5 24, Hemsley 9 2-7 20, T. Barnes 4 0-1 8, Batts 4 0-2 8, Henry 3 0-0 6, Blue 1 0-0 2.

F (2-1, 1-0) -- Morton 8 1-2 17, Savoy 5 0-0 12, Johnson 4 0-2 8, Sims 3 0-0 7, Adewole 1 4-4 6, Brooks 3 0-0 6, Strong 3 0-0 6, Baltimore 2 0-1 5.

Much has been made about the wealth of talented teams in the league, and the Wolverines and Yellow Jackets provided evidence of that, as Potomac pulled out a tough 81-80 victory on its home floor in Oxon Hill.

"It was probably the greatest basketball game I've participated in in a long time," said Potomac coach Torrence Oxendine.

The teams shot 83 free throws between them, and had the Yellow Jackets made their free throws late in the game, they would have won. But the Gwynn Park did exactly the opposite, missing 9 of 10 at the line in the last 5 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, Potomac went 27 of 39 at the foul line. Gwynn Park was 26 of 44.

The Wolverines (2-0) were paced by 25 points from guard Devin Miller, 21 points from forward Antonio Jenifer, 15 points from point guard Da'Ron Wiseman and 11 from David Brockenberry.

The Yellow Jackets (1-1) got a game-high 30 points from junior guard Brandon Ford and, 17 from forward Mike Hemsley and 16 from guard Eric Batts.

"We have a whole lot to work on, but even though we didn't win, I was very proud of the way they came back under adverse conditions," said Yellow Jackets' coach Mike Glick.

The Wolverines controlled the game early, taking a 37-30 lead at the half. But the Yellow Jackets responded in the third quarter with a 32-point burst to take a 62-58 lead into the fourth quarter.

But the final period belonged to the Wolverines, who went on a 15-8 run in the final 4 minutes to pull out the victory.

Gwynn Park High School senior Curtis Hardy has no problem being the most annoying player on the basketball court. As a matter of fact, he likes to be compared to gnats at a barbecue because he is always bugging the person he defends.

Hardy did more than just defend in Tuesday night's game against Old Mill. He scored 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as the Yellow Jackets beat the Patriots, 74-59. He also put the clamps on Old Mill's Mike Holley, a three-year varsity starter, who scored just six points in the second half as Gwynn Park pulled away.

Hardy did all of this in his first varsity basketball game. But he is used to the spotlight after starting at cornerback and wide receiver for the Gwynn Park football team.

"Really this was just another game for me," he said. "I've played in bigger games than this, so this was just another season opener."

The Yellow Jackets were slow out of the gate, allowing Old Mill to grab an early lead. Gwynn Park didn't take its first lead until the end of the first quarter when Tion Barnes dunked the ball off an offensive rebound to give the Yellow Jackets a 20-19 advantage.

The teams were tied at halftime, and Gwynn Park held a 50-47 advantage entering the fourth quarter. But the Yellow Jackets' relentless attacking of the glass began to wear down the smaller Old Mill lineup. Gwynn Park enjoyed a 39-22 advantage on the boards, including a 20-7 advantage on the offensive glass.

Gwynn Park's aggressiveness also gave it an advantage from the free-throw line, as the Yellow Jackets finished 16 of 31, while Old Mill was just 9 of 13.

Yellow Jackets' coach Mike Glick said his players' aggressiveness in the paint is nothing new and that he expects them to dominate the boards. He added that Gwynn Park's rebounding and low-post presence will get even better once 6-foot-4 senior forward Mike Hemsley returns from his one-game suspension for violating team rules. He said Hemsley should be back for Friday's game at County 3A/2A/1A League rival Potomac.

"I am very happy with how resilient the players were, especially in the second half," Glick said. "I thought that we played better on defense and were more patient on offense. We started playing from the inside out instead of the outside in."

Barnes scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Brandon Ford added 19 points, including 7 of 9 from the foul line.

E-mail Joshua Hudson at jhudson@gazette.net.

Last season, the Gwynn Park High School boys' basketball team felt the time was right to end a two-decade championship drought.

But with star point guard Brandon Ford injured and unavailable for the playoffs, the Yellow Jackets were eliminated in the 2A South Region semifinals by rival Frederick Douglass, a team the Yellow Jackets had beaten twice during the regular season.

Gwynn Park owns a county-best 10 state championships, but the last of those came in 1988. The Yellow Jackets have been in the state final four times since then, but haven't been able to bring another trophy back to Brandywine. This summer, the team is working to send its 2009-10 season on a path toward the state tournament next March at the Comcast Center.

Gwynn Park's roster in the GPS Beltway League at Henry A. Wise High has been in a state of flux, as some of Gwynn Park's more accomplished players participate with club teams and in camps. Ford was among those absent on Monday. But the Yellow Jackets won for the fifth time in seven games Monday evening, 44-37, against Wise, which is competing under the summer league name of Jaguars.

"We expect to win every game and be competitive in every game, which we are, but we still have a long way to go," said Gwynn Park summer coach Jarrett Thompson. "Just because we've won a couple of games in a summer league by no means solidifies where we want to be."

Tion Barnes, a rising junior who has played for the Yellow Jackets the past two seasons, scored a team-high 11 points on Monday.

"Things have been great so far [with summer leagues]," said Barnes. "I have been working on my defense and ballhandling. We're just looking for team chemistry for the regular season."

Rising senior Tim Floyd has returned to Gwynn Park after transferring to Camden Military Academy in South Carolina for his junior year. He attended Gwynn Park as a freshman and sophomore, but opted for military school to improve his academic status.

"I was wanting to come back here the whole time," said Floyd, a point guard. "I had to do at the time what I had to do in order to get back up here."

During his sophomore year, Floyd was part of the Yellow Jackets' team that lost by two points in the 2A state semifinals to eventual champion Winters Mill. He said he's ready to help lead Gwynn Park back into the state playoffs.

"I wasn't a leader when I was a sophomore and freshman, I was more of a follower," said Floyd, who scored nine points on Monday. "Now this year, I want to become more of a voice leader on the court. I like taking on that challenge."

The GPS Beltway League is the only league the Yellow Jackets are participating in this summer. With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, they are in position to earn one of the four playoff spots from the league's Crossover Division.

"The kids need to keep doing what they're supposed to be doing," said Thompson. "How far we go [next season], that depends how hard the kids are determined to work and how healthy we can stay. It's all about getting better."

Monday, Brian Hall scored 10 points for Gwynn Park. Barnes' brother, Raymond, scored eight points, while Brian Blue and Ronald Owens also scored. Blue is a star linebacker for the Yellow Jackets' football team who recently was selected to play at the Maryland Crab Bowl in December. 

E-mail Adam Rubenstein at arubenstein@gazette.net.

Pratt returns to the Laurel private school after serving as an assistant boys' basketball coach under Mike Glick from from 1993-98. Pratt also was on Glick's staff from 1998-2004 at Archbishop Spalding. Glick is now the boys' coach at Gwynn Park.

Pratt spent the 2004-05 season as the head coach at St. Mary's-Annapolis and then moved on to Towson Catholic, where he compiled a 98-41 record in four seasons as head coach. His career coaching record is 107-57.

The Pallotti job will be his first time coaching a girls' team.

"It will be a challenge," said Pratt. "Girls have a different attitude, but coaching is coaching. It's a good challenge for me, it really is."

Skelly won more than 100 games at Pallotti, and guided the Panthers to Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championships in 2006 and 2007. Pallotti was 11-12 last season and reached the conference semifinals.

Outgoing Towson Catholic coach Josh Pratt said he learned in February that he was being laid off from his position as a physical education and health teacher at the school.

He said he wanted to coach and teach at the same place and has accepted a job as girls basketball coach at St. Vincent Pallotti.

Towson Catholic was 17-13 last season, finishing third in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and fourth in the Baltimore Catholic League.

Pratt, who was an assistant at Pallotti, Archbishop Spalding and St. Mary's before taking over at Towson Catholic for longtime coach Mike Daniel in 2005, went 98-40 (.710) in four seasons with the Owls. He guided them to two MIAA A Conference titles and one Baltimore Catholic League crown. Pratt's teams were ranked in the top 10 in The Baltimore Sun's final poll in each of his first three seasons, including a No. 1 ranking in 2007.