By Amanda Allen ’17

Boys’ varsity basketball team has had its ups and downs en route to a record of 4-4 through their first eight games. After two consecutive losses against Churchill by a score of 66-51 and to Gaithersburg by a score of 81-76 before the holiday break, the Warriors won 74-50 against Einstein in the Brad Pinchback Basketball Holiday Invitational tournament on December 28 and 29.

The Warriors went on a 25 to 3 run in the second quarter to take command of the game against Einstein. Sophomore Davis Long scored a high of 15 points along with four rebounds and one steal. Additionally, senior captain Chris West and junior Josh Seils each dropped in three-pointers in the victory. The Warriors were unable to build momentum from the win and fell 64-57 in their next tournament game to Covenant Life. West led the team with 12 points and sophomore Kamari Williams added 10 points. Long and senior Tyrese Williams each contributed eight points. The Warriors returned to regular season action against Paint Branch last Friday, resulting with a victory 54-46.

Sophomore starters Kamari Williams and Long have been a surprisingly significant addition to the team this year and are still getting used to the speed of varsity-level basketball.

“We have only a couple players returning that saw extensive court time last season, so the first seven or eight games are used mainly for adjusting to varsity level speed and reaction times. The windows that were once available on the JV level all of a sudden close a lot quicker. With six juniors and two sophomores on the team, these young guys have big roles to fill and many minutes to take on,” said Coach Tim Gilchrist.

Kamari Williams leads the team with 35 rebounds this season. “As sophomores, Davis and I try to match the upperclassmens’ intensity and try to contribute to the team as best as we can to help the team win. We play for the name on the front of our jerseys, not the number,” said Williams.

“You can always count on us to always give 100 percent every time we step out to play,” added Long. “I play a big role and bring my leadership skills to the floor. Kamari and I always work extremely hard and we all have respect for one another.” Both Williams and Long said that the team has great chemistry and has been very accepting of the two sophomore starters.

The coaches have also helped to build the camaraderie with the team. They have established relationships individually with each of the players. Gilchrist meets with each player one-on-one each week to discuss successes and failures of the previous week for both the team and individually.

The Warriors are excited for a rematch against Springbrook on January 29. Both teams were division champs last season, but the Warriors’ season ended after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Blue Devils.