By Michael Natelli ’14 and Ashley Nnabue ’16

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Photo Credits to Jack Armstrong ’15

The Warriors opened their season on a high note on Friday, defeating the rival Magruder Colonels in a 62-58 thriller.

The squad started the game in dominant fashion, taking an 11-0 lead in the first 1:30 on the hot hand of junior Drew Davis, who hit two three-pointers and a lay-up in the opening stretch. “We … noticed the hot hand in [Davis] and continued to give him the ball,” said junior Giovanni Smith.

After outscoring the Colonels 31-24 in the first half, the Warriors saw their lead slip away in the third quarter, as Magruder countered by outscoring the Warriors 18-11 to tie the game at 42-42. “We knew that they would come out shooting in the second half,” Smith said. “[Once we stopped their three-point shooting], it brought a spark to the team and we got it back together.”

However, the Warriors managed to hold on in the fourth quarter behind clutch late-game free throw shooting from Davis and seniors Ellis Dozier, Mike Crooks and Ty Reeves. With .1 remaining, the Colonels had an inbounds pass from below the basket, and a chance to tie the game if there were an and-one opportunity after a three-point shot, but with the Warriors not even on the court to play defense, the officials ran the clock down to 0:00, and the Warrior fans stormed the court to celebrate the victory. “We held our ground, fought hard and at the end, we successeded and got the win,” junior Trevon Moultrie said.

The Warriors will have a rematch with the Colonels on February 21 at Magruder in a game that could prove to have playoff implications for both sides. Both teams will have just one regular-season game remaining after the rivalry showdown.

The Warriors were scheduled to host the Einstein Titans Tuesday, but the game was postponed to Thursday night due to the snow. The Warriors will then stay home on Friday night at home against the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons.