Senior guard Micah Webb makes a down-court pass against Rockville.

by Dylan Sondike ‘24

Through 11 games, the Warriors have impressed with a 9-2 record. With narrow losses to only Richard Montgomery and Paint Branch, the Warriors have played efficient basketball this season. Last year, the coaches prioritized defense and once again these ideas have played a key role in their success.

“Everyone knows, defense wins championships. We put a lot of emphasis on defense and Coach Myers does a fantastic job in practice and games reminding players of their responsibilities,” said Head Coach Tom Sheahin. “We need to improve during the second half of the season on the defensive side to reach a state championship. Our team needs to hold teams under 60 points a game and then we will have a strong chance at all our team goals.”

The Warriors have allowed 58.9 points per game (PPG) through 11 games which is just under Sheahin’s target. Subtracting the loss to Richard Montgomery, where the team allowed nearly 100 points, the team’s average is 55 PPG in the rest of the games.

Along with stressing defense by the coaching staff, Sheahin added that player development has been a factor to the Warriors’ winning ways. Sheahin explained that most of the starting lineup rode the bench for much of last season, but it allowed them to develop in practice. Specifically, Sheahin mentioned seniors Thomas Fenner and Kobi Gyan as Warriors who have stepped up their play this season. Before an injury to junior Evin Thompson, he and seniors Chris Hall-Taylor and Micah Webb round out the starting five.

“As we face tougher opponents, I will continue to do all I can as a team captain to make sure my guys are prepared for the game ahead, “said Thompson. “Knowing our opponents and team strengths is key in out-matching opposing teams.”

Thompson was thriving on the court as the team’s leading scorer before his ankle injury against highly touted Blake in one of their most important victories of the season. The absence of Thompson has led to Webb standing out significantly and leading the team. Webb’s most notable performance came in the Warrior’s biggest game this season against rival Blake where he led the team with 31 points in an 86-76 victory.

“With the absence of Evin, I feel like everybody has had to step up their roles and score more,” said Webb. “Against Blake, my coaches and teammates believed in me so I just kept shooting and played my hardest.”

The Warriors still have more challenges ahead of them in the regular season. Next Friday Richard Montgomery will come to Sherwood in a game where the Warriors will aim for revenge for their early-season loss. They will also face rivals Blake once more and end the season with Magruder, who both have impressive records to this date.