by Andrew Fenner ‘27

At the beginning of the season, there were no clear-cut expectations for how the boys basketball team would perform. With a whole new group of starters for the program, most thought this year would be somewhat of a “rebuild.” But the Warriors quickly shook off the uncertainty and any doubts, going undefeated through their first eight games and ending the regular season with an impressive 20-2 record. After five playoff victories, including some blowout, the Warriors competed in the the 3A State Finals at UMD Xfinity Center. Sherwood came up short, defeated 70-61 against Baltimore City College, who were led by a dominant performance from Division 1 commit Omarr Smith.

At the end of the first quarter, Baltimore City College secured a 16-11 lead, out rebounding Sherwood on both ends of the floor. At the start of the second quarter, City College made substitutions for nearly their entire starting lineup. The Warriors pounced on this opportunity, going on a 23-0 run. Heading into the halftime break, the Warriors were up 37-23, with notable performances by senior guard Khalil Wilson and sophomore forward Jamar Nix. The main difference between the two teams was that Sherwood forced turnovers and converted in transition, allowing the Warriors’ defense to feed their offense.
City College came out of halftime fullcourt pressing Sherwood and putting pressure on the Warriors’ ball handlers. City’s press troubled the Warriors, pushing Sherwood’s turnovers to 22 by the end of the game. With the game tied at 47 at the third quarter’s close and the momentum shifted, City was able to close out the game. Despite incredible performances by Wilson and Nix, who had 17 and 14 points respectively, the Warriors were unable to top off their historic season with a championship.

After the loss in the state finals, Head Coach Tom Sheahin talked to the media. “The amazing thing about our team is that we lost five starters from last year’s [team] … and anytime a program loses five starters you don’t expect them to be 25-2 going into the State Championship,” Sheahin said. “So it’s a lot of credit to our players … and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Regardless of the season’s heartbreaking end, Sherwood had an incredible season and an even more impressive playoff run. The Warriors beat their first five playoff opponents by an average of 24 points, which included an eight-point victory over their rival, a 23-2 Blake team. The Warriors breezed through their first two playoff matchups, winning by 15 and 35 points against Rockville and Magruder, respectively. After winning their first two playoff games, only one team stood in the way of Sherwood’s second regional title in three years: Blake with the top-ranked sophomore in the country, Babatunde Oladotun. The Warriors played this game like it could have been their last, hustling for every loose ball and shutting down Blake in the first half to lead 28-16. Sherwood made a notable switch to a 2-3 zone defense during this game, which they would continue to employ in every subsequent game.

“We wanted to surprise Blake with something we have not used all season,” Sheahin said, “Coach Holda suggested a 2-3 zone and it really worked with our athletes.” Despite a late charge by Blake, Sherwood closed out the game and secured the regional title with a three-pointer from senior guard Alex Welch.

After coming out of their regional bracket, Sherwood was ranked #1 in their division. Yet even with the pressure mounting, the Warriors didn’t let up. In their matchup against Atholton, the Warriors put up 78 points, beating their opponent by a staggering 46 points. In their state-semifinal matchup against Old Mill, the Warriors crushed the Patriots in a 54-37 victory, punching their ticket to the state finals game at the University of Maryland.