After Early Season Forfeits, Boys’ Basketball Bounces Back
by Alyx Henry ‘11
Juniors Charlie Rogers (left) and Scott Bolen (right) celebrate after upseting the rival Magruder Colonels. Photo by George Smith.
The boys’ basketball team knows firsthand how important it is to be successful over a long season with highs and lows. The team took a hard blow earlier in the season when they had to forfeit their first five games due to an ineligible player. Suddenly the team saw its 7-0 record turn into a 2-5 mark. Reeling from the misfortune the team lost its next four games to Springbrook, Magruder, Paint Branch and Gaithersburg. At 3-10 the season could have been lost.
“We know we won those [forfeited] games; I don’t care what the record says,” said junior shooting guard Scott Bolen, the team’s leading scorer who averages 18.3 points per game. The team came together to prove they are still dangerous during a four-day span the first week of February.
On February 1, against then No. 7 ranked Springbrook, juniors Charlie Rogers and Bolen put up 10 points each in the fourth quarter in an 81-73 win over Springbook, the three-time defending state champions who have a 18-2 record as of February 14.
The boys showcased that they had no intention of slowing things down when they went to face then No. 9 ranked Magruder on February 4 and scored yet another huge upset. The boys earlier had lost to Magruder by a score of 59-44, and Magruder’s only loss of the season had come at the hands of Springbrook. In spite of long odds, the Warriors went on the road ready to fight and refused to allow the Colonels a lead of more than one point throughout the game. Bolen, who had 19 points in the game, hit three crucial shots in the final eight minutes that helped secure the 57-53 win.
“I feel great; my kids are coming out and giving me 100 percent. That’s all I ask for and my players give it,” said Coach Dondrell Whitmore. “After winning these two big games I’m expecting 110 percent. After two big wins like this my expectations go up.”
Bolen and senior Eric Reynolds are leading the team in three-pointers, Bolen with a total of 35 three-point field goals and Reynolds with nine threes. Reynolds would not think twice about giving Bolen the ball. “I would definitely look to give Scott the ball; if he’s hot I want to give it to him,” said Reynolds.
Bolen and Reynolds are usually on the court playing opposite each other. “It goes well having Scott on one side and Eric on the other; it’s good chemistry,” said Whitmore. “Looking at Scott, he has a guard body, while Eric is built bigger than most high school players.” Reynolds plays at small forward and Bolen at wing or shooting guard.
“We know what we’re good at and we try to complement each other’s games,” said Bolen.
The starting line-up playing alongside Bolen and Reynolds consists of senior Archadius Rudasingwa as center, junior Jourdain McCants as point guard and Rogers at power forward. Rudasingwa averages 5.9 points-per-game, and McCants averages 7.2 points-per-game. Rodgers leads the team in assists and averages 9.1 points-per-game and hits 78 percent of his free throws.
Recently, the Warriors have kept the wins coming, downing the Northwood Gladiators and Whitman Vikings to extend their winning streak to four games while improving their record to 9-10.
The Warriors also played Walter Johnson this past Tuesday and play Kennedy at home tomorrow evening at home. The Warriors will conclude their regular season with a game at Wootton on February 22. The Warriors begin their playoffs with a game on February 25.