THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 s
Page B-3
Magruder makes moves in 4A West Division n
Albert Einstein High School’s Joe Bradshaw (left) plays defense during a practice last year.
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Einstein turns things around Titans are 4-2 after beginning season 1-8
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Albert Einstein High School’s boys’ basketball team entered the season with high expectations after ending last winter hot. But the Titans started slow and coach Rich Porac believed nothing was wrong.
BOYS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK BY TRAVIS MEWHIRTER That stance is becoming increasingly backed up, as the 5-9 (as of Monday) Titans have won four of their past five. After his Titans became practically an overnight sensation last year, rebounding from a 2-11 start to rattle off nine wins in the next 12 games, Porac’s team was bestowed with lofty expectations this year. They returned 6-foot-7 guard Joe Bradshaw, 6-foot-5 center Abe Camara and several other role players from last season’s late-starting team. It was as promising an Einstein team as any. The Titans promptly began 1-8. “I don’t want to say I expected to lose some games
early on, but we had a brutal schedule,” Porac said. “We had Sherwood, Urbana, [James H.] Blake, Springbrook, [Col. Zadok] Magruder. I think the worst of that bunch is Magruder and we competed with those guys and we were starting a freshman point guard.” J.D. Guerrero, the freshman Porac spoke of, was thrust into the proverbial fire, a practical sink or swim situation. Even with Guerrero playing through the expected growing pains, the Titans’ worst losses were 15-pointers to Urbana, a reigning state semifinalist, and Springbrook, currently one of the county’s most formidable 4A teams. Since Einstein dove into its divisional play against teams the Titans will be playing come playoff time on Jan. 4, it is 4-2, and Camara and Bradshaw have begun to resemble the pair that carried the Titans through their Cinderella run last season. “We’re turning things around. Well, not really turning things around, but staying the course,” Porac said. “All of the downtown consortium teams open up our schedules against the 4A schools and 99 percent of us start with losses. ... “People go ‘Well, what’s
wrong with Einstein?’ and I say ‘Nothing.’ We gave away two games and another we could have won but I got a 14-yearold kid dribbling the ball up the court. He’s really good, I mean, he’s extremely skilled, but he’s still 14-years old. “So we have a freshman point guard, a 6-7 guard, a big man who’s been playing three years — I’d say we’re doing pretty good. I kind of like where we are right now and the direction we’re going.”
Overtime, again Wheaton and Rockville have technically played only two games thus far, yet have slugged it out for more than three games’ worth of basketball. A month and four days after the Rams topped the Knights in a four-overtime contest — nine players fouled out — Wheaton flipped the script, handing Rockville a 5551 defeat in just one overtime. “Both teams were in foul trouble as usual,” Rockville coach Steve Watson said with a laugh. “If we see each other in playoffs and we go into overtime, I wouldn’t expect any less.” tmewhirter@gazette.net
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Holton-Arms School’s Caroline McTaggart swims the 100 butterfly at Friday’s Independent School League (ISL) championships at the Bethesda school.
Holton, Georgetown Prep kick off championship season on high note n
Elderly soccer players travel to Florida for tournament
Swimming and diving championship season officially kicked off with the weekend’s Independent School League hosted by Holton-Arms School and the East Coast Catholic Classic held at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex.
PREP NOTEBOOK BY GAZETTE STAFF Holton-Arms School won its ninth ISL title in 11 years with Friday’s 267-180 advantage over defending champion and crosstown rival Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. Holy Child improved on last year’s sixth-place finish to move into fifth. Georgetown Prep’s thirdplace finish at the East Coast Catholic Classic Sunday was the highest of any Washington, D.C.
area programs at the East Coast Catholic Classic Sunday. Holton won all three relay events — worth more points than individual events — and a teamhigh three individual events. Caroline McTaggart, Isabelle Jubin, Emma Raynor and ALexis LeMone closed the championship with a meet record (3 minutes, 36.59 seconds) en route to winning the 400-yard freestyle relay. McTaggart (50-yard freestyle, 100yard butterly) and Stone Ridge junior and Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky (200- and 500-yard freestyle) were the meet’s only double individual race winners. “Our league has come so far, it’s so much stronger, than it’s been in the 11 years I’ve been coaching, it’s a real privilege to be on top of the league,” Holton coach Graham Westerberg said. Juniors Brandon Goldstein, Carsten Vissering, Grant Goddard and Adrian Lin helped Prep off to a good start by winning the meet opening 200-yard medley relay. Goddard (200-yard individual medley, 100-yard freestyle), Carston Visstering (100-yard breast-
stroke, 100-yard butterfly) and Adrian Lin (500-yard freestyle) all won individual races. — JENNIFER BEEKMAN
D.C. United? Try D.C. Reunited While the Montgomery County high school athletes were off relaxing, enjoying a few snow days courtesy of Mother Nature, a troop of senior athletes made their way down to the Sunshine State for the Florida Classic, an international soccer tournament hosting teams from the United States,CanadaandtheCaribbean. Four teams from Montgomery County — over ages 50, 55, 60, and 65 — competed while the eldest of the bunch, the amusingly named “D.C. Reunited,” returned home with a second-place finish after losing in penalty kicks in the finale. “What a wild ride!” Cliff Moy, a player on the over-65 team, wrote in an email. “We almost won first place but we are happy with a second place finish.” — TRAVIS MEWHIRTER
Holy Cross senior breaks record, Kennedy keeps winning
Col. Zadok Magruder High School, Gaithersburg and Thomas S. Wootton are separating from the pack in the Montgomery 4A West Division heading into the final stretch of the season. Magruder (9-4, 4-2 as of Monday), which went 1112 last season, has made significant improvements with most of its key players returning. The Colonels have won their past two games (before Tuesday) and four of five, including a 50-39 win over James H. Blake on Thursday and a 60-56 win over Wootton on Friday. Janel Brown (12.5), Hannah Barr (10.9), Hope Randolph (10.2) and Adjowa Pinkrah (9.5) account for most of Magruder’s scoring.
GIRLS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK BY ERIC GOLDWEIN Wootton (8-6, 4-2) continues playing competitive basketball but slid down the standings after close losses to Gaithersburg and Magruder, both division foes. Gaithersburg (7-4, 5-1), led by senior Janessa Fauntroy, has won seven of its last nine games.
Holy Cross senior breaks record Playing without 6-foot-5 senior Rhamat Alhassan, the Academy of the Holy Cross’ basketball team needed somebody to step upSaturdayagainstBullis.Senior Jillian Dunston did exactly that, scoring a game-high 30 points and setting a school record with seven 3-pointers, leading the Tartans to a 64-58 victory. Dunston, who signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Michigan, has been Holy Cross’s top scorer as of late and is averaging a team-best 13.7 points per game on the season. “She’s playing out of her mind,” Holy Cross coach Clyde Singleton said. “I’m so proud of her.” Dunston is the team’s best 3-point shooter, with 33 on the
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Academy of the Holy Cross’ Jillian Dunston (right) drives to the basket during a game against Archbiship Spalding last year. season. “She can flat out shoot it,” Singleton said. Holy Cross (9-11, 6-4) has won six of its last seven games after dropping five straight in late December through early January.
Cavaliers stay hot John F. Kennedy (10-1, 4-1) has won four straight since losing to Paint Branch (12-2, 4-0), and the Cavaliers will get another chance at the Panthers in a rematch on Friday. Paint Branch won the first meeting 53-49, limiting Kennedy to five points in the fourth quarter to earn the road victory. The Panthers have won five of six; their lone loss during that stretch came against Walt Whitman (44-43).
4A South Division taking shape Walt Whitman (12-2, 5-0) has taken control of the Montgomery 4A South Division, but Montgomery Blair, Winston Churchill and Walter Johnson all look capable of grabbing second place. Blair (10-4, 4-1) has lost three of four, though remains at the top of the conference thanks to its fast start and strong division play. Walter Johnson (9-6, 3-3) has won four straight and Churchill (7-6, 3-2) is also on a four-game win streak that includes wins over Blair and Walter Johnson. egoldwein@gazette.net