03/16 - Bayside All-Stars play for future
The top upperclassmen from the Bayside Conference will have one last time to shine Wednesday, as the North and South divisions clash in the 25th annual Cliff Mister Senior All-Star game at Wicomico High School. The girls will get the action started, tipping off at 6 p.m. before the boys take the floor at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5, with all proceeds going toward the Bayside Basketball Coaches Association scholarship, given to selected seniors basketball players who are college bound. "For you basketball junkies out there, this is it," said Butch Waller, Wi-Hi boys’ basketball head coach. "There is nothing else after this. This will be the last time fans will have the chance to see these kids as a group." The All-Star games will be broken into four 10 minute quarters, to more closely resemble the college game, and squads will not be allowed to play zone defense. The contest should feature an up-tempo, fast paced style of play, according to Waller, with scores inching toward triple digits. "It's an All-Star game, it's just like the NBA All-Star game," said Waller. "You’re going to see all kinds of stuff, this is the best of the best that we have around here. You'll see alley-oops and slam dunks and all kinds of stuff. It's not the kind of game I would coach or somebody else would coach, it's just a fun thing. It's fun for the players and it's fun for the fans." All the proceeds from the event will be directed back into the community, and every dollar collected at the gate will be added to the scholarship fund. "(Wi-Hi) donates the gym, the security is donated and the referees donate their time for free," said Waller. "So the entire gate receipt goes toward the scholarship fund. We pick a couple boys and a couple girls that are definitely going to college and try to give them a little bit of scholarship money, but it all depends on the gate. It's not much, but it's something." While the scholarship fund won't cover a student’s entire tuition, Waller knows every little bit helps and he expects the community to be out in full force Wednesday night. "This area is a basketball area. They eat and sleep basketball. They just love it," said Waller. "I've been coaching for 44 years and it's never wavered. Big games always have big crowds and the people are always knowledgeable. They know who's good and who's not good, who's rebuilding or whatever. They know this is it, after this it's over, and there will be no more basketball. So, I would be very surprised if the gym is not packed to the rafters."
WHAT: 25th annual Cliff Mister Senior All-Star Game
WHERE: Wicomico High School
WHEN: Wednesday – Girls game starts at 6 p.m., followed by boys game at 7:30 p.m.
COST: $5.00 General Admission -- delmarvanow.com
03/13 - One Eagle isn't enough
Snow Hill senior guard Keith Jackson was a one-man show Friday night. He scored 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made two highlight worthy blocks, had two assists and two steals, but his outstanding effort didn't add up to a Snow Hill victory, as the Eagles fell 44-42 in the MPSSAA 1A boys basketball state semifinals against Owings Mills. After trailing for most of the second half, Snow Hill had a chance to win the game in regulation or send the contest into overtime. The Eagles controlled the ball for the last possession of the game, trailing by two points with less than 10 seconds to play. Jackson raced the ball up the court but was surrounded by defenders, and he swung a pass to an open Greg Bozman in the corner. Bozman put up a 3-pointer, but it was rejected out of bounds by Owings Mills senior Thomas Malcolm with 1.6 seconds left. Snow Hill (24-3) still had an opportunity to extend its season, but the inbound pass from the corner was high and Ryan Waters couldn't control the ball, and the game ended. "I really thought at the end we would come through and hit a shot," Snow Hill coach Allen Miller said. "We hadn't hit shots all day, and we played like this a lot all year and made shots at the end when we needed them. We just didn't hit a shot at the end." While his teammates were cold from the field, Jackson was nearly unstoppable. The two-time Bayside Conference player of the year had 20 of the team's 22 first-half points and scored his squad's first 14 points of the contest. "I felt like I was in the zone," Jackson said. "I love the big environment, it actually encourages me to play harder, because I know many teams don't have this opportunity." While Jackson rose to the occasion, his teammates did not, as Waters was the only other Eagle to record a point, scoring eight while collecting 14 rebounds. While Snow Hill only had two players score, Owings Mills (20-6) had a diverse attack that saw seven players get a basket, highlighted by senior Brandon Fields' team-high 10 points. "We had fun getting here again," said Jackson, who was a part of Snow Hill's 2008 state title team. "We played hard, there was nothing more we could do. Tonight wasn't our night -- we just didn't hit any shots." -- delmarvanow.com
03/12 - Eagles vs. Eagles: Only one will be golden
When the Snow Hill boys basketball team takes the floor against Owings Mills at the Comcast Center tonight, it will face an opponent with many similarities. Both teams are nicknamed the Eagles and have a roster of players similar in height. Both teams also score an average of 62 points per game and hold opponents to an average of 50 per points per game. “They kind of mirror us,” Snow Hill coach Allen Miller said. Owing Mills coach Richard Epps said he has not heard a lot about Snow Hill, but the information he has proves the teams are alike. “They are in a similar mold as us,” Epps said. “They are not very big, but they can cause problems. I’ve heard they are very athletic, and that [guard Keith] Jackson is their engine. We try to do a scout team in order to go over what to look for, but I don’t have a kid nowhere as near as athletic as him.” Snow Hill (24-2) punched its ticket to College Park, Md., after clinching the 1A East region title with a come-from-behind victory over rival Pocomoke. Owings Mills (19-6) the No. 3 seed in the 1A North, has won 10 consecutive games, including a 60-55 victory over top-seeded Pikesville. The winner will advance to Saturday’s 1A championship game. One statistic in Owings Mills’ favor is offensive production, as it has five players who average 10 points per game or better. Snow Hill has just two — Jackson and Ryan Waters. “We have a more balanced team,” Epps said. “We have eight guys on any given night that could score 20 points or more. It’s easier to guard an individual than it is to guard a team that has five scorers.” In Snow Hill’s favor is its experience at the Comcast Center. The 1A East champions have been to College Park three of the last four years, including a 2008 title victory over Surrattsville. Owings Mills, a regional finalist three times in five years, will be participating at the state level for the first time since the school opened in 1979. Epps hopes that with his team playing in a foreign environment, it will not cause any first-time jitters. “Kids always watch (the Terps) play on TV and all they see is the game, not everything else involved,” Epps said. “I don’t want our kids to get star-struck. We’re going up against a great team with a great coach.” Miller feels the experience of his team, including Jackson, Waters and DeRon Ames, will make the building a less-intimidating place for Snow Hill. “I’ve had teams go up in the past where kids were just scared to death,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be scared at all.” As for the perception of the two squads being equal, Jackson feels the coaches’ perspectives differ from the player’s opinions. “Coming from the standpoint of the players, we never see it that way,” Jackson said. “It’s either one team is better and one team is not. And I think we are the better competitor.” -- delmarvanow.com
03/09 - Snow Hill claims player, coach of the year
The Snow Hill boys basketball team racked up a lot of honors this season as they marched to a MPSSAA 1A East regional title. Among them is conference player and coach of the year, according to Bayside Conference South coaches' recently released all-conference and senior all-star teams. The Eagles of Snow Hill continued to dominate their Bayside competition, as senior point guard Keith Jackson was named Player of the Year while Allen Miller was selected as Coach of the Year. "I think so," said Miller when asked if he thought Jackson was the best player in the Bayside this season. "I'm a little biased, but I guess the rest of the coaches thought so, too." On the team since his freshman year, Jackson was a big key in the Eagles' Bayside Championship and state playoff run. "He stayed healthy, he stayed composed. He's grown up a lot since he was a freshman," said Miller of Jackson. "If you look at the stats, he led us in rebounding, points, assists. He's an all-around athlete, he jumps out the building and is quick as a cat." Snow Hill's Ryan Waters also received considerable Player of the Year consideration, finishing third behind Jackson and Mardela sophomore Kody Jacoby. Along with Jackson, Jacoby and Waters, Cedrick Johnson of Stephen Decatur, Denzel Timmons of Pocomoke and Jason Talley of James M. Bennett were named to the first team All-Bayside South team. Jacoby who is a sophomore is the only player of the group not to be named to the senior All-Star South team. "(Jackson and Waters) have been a great one-two punch for us this year," said Miller. "It gave us two 20 point-a-game scorers. If one was off one night, the other one always seemed to be on and some nights they both were on. Ryan was second in everything behind Keith -- second in points, second in rebounds, second in steals, second in assist. There was nowhere we went that they didn't know who the two kids were." Miller who recorded his 300th win this season by defeating North Caroline in the Bayside Conference Championship game, says he appreciates the recognition as Bayside South's best coach. "It's always nice when your peers elect you to something," said Miller. "It's the little things that we do that come back and reward us. I'm very humbled and very pleased to receive that honor from my peers."
All Bayside South boys basketball team
1st team
Keith Jackson, Snow Hill
Cody Jacoby, Mardela
Cedrick Johnson, Stephen Decatur
Jason Talley, James M. Bennett
Denzel Timmons, Pocomoke
Ryan Waters, Snow Hill
2nd team
James Douglas, Pocomoke
Marquis Ewell, Wicomico
Derray Johnson, Mardela
Tyrone Sterling, Crisfield
Jeff Young, Pocomoke
Honorable mention
Deron Ames, Snow Hill
Montre Andrews, Stephen Decatur
Larry Cornish, Parkside
Kendalll Collins, Wicomico
Mark Engle, Stephen Decatur
Tre Foreman, Stephen Decatur
Tom Lubeski, Stephen Decatur
Avery Marshall, Crisfield
Trey Rainey, Washington
Devante Walker, Parkside
Trey White, Crisfield -- delmarvanow.com
03/07 - Eagles rally and gain spot in state semifinals
The Pocomoke boys basketball team entered the fourth quarter against Snow Hill with a 10-point lead, but the Warriors left the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center court with a loss. Snow Hill kept Pocomoke from recording a field goal in the final frame, outscoring the Warriors 14-2 en route to a 38-36 victory in the MPSSAA 1A East region final. "We know that we are a comeback team," Snow Hill senior Keith Jackson said. "Second half, we did what we did. Hit shots, played good defense, way better defense than we did in the first half, and that's what won us the game." Snow Hill struggled to score in the first half, and Pocomoke took advantage by jumping out to a 20-11 lead midway through the second quarter. The Warriors' Denzel Timmons was a force in the first half, scoring eight points by grabbing several offensive rebounds and scoring on the put-backs. Pocomoke's James Douglas also had eight points in the first half, as many of the Warriors were successful in getting around their Eagle defenders and finding their way to the rim. Douglas, who scored a team-high 13 points, would give Pocomoke its biggest lead of the game at 32-19, with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter, as he lost his defender and scored on a layup. But the tide would soon turn in favor of Snow Hill, with the Eagles cutting the Warriors' lead to three points within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. With less than four minutes to play, Jackson knotted the game at 36-all, scoring an acrobatic layup after beating two defenders to get to the rim. Jackson, who scored a game-high 16 points, would give Snow Hill the lead shortly thereafter, hitting one of two free throws to make it 37-36. Pocomoke had good looks to tie the game or take the lead, but their poor shooting in the second half continued and proved to be their downfall. "We have won a lot of close games this year if you look at our record," Snow Hill coach Allen Miller said. "We don't blow people out. That's not how we play, were not designed to blow people out. So we've had to win close ones, we believe that we are going to, and when you get kids to believe something, good things are going to happen. They believed it, and we won." -- delmarvanow.com
03/05 - Pocomoke gets 'the last run'
It was war Thursday at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. The clash was between Mardela and Pocomoke for the right to advance to the 1A East region boys basketball final against Snow Hill on Saturday. In a game that had a little bit of everything -- including a forklift -- Pocomoke left the court with a 73-72 victory in overtime. "That's the scrappiest team I've seen all year, scrappiest team I've seen in a long time," Pocomoke coach Derrick Fooks said. "(Mardela coach Stephen Re) always gets them prepared to play, so tonight I didn't expect anything different. We knew if we hung in there it was going to be a good game, it was going to be a tough game. It was a game of runs, and luckily, in overtime, we got the last run." Mardela held an early 10-4 advantage before finishing the first quarter holding a 12-7 lead. Pocomoke answered in the second, with James Douglas giving his team their first lead of the game, at 19-18, scoring a lay-up off an assist from Jeff Young. Pocomoke would hold on to that lead through halftime and into the third quarter, when it would stretch out its advantage to a 14 points, at 42-28, with less than three minutes to play in the frame. Just before that, however, there was a lengthy delay, as a dunk by Pocomoke's Denzel Timmons moved the basket out of position and forced Civic Center staff to bring out a forklift to properly reposition it. Even though Pocomoke opened the largest lead of the game shortly after the delay, the extended time-out seemed to energize Mardela. Mardela trimmed Pocomoke's advantage to 48-39 by the end of the third quarter and pulled even at 54-all halfway through the fourth. Mardela was able to get back in the game by utilizing a full-court press that stymied the Pocomoke offense. Mardela took a 59-55 lead with two minutes remaining in regulation, with Londale Anderson scoring two of his nine fourth-quarter points. But Pocomoke would charge right back, taking a 62-61 lead on a 3-03/09pointer by Everett Fields with just 40 seconds remaining. Trailing once more, Pocomoke again found an answer, as Douglas hit a jump shot while getting fouled. The senior hit the free throw to give the Warriors a 65-63 advantage with 17 seconds left. Mardela held the ball on the final possession of regulation and were trying to feed it to Cody Jacoby, who scored a game-high 26 points. Jacoby's 3-pointer fell short, but Anderson collected the offensive rebound and was fouled with no time on the clock. Anderson, who scored 19 points, hit both attempts and sent the game to overtime. Fields hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of overtime for Pocomoke and would never trail again. "We didn't give up, we didn't quit, we just kept playing," Fooks said. "It was just a classic Mardela-Pocomoke game, and we came out on top." -- delmarvanow.com
03/03 - Mardela boys 'grind it out' for win
The Mardela boys basketball team punched its ticket to the MPSSAA 1A East region semifinals with a 64-52 victory over Crisfield on Tuesday. The Warriors (15-8) were able to pull away late in the contest, forcing several Crabber turnovers down the stretch while converting from the free-throw line. Mardela will face second-seeded Pocomoke on Thursday. "It was definitely a grind tonight," Mardela coach Stephen Re said. "We just had to grind it out. We didn't play well, we didn't come out well, we didn't play our way. We let them dictate the flow of the game. But we were able to get a victory, and any time you can win in the playoffs, that is a good win." Mardela held a 14-11 advantage after the first quarter, but it looked like the Warriors would go into the half trailing Crisfield. Down by two, as the final seconds of the first half ticked off, the Crabbers (8-13) controlled the ball before hoisting up a shot. After the attempt rattled off the rim, Mardela's Cody Jacoby secured the rebound and checked the clock to see how much time was left. The sophomore guard took two dribbles, and just before passing half court, shot the ball. The long-range jumper banked off the glass and swished home to give the Warriors a 26-25 edge at the break. "As soon as he let that go, I turned to my assistant coach and said, 'That's good,'" Re said. "I've seen him hit that shot at least six or seven times during the course of the year at practice." While the shot didn't serve as the killer to the Crabbers' chances, it served as a precursor of what was to come. Jacoby, who scored a team-high 24 points, and the Warriors simply could not be stopped in the fourth quarter. Down by four entering last quarter, Mardela outscored Crisfield 25-9 over the final eight minutes as they hit 11 of 12 free throws and forced the Crabbers to commit seven turnovers. "Once we started playing the way we play, we put the game out of reach," Re said. "We played tough defense and executed on offense by moving the ball." -- delmarvanow.com
February 2010
02/27 - Bayside championship stars get nod
With the winter high school sports season heating up, the Daily Times would like to continue the tradition of honoring athletes of the week. Each week, from Friday to Thursday, a female and a male athlete whose achievements stand out will be selected. Coaches or parents are welcome to contact the Daily Times to nominate a player and can do so by e-mail at rnisson@dmg.gannett.com, eholland@dmg.gannett.com or bpenserga@dmg.gannett.com. This week's winners are Mardela girls basketball player Taylor Siggers and Snow Hill boys basketball player Keith Jackson. Siggers averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Warriors' last four games, including 19 in Mardela's victory over North Caroline in the Bayside championship game. And Monday, the junior scored her 1,000th career point. "She's really starting to show her focus and determination," Mardela coach Kesha Cook. "She's really made an effort in getting her teammates involved." Jackson averaged a little more than 25 points in four games, including a game-high 27 in the Eagles' victory over North Caroline in the Bayside championship game. Jackson has been the Eagles' all-everything, leading the team in points, assists, rebounds and steals. "His first step is so fast," Snow Hill coach Allen Miller said. "He has the ability to score, but he also has the ability to get everybody else involved." Jackson will lead the Eagles into the 1A playoffs with an 18-game winning streak. Their next game is at home Tuesday against Cambridge-South Dorchester or North Dorchester at 5:30 p.m. "We still have more work to do," Allen said. "That's what Keith preached to them after the (Bayside title game) -- the job is not done." -- delmarvanow.com
02/26 - Ball for one, one for all
A plain sheet of paper sits tucked away in the desk drawer of Stephen Re. Stacks of similar sheets of paper clutter the Mardela boys basketball coach's drawer, most of them containing more pressing information about 3-point-shooting percentages or scouting reports. But for Re, the white, crinkled, hand-written and folded-over piece of paper is one of the most important documents in his possession. "From 1996, '97, '98, all the way to 2003, they had 10 wins in those seven years. It was a rough time for the program, I guess," deadpanned Re, looking down at the folded piece of paper, which listed the record of Mardela's boys basketball team from 1996 to the present. "You might think this is crazy, but this (piece of paper) is a motivator for me. "Since I've been here, I have tried to build the program to the best of my abilities. I feel like I've instilled an amount of work ethic that has given us a good amount of respect around the league. We've been very competitive for a team. Where the girls have been renowned to be very, very good, and the boys were renowned to be very bad." But the Mardela boys seem to have turned the corner this year, having secured a No. 3 seed in the 1A East region when the state playoffs begin next week.
A Coach Gets His Start
Re grew up in Wisconsin before moving to Maryland during his high school years. The 6-foot-5 former guard went on to play basketball at Frostburg State University. The four years Re spent at Frostburg were a tumultuous time for the Bobcats, as the program went through three coaches. A lack of a steady coaching influence planted a seed in Re's head. Already studying to be a physical education teacher, Re decided he also wanted to continue his involvement with basketball. "I think the one reason I went into coaching was because I never had a great relationship with my coaches," said Re, who is in his seventh year at Mardela. "I always felt that if I had somebody who mentored me when I was playing, that I would have been a lot better than I was, and I really adhere to that." Re takes pride in developing relationships with his players and always smiles when they come back to visit him. "I love having my former players come back and (getting to) see how good they are," Re said. "Just to see them grow and mature and build a really tight bond with them, I really enjoy that aspect of it." While Re has been able to stick in one spot, he believes the experience of being taught by so many voices allowed him to solve basketball problems from different angles. "Although I wasn't able to form a lot of cohesiveness with any one coach," Re said, "I played for a lot of different coaches and was able to take different things from each one. I learned a lot of different things that I liked and things that I didn't like, and after I graduated I kind of pieced it all together and got my foundation for my basketball coaching that way."
A Loss and a Gain
Before the start of the season, Mardela suffered a gigantic loss as the Warriors' athletic director and long-time girls basketball coach Barbara McCool died of cancer. Her absence has not only affected the team she used to coach, but nearly everyone at the school. "The beginning of the year was very difficult. It was weird for me to come into the gym," Re said. "I worked next to her for six years of my life. As we move forward, I think the school is starting to make good adjustments to it, but it's not without having her in our hearts and in our minds." All season long the adjustments the Warriors have made on the court seem to have worked out, as Mardela has posted a 14-8 record during the regular season. Re believes the secret to his team's success this year is the fact that the squad gets along so well. "You hear people say that you don't have to like each other, but you have to learn how to play together," he said. "But I think we have a genuine liking of one another, as well, and we just have a ton of team cohesion, and they make me look good because they listen to everything we talk about in time-outs and things that we practice." -- delmarvanow.com
02/25 - Snow Hill boys take Bayside title
The Bayside Conference's best squared off Wednesday, with North Caroline facing Snow Hill in the boys basketball championship game. A 27-point performance by Keith Jackson helped Snow Hill erased a seven-point North Caroline lead at halftime and claimed a 52-41 victory at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. It was the 300th victory in Snow Hill coach Allen Miller's 16-year career. "There was no better place to get the win than tonight," Miller said. "It's been a long run." Both teams struggled at the beginning of the game, with Snow Hill (21-2, 15-1 Bayside) trailing 10-9 at the end of the first quarter. North Caroline (16-3, 15-1) saw its lead expand by as much as seven early in the quarter as the Bulldogs' big man, Ka-Ron Bell, scored eight of his 14 points. The Eagles cut the lead to 20-17 with 2:25 remaining before the half, but the Bulldogs responded with 4-0 run to go into the intermission up 24-17. After halftime, Snow Hill began to chip away at North Caroline's lead, with Jackson scoring nine points in the third quarter. But as soon as the Eagles tied the game at 26-all, the Bulldogs would remain on the offensive, with point guard Herbert Dennis scoring eight of his 14 points to help push the lead up to four. It was in the final quarter when Snow Hill was finally able to pass North Caroline for good on the hot hand of Ryan Waters, who scored 10 of his 16 points, including two 3-pointers that tied the game. Jackson said the key to the comeback was positive thinking. "In the first half, we missed a couple of shots," he said. "We came out in the second half and had the mindset of the shots going in." After playing four games in six days, the Eagles will be able to catch their breath thanks to a first-round bye in the MPSSAA 1A East playoffs. Snow Hill will play the winner of North Dorchester/Cambridge-South Dorchester on Tuesday. -- delmarvanow.com
02/24 - BAYSIDE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES TO BE HELD AT CIVIC CENTER
The boys and girls Bayside Championship games will be held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Wednesday. The girls game, which features Mardela vs. North Caroline, will begin at 6 p.m., while the boys, which will feature Snow Hill and North Caroline, is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Admission is $5. -- delmarvanow.com
02/24 - SNOW HILL 60, CRISFIELD 58 (OT)
The Eagles will now play North Caroline on Wednesday at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center at 8 p.m. Ryan Waters led Snow Hill with 27 points, and Keith Jackson pitched in with 18 points. For Crisfield, Tyrone Sterling led the Crabbers with 21 points. -- delmarvanow.com
02/24 - MARDELA 69, JAMES M. BENNETT 57
Kody Jacoby led the Warriors with 25 points as Londale Anderson tallied 16 points. Derray Johnson chipped in with 13 points for Mardela. For Bennett, Davon Thomas led the Clippers with 16 points, and Jason Talley added 11 points. -- delmarvanow.com
02/24 - POCOMOKE 57, PARKSIDE 55
James Douglas led the Warriors with 21 points as Jeff Young pitched in with 16 points. For Parkside, Larry Cornish led the Rams with 17 points. -- delmarvanow.com
02/24 - Snow Hill plays for Bayside crown
Keith Jackson and Ryan Waters know each other so well that on the basketball court, one knows the other's next move before he makes it. The seniors on Snow Hill's boys basketball team often connect with jaw dropping alley-oop dunks or passes for wide-open three-point shots that usually leave the home crowd excited. Their ESP on the hardwood, developed since their days as teammates in rec basketball, enables them to know each other's strengths. "All it takes is a look and we're in sync," Waters said. The pair will have an opportunity to show off their connection tonight when Snow Hill (19-2, 14-1 Bayside) faces North Caroline for the Bayside Conference Championship at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. North Caroline (18-2, 14-0) has run roughshod over the Bayside North, but has struggled against South teams with losses against Crisfield and Mardela. But while the dunks and other highlight-worthy plays make them one of the Bayside South's most memorable duos, they back it up with lofty numbers. Jackson and Waters' statistics are virtually identical, with averages close to more than 20 points, 4.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. To Eagles head coach Allen Miller, having a solid 1-2 punch something he is familiar with. During his 16 years as head coach, he has had several duos, including the combination of future NBA player Sherron Mills and Richard Milbourne, who led Snow Hill to a state title in 1989. "It makes it tougher to key in on one player if you have a second scorer," Miller said. "Sometimes you hope to have a big man and a guard. With Keith and Ryan, I have two guards." A number of strategies and different defensive schemes have been applied to try to limit the duo's scoring, but most of the time to no avail. One notable tactic has been the triangle and two, a zone-man hybrid used on high-scoring backcourts. Not that it's helped much, Miller said. "They may have slowed them down, but they haven't stopped them," he said. Bulldogs coach Gary Gould said he hasn't had seen Snow Hill in action but has heard a lot about Jackson and Waters. "We'll have to continue to play team defense like we do and understand where they like to have the ball and their scoring ability," he said. "And if we can limit their open shots and force tough ones, we can get on transition and try to make it easy for us." After the Bayside Championships, the Eagles' next goal will be the winning the 1A playoffs and accomplishing a feat no other Snow Hill players has have ever done -- being members of a second championship team. Jackson and Waters were a part of the 2007-08 team that went 28-0. "If we win, we'll be the only ones to have two rings," Waters said. -- delmarvanow.com
02/23 - PARKSIDE 57, WASHINGTON 30
Jeremy Green led the Rams with 11 points. Aaron Corbin had eight points for the Jaguars. -- delmarvanow.com
02/23 - CRISFIELD 67, ST. MICHAELS 27
Tyrone Sterling led the Crabbers with 29 points, while Montez Cannon contributed with 11 points. Trey White pitched in with 10 points for Crisfield. -- delmarvanow.com
02/23 - SNOW HILL 61, QUEEN ANNE'S 45
Keith Jackson led the Eagles with 25 points, while Greg Bozman pitched in with 16. Ryan Waters added 14 points for Snow Hill. -- delmarvanow.com
02/23 - MARDELA 68, STEPHEN DECATUR 67 (OT)
Kody Jacoby led the Warriors with 28 points and 18 rebounds, and Londale Anderson netted 17 points. Derray Johnson pitched in with 13 points for the Warriors. Tre Foreman led the Seahawks with 20 points, while Cedrick Johnson pitched in with 17 points. -- delmarvanow.com
02/23 - POCOMOKE 65, JAMES M. BENNETT 59
James Douglas led the Warriors with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeff Young added 17 points, 11 assists and eight steals. James Johnson and Khalie Dickerson both pitched in with 10 points. Jason Talley scored 12 points for Bennett. -- delmarvanow.com
02/22 - Two Worcester schools receive No. 1 seeds
A pair of Worcester County boys teams earned No. 1 seeds in the Maryland state basketball playoff brackets Sunday, while the Mardela girls team will be the top squad in their region. Snow Hill is the No. 1 seed in the boys 1A East regional bracket, while Stephen Decatur will start in the top spot in the 3A East regional, according to the brackets released by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Worcester's third public high school, Pocomoke, has the second seed in the 1A East draw. For the Seahawks, being tops in the 3A East is the turning point in a program that had only seven wins last year. "It's a blessing," said Travis Lloyd, Stephen Decatur head coach. "This is my fourth year here after inheriting a team that went 1-21 prior to me and then going 1-21 my first year. It's been a lot of hard work, believing in the system, but everything we've got belongs to the kids and their hard work." For the girls, Mardela and chief Bayside South rival Pocomoke are the one and two seeds in the 1A East regionals, while James M. Bennett is a second seed in the 3A East. While it'll be nice to have a first-round bye and a home game, Bennett head coach Darren Rogers said it still won't be easy to get through their bracket. "It's nice to have a high seed," he said. "It gives us extra time to prepare and it's good for the programs, but being in the 3A is going to be difficult because there are some powerhouses there." Still, Rogers feels early nonconference games against some tough opponents helped prepare them for the March playoff run. "It definitely got us ready and even those tougher games in the Bayside helped," he said. Mardela head coach Kesha Cook sees the high seed as something good for a squad that has gone undefeated in the Bayside South so far. "It means a boost of confidence for the team," she said. "We've had to do a lot of things to put us here -- we've worked hard. It's an honor to be a No. 1 seed." The first-round bye will also give them just enough time to recover and prepare after playing a string of makeup games because of the recent snow cancellations. "We've got three games this week and after the long layoff, that help put us in the flow," she said. "But with the bye, it'll help give us that extra time to prepare (for our playoff game)." While the bye helps in preparation, Snow Hill's Allen Miller also feels like his team would have no problem playing an extra game. "The kids like to play," he said. "I think today's era of kids would rather just play than practice. As a coach it's nice (to have some extra time), but players are ready to go." -- delmarvanow.com
02/21 - STEPHEN DECATUR 69, KENT COUNTY 54
Trey Foreman led the Seahawks with 15 points, Cedrick Johnson had 14 points, and Mark Engle added 13. -- delmarvanow.com
02/17 - CRISFIELD 49, WASHINGTON 43
Trey Rainey led the Jaguars with 20 points. The Crabbers' Trey White had 16 points, and Tyrone Sterling added 11. -- delmarvanow.com
02/17 - MARDELA 59, PARKSIDE 54, OT
Kody Jacoby led the Warriors with 25 points and 12 rebounds, Londale Anderson had 14 points, and Derray Johnson added 11. Devonta Walker led the Rams with 22 points and 11 rebounds. -- delmarvanow.com
02/17 - Shots eventually fall for Eagles
It was a frenzied atmosphere Tuesday as Worcester County rivals Pocomoke and Snow Hill faced off for the final time in the regular season. In a game that featured its share of offensive runs by both teams, a key error by the Warriors helped the Eagles secure a 69-61 victory. The game opened with Snow Hill (17-2, 14-1 Bayside) taking a lead as big as five points, fueled by Keith Jackson's 10 points, but Pocomoke stormed back to take an 18-17 lead to end the first quarter. Pocomoke's run was spearheaded by Everett Fields and Shawn Johnson, who notched five points each. In the second quarter, both teams combined for 15 points, and Pocomoke (15-4, 10-4) went into halftime with a 27-23 lead. At the half, Snow Hill coach Allen Miller gave his players one message. "I told them, 'Keep shooting and they'll fall,'" he said. "We had good shots in the first half that just didn't go in the hole, and that's basketball. You just hope it only happens for a half and not a whole game, and we made some shots in the second half." In the third quarter, the Warriors extended their lead to as much as 10, but a return from the locker room by Ryan Waters -- who went down with foot injury before halftime -- sparked a 13-4 run by the Eagles and allowed them to take a 44-43 lead at the end of the period. "Ryan's return was a big boost," said Jackson, who finished with 27 points and seven rebounds. "We were already on a bit of a run, and he just made it better." In the fourth quarter, Snow Hill pushed its lead up to seven points on baskets by Chris Johnson and a 3-pointer by Waters. Waters finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Down 60-50 late in the period, Pocomoke went on an 11-2 run to cut the lead to one. On the next Snow Hill possession, Pocomoke guard Jeff Young tried to save a stolen ball headed out of bounds and, while in mid-air, called time-out with none remaining. The Warriors were assessed a technical foul, giving the Eagles two free throws and possession of the ball. Snow Hill closed the game out with a 7-0 run. "Early on in the game, the hype factor caught us and I had to burn a couple of time-outs that we didn't want to burn trying to rein our guys in," Pocomoke coach Derrick Fooks said. "This game is always going to be a hype game, and the team that controls the tempo and themselves will win the game. That team tonight was Snow Hill." -- delmarvanow.com
02/16 - Warriors pull away a win
After two weeks of school closures and no games due to snow, both the Pocomoke and Wicomico boys basketball teams were eager to return to the court Monday. The two squads showed off their rested legs, racing up and down the floor throughout the first quarter and trading the lead back-and-forth. But after the Warriors claimed a 12-10 lead late in the opening frame, they never trailed again, winning 66-49. The two teams looked surprisingly sharp considering the long layoff, and there were only a handful of turnovers throughout the contest. Pocomoke head coach Derrick Fooks credited a practice this past weekend for most of his teams success. "It's been too long (since we've been on the court)," said Fooks. "There was so much snow out there, nobody could get in the gym. Nobody was in school. I didn't know where the kids' focus was, so Saturday was a great day to get everybody's focus back, and everybody seemed to be on the same page and in rhythm." The Warriors (15-3, 10-3 Bayside) seemed to be in sync, and nearly everyone contributed on the scoresheet against the Indians (9-9, 5-9). Pocomoke did a great job of spreading the ball around, and nine different Warriors recorded a basket, headlined by James Douglas' 17. "Well, that's a good thing," Fooks said, referring to his depth of scoring. "If that is the face of what's to come in these next few games and these next few weeks, than that is what we want. "We want to be getting better at this time of year. We want to be playing our best basketball as we get ready to go into the playoffs, because we know the playoffs are going to be tough." It was a tough night for Wi-Hi, as the Indians started out shooting well only to see their scoring touch go by the wayside. Kendall Collins, who scored a team-high 16 points, and his teammates tried to man a comeback in the fourth quarter. But after falling behind by as many as 20 points, Wi-Hi simply ran out of time. "It was back-and-forth there at the beginning," said Fooks. "But then we pulled away on a couple of shots and I thought the game was pretty much over after that." -- delmarvanow.com
02/16 - Snow Hill rebounds to beat Washington
In their first game in nine days, the Snow Hill boys basketball team played host to Washington High School on Monday. After trailing 2-0 in the opening minutes of the game, the Eagles never looked back, beating the Jaguars 56-47. "It was just a tough game for everybody," said Snow Hill coach Allen Miller. "I hoped we would shoot better than what we did, but it was just nine days without (playing.)" The Eagles (16-2, 13-1 Bayside) let the Jaguars get first blood with the opening basket, but then went on a 14-2 run, led by seven from Keith Jackson and five by Ryan Waters. Snow Hill ended the first quarter with an 18-9 lead. The second quarter saw Washington (5-16, 2-12) respond, outscoring Snow Hill 18-15, including Tyrone Taylor and Aaron Corbin's seven points apiece. Taylor finished with 11 and Corbin ended up with 17 to lead the Jaguars, who played their second game in three days. "We made some adjustments defensively, which was what we were trying to do today and it worked pretty good," said Washington coach Vic Burns. "We just got to find a way to put more points on the board." After heading into the half up 33-27, Snow Hill held Washington to 20 points in the final 16 minutes, while Jackson, Waters and Greg Bozman scored 20 of the team's 23 points. Bozman and Waters had 12 and 13 each, while Jackson led all scorers with 21 points. "We were just trying to work hard in the game because it had been a long time since we've been on the court," said Snow Hill's Jordan Waters. "We had to stick together and get the 'W' and we're ready for the game (today)." The Eagles will have a quick turnaround as they head to Pocomoke today for a game that would all but clinch the Bayside South title. "We know it's a big game and everybody's thinking about it," Miller said. "We want to win the game and they want to knock us off. If the shoe was on the other foot, it would be the same." -- delmarvanow.com
02/14 - Mardela's Jacoby has huge game vs. Wi-Hi
Kody Jacoby had 44 points and 22 rebounds to lead the Mardela boys basketball team to a 79-74 victory over Wicomico. Jacoby scored 21 of his points in the fourth quarter. A.J. Henry added 20 points for the Warriors. The Indians' Kendall Collins had 36 points, and Kevin Bratten scored 12. -- delmarvanow.com
02/14 - JAMES M. BENNETT 71, WASHINGTON 60
Jason Talley led the Clippers with 19 points, Deonte Reid had 14 points, Lamar Turner added 12, and LaDarris Gibbs had 11 points. Trey Rainey led the Jaguars with 14 points, and Tyrone Taylor scored 13. -- delmarvanow.com
02/14 - CRISFIELD 55, PARKSIDE 52
Montez Cannon and Tyrone Sterling each had 15 points, Avery Marshall scored 11, and Josh Scarborough added 10 points. The Rams' Devonta Walker scored 14 points, and Paul Butler added 11. -- delmarvanow.com
02/05 - Seahawks turn tables on Warriors
Second place in the Bayside South was on the line as Pocomoke and Stephen Decatur boys basketball teams hooked up Thursday. In a game that was back and forth and almost went into overtime, the Seahawks pulled out a 77-74 victory. "It was a great overall effort," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "The game could've went either way." The game was close throughout, with the Seahawks (14-3, 11-2 Bayside) getting out to an early lead, only to see the Warriors (14-3, 10-3) tie the game up. The game remained tied at the end of the first quarter, and both teams went into halftime tied at 34-all. As the third quarter started, the Warriors went on a 7-0 run. The Seahawks countered with a 9-0 run, spurred by Cedrick Johnson's seven points and Tre Foreman's five. "After losing to Pocomoke by a lot the last game we played, this win means a lot to us," said Foreman, who finished with 17 points. Stephen Decatur entered the fourth quarter with a five-point advantage, only to see Pocomoke rally and briefly take the lead. The teams continued to swap the lead until less than a minute left, when the Seahawks went ahead for good on a basket by Johnson, who finished with 16 points. Following free throws by Johnson, the Warriors had a final chance to tie it up when guard Jeff Young raced down the court with less than five seconds left and attempted a game-tying 3-pointer. The shot did not go in, and Young finished with 25 points. "It was a game of runs," Pocomoke coach Derrick Fooks said. "Someone had to win this game, and someone had to lose, and we were on the short end of the stick." -- delmarvanow.com
02/05 - SNOW HILL 51, PARKSIDE 41
The Eagles' Ryan Waters and Keith Jackson each had 11 points. The Rams' Devonta Walker had 18 points. -- delmarvanow.com
January 2010