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| Stephen Decatur High School
Address: 9913 Seahawk Road Berlin, MD 21811 Phone Number: 410-641-2171 Fax Number: 410-641-1135
Athletic Director: Don Howard Athletics Home Page (contains links to basketball teams)
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| 2009-2010 Boys' Basketball Record 21-5 2009-2010 Boys' Basketball News and Headlines March 2010 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
03/12 - Decatur's 'big season' ends The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team was bounced out of the MPSSAA 3A state playoffs Thursday, as the Seahawks' best season in recent memory was snuffed out by Milford Mill Academy in the semifinals, 69-41. Decatur (21-5) got off to a slow start against the Millers (24-3), scoring only four points in the opening quarter and shooting a paltry 20 percent from the field in the first half. By the time the Seahawks got their feet underneath them at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center, it was too late, as the Millers had built too big of an advantage. "We didn't shoot real well," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "But I think that it boiled down to our mental toughness. We talked about it before coming in here -- be mentally strong. We needed all five guys on the floor to be mentally strong at all times, and we had some lapses. "But we gave a good effort, and it was a great experience for these kids. I'm very proud of these guys, because 21-5 at Stephen Decatur, that's a big, big season for this program." Trailing 12-4 after the first quarter, Decatur found itself down 16-5 three minutes into the second quarter. After a time-out, Decatur sophomore Drakar Purnell entered the contest and promptly knocked down a 3-pointer. A block by senior Tom Lubeski would give the ball back to Decatur and, after almost fumbling the possession away, Purnell got to the rim and scored. On Decatur's next possession, senior Cedric Johnson pulled the Seahawks to within four, at 16-12, as he cut down the lane and banked home a floater with a little more than three minutes remaining in the half. Milford Mill quickly reestablished its lead, as junior Isiah McCray turned two Decatur turnovers into fast-break dunks. The Millers would end the half on a 12-3 run to take a 28-15 lead into break and never truly seemed threatened by the Seahawks. "We're used to a fast-paced game, and they slowed it down with their half-court trap," said Johnson, who scored a team-high 14 points. "Most of these guys are young, so they have never seen anything like this before. When they started pushing the ball up and playing full-court defense, we all got scared." -- delmarvanow.com 03/11 - Seahawks see a sea change The last time Stephen Decatur's boys basketball team made it to the MPSSAA state semifinals, most of the program's current players weren't born. It was the spring of 1992: "Silence of the Lambs" had just won an Oscar for best picture and Kris Kross were "jumping" up the charts with their hit single. A lot has changed since the Seahawks last made it this far. In fact, things have changed drastically since just last season. A mere 12 months ago, the Seahawks wrapped up another losing season, at 7-14, due injuries and a lack of depth. But with each new season comes hope, and entering his fourth season as coach, Travis Lloyd received some reinforcements to his roster, as Cedrick Johnson, Montre Andrews and Mark Engle transferred to the school. "We got lucky that they came to school here -- they completely changed the culture," Lloyd said. "They came from winning programs. They came in here with great basketball knowledge, and they just raised the level of play for the kids that were already here." This season, the Seahawks had their most successful campaign in years, going 19-4 during the regular season, finishing second in the Bayside South to Snow Hill, and earning the No. 1 seed in the 3A East region. After home playoff victories over Howard, Mt. Hebron and Atholton, Decatur (22-4) will take on Milford Mill Academy (23-3) for a spot in the state final. "(Milford Mill) is very athletic, and they are very big," Lloyd said. "This is going to be by far the best competition that we have seen all season. They have seven kids who have already committed to play college basketball next year at various levels. Bowie was the best team that we played this season, and (Millford Mill) has already beat Bowie." Lloyd believes the key for his team in the state semifinals is to get off on the right foot. "We have to control the first three minutes of the game," Lloyd said. "We can not come out and commit any errors against this team. They are very athletic. They like to get up and down the floor and hang all over the rim. If we are not nervous and we are doing what we are capable of doing, we will be just fine. But if those first three minutes we come out flat or nervous, this team will run all over us." But even if Decatur doesn't get past Millford Mill on Thursday, Lloyd will look back on the season favorably. "This season has just been a major success," he said. "I hope that this is the springboard to get this program to stay at the competitive level from now on. Every year has been fun, even going through some of our down years. Each year we have showed improvement, but this season we took a big jump. It's just very humbling. It's a joy for the community, for the school, and for these kids to reach the final four." -- 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 - Seahawks cut down the net On any other day, the sight of Travis Lloyd wearing a basketball net around his neck might have seemed strange. But Saturday, after his Stephen Decatur boys basketball team defeated the Atholton Raiders 64-55 in overtime to grab a spot in the MPSSAA 3A state semifinals, the coach probably earned a pass. The victory was the Seahawks' 22nd this year, a far cry from a seven-win campaign from a year ago. But it didn't come easy for the Seahawks (22-4), as they spent the early part of the game trailing Atholton (10-13) and Matt Robinson, who had nine points in the first half. Down 27-21 at halftime, Lloyd told his team they only had two quarters left to regain their focus and win the game. "I said, 'We got 16 minutes, gentleman, to do what you want to do -- you need to wake up,'" he said. At the start of the third quarter, a Montre Andrews jump shot and a pair of Cedrick Johnson free throws cut the Atholton lead down to two. The Seahawks spent the rest of the period trading baskets with the Raiders and slowly whittling away at the deficit. A Johnson 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter and a Mark Engle steal and layup at the beginning of the fourth gave the Seahawks their first lead in nearly 20 minutes of play. However, the Raiders snuffed out any extended runs by the Seahawks, thanks to the play of Robinson, who finished the game with 23 points. Still, the momentum started to turn late in the fourth quarter with a pair of Tre Foreman dunks, which brought the home crowd in the Decatur gym to their feet and slowed Atholton down enough to force overtime. In the beginning of the extra period, a jumper from Andrews and an Engle 3-pointer from the corner gave Decatur a lead they would not relinquish. While they were tested, Johnson said he never felt the game was in doubt. "I knew we were going to pull through," said the senior guard, who scored 25 points. "I had confidence in my team." For Johnson, next week's trip to University of Maryland's Comcast Center for the state semifinals is nothing knew. Still, while he was a member of a Snow Hill team that went undefeated and won a state title in 2008, he said this year's run with Decatur is a little more special. "When I was at Snow Hill, it was a given -- we had the best team. We didn't lose," he said. "Here, to come to a team that had a losing record last year and help them go -- it feels good." Lloyd said the next few days will be spent resting his players and preparing for their next game, on Thursday. But for a few seconds inside the Decatur gym, Lloyd said he just wanted to enjoy what the team had accomplished so far. "We're just sitting here in the moment," he said, sitting on the bleachers. -- delmarvanow.com 03/06 - Johnson, King rule over hoops 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 Pocomoke girls basketball player Whitney King and Stephen Decatur boys basketball player Cedrick Johnson. King, a junior, averaged 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and five assists in the Warriors' two state playoff victories and had a triple-double Monday. Her performance this week propelled Pocomoke into today's 1A East region final against Mardela. "She just gives us another person (for the opposing team) to watch for," Pocomoke coach Gail Gladding said. "She's also able to handle the ball, which allows Kiana [Strugis, one of Pocomoke's best players] to move back to her natural position in the front court." Johnson, a guard, averaged 24.5 points and 3.5 assists in two games this week as Stephen Decatur played themselves into the 3A East region final against Atholton today. "He's come in and resurrected this program," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said about his senior transfer. Lloyd said Johnson has provided leadership to the team, and while he has a lot of talent, is content to just do the little things needed to win. "If I turned him loose and asked him to score 30 points a game, he'd do," he said. -- delmarvanow.com 03/05 - Decatur boys basketball advances The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team looked to move a game closer in its quest for a state title, but first had to face Mt. Hebron to move on to Saturday's MPSSAA 3A East region final. After four quarters, the Seahawks -- led by Cedrick Johnson's 22 points -- pulled out a 48-42 overtime victory Thursday night. Decatur will face either Atholton or Centennial in Berlin on Saturday. "The key of the game was to penetrate to the basket," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "We're a guard-oriented team, and everything starts at that." The Seahawks (20-4) raced out to a 7-0 lead to start the game, but then went cold, scoring only two more points in the first quarter. The Vikings (13-9) went on a 13-2 run to take their first lead of the game. But Decatur jumped back ahead and went into halftime up 15-13. It was after the intermission that Johnson came up big for the second consecutive game, scoring 17 points in the final 20 minutes. In the third quarter, both teams went blow-for-blow offensively, as each side scored 14 points. "At halftime, we told each other that we didn't want to lose here," Johnson said. "We've only lost one game here, and we weren't going to lose anymore." The Vikings took the lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Seahawks countered and reclaimed the advantage for the remainder of the period. With the game tied at 37, Johnson attempted to play for the final shot, but the ball rolled off the rim, sending the game into overtime. In OT, Johnson took over, scoring six of the team's nine points in the frame to clinch the victory. -- delmarvanow.com 03/03 - Seahawks don't fear heights The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team came into the season with a list of goals they wanted to accomplish, including winning a 3A state title. The Seahawks' pursuit of a championship got on the right foot Tuesday, as they received big offensive performances from seniors Cedrick Johnson and Tom Lubeski in a 71-47 victory over Howard. "We came out a little bit nervous and turned the ball over a little bit, but once we got rolling out there, the baby ran," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. Decatur (19-4) fell behind 7-2 in the opening minutes of the game, but once Lloyd called a time-out, the team responded with a 10-1 run, led by six points from Lubeski. "We heard that Howard [9-14] was made up of giants and players of my size," the 6-foot-10 Lubeski said. "But they came in here and were pretty small, and we dominated them." Decatur's lead ballooned to as many as 20 points by halftime, and the highlight of the run was an alley-oop dunk by forward Tre Foreman from a pass by Johnson. "That play really got the crowd into the game," Lloyd said, "and the guys got that look in their eyes that said, 'It was time to go.'" After halftime, it was all about Johnson, as he scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, including converting 7-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter. Despite Howard's height, Decatur was able to get several second-chance baskets on rebounds. "We were able to crash the boards and get easy put backs," Johnson said. "I think Howard took it easy on us because they thought we were small, but in the end it showed that size didn't matter." The Seahawks are now four victories away from the state championship and will host Mt. Hebron on Thursday. Lubeski, who finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds, feels the Seahawks will have no problem doing whatever it takes to win. "We can bend any team to our will," he said. "We will do whatever we have to to win and we will." -- delmarvanow.com February 2010 02/24 - STEPHEN DECATUR 83, WICOMICO 58 Cedrick Johnson led the Seahawks with 34 points, as Tom Lubeski pitched in with 16 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. For Wicomico, Kendall Collins led the Indians with 16 points, and Kevin Bratten added 15 points and 11 rebounds. -- 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 02/21 - 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 02/20 - Seahawks pull away from Lions Queen Anne's Kenon Alsop had a chance midway through the second quarter of Friday's boys basketball game to give his team the lead for the first time against the home-standing Stephen Decatur. Trailing 23-22, the guard took a missed free throw and charged down the court for the go-ahead layup, but as the ball slipped through the net, the referee blew his whistle and signaled a charge on Alsop. After that, the Seahawks went on a 14-2 run to finish out the half and never looked back, beating the Lions, 80-51. "I thought it was a good game for us," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "We came out pretty well, got out to an 11-0 lead, and then we kind of got a little complacent. I think we were looking at the scoreboard, and Queen Anne's kept fighting back." After a hot start by the Seahawks (16-3, 15-2 Bayside), the Lions answered back, pulling to within 15-13 with less than a half a minute left in the first quarter. The Lions' biggest offensive weapon was their long-distance shooting; however, their touch from beyond the arc seemed to leave them in the second half, as they failed to register a 3-pointer in the final 16 minutes of the game. Alsop finished with 15 points, while teammate Dshawn Wilson contributed 16 points to pace Queen Anne's (6-11, 6-10). "They did a good job against us," Lloyd said. "They hung around early shooting 3s. They shot very well from the 3-point line, but they lived and died by it, and they just didn't hit enough." Senior guard Cedric Johnson made his last regular-season home game memorable, pacing the Decatur offense on senior night, scoring a game-high 26 points while knocking down seven 3-pointers. "Tonight (Johnson) showed his shot," Lloyd said. "He's had it all year, but he hasn't fired it up there." -- 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 January 2010 01/29 - Decatur turns up the heat After a loss earlier in the week that saw them outscored by 12 points in the first quarter, Stephen Decatur boys basketball coach Travis Lloyd wanted his team to perform better. The Seahawks didn't disappoint as they held Washington to one first quarter point in their 71-35 win Thursday night. "I told them tonight to be accountable for their actions," he said. "I told them if they missed several layups or didn't play defense, I would take them out of the game." The Seahawks (13-3, 10-2 Bayside) outscored the Jaguars 19-1 in the first quarter on the strength of their defensive press and Cedrick Johnson's seven points. In the second quarter, Stephen Decatur continued to apply the pressure and outscored Washington (5-14, 2-10) by a 22-5 margin. "This win was motivation for us," said Johnson, who finished with 17 points. "If we continue to play defense like we did tonight, we can beat anybody." The Jaguars tripled their point total in the third quarter as they outscored the Seahawks 12-9, led by Tavon White's five points, but the massive deficit was too much to overcome as Washington had three starters sit. "If you want to compete with Stephen Decatur, you have to have to start out with your best five players," said Washington coach Vic Burns. "We knew it was going to be a tough game." The fourth quarter saw Stephen Decatur rest its starters as reserves Tevin Henry, Corey Zimmer and Davone Wilson combined for seven of the team's 21 points. Lloyd was happy with his team's defense and will look to continue pressing their opponents for the remainder of the season. "We have good defenders on their team," he said. "It's not the kind of thing that gets their names in the paper, but it's still important." -- delmarvanow.com 01/27 - Snow Hill tops Decatur, keeps lead in Bayside South After leading by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, the Snow Hill boys basketball team held off a late rally to secure an important win Tuesday against Stephen Decatur, 56-52. The win keeps the Eagles perched atop the standings in the Bayside South and puts them in control of their own destiny as the season winds down toward the Bayside Conference Championship game. "This is my 16th season and I haven't lost too many games in this building. We have a great home court advantage," said Snow Hill coach Allen Miller. "We have great fans, they come, they yell, they scream. They got us in Decatur (last month) and I really in my heart knew that we were going to win here." The Eagles (13-2 10-1 Bayside) were able to secure the home win due to a quick start. Snow Hill jumped out to an early 6-1 lead before staking themselves to a 12-4 advantage with less than five minutes to play in the opening quarter. The Eagles held a 18-6 lead after eight minutes thanks to the turnovers their defense was able to create. "We came out in a triangle and two (defense)," said Miller. "I don't think anyone else has tried that, and I think that caught them off guard, threw them off their game. They have three big kids and we don't have great size, so we had to do something about that." The Eagles continued to build on their lead in the second quarter with Keith Jackson. Jackson scored six of his game-high 26 points in the second quarter, as it didn't matter how many Stephen Decatur (12-3, 9-2) defenders tried to guard the senior. "It's almost playoff time," he said, "so I figure, don't wait until it's time to turn it up. Just do it now and keep it going." Jackson had it going all over the court as he either got to the rim and finished, or rose up and knocked down a jump shot. "He's by far the best athlete," said Miller of Jackson. "He's phenomenal, he jumps and he stays in the air forever. Tom (Labeski) is 6-10 and his size doesn't intimidate or bother (Keith), because he is so quick." Even with Jackson's dominate performance the Eagles still had to ward off the Seahawks late in the fourth quarter. Decatur cut down on their turnovers in the second half and were able to slice into the Eagles' lead, trailing only by seven entering the quarter. Trailing 53-50 with less than 30 seconds to play, Decatur's Cedrick Johnson -- who had a team high 11 points -- had an open look at a three-point shot from the top of the key. The shot clanked off the rim and the Eagles secured the rebound, and were able to seal the win by hitting their free throws in the final seconds. Miller said the pressure situation didn't phase his team in the final minutes, as the squad has come out victorious seven times in their nine games decided by 10 points or less. "We know how to win these types of games," said Miller. -- delmarvanow.com 01/20 - Decatur boys hoops downs JMB The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team, propelled by 10 second-quarter points from Cedric Johnson, overcame an early deficit Tuesday to defeat James M. Bennett 63-54. Johnson took over the game with less than five minutes remaining in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 12-1 to end the half. "Cedric is a gifted player," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "He's probably played more basketball than the rest of our team combined. He already has a state championship under his belt, and he's been a really good addition to the team this year. He shows a lot of leadership on the floor. It's like having another coach out there." After jumping out to an 11-2 lead in the first quarter, the Seahawks (11-2, 8-1 Bayside) seemed to relax just slightly and the Clippers took advantage. With a little less than two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Ladaris Griss scored back-to-back baskets for the Clippers before teammate Jason Talley knocked down a long-range jumper to cut the Decatur lead to 11-8 after one quarter. The Clippers (5-7, 3-5) continued their hot streak into the second quarter, claiming a 15-11 advantage shortly into the period. However, the Clippers would only collect one more point in the half, as Johnson single-handedly brought his team back and staked them to a 23-16 lead at the intermission. After the break, the Clippers did themselves no favors, as they turned the ball over three straight times, allowing Decatur to extend its lead. Johnson, who scored a game-high 19 points, and the Seahawks would never look back, as they tallied 20 points in both the third and fourth quarters. -- delmarvanow.com 01/13 - Decatur boys hoops tops Wi-Hi The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team remained on top of the Bayside South standings with 45-38 victory over Wicomico on Tuesday. The Seahawks' Deon Powell scored 12 points, and Tom Lubeski and Cedrick Johnson each had nine points. Marquis Ewell led the Indians with 13 points, and Kevin Bratten added nine. -- delmarvanow.com 01/08 - Seahawks hang on tight Led by Cedrick Johnson's 17 points and Tom Lubeski's near triple-double, Stephen Decatur ended a two-game losing streak with a 51-50 victory Thursday over Mardela. "It was a nice overall victory for us," Decatur coach Travis Lloyd said. "I wish we could've played a little better at times, but coming off two losses we'll take it any way we can get it." The Seahawks (8-2, 6-1 Bayside) got off to a hot start, with Lubeski scoring six points and the defense holding the Warriors to seven points. Lubeski finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks. Mardela (3-6, 3-3) continued to struggle in the second quarter, only scoring six points before heading into halftime down 27-13. In the second half, the Warriors made their adjustments and shot lights out to cut a 19-point lead down to six heading into the fourth quarter. Mardela continued to chip away at the lead, as Kody Jacoby scored six of his team-leading 16 points in the final frame. "We really dug in deep and gave great effort in the second half," Mardela coach Stephen Re said. "But our first half really killed us, and it made it really tough to come back from." The comeback was completed as Mardela's Denaro Lomax's 3-pointer brought the home crowd to its feet and gave the Warriors a 45-43 lead. The game continued to go back-and-forth until tied at 47-47, when Johnson made a no-look pass to Dyonne Powell for the go-ahead basket with 41 seconds left. Powell had five points. Not being in the bonus, Mardela had to continually foul in order to send Decatur to the free-throw line, leading to precious time ticking off the clock. With 9.3 seconds left, Johnson was fouled and was sent to the line to shoot the one-and-one. After missing the first shot, Johnson got the rebound and was fouled again. "I thought to myself, 'I can't miss the next free throw,'" Johnson said. "I made the second one." Johnson made both to make the lead 51-47. Mardela's Deiray Johnson sprinted down the court and buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it still wasn't enough for the Warriors. With his team able to prevent a three-game losing streak, Lloyd was happy with the outcome. "We lost our last two games against two very strong opponents [Bowie and Pocomoke], so a win's a win for us tonight," Lloyd said. -- delmarvanow.com 01/06 - With win, Pocomoke on top in Bayside The brand new gym at Pocomoke has already hosted a handful of contests during its inaugural season, but the new hardwood floor had yet to experience anything like Tuesday night. The Warriors' gym was filled to capacity as the undefeated Pocomoke boys basketball team squared off with Worcester County rival Stephen Decatur. The crowd roared in anticipation of the opening tipoff and jumped out of their seats numerous times throughout the contest as though they were watching a heavyweight fight. The match didn't disappoint as Pocomoke took Stephen Decatur's best shots, only to respond with a knockout blow of their own, holding Decatur to just four points in the final quarter en route to a 62-47 victory. "It feels great to win," said Pocomoke head coach Derrick Fooks. "On the new court, holding home court, it was big, but there is still a lot of work left to be done." Stephen Decatur (7-2, 5-1) set the tone early, opening the game on a 8-0 run thanks in large part to the seven turnovers Pocomoke provided in the first quarter. However, the Warriors were able to steady themselves and get back within reach of the Seahawks, trailing 14-8 after the first quarter. Pocomoke (7-0, 4-0) started to gain a grasp on the game in the second as they slowed the pace of the contest down and limited Decatur's second chance points while controlling the boards. Pocomoke still trailed though, as the Warriors faced a 28-25 deficit at the intermission. "We got caught up with the hype in the first part of the game, looking at the bright lights and seeing all of these people," said Fooks. "We just had to get our composure back, we took their best shot and were able to weather the storm. At halftime I told them, 'Let's go out and do what we do.' I said, 'Lets go get them.' " If the first half belonged to the Seahawks, the second half was all Warriors as they outscored Decatur 37-19 in the final two frames. Pocomoke matched up senior guard Jeff Young on Decatur's Cedric Johnson in an effort to keep Johnson away from his favorite scoring spots. Young did his job, containing the number of touches Johnson received and the Decatur offense sputtered. "Seeing them so far in the early part of the season, (Decatur) goes as (Johnson) goes," said Fooks. "We made a concerted effort to get the ball of Cedric's hands, and it slowed down their offense." Denzel Timmons put several exclamation points on the contest as he scored six of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter off of back-board jarring dunks. Johnson who was noticeably limping in the fourth quarter due to cramps, paced the Seahawk attack with 18 points. -- delmarvanow.com December 2009 12/31 - STEPHEN DECATUR 57, OXON HILL 41 Mark Engle led the Seahawks with 18 points on Tuesday night. -- delmarvanow.com 12/23 - Seahawks clip Crabbers Knotted at seven early on in the first quarter, the Crisfield boys basketball team quickly lost control of their Tuesday contest against Stephen Decatur. The Seahawks would rattle off 10 straight points, the first six coming from Montre Andrews, en route to a 79-54 victory over the home-standing Crabbers. "I thought we came out and played well especially on the defensive end. I thought our defense set the tone," said Travis Lloyd, Stephen Decatur head coach. "We got a couple of nice looks on the offensive end, kind of felt them out, and then we made that big run. Once we got our confidence rolling, they just kept going and going." Andrews paced the diversified Seahawk (6-0, 5-0 Bayside) attack, leading the team in scoring with 18 points. However, Andrews wasn't the only story on offense for Decatur, as the Seahawks had eight different players record a basket and five different shooters finish with double digit points. The array of scorers for the Seahawks was due in large part to their defense, as Stephen Decatur created countless turnovers and seamlessly transitioned them into fast break points. "That's what we are trying to do," said Lloyd. "We have some skilled basketball players and athletes out here, and we want to play defense and get on the fast break, because that leads to easy buckets for us." Crisfield (3-3, 1-3) struggled to get anything accomplished on the offensive end of the floor, as Decatur employed a full court press, not allowing the Crabbers to set up and feel comfortable on their side of the floor. When Crisfield was able to set up their offense, Decatur would only allow them one chance for a basket, as the Seahawks collected a ton of defensive rebounds. Decatur would stretch their lead in the second quarter as Crisfield could only collect nine points in the eight minute period. The Seahawks opened the frame with a 13-3 run, before going into the halftime break holding a 45-21 edge. The Crabbers' Greg Bozman led all scorers with 25 points, 14 in the second half, but Crisfield's three-point specialist was unable to knife into the sizable Decatur lead. "Sometimes we don't necessarily play as hard as we can," said Lloyd. "We came in here tonight stressing that we wanted to play the entire 32 minutes as hard as possible. It starts with our defense, and I thought we played excellent defense, played good transition basketball and did a good job overall tonight." -- delmarvanow.com 12/18 - Decatur boys basketball tops Washington The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team remained undefeated with a 68-53 victory over Washington on Thursday night. The Seahawks' Cedrick Johnson scored 16 points, and Mark Engle added 15 points. Tavon White led the Jaguars with 20 points, and Trey Rainey scored 11. -- delmarvanow.com 12/16 - Seahawks outfly Eagles, 58-50 Coming into the season, Stephen Decatur boys basketball coach Travis Lloyd set a goal for his team to win its first four games of the year. The Seahawks accomplished that feat Tuesday with a 58-50 win over Worcester County rival Snow Hill. "I'm very proud of our kids," Lloyd said. "They are the ones out there playing the game, making the passes and taking the shots." The Seahawks (4-0, 3-0 Bayside) started the game with a 10-2 run on the strength of baskets by Cedrick Johnson, Montre Andrews and Mark Engle, but the Eagles (3-2, 2-1) responded with a 7-0 run of their own. The two teams were tied at 12 at the end of the first quarter. The two teams continued their low scoring pace into the half with a score of 20-20. In the third quarter, the game remained close, but Andrews became a man possessed on both the boards and in the paint. The senior transfer from Indian River scored 12 of the Seahawks' 20 third quarter points. He finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. "I felt I had to put it on myself to win the game," Andrews said. "I was just at the right place at the right time." While Snow Hill never trailed by more than seven points anytime in the game, the Eagles' Keith Jackson and Ryan Waters were limited to 16 and 12 points respectively, well below their scoring averages. "Decatur did a nice job of defending us," said Snow Hill coach Allen Miller. "They were trying to keep the ball out of Keith and Ryan's hands and trying to wear them down. We just have to get our supporting cast to play better and they will as the season goes on." In the fourth quarter, Snow Hill cut the lead to four points, but Johnson was able to put the game out of reach with five consecutive free throws. Johnson finished with 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Lloyd now looks toward the next goal -- surpassing last year's total of seven wins, a feat he feels his squad will be able to do thanks to their cohesiveness. "They are so tight together," he said. "They are a team that will get on each other when it's needed and will then be the first ones patting them on the rear after a big play." -- delmarvanow.com 12/11 - Decatur boys hoops handles Parkside The Stephen Decatur boys basketball team defeated Parkside 57-30 on Thursday to remain unbeaten. The Seahawks' Cedrick Johnson scored 14 points. Mark Engle added 12 points, and Montre Andrews had 10. Jeremy Green led the Rams with 11 points, and Travis Gie scored 10. -- delmarvanow.com 12/08 - Decatur nets division win A James M. Bennett comeback came up short Monday as the Clippers fell to the Stephen Decatur Seahawks, 44-43. After trailing by as many as 12 points during the third quarter, the Bennett boys basketball team had a last second chance to pull out a win against Stephen Decatur. Trailing by eight entering the fourth quarter, Bennett staged a furious rally to come within one point with only two seconds remaining. The Clippers inbounded the ball to Mike Mitchell, who threw up a three-point shot, only to see it sail long. Montre Andrews paced the Seahawks (2-0, 1-0 Bayside) attack as the forward netted a team-high 14 points. Andrews carried Decatur in the third quarter, scoring eight of his team's 11 points in the frame. Decatur only scored eight points in the final frame, but it wasn't enough to win, and Seahawks' Dyonne Powell cut through the lane, scoring what proved to be the game winning shot with under a minute to play. Both teams had their chances in the contest, as turnovers and sloppy play leveled out the playing field. Bennett (0-2 0-1 Bayside) failed to find an offensive rhythm for much of the night, but turned it on in the fourth quarter. Ladarias Griss was a force in the final frame for the Clippers, scoring four points and collecting numerous rebounds for Bennett. Griss led all Bennett scorers with 14, collecting many of those points from inside and around the lane. -- delmarvanow.com 12/05 - STEPHEN DECATUR 78, COLONEL RICHARDSON 30 The Seahawks had a 21-2 lead after the first quarter and led 42-10 at the half. Montre Andrews led Decatur with 12 points, Kevin Henry had 11 points, and Mark Engle added nine. The Colonels' Jeremiah Holliday scored eight points. -- delmarvanow.com
12/04 - New blood has Decatur pumped Lloyd, in his fourth year as the Stephen Decatur boys basketball coach, remembers first seeing the point guard seven years ago, playing against guys well older than him. "He was just as good as those ninth- and 10th-graders when he was in fifth or sixth grade," Lloyd said. "He might not have been as big, but he could hold his own." Lloyd now will have Johnson on his team as one of three senior transfers as the Eagles head into tonight's season opener against Colonel Richardson. Johnson, who played last year at St. John's Catholic Prep in Frederick, Md., was also a member of the 1A state semifinalist and 1A state championship squads during his two years at rival Snow Hill. Johnson said the decision to come back home to the Eastern Shore was based on two things -- a coaching change at St. John's and the opportunity to have his family see him play more often. "It was hard for my family to get up there, because it was so far away," Johnson said. "And it was my senior year, so I decided to come home." Another addition to Lloyd's squad is forward Montre' Andrews, who played three years at Indian River. Andrews and Johnson are cousins. For Andrews, making the switch from the Henlopen Conference to the Bayside shouldn't be difficult. "To be honest, it really doesn't differ that much," he said. "Competition is competition no matter when you go. I think it's great that I'm in Maryland now playing against different people, being as when I was in Delaware I played against the same guys for three years." Mark Engle, a senior transfer from Delmarva Christian, said the one aspect he needed to get acclimated to was Decatur's up-tempo style. "At (Delmarva Christian) it was real slow pace, like old-school basketball style," the shooting guard said. "It's something I have to get used to, but I'm adjusting. I've played summer ball, so I'm getting used to the running-and-gunning." Lloyd feels that with the newcomers on the team, the Seahawks can vastly improve on last year's 7-14 record. The retooling of the team has created optimism in the Berlin area. "People are hungry for a winner," Lloyd said, "and a lot of the people in the community are really, really coming out to support this team. There's a buzz more so than ever in this community about this team." Lloyd said the Eagles have four goals: Winning their first four games, getting to the eight-win mark as fast as possible, winning the Bayside championship and taking home the MPSSAA 3A title. The fourth game on the schedule will pit Decatur against Snow Hill and will be the first time Johnson faces his old team. "I think it will be an emotional game for Cedrick," Lloyd said. "It's just that county rivalry." Johnson said he has kept in touch with his former teammates and talks to them constantly. "They're my boys," he said. "I talked to [former teammate] Keith [Jackson] Wednesday. I can't forget where I came from. Snow Hill is my home." -- delmarvanow.com November 2009 11/27 - Photo gallery: Stephen Decatur vs. Sussex Tech | |
| 2009-2010 Girls' Basketball Record 10-12 2009-2010 Girls' Basketball News and Headlines March 2010 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
03/02 - Clippers advance in playoffs The James M. Bennett girls’ basketball team cruised into the 3A East semifinal round of the state playoffs Monday, holding Stephen Decatur to just two points in the second quarter en route to a 60-26 victory. "That's one of our strengths; We have lots of speed," said Clippers head coach Darren Rogers. "We are very quick and we utilize it. We pressed the whole game." Bennett's full court press proved to be vital to the team's victory, after a slow paced first quarter which ended with both teams knotted at nine points apiece. The pressure led directly to Decatur turnovers and easy fast break points for the home team. "At the beginning, we were kind of slow," said Grace Lipinski, Clippers junior guard. "Coach gave us a pep talk and told us we really needed to step it up, and that made us step it up a lot." The second quarter was bad for the Seahawks, and the squad turned the ball over six times. Decatur guard Kylie Nottingham collected the team's only basket of the frame, going into the lane for a lay-up, and scoring two of her team-high 15 points. "We were trying to make it so that if they got the ball across half court, they would only have 10 seconds to run their offense and get one shot," said Rogers. "I thought we did that pretty well. Wherever they were is where we wanted to be." The Clippers (17-6) certainly did a good job of staying with Seahawk players, and whenever Decatur (10-12) rose up for a shot, there was a hand in their face. Bennett also did a good job of boxing out and rebounding on the defensive end, limiting Decatur to one shot per possession. In the second half, Bennett's offense came to life, and the team routinely hit jump shots that weren't falling for them in the first half, while showing a desire to get into the lane. Corlee Jackson recorded a game-high 18 points for Bennett, while teammate Raquel Weeks chipped in with 17 points. "We knew that we wanted to show the other teams in the tournament that we are really good," said Lipinski. Bennett will continue to play with home-court advantage in the next round of the playoffs, as they prepare to take on either Howard or Mount Hebron Wednesday in the regional semifinal. -- delmarvanow.com February 2010 02/23 - Warrior collects 1,000th point Taylor Siggers scored her 1,000th point Monday as Mardela remained undefeated in the Bayside South with a 57-26 win over Stephen Decatur. Siggers led the Warriors with 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, while Jasmine Jones chipped in with 14 points. Aleisha Hobbs added 12 points for Mardela. Michelle Wangel led the Seahawks with 10 points. -- delmarvanow.com 02/21 - STEPHEN DECATUR 46, KENT COUNTY 35 Shaneice Hudson led the Seahawks with 17 points, and Kylie Nottingham had 10 points. -- delmarvanow.com 02/05 - Decatur girls control tempo and the game The Stephen Decatur girls basketball team evened its Bayside Conference record and surpassed last year's win total in a 39-19 victory over Pocomoke on Thursday. Michelle Wangel scored a game-high 10 points to lead a diverse Seahawk attack that saw nine score. "It was very sweet to win against Pocomoke. It's been a long time coming -- this is my third year in the program, and they have whooped us a couple years in a row," Decatur coach Ron Knerr said. "First game down there (this year), they won by one point [37-36 on Dec. 29] at the buzzer. So this win is well-deserved." Playing without two key players -- Kiana Sturgis and Kasey Tapman -- Pocomoke fell behind early and trailed 10-4 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Warriors were able to battle back, scoring the first six points of the second quarter to even the game at 10-all. Pocomoke (11-6, 6-6 Bayside) would go the remainder of the second quarter, the entire third quarter and nearly three minutes into the fourth quarter before scoring again; at the same time, Decatur (8-10, 6-6 ) went on a 23-0 run. During that stretch, the Seahawk defense forced 24 turnovers, with many Pocomoke possessions ending without the team getting off a shot. "One of the things we try to do at Decatur is control the tempo defensively," Knerr said. "We were really able to do a good job of that in the second half." -- delmarvanow.com January 2010
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