The Washington Post - 05.11.2019

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ M2 D7

the right amount of facilitation in his 24 minutes while also search- ing for his own shot within the offense. While speaking to report- ers after the game, Thomas pulled back the curtain a bit and ex- pressed the significance behind Monday’s matchup. “There were dark days. I mean, it’s rehab,” Thomas recalled. “For me to go through that for two years, it was tough, I’m not going to lie to you, and it did break me at times. But like I said before, it can’t storm forever. The sun has to come out at some point.” Thomas came to Washington because the team was forthright about giving him an opportunity, and it hasn’t taken long for Thom- as to be ingrained in the character of the Wizards. He was the most vocal veteran Saturday night after a disappointing effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves, sparing no feelings about the 131-109 loss. “Tonight was a big night for us because we talked about that after last game, that we can’t ever have that happen again,” Thomas said. “That was embarrassing, from top to bottom in the organi-

After starting the year 6-1, the Jaguars have faced injury issues and find themselves on a two- game skid. “We’re just beat up, and we weren’t very deep to begin with,” Coach Said Aziz said. On Friday, the Jaguars lost to Lee, 17-7. The Lancers entered the game 0-8. For a team that has already locked up a playoff spot, it’s the type of outcome that’s not supposed to happen. “I told them after that, life’s about highs and lows,” Aziz said. “Sometimes your character will be judged on how you bounce back from something so low.” Winning the Bell Game could do wonders for Justice’s playoff chances. The Wolves were in a similar spot last year but lost to the Jaguars, 31-12. This season, Weisbecker said the team’s focus will be on beating Falls Church. “We just have to control our own fate,” Weisbecker said. “We have to go 1-0 this week.” — Michael Errigo

which means only one thing in Falls Church: It’s time for the Bell Game. Played between Justice and Falls Church, the Bell Game is one of the longest-running rival- ry traditions in the area. It start- ed in 1960 and often serves as a closer to the regular season. Jus- tice has won the bell 33 times, and Falls Church has won it 25 times. “It’s not taken lightly,” Justice Coach Greg Weisbecker said. “It means a lot to the kids. If we get a win, it’s something that they talk about for the rest of the school year.” The Jaguars have had a lot of success in recent years, capturing the bell six of the past seven seasons. But Falls Church will play this finale under unusual circumstances for the program:

“It was honestly a great experi- ence,” said defensive end Nick Harris, a Connecticut commit. “We’ve been working hard all through the summer, all through the offseason. Just to see those results, especially having the ma- jority of the county doubt us, it’s just been a great feeling.” After a 4-6 season last year, Marriotts Ridge (7-2) enters the Maryland 3A East playoffs as the No. 3 seed. It will host Atholton on Friday night. “We’ve had a pretty historic season, so our confidence levels have been high,” Harris said. “We feel pretty good about ourselves as a team and what we can do.” — Kyle Melnick

Rivals gear up for Bell Game The last week of the regular season has arrived in Virginia,

wrong this year, and the conference championship is a strong building block. — Jake Lourim

A first for Marriotts Ridge The Marriotts Ridge players gathered around one of their coaches on Atholton’s field after their 35-7 win over the Raiders on Friday night. The Mustangs’ coach was refreshing Twitter on his phone, checking to see whether River Hill had won elsewhere in Howard County. With a River Hill victory, Mar- riotts Ridge would win a share of the county title for the first time. Marriotts Ridge players saw the Hawks had beaten Howard, so they jumped around the field. Marriotts Ridge shared the county crown with River Hill and Glenelg.

the Huskies: They fell short of a third straight undefeated season, a third straight state championship and a fifth straight playoff berth. But in their season finale Sat- urday, they made sure one streak lasted. They dominated Potomac School, 35-3, to win their third straight Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference title. Justice Ellison carried seven times for 112 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 75 yards. When it was over, Thomas admitted, “We didn’t put it all together.” Flint Hill (5-4) lost to three Richmond teams — St. Christo- pher’s, Benedictine and Colle- giate — plus Life Christian after finishing 11-0 in 2017 and 2018. But Thomas said his team would learn from what went

THE POST TOP 20

Maryland public schools finished the regular season this past weekend, and playoff action will begin Friday. All six ranked Maryland teams took care of business last week, and each earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. In the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, St. John’s continued to bounce back from a rough nonconference schedule. And in Virginia, there are two big games looming in the final week of the regular season.

Damascus (7-2) LW: 11
The Hornets will be the No. 2 seed in the Maryland 3A West region.
Next: Friday vs. Magruder, 7 p.m.

Georgetown Prep (7-2) LW: 12
After beating St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes, the Hoyas will face Bullis in a
game that will determine the Interstate Athletic Conference title.
Next: Saturday vs. No. 19 Bullis, 5 p.m.

Friendship Collegiate (7-3) LW: 13
The Knights are making a habit of winning low-scoring games; they
beat Life Christian Academy, 11-8.
Next: Saturday vs. Royalty Institute, noon

Northwest (8-1) LW: 14
After a blowout win over Wootton, the Jaguars will be the No. 2 seed
in the Maryland 4A West region, behind Quince Orchard.
Next: Friday vs. Clarksburg, 7 p.m.

South County (9-0) LW: 15
After beating Fairfax, the Stallions will close their regular season with
a big game against Lake Braddock.
Next: Friday at No. 17 Lake Braddock, 7 p.m.

Huntingtown (9-0) LW: 17
With a 47-6 win over Great Mills, the Hurricanes will be the top seed
in the Maryland 3A South region.
Next: Friday vs. J.M. Bennett, 7 p.m.

Lake Braddock (8-1) LW: 18
Joe Murray had five touchdowns in a 49-35 win over West Springfield.
Next: Friday vs. No. 15 South County, 7 p.m.

Dunbar (8-1) LW: 20
The Crimson Tide pushed its winning streak to six games with a 36-18
victory over Wilson.
Next: Friday vs. H.D. Woodson, 6 p.m.

Bullis (7-2) LW: NR
The Bulldogs have bounced back from their 1-2 start; a 41-14 win over
Landon gave them six straight victories.
Next: Saturday at No. 12 Georgetown Prep, 5 p.m.

Douglass (9-0) LW: NR
The Eagles stayed perfect with a 38-16 win over Crossland.
Next: Saturday vs. Crossland, 1 p.m.

Dropped out: No. 16 National Christian, No. 19 Landon On the bubble: Paint Branch, Tuscarora, South River, Potomac (Md.)

Gonzaga (8-1) Last week: 1
The Eagles were idle ahead of a big regular season finale against
St. John’s.
Next: Saturday vs. No. 3 St. John’s at Catholic University, 7 p.m.

Quince Orchard (9-0) LW: 2
The Cougars finished the regular season with a 47-7 win over Walter
Johnson and will be the No. 1 seed in the Maryland 4A West region.
Next: Friday vs. Gaithersburg, 7 p.m.

St. John’s (5-4) LW: 4
The Cadets kept their perfect conference record alive with a 24-20
win over No. 4 DeMatha.
Next: Saturday vs. No. 1 Gonzaga at Catholic University, 7 p.m.

DeMatha (6-3) LW: 3
The Stags put together two late drives against No. 3 St. John’s but
couldn’t convert either in a 24-20 loss.
Next: Playoff opponent TBD.

Good Counsel (7-3) LW: 5
The Falcons closed the regular season by putting up a season-high 52
points in a win over McNamara.
Next: Playoff opponent TBD.

Westfield (9-0) LW: 6
Mikal Legall rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-0 win
over West Potomac.
Next: Friday vs. Chantilly, 7 p.m.

Stone Bridge (9-0) LW: 7
After a 41-0 win over Potomac Falls, the Bulldogs carry an undefeated
record into the Battle of the ’Burn against No. 10 Broad Run.
Next: Friday vs. Broad Run, 7 p.m.

Wise (9-0) LW: 8
The Pumas are the top seed in the Maryland 4A South after finishing
undefeated in the regular season for the fourth time in five years.
Next: Friday vs. Northwestern, 7 p.m.

Freedom-Woodbridge (9-0) LW: 9
The Eagles topped 60 points for a second straight week by beating
Gar-Field, 68-7.
Next: Friday vs. Colgan, 7 p.m.

Broad Run (9-0) LW: 10
The Spartans jumped to an early 14-0 lead against Briar Woods and
rode it to a 24-7 win.
Next: Friday at No. 7 Stone Bridge, 7 p.m.

Virginia Player of the week QB Nazir Armstrong, Woodbridge The senior was responsible for four touchdowns in a 28-6 win over Hylton. He threw for one, caught one and ran for two. Game to watch Broad Run at Stone Bridge, 7 p.m. Friday

Private schools Player of the week WR Ashton Allen, Bullis The senior caught seven passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and he also scored on a 65-yard punt return as the Bulldogs beat Landon, 41-14. Game to watch St. John’s vs. Gonzaga at Catholic University, 7 p.m. Saturday

Maryland Player of the week QB/CB Klayton Batten, St. Charles The senior accounted for all seven of the Spartans’ touchdowns in their 45-28 win over Chopticon. Game to watch Northern at St. Charles, 7 p.m. Friday

D.C./Prince George’s Player of the week The Wise backfield The Pumas rushed for 227 yards and seven touchdowns as they knocked off Oxon Hill, 58-16. Game to watch Ballou at Roosevelt, 6 p.m. Friday

FROM STAFF REPORTS

When Potomac reclassified
from Maryland 3A to 2A, Oxon
Hill was left with a major deci-
sion.
As the sole 3A program re-
maining in Prince George’s Coun-
ty, the Clippers could opt to play
down to a 1A/2A schedule or up
to a much tougher 4A schedule.
They chose the latter.
“We love to play bigger, athlet-
ic teams like Flowers and Wise
every week because it makes our
team better and gives us an
opportunity to scheme and pre-
pare for the types of teams that
we’ll see later on in the playoffs, if
we make it,” Oxon Hill wide
receiver Malik Baker said. “We
want to be known as a team that
embraces the challenge, not the
one that takes the easier road.”
In addition to the elevated
competition, the 4A schedule
gave Oxon Hill an opportunity to
gain more points for playoff seed-
ing.
The Maryland Public Second-
ary Schools Athletic Association
awards eight points for beating a
4A team; seven points for beating
a 3A team; six points for beating
a 2A team; and five points for
beating a 1A team. Teams receive
additional bonus points for their
opponents’ wins as well.
The Clippers (7-2) have reaped
the benefits of playing up a
division: They clinched the No. 2
seed in 3A South with 81 points,
despite their blowout loss to
Wise in the regular season finale
Friday. To put this in perspective,
the No. 1 seed in 3A East, River
Hill (8-1), has the same number
of points despite an additional
win.
“At the end of the day, we
wanted to give ourselves the best
opportunity to be successful,”
Coach Craig Jefferies said. “Play-
ing a 4A schedule exposes our
team to the best Maryland public
schools while also allowing us a
bit of leeway, because of the
points bump, should we stumble
along the way.”
— Tramel Raggs

Flint Hill wins MAC again

This was not what Flint Hill
Coach Jason Thomas envisioned
for his first season in charge of

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Oxon Hill

rewarded

for tougher

schedule

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 15 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 134-106, on Monday night in Minneapolis. Antetokounmpo has posted a double-double in all seven games this season. Khris Middleton added 26 points to match his season high, and Eric Bledsoe set a season best with 22. Bledsoe added nine rebounds and six assists for the Bucks in a game delayed for 50 minutes so one of the baskets could be fixed before tipoff. Milwaukee responded by shooting 53.8 percent from the field. Andrew Wiggins led the Tim- berwolves with 25 points. Minne- sota played without center Karl- Anthony Towns, who served the second game of his two-game sus- pension for his part in an alterca- tion with Philadelphia big man Joel Embiid last week. The Bucks outscored the Towns-less Timberwolves 62-38 in the paint. ROCKETS 107, GRIZZLIES 100: James Harden scored 44 points, and visiting Houston re- covered from a poor performance a night earlier at Miami to beat Memphis. Harden carried the load for the Rockets, who didn’t shoot partic- ularly well (37.6 percent) and were without Russell Westbrook, who took the night off to rest. The former MVP finished 12 for 28 from the field, including 7 for 16 from three-point range. He added 10 rebounds and six assists. Eric Gordon added 16 points, and Danuel House Jr. scored 15. Rookie Ja Morant led Memphis with 23 points and six assists.

SUNS 114, 76ERS 109: Devin Booker scored 40 points, Ricky Rubio added 21 points and 10 assists, and host Phoenix beat the NBA’s final undefeated team by knocking off Philadelphia. Phoenix (5-2) is three games over .500 for the first time in more than four years. The surprising Suns are on a three-game winning streak and off to their best seven- game start since 2013. Booker, serenaded with MVP chants from the home crowd in the fourth quarter, has 6,003 points in his career. He’s the eighth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 6,000. The fifth- year guard, 23, finished 15 for 19 from the field, including 3 for 4 from three-point range. Al Horford led the 76ers, who were playing without the suspended Embiid, with 32 points. NETS 135, PELICANS 125: Kyrie Irving had 39 points and nine assists, and Brooklyn with- stood Brandon Ingram’s career- high 40 points to beat New Or- leans in New York. The Nets had 67 points at halftime and a 20-point lead in the third quarter but could never get comfortable until the final minute as Ingram kept coming at them. He shot 17 for 24 from the field in his first 40-point game, and the Pelicans scored a franchise-best 48 points in the third quarter. Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball each scored 15 points for the Peli- cans, who fell to 1-6.

Cavaliers’ Porter suspended The NBA suspended Cleveland Cavaliers rookie guard Kevin Por- ter Jr. for one game without pay for bumping an official. At the end of the third quarter of Cleveland’s 131-111 loss to Dallas on Sunday night, Porter brushed into referee Bill Spooner’s shoul- der as he ran back down the floor after missing a shot. The contact knocked Spooner off balance, and he immediately looked at Porter, who didn’t turn around.

NBA ROUNDUP

Milwaukee manhandles

Towns-less Minnesota

BUCKS 134, TIMBERWOLVES 106

zation. We can’t let that happen. I think tonight, we just played hard.” After giving up 290 points in back-to-back losses last week, the Wizards found an opponent more palatable to defend. Entering the game, Detroit ranked 19th in the NBA in pace, measured by the number of pos- sessions a team has per game, 28th in three-point attempts and 29th in overall field goal attempts. The Pistons play so slow that it’s not unusual to watch Drummond, their 6-foot-11, 279- pound center, traipse upcourt to lead a fast break. So if there was ever a time for the Wizards to work on commu- nicating better in transition, de- fending the arc and lowering their season average of 121.4 points allowed, Monday was it. With the Pistons staying true to their identity, the Wizards looked like a more whole defensive squad. Washington held Detroit to just 38 points in the second half, including just 17 during a third quarter in which it turned a two- point halftime lead into an 18- point advantage by the final minute of the period. As Thomas kept cycling near the drinking fans, his teammates continued the bounce-back performance. Wag- ner blocked three shots in the first five minutes of the quarter, the Pistons wasted other posses- sions on turnovers, and the Wiz- ards pulled away, snapping a trend of poor defense. [email protected]

Drummond finished with 15
points and 24 rebounds, but his
numbers did not harm the Wiz-
ards, who were only outrebound-
ed 42-41.
After three straight losses and
two consecutive games with ab-
sentee defense, the Wizards (2-4)
recaptured the identity they want
to have this season: a team that
overcomes its deficiencies by
playing hard.
“It was just all our defense and
energy,” Wizards guard Bradley
Beal said.
Beal poured in 22 points, fin-
ishing as one of six Wizards play-
ers who reached double figures,
and added six assists. The Wiz-
ards received 53 points from the
bench, including double-digit ef-
forts from Troy Brown Jr. (14
points), Moritz Wagner (12) and
CJ Miles (12). Starters Thomas
Bryant (14) and Rui Hachimura
(12) also joined the double-figure
club.
Thomas, making his first start
since March 14, 2018, joined Beal
in the backcourt and finished
with nine points on 4-for-12
shooting and six assists.
At the time of Thomas’s previ-
ous start, he was still with the Los
Angeles Lakers and just weeks
from having a hip procedure. He
spent the next season with the
Denver Nuggets, recovering as an
afterthought on a team with aspi-
rations of contending in the West-
ern Conference.
This summer, when Thomas
signed a one-year, veteran-mini-
mum contract with the Wizards,
he was eager for this day, to prove
his hip issues had passed and that
he has a lot left in his 30-year-old
tank.
“It’s been a long road the last
couple years,” Thomas said. “Just
really to put in the work to finally
get healthy and to be able to start
says a lot about what I’ve done the
last two years, but my biggest
thing is just taking advantage of
the opportunity, whether I start
or come off the bench. I know who
I am. I know I’m one of the best
basketball players in the world, so

WIZARDS FROM D1

Wizards find balance and their defense

NICK WASS/ASSOCIATED PRESS Wizards guard Bradley Beal had a team-high 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting during Monday night’s victory against the visiting Pistons.

WIZARDS’ NEXT THREE

at Indiana Pacers

Tomorrow 7 NBCSW

vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Friday 7 NBCSW, ESPN

at Boston Celtics

Nov. 13 7:30 NBCSW

Radio: WFED (1500 AM)

I mean, that doesn’t affect me. I approach the game the same way, but I am happy to be starting.” The chip nestled on his shoul- der wouldn’t allow Thomas to simply ease back into the rotation the way the Wizards’ medical staff wanted. Thomas, who missed the first two games reha- bilitating from left thumb sur- gery, played on a minutes restric- tion but longed for more. Against the Pistons, Thomas played a normal rotation for a starting point guard. He stirred in

Wizards 115, Pistons 99 DETROIT ............................. 30 31 17 21 — 99 WASHINGTON ................... 31 32 30 22 — 115 DETROIT: Snell 4-14 0-0 11, Morris 2-4 0-0 4, Drummond 6-20 3-3 15, Brown 5-12 3-5 14, Kennard 6-12 9-11 24, Mykhailiuk 2-5 0-0 6, Wood 5-6 3-4 15, Maker 0-0 0-0 0, Bone 0-1 0-0 0, Galloway 4-8 0-0 10, K.Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-82 18-23 99. WASHINGTON: Bonga 2-5 1-1 5, Hachimura 5-7 1-1 12, Bryant 6-10 1-2 14, I.Thomas 4-12 0-0 9, Beal 8-17 5-8 22, Schofield 0-0 0-0 0, Miles 3-8 5-5 12, Brown Jr. 5-10 4-4 14, Bertans 3-7 0-0 9, Wagner 4-7 4-4 12, Robinson 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 3-9 0-0 6. Totals 43-93 21-25 115. Three-point Goals: Detroit 14-28 (Kennard 3-4, Snell 3-9, Wood 2-2, Mykhailiuk 2-3, Galloway 2-4, Brown 1-3, Morris 0-1, Drummond 0-1), Washington 8-29 (Bertans 3-6, Hachimura 1-2, Bryant 1-2, Beal 1-4, I.Thomas 1-5, Miles 1-5, Wagner 0-1, Bonga 0-1, Brown Jr. 0-1, Smith 0-2). Fouled Out: None. Rebounds: Detroit 42 (Drum- mond 24), Washington 41 (Brown Jr. 10). Assists: Detroit 22 (Brown 7), Washington 27 (I.Thomas, Beal 6). Total Fouls: Detroit 20, Washington 23. Technicals: Detroit coach Pistons (Defensive three second), Wood, Kennard. A: 13,052 (20,356).

The Washington Post - 05.11.2019

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