The season had been nothing short of exciting so far. The teams have shown up and shown out. Here’s how the five games this month have turned out.

Churchill on Dec. 5

JV: 

The way JV started their season wasn’t the way they wanted to. With a loss on the road, 67 to 38, JV has a lot to work on. 

This year’s Junior Varsity program is fresh. Out of the 15 players, nine are freshmen. With a new head coach, it was up in the air how the team would perform. As the boys took the floor, four out of the starting five were freshmen. Jasola Ladipo, one of the four sophomores who returned this year, led the court. Jacobi Wilson, Muhammad Fofana, Caden Shiflett, and Owen Hawkins joined him. 

The team struggled throughout the first half, only scoring seven points in the first quarter. They barely managed to get the ball past half-court and fought hard to get to the rim. Entering halftime, the boys were down 11 points, 32 to 21. The third quarter played out similarly to the first, with the Hornets only scoring seven but allowing almost double from Churchill. In the final quarter, the team scored 10 points while Churchill put up 18. 

The energy from the bench was overall positive, despite the score. Coach Jim Lutz encouraged the boys to be supportive of each other, hyping up defensive plays and shots taken. Caden Shiflet made his mark, scoring 11 of the team’s points, being the only player with double digits. Sophomore Marco Pomegne came off the bench and helped move the ball. Freshmen Chance Richard, Nate Kellner, Julio Emperado, and Jayden Fernando also made their way into their first high school game. Kellner scored five points and had one of the team’s three blocks. 

Throughout the game, the team grew a lot, with nerves cooling off and players coming into their own.  On the right, Shiftlett shoots a free throw. Photo by Victor O’Neill Studio. 

Varsity:

Starting the season off on the road isn’t ideal, but the Hornets made it work. Winning in an electric game, 62-58, this year’s team is strong. 

This year, Varsity is fairly young. Although the team is mostly upperclassmen, those upperclassmen are predominantly juniors. Three seniors, seven juniors, along with a sophomore and a freshman make up the 12-man team. Going into the Churchill game, the Hornets were severe underdogs. A ranking system, “Way too Early Top 10,” done by votes from the MOCO Hoops Instagram account, had Churchill ranked tenth, while Damascus was unranked. 

The taunting started from the moment the team hit the floor, with the Churchill fans in the boys’ faces as they warmed up. They didn’t let that faze them as they finished getting ready. Senior Jayden Thompson led the team out as captain, followed by Juniors Avery Richardson, Ethan Ray, and EJ Simpson. Thompson and the Juniors are all returning players, having started and proved themselves last season. The final member was Tony DeStefano, a freshman. 

The game was electric, with both teams and fans feeling themselves. A majority of the game was back and forth. Juniors Dorian Green and Devin Quarles made their way off the bench and got in on the action. Sophomore Kyree Jackson also made his way onto the court, scoring six points, with a thrilling three-point shot. 

The score at the end of each quarter showed how close the game was, with the Hornets leading the first quarter 17 to 15, and going into halftime 32 to 31. However, Churchill took the lead going into the final quarter, with the score being 47 to 42. The game had everyone on the edge of their seats, with Ray having an electric 33 points and DeStefano having 11 points.

On the right, Ray backs down a defender to get to the hoop. Photo by Victor O’Neill Studios.

Sherwood on Dec. 12

JV:

The JV team that took the floor against Sherwood wasn’t the same team that took the floor against Churchill. With their first win of the season, 60-52, this team was electric. This win made their record one-to-one. 

With home court advantage and a need to win, they showed up. The starting five contained three of the same players from the last game. Ladipo was joined by Pomegne as the leaders on the court. Wilson and Shiflett also made their return, accompanied by Kellner. Kellner took the jump ball while Shiflett scored the first points of the game. In the first quarter, Shiflett had an early steal, Ladipo had a three-point shot, followed by winning a jump ball and taking it to the rim. Pomegne had a nice block, and a new face entered the game. 

Sophomore Connor Gittins subbed in for Kellner, making his mark by moving the ball down court. Hawkins subbed in for Wilson, and Fofana subbed in for Ladipo. Fofana had a three-point shot that left an impact. The final face that saw the court this quarter was Emperado. The Hornets led going into the second quarter, ten to seven.

Going into the second quarter, the boys were feeling good. Lutz was loving the energy and was coaching the players as they moved throughout the game. He also takes moments between plays to highlight things to improve on and what players have done well.  Emperado was killer on defense, with quick steals and rebounds for days. Hawkins hit a signature three while Shiflett and Emperado teamed up on defense for a stop. 

Another new face entered the court, in for Pomegne, Freshman Kenneth Ansah. Ansah made an impact quickly, making his two free throws with ease. The Hornets took the ball downcourt as the time wound down on the clock, Pomegne with the ball. In a last-ditch effort, he chucks the ball at the rim and makes a half-court buzzer-beater shot, sending the whole gym into a frenzy. The Hornets led at halftime, 28 to 21.

Into the third quarter, Emperado kept the rebounds consistent while Wilson and Kellner were working like a well-oiled machine. Shiflett had a steal, getting it to Hawkins for the completion. Hawkins was on fire in the third, with another three and an easy layup. The Horents led going into the fourth quarter, 45 to 37. 

As the clock ran down, the boys didn’t stop. Ladipo had a tough layup, followed by another layup and strong defense. Kellner also had a strong performance, with a layup accompanied by an ‘and 1’ and another layup. They secured their first win in front of the home crowd, which was overjoyed to see them win. 

Varsity: 

Two undefeated teams entered ‘The Hive,’ and only one could leave that way. As underdogs with home court advantage, the Hornets pulled off a stunning win, 52 to 44, taking down the Warriors. This made their record two-to-zero.

By the ranking system previously mentioned, Sherwood was ranked number one, coming off two wins, while Damascus was coming off the win from the week prior and was still unranked. The starting five from Churchill remained the same for this game, Thompson leading Richardson, Ray, and Simpson, as well as DeStefano. 

Richardson started the game off strong, with the first points on a layup. Simpson had two three-point shots that showed his skill early, while Thompson and Ray worked on rebounds and getting to the rim. Green made a return, subbing in for DeStefano, and Jackson subbed in for Richardson. Ending the quarter, the Hornets led 15 to 11. 

Going into the second quarter, the boys continued to extend their lead, holding Sherwood to only nine points while they scored 12. Thompson had two three-point shots and a layup, while Green was all over the board. Ray was consistently at the rim, with multiple layups. Richardson topped it all off with a steal, helping the Hornets lead into the half. The score was 27 to 20. 

Exiting halftime, the boys knew they needed to keep the momentum up. DeStefano started it off strong with a block, which Simpson followed up with a layup. DeStefano also had a layup and a steal. The third quarter saw the teams get a lot closer in points, as it ended just 36 to 35, with the Hornets barely ahead. 

The final quarter of the game was controlled by Thompson. With two three-pointers, a layup, and four rebounds, he set the tone of what the outcome should be. The game was suspenseful, with a timeout called with 3:11 left on the clock. Another timeout was called with 2:09 on the clock, Simpson having a three-pointer in between. 

As the time ran down, the fouls from Sherwood went up. They fouled so much that Damascus then had a bonus, meaning they shot for every foul called against them. Ray was up first, knocking down his two free throws. Simpson got a rebound before being taken to shoot. He made one of his free throws. Ray sealed the game with an electric steal before heading back to the line to shoot. He made both free throws yet again. Richardson had a steal, and Thompson had a rebound to finish the game off strong. 

This win showed the Hornets’ potential for the season. Thompson ended the night with 24 points, nine rebounds, and six threes, while Simpson finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and three threes. Ray also had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. DeStefano ended the night with four blocks and five rebounds.

Wootton on Dec. 15

JV:

Against Wootton, JV was a hard watch. Losing largely, 78-44, they have a lot to work on moving forward. This made their record one-to-two.

Lining up, the starting five remained the same as the Sherwood game. Ladipo was joined by Pomegne, Shiflett, Wilson, and Kellner. Kellner took the jump ball, passing to Pomegne, who completed a layup. Keller followed it up with a rebound before the first sub of the game hit the floor. Emperado was in for Wilsion, and he quickly got to work rebounding. 

Ladipo hit a three before the next round of subs hit the floor. Hawkins came in for Shiflett, and Richard came in for Ladipo. Emperado made his way to the hoop with a layup, and Hawkins followed it up with a three. Gittins made his way in for Richard, and the Hornets ended the quarter down 17-14.

The second quarter only saw the Patriots’ lead go up. With layups from Hawkins and Wilson, a three-pointer from Pomegne, and a rebound from Kellner, among other plays, the Hornets began to struggle, entering halftime trailing 34-29.

Leaving halftime, the boys needed to pick it up. Ladipo started off early with a layup, rebound, and a three, followed by two free throws from Shiftlett. Hawkins hit another one of his threes while Ladipo worked on rebounding and a quick layup. Fernando and Ansah made a reappearance, along with Gittins. The quarter ended 63-41, with the Hornets trailing by more and more. 

Kellner started the final quarter off strong defensively, with two rebounds and a block, and Emperado also rebounded strongly. More fresh faces hit the court, with Sophomore Clive Mallari making his first high school basketball appearance. He was also joined by Freshman Joey Giove, who dove on the ground quickly to get the ball. There were only three points scored this quarter: a free throw by Mallari and a layup by Fernando. Meanwhile, the Patriots had 15 points.

Defense seems to be something this JV team is really struggling with, and having three games in a week doesn’t give them much time to improve. The team was also missing a player, Fofana, and currently has someone sitting on the bench in a boot. 

Varsity: 

Damascus, undefeated versus Wootton, one of the teams in MOCO without a win. The game should’ve been straightforward, but overtime and a late comeback challenged the Hornets as they barely scraped away with the win, 66-64. This made their record three-to-zero.

Starting this week off, the Hornets were finally getting some of the respect they deserve. A new ranking came out after the first full week of games, and Damascus saw itself at number four. The starting five remains the same for now, Thompson leading Richardson, Simpson, Ray, and DeStefano. 

The first quarter was electric for the boys, with Ray starting off strong. He had a rebound, followed by a three. Thompson had a steal, and Richardson got fouled trying to shoot a three. He made all of his free throws. Ray had a layup, and Richardson followed it up with a block. Thompson got a layup and three later on in the quarter. The defense was strong, with DeStefano and Ray rebounding well. Quarles subbing in for DeStefano as Richardson finished the quarter off with a layup, making the score 16-7, Damascus up. 

The second quarter was dominated by Ray, as he had a rebound, layup with an ‘and one,’ a three-point shot, and a steal that resulted in his first in-game dunk of the season. Richardson had one rebound and a layup. Jackson entered the game and had two rebounds and made two free throw shots. Green also made his way into the game with a layup towards the end of the quarter. Going into halftime, the score was 32-19, Damascus. 

Ray also had a strong impact in the third quarter, with two rebounds and two free throws. Jackson had a layup while Simpson had two free throws and a three-pointer. Richardson and Thompson also had layups. Heading into the final quarter, the score was 48-36, still favoring Damascus. 

The fourth quarter is where things started to go wrong for the Hornets. Richardson started off strong with a three, and Thompson followed it up with a steal. Ray was fouled and made one of his free throws. Thompson and DeStefano both had layups, but the damage had been done. 

Wootton had caught up to Damascus, and by the time regulation was up, the teams were tied and heading into overtime. Overtime was a game of free throws for the Hornets, with Richardson, Simpson, Ray, and DeStefano all shooting. Thompson also had a three. Simpson and DeStefano sealed the game with two game-shifting steals back to back. The Hornets won in the end, but it wasn’t pretty.

Poolesville on Dec. 17

JV:

Finally, a good away game for JV. An on-the-road game, won 47-37, saw some improvement that was much needed. This made their record two-to-two.

The starting five remained the same as ever: Ladipo, Pomegne, Wilson, Shiflett, and Kellner. Kellner once again took the jump ball, and Shiftlett started off strong with a rebound and a three-point shot. Ladipo had a rebound, and Shiftlet had his first three of the night. Emperado subbed in for Kellner, and Pomegne had his first three of the night. Hawkins came in for Wilson while Shiftlett finished the quarter off strong with his second three. It was overall a low-scoring quarter, with the Hornets leading 12-10. 

The second quarter saw the same number of points scored as in the first quarter from both teams. Emperado had a layup, and Shiflett rebounded. Pomegne came back into the game and had his second three-pointer of the night. Ladipo had a three-point shot and another two points this quarter, making the score going into halftime 24-20, Hornets. 

Exiting halftime, Kellner started it off with a steal. Pomegne followed it up with a three. Shiftlett had a layup, followed by another from Wilson. Kellner rebounded, and Hawkins had a clean jumpshot. Emperado had a rebound, and Hakwins finished the quarter with a three. Damascus held Poolesville to only eight points this quarter, while they had 14. The score entering the final quarter was 38-28.

The fourth quarter was a bit slower for the team. Kellner had one layup, and Ladipo had one rebound. Shiflett had a rebound and a three-pointer, while Emperado had one rebound. Wilson rounded out the night with a steal and a layup. Overall, the team did much better this game with everything. 

Varsity: 

This was the first night of this season that the Hornets will want to forget. With an on-the-road loss, 62-53, the boys have a lot to take away from their journey to Poolesville. This made their record three-to-one.

The starting five remained strong as ever. Thompson led Richardson, Simpson, Ray, and DeStefano. Ray started off strong with a steal, and Thompson followed with a rebound. DeStefano had a layup, scoring the team’s first points of the game. Simpson and Thompson had rebounds, followed by Ray shooting two free throws and making both. Ray also had a three-pointer this quarter, and then another layup assisted by DeStefano. Quarles made his appearance first quarter, subbing in for Simpson. A low-scoring quarter for both teams made it nine to five, Hornets up. 

DeStefano started the quarter with a layup, followed by Ray making three free throw shots. Jackson made his appearance in for Quarles. DeStefano had a rebound and had a jumpshot. Richardson had a steal while Ray was back shooting free throws. Ray also had a layup, and Thompson made a three-pointer to end the point scoring for Damascus this quarter. Green subbed in for DeStefano, and the Hornets finished the quarter leading 22-19. 

Exiting halftime, Thompson and Richardson both made threes. Ray was shooting on the line again, and Simpson joined him later on. Thompson had a rebound, and Simpson had a layup. DeStefano had a layup and an ‘and 1’. This quarter saw Poolesville overtake Damascus points-wise, with the Hornets trailing at the end, 41-36. 

The final quarter didn’t see a comeback like Damascus would’ve hoped for. Thompson had two layups, a three-pointer, and four free throws. Ray had a three-pointer and a jumpshot. Simpson had a jumpshot, and Quarles had a free throw. 

This game showed everything the Hornets can work on before they play their divisional opponent again.

Clarksburg on Dec. 19

JV:

A home win will give JV a winning streak going into winter break. They defeated Clarksburg, 50-47, with it only getting close in the final quarter. This made their record three-to-two.

The starting five is something that’s been working, so why change it? Ladipo, Pomegne, Wilson, Shiflett, and Kellner took the court. Kellner took the jump ball, and Shiflett had a strong quarter with two rebounds, a layup, a steal, and a three. Kellner had two rebounds, and Wilson had a layup. Ladipo had a layup, rebound, and jumpshot. Emperado made his way in this quarter, as Pomegne had two threes, helping the team lead 17-11 at the end of the quarter. 

The second quarter was strong defensively by Damascus, with them holding Clarksburg to only 2 points. Hawkins and Gittins made their appearances this quarter. Pomegne had a layup and one free throw shot. Ladipo had one free throw shot as well, along with a three-pointer. Emperado had two rebounds, and Gittins had a layup and a rebound. Shiftlett had a slower quarter, with two layups and a rebound. Wilson also had a rebound this quarter. The boys kept it very clean this quarter, with no fouls and strong defense. This allowed them to lead 30-13 going into halftime. 

Coming out of halftime, something had shifted. The team was all over the place, fouling enough to send Clarksburg into a bonus. Ladipo had three free throws, a layup, and a jumpshot. Kellner had two rebounds and a free throw. Hawkins had a jumpshot, and Emperado had two rebounds. Shiftlett had a jumpshot and Pomegne had a steal at the end of the quarter. The Hornets were still leading, but the defense from the last quarter was gone. They entered the final quarter ahead 41-30. 

The final quarter of this game was stressful. It was a Damascus game to lose, and they almost did. Shiflett started off with a steal, and Pomegne followed it up with a jumpshot. Ladipo had a layup, and Wilson had a rebound. Kellner had a steal and Ladipo had a steal, which he converted to a layup. By this point, Clarksburg was catching up. A timeout was called with 10.2 left on the clock, the score 49-47 in Damascus favor. When time resumed, Pomenge got fouled and made one of two free throws. The game ended quickly after that, with the Hornets claiming victory. 

Varsity:

A dominant home win is a good way to bounce back and head into the break, especially against a divisional rival. The Hornets won 63-28, with everyone getting in on the action. This made their record four-to-one.

Same as JV, the starting five has remained consistent. Thompson led Richardson, Simpson, Ray, and DeStefano. Ray lined up for the jump ball, passing it to Thompson, who converted it to a layup, scoring the first points of the game. Simpson had a quick steal,l and DeStefano had a layup. Ray had a rebound before having a steal. He covered that steal to his second in-game dunk of the season. 

The rest of the first quarter saw the team continue to dominate. DeStefano had a rebound and a layup, assisted by Simpson. Simpson had a layup and a bloody nose later in the quarter after taking a hit to the face. Thompson had a rebound and a layup. Ray had a three, and Jackson came in for DeStefano. Quarles came in for Simpson and quickly hit a corner three. Ray finished the quarter off with another steal to dunk, making the score 20-four. 

The second quarter was electric as well. Thompson had a steal, Jackson had a layup, and DeStefano had a steal. Ray had a layup and rebound, Jackson had another layup, and DeStefano had another steal. Thompson had a block, and Richardson had a layup assisted by Simpson. Green entered the game this quarter. Simpson had a layup, DeStefano had a rebound, and Ray made two free throws. DeStefano had two more rebounds, and we got to see a new face off the bench. Junior Kasai Hiev-Maddison made his way in for Richardson. Simpson had a steal, and Ray hit a jumpshot to finish the quarter off strong. The score going into halftime was 34-13. 

Another busy quarter began with rebounds. Richardson and DeStefano both had some to start off. Ray made a free throw while Richardson made two. Richardson had a rebound yet again, passing to Ray to get his third dunk of the game. Richardson also has a steal this quarter. Ray had a jumpshot assisted by DeStefano, a layup, a rebound, and two more threes this quarter. Thompson had a jump shot with an ‘and 1’, and two rebounds. Green had a rebound, Simpson had a steal, and Jackson had a free throw to finish up the quarter. The Hornets led 52-22. 

Ray started the fourth quarter off with a bang, a dunk that resulted in a technical foul. Thompson had a steal that resulted in a layup by Simpson. Green had a rebound, Thompson had a three, and Green had two more rebounds. Hiev-Maddiosn had a rebound, Jackson had a rebound, Quarles had two rebounds, and Jackson had a layup. Hive-Maddion had another layup, and Jackson finished it off with a layup. The Hornets were strong this quarter defensively, holding a struggling Clarksburg to only six points. 

It was an electric game, with the student section going wild. The team looked very strong and is hoping to continue this momentum after the break. 

The Junior Varsity team is still up in the air on how they will do next month. With a three-to-two record, they have a lot of work still to do. Shiftlett is one of the standout players this month, making the transition to high school basketball work for him. He’s been consistent, even during the team’s losses. Lutz has created a really strong team dynamic and a really positive, encouraging one as well. Watching him coach, he teaches through the good and the bad, allowing for mistakes to be made through growth. 

The Varsity team came out strong. Winning the first game on the road was difficult, but it allowed for everything else to fall into place. Having a record of four to one, the team is showing off everything they can do. Ray is having a strong season, averaging double-digit points throughout every game. The boys still have a lot to do, especially if they want to beat Poolesville the next time they play them.

The next game for both teams is Jan. 6, at Seneca Valley High School. JV plays at 5:30 and Varsity follows at 7:15.