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| Prince George’s basketball: Friendly boys pick it up; Eleanor Roosevelt’s Octavia Wilson nets a milestone | Prince George’s basketball: Friendly boys pick it up; Eleanor Roosevelt’s Octavia Wilson nets a milestone |
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| Friendly boys’ basketball Coach Brian Brooks had never before met a star player as quiet as junior Glenn Ford. The 6-foot-5 wing didn’t seem have the personality to demand the ball from teammates. He would never tell Brooks during the course of a game that a defender couldn’t guard him or point out if he had a mismatch. | Friendly boys’ basketball Coach Brian Brooks had never before met a star player as quiet as junior Glenn Ford. The 6-foot-5 wing didn’t seem have the personality to demand the ball from teammates. He would never tell Brooks during the course of a game that a defender couldn’t guard him or point out if he had a mismatch. |
| “He just wouldn’t say anything, and that hurt us,” Brooks said. “But in these last eight games, he’s been more vocal. You need that one guy that will say, ‘I’ll get us one.’” | “He just wouldn’t say anything, and that hurt us,” Brooks said. “But in these last eight games, he’s been more vocal. You need that one guy that will say, ‘I’ll get us one.’” |
| Ford has done much more than that over the past two weeks, teaming with fellow junior Travis Henson to help the Patriots rip off six straight wins since returning from last month’s snow hiatus. After losing six of their first seven games to begin the season, they’ve emerged as a dark horse in Prince George’s County heading into the Maryland 2A playoffs. | |
| Last Thursday, Friendly (9-8) scored its biggest victory by upsetting upset Largo just 24 hours after the Lions had dealt No. 7 Gwynn Park its first loss of the season. Ford finished with a career-high 31 points and Henson had 28 points. One week earlier, the duo exploded for 52 combined points in a win over Oxon Hill. | Last Thursday, Friendly (9-8) scored its biggest victory by upsetting upset Largo just 24 hours after the Lions had dealt No. 7 Gwynn Park its first loss of the season. Ford finished with a career-high 31 points and Henson had 28 points. One week earlier, the duo exploded for 52 combined points in a win over Oxon Hill. |
| Brooks refers to the tandem as a “two-headed monster,” since Ford is right-handed and Henson is a lefty. | Brooks refers to the tandem as a “two-headed monster,” since Ford is right-handed and Henson is a lefty. |
| “Once we saw [Largo] beat a team we couldn’t beat, and everybody else couldn’t beat, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Ford said. “But I think beating them really gave us a lot of confidence going into these last regular season games and into the playoffs. . . . When it’s big games like that, I have to show up and produce at a high level.” | “Once we saw [Largo] beat a team we couldn’t beat, and everybody else couldn’t beat, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Ford said. “But I think beating them really gave us a lot of confidence going into these last regular season games and into the playoffs. . . . When it’s big games like that, I have to show up and produce at a high level.” |
| Ford’s offensive outbursts have started to attract the attention of college recruiters, but the team’s slow start was mostly due to all the new pieces around him. Six players were making their first appearance on the varsity team and Henson only played in three games last season after becoming academically ineligible. | Ford’s offensive outbursts have started to attract the attention of college recruiters, but the team’s slow start was mostly due to all the new pieces around him. Six players were making their first appearance on the varsity team and Henson only played in three games last season after becoming academically ineligible. |
| A lack of chemistry was evident when “we manufactured ways to lose,” early in the season, Brooks said. Six of Friendly’s losses this year have been by single digits. | A lack of chemistry was evident when “we manufactured ways to lose,” early in the season, Brooks said. Six of Friendly’s losses this year have been by single digits. |
| But the 11-day layoff between games provided by Winter Storm Jonas proved to be a turning point. | But the 11-day layoff between games provided by Winter Storm Jonas proved to be a turning point. |
| Brooks reminded senior guards Javonte Byrams and Dominic Ouzts there might be just 10 games remaining in their high school careers, and something clicked. The backcourt duo realized it was time to cede the scoring spotlight to Ford and Henson, and Friendly hasn’t looked back since. | Brooks reminded senior guards Javonte Byrams and Dominic Ouzts there might be just 10 games remaining in their high school careers, and something clicked. The backcourt duo realized it was time to cede the scoring spotlight to Ford and Henson, and Friendly hasn’t looked back since. |
| “Guys are finally finding their roles on the team,” Ford said. “If we continue to do what we’re doing, we’re going to continue winning.” | “Guys are finally finding their roles on the team,” Ford said. “If we continue to do what we’re doing, we’re going to continue winning.” |
| It took almost a week for Eleanor Roosevelt junior Octavia Wilson to realize she had surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career during a tournament in New York last month. The Raiders girls’ basketball team wanted to keep it a secret until their next home game in order to plan a ceremony in Wilson’s honor. | It took almost a week for Eleanor Roosevelt junior Octavia Wilson to realize she had surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career during a tournament in New York last month. The Raiders girls’ basketball team wanted to keep it a secret until their next home game in order to plan a ceremony in Wilson’s honor. |
| So when she stepped to the foul line early on during a 66-27 win over Laurel on Feb. 5, Wilson was caught off guard when officials halted the game. Out came flowers and balloons for one of the Washington area’s top scorers. | So when she stepped to the foul line early on during a 66-27 win over Laurel on Feb. 5, Wilson was caught off guard when officials halted the game. Out came flowers and balloons for one of the Washington area’s top scorers. |
| “They hid it from me all day,” Wilson said with a laugh last week. | “They hid it from me all day,” Wilson said with a laugh last week. |
| There is nothing discreet about Wilson’s play on the court this season. The 5-foot-8 guard is the main reason Eleanor Roosevelt (14-6) is in position to secure another berth in the Prince George’s County championship game this week if it can close the regular season with wins against Bowie and Parkdale. | There is nothing discreet about Wilson’s play on the court this season. The 5-foot-8 guard is the main reason Eleanor Roosevelt (14-6) is in position to secure another berth in the Prince George’s County championship game this week if it can close the regular season with wins against Bowie and Parkdale. |
| Stepping into a starring role after All-Met Kaila Charles transferred to Riverdale Baptist this offseason, Wilson is averaging more than 22 points per game for the two-time defending Maryland 4A state champions and showing she’s much more than just a dynamic outside shooter. | Stepping into a starring role after All-Met Kaila Charles transferred to Riverdale Baptist this offseason, Wilson is averaging more than 22 points per game for the two-time defending Maryland 4A state champions and showing she’s much more than just a dynamic outside shooter. |
| “It’s actually helping me prepare for the next level because now I have to be a leader and get my teammates more involved,” Wilson said. “I have to kind of run the show, so it’s a lot different than last year.” | “It’s actually helping me prepare for the next level because now I have to be a leader and get my teammates more involved,” Wilson said. “I have to kind of run the show, so it’s a lot different than last year.” |
| Division I college coaches are taking notice, although Wilson said she’s not close to making a decision about the future. Her sights are set on getting Eleanor Roosevelt back to a state title game. | Division I college coaches are taking notice, although Wilson said she’s not close to making a decision about the future. Her sights are set on getting Eleanor Roosevelt back to a state title game. |
| Wilson said the Raiders have found a groove after losing their first league game since 2012 last month against Bowie, with harder practices and a more serious approach overall. But most of all, they’ve been able to count on their new star, the one that is so consumed with winning that she had no clue about a personal milestone. | Wilson said the Raiders have found a groove after losing their first league game since 2012 last month against Bowie, with harder practices and a more serious approach overall. But most of all, they’ve been able to count on their new star, the one that is so consumed with winning that she had no clue about a personal milestone. |
| “Our mentality has changed a whole lot,” Wilson said. | “Our mentality has changed a whole lot,” Wilson said. |