This time, Howard stands tallest
Runners-up a year ago, Lions capture 3A championship
COLLEGE PARK — Howard players stood on the Xfinity Center floor one year ago and watched the Poly players and staff have state championship medals placed around their necks.
The Lions were county and regional champions but fell short of their ultimate goal. With many of last year’s core players back, Howard returned to the state championship stage battle-tested after completing a more daunting regular-season schedule.
Friday night the Lions got their revenge and their long-sought-after state championship.
The Lions defeated Poly 64-52 for the Class 3A title. It was the program’s second title and first since 1994.
“Last year I think we were a little under-experienced,” senior Gabby Kennerly said. “Credit to Coach [Scott] Robinson this year. He put together a great schedule for us to come out and play against some great teams. St. Vincent Pallotti, Bonita Vista, California — we faced a lot of great teams and faced a lot of adversity, so when we got to this point I think we were ready for the experience and got to play our game.”
For seniors Kennerly, Samiyah Nasir and Jenna Vetter, this was their final opportunity to earn a state championship. Kennerly and Nasir were on varsity three years ago when Howard’s undefeated season was cut short on the way to the state semifinals due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s still pretty surreal. I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” Nasir said. “I’m just so proud of our growth as a team, how we worked together, trusted the process, played our game, and it really showed.”
In last year’s final the Lions put themselves into an early hole and were never able to climb out. Meghan Yarnevich dominated county competition as a freshman but struggled against the Engineers’ Trinity Massenburg and Riley Holliday.
Friday night, it was Yarnevich who dominated the post. She scored the Lions’ first two baskets, an early indicator of what was to come in her game-high 24-point performance.
“I felt pretty good coming out and I was really excited,” Yarnevich said. “I thought that we needed to start out strong and get an opportunity to build the lead more.”
While Yarnevich sparked Howard’s early offense, Nasir made her impact late in the first quarter. She scored 11 of her 20 points in the final 3 minutes, 30 seconds of the quarter, including a trio of 3s. The senior’s confidence visibly increased with each made shot, as she helped guide Howard (28-1) to a 15-12 advantage after the opening period.
Howard executed a 10-0 run midway through the second quarter, pushing the lead to double digits. In the first half Nasir (16) and Yarnevich (13) scored all 29 of Howard’s points, but their team still led by eight.
Poly chipped away at the lead, as Taylor Addison brought the Engineers back within two midway through the third quarter. Not long after, Yarnevich went to the bench after picking up her fourth foul.
With Poly’s momentum surging, it was time for Kennerly, the Lions’ and Howard County’s leading scorer, to step up. Scoreless to that point, Kennerly tallied the final five points of the period, giving Howard a sevenpoint lead entering the final quarter.
Her impact wasn’t just on the offensive end. With under four minutes left in the fourth, Poly cut the deficit to six and was gaining momentum. Engineers senior guard Da’Brya Clark found a crease and drove toward the hoop, but Kennerly sacrificed her body and drew a charge, not only creating a turnover but giving Clark her fifth foul.
Clark finished with a team-high 12 points. On Howard’s ensuing possession, Kennerly drove by multiple defenders and absorbed the contact, converting a threepoint play that pushed the Lions’ lead back to nine. That sequence was the highlight of her 15-point second half, delivering clutch baskets down the stretch.
Vetter added four clutch free throws shortly after and, as the seconds wound down, the Lions’ faithful roared louder and louder. The final horn sounded and the Lions made a beeline for one another at midcourt.
“I’ve been here quite a few times. It’s very difficult to be the person to watch the ceremony,” Poly coach Kendall Peace-Able said. “When you watch the ceremony and have an opportunity to come back another year, the grit gets a little deeper.
“I feel like Howard made a commitment to those kinds of things.”
Robinson remained stoic as always during the trophy presentation. However, he couldn’t help but smile as his girls mobbed him in celebration, the crown-jewel moment in his successful 12-year tenure.
“I’m just happy for the girls,” Robinson said. “This has been a great group to work with — unbelievable character, unbelievable work ethic. It’s not about me; it’s about the girls. I’m just really, really happy for them that they were able to achieve this.”