Some stern postseason tests await Anne Arundel teams
The test for Anne Arundel boys basketball has truly begun.
Throw a dart at any week of the season, and the best in the county might change. Teams pull off massive upsets just to turn around and drop two. No one can really claim mastery over the rest.
And to make it to the state level many of these Anne Arundel teams will duke it out with each other one last time.
Those looking for a rematch between South River and Broadneck will have to wait a few rounds, or might not get it at all. The Seahawks are the top seed in the Class 4A East Region II and will welcome either No. 4 Severna Park or No. 5 Leonardtown next Tuesday first.
South River clipped the Falcons pretty handily in their previous meeting, and that was before the Seahawks returned all five regular starters from injury. But Severna Park has been known for the occasional upset, having defeated a top team in Northeast.
Speaking of upsets, No. 6 Annapolis faces an uphill battle in No. 3 North Point and then potentially No. 2 Broadneck. The Panthers are technically without a win in the county, though they pulled off a 20-point comeback to defeat Southern before county matches counted toward the standings.
Should it be South River and Broadneck, it’ll come down to who’s executing their game plan that night.
The Seahawks beat the Bruins in December before Broadneck truly had its team together, whereas the Bruins barely edged the Seahawks more recently. Both teams are rife with dangerous 3-point shooters and players who can drive to the basket.
One team that’s had mixed experiences with both? Meade. The Mustangs, fresh off a hard-fought county championship and
last year’s state semifinals, are the top seed in the 4A East Region I. They’ll also be off the court until Tuesday, when either No. 4 Old Mill or No. 5 Arundel knocks on their door.
The Wildcats naturally dropped after graduating county title-winning talent and fell short of .500 this year. Arundel fell to Old Mill by more than 20 a month ago but has been trending up in its last two wins.
The Patriots have shown true potential behind capable shooters this year but are not consistent, falling by a hair, for instance, to Meade in one meeting and by close to 40 points in another.
But whoever does get to Meade is taking on a team currently hitting every one of its cylinders. The Mustangs were aided by a two-loss stretch to Broadneck and South River, having used it as guidance to get back on track. As demonstrated in the county championship, the Mustangs are as dangerous in transition as they are on the perimeter.
No. 3 Glen Burnie takes a longer road, first facing No. 6 North County on Friday.
The Gophers carry a perfect record against the Knights this season, but the key to Glen Burnie going forward is staying consistent. When they’re on, they’re really on: Glen Burnie took down mighty Broadneck just a week ago, but a few weeks earlier it fell by a dozen to Northeast.
Glen Burnie has proved itself a threat to Meade — should it make it that far. No. 2 Reservoir is a serious obstacle in the region semifinal.
In the 3A South II, Northeast battled as hard as it could for a top seed, negating the need to travel across the Bay Bridge. Alas, the Eagles settle for second, which at the very least grants them a bye and the chance to host the region semifinals. If the foe is No. 6 Crofton, Northeast will carry happy memories of beating the Cardinals by 22 this month.
Though past performance can’t guarantee future success, Northeast’s power this season has been in its stability. Four of its five losses came against programs undefeated at the time or at least considered in the top three of their respective counties.
If the team secure in its rebounding and scoring abilities advances from the semifinals, it will have to make the unfortunate trip to the Eastern Shore, to No. 1 Stephan Decatur. Those Seahawks are riding a 12-game win streak against a mixed bag of opponents.
That is, if No. 5 Chesapeake doesn’t upset them first. The Cougars first journey to No. 4 Oxon Hill on Friday, and while they don’t own the most impressive season record, they have shown the ability to down more successful teams — such as Southern.
How can one begin to describe the season Southern has had? Coaches speak of the Bulldogs in puzzled awe, for Southern easily takes the cake for the most up-and-down season of them all.
On Jan. 6 Southern surrendered a 20-point halftime advantage to fall by one to Annapolis and lost to Arundel a game later. Come Jan. 20, and the Bulldogs upset South
River on its own senior night, only to lose to Chesapeake 11 days later. Then the Bulldogs lost by five to Northeast on Feb. 7 and beat Broadneck — fresh off a win over Meade — by seven.
The Bulldogs dock their tumultuous season in the Class 2A West I semifinals, where they’ll be driving to No. 3 Century’s house.
Chesapeake Science Point has not had the best of luck in Anne Arundel, dropping every county game it’s played. Perhaps in 1A, the
Tigers will fare better.
The No. 4 seed, CSP will host No. 5 Frances Scott Key before potentially moving on to see top-ranked Pikesville in the semis.
As usual, whatever teams prevail out of their individual regions Thursday will be reseeded before playing at the higher seed’s home March 3 or 4 for the state quarterfinals. Those victors will play the next Tuesday, March 7, or Wednesday, March 8, at unreleased locations.
The finals will be held from Thursday, March 9, to Saturday, March 11, at the University of Maryland.
No one from the county made it to the finals last year. But with the talent teeming from Anne Arundel’s borders this winter, that might change.
Boys playoff seeds
4A East Region I: 1. Meade, 2. Reservoir, 3. Glen Burnie, 4. Old Mill, 5. Arundel, 6. North County. 4A East Region II: 1. South River, 2. Broadneck, 3. North Point, 4. Severna Park, 5. Leonardtown, 6. Annapolis. 3A South Region II: 1. Stephen Decatur, 2. Northeast, 3. Bennett, 4. Oxon Hill, 5. Chesapeake, 6. Crofton 2A West Region I: 1. Liberty, 2. Century, 3. Southern-AA, 4. Winters Mill, 5. South Carroll. 1A South Region I: 1. Pikesville, 2. Loch Raven, 3. Western Tech, 4. Chesapeake Science Point, 5. Francis Scott Key.