BOYS’ TOP 20
Daquan Davis turned the corner, blew past his man and rocketed toward the hoop. As the clock ticked under five seconds, two Paul VI forwards closed in on the St. John’s junior, giving him an increasingly narrow passage to the rim.
Davis slid between the towering defenders and laid the ball in, giving St. John’s the lead and creating a deafening response at American University’s Bender Arena.
With their 65-63 win over Paul VI on Monday night, the Cadets earned the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference crown and affirmed themselves as the top team in the area. They were among several local programs to take home hardware in a wild week.
On Sunday, Sidwell Friends defeated St. Andrew’s, 47-42, in the Mid-atlantic Athletic Conference championship game. The Quakers’ only conference loss came in a late January game against the Lions, so Sunday’s victory was a definitive statement of its MAC dominance.
In Virginia, all three programs in this week’s rankings captured region titles. Hayfield, Patriot and South Lakes move on to the Class 6 state bracket, with the quarterfinals tipping off Friday.
1. St. John’s (29-2) Last ranked: 1
The Cadets won their first WCAC title since 2016.
2. Paul VI (29-3) LR: 2
The Panthers saw an undefeated conference run end short of a title.
3. Bullis (25-2) LR: 3
The Bulldogs had a week off between the Interstate Athletic Conference tournament and the Maryland Private School Tournament.
4. Sidwell Friends (24- 4) LR: 4
The Quakers held off No. 12
St. Andrew’s to win the MAC tournament, making them outright champions in one of the area’s toughest leagues.
5. Hayfield (27-1) LR: 5
The Hawks topped Edison, 69-66, to win Virginia Class 6 Region C for a third straight season.
6. Patriot (26-3) LR: 7
The Pioneers pounded Forest Park, 68-48, to win the Virginia 6 Region B bracket.
7. Riverdale Baptist (27-3) LR: 9
The Crusaders went 2-1 at the National Association of Christian Athletes tournament to finish in third place.
8. Gonzaga (24- 8) LR: 8
The Eagles fell to rival St. John’s in a tight WCAC semifinal.
9. Bishop Mcnamara (23-7) LR: 6
The Mustangs lost to No. 8 Gonzaga in the WCAC quarterfinals.
10. Jackson-reed (26-7) LR: 10
After being upset in the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association semifinals, the Tigers turn their attention to this week’s D.C. State Athletic Association tournament.
11. Shabach Christian (26-6) LR: 11
The Eagles will take part in the Maryland Private School Tournament this week.
12. St. Andrew’s (22-6) LR: 12
The Lions fell to No. 4 Sidwell Friends by five in the MAC title game.
13. Friendship Tech (25-5) LR: 15
After a stellar regular season, the Titans will try to prove their worth in the DCSAA bracket.
14. Churchill (20-3) LR: 17
The Bulldogs won the Montgomery County title on a buzzer-beater.
15. Largo (17-6) LR: 20
The Lions toppled No. 17 Wise to win the Prince George’s County title game.
16. Dematha (19-11) LR: 16
After falling to Paul VI in the WCAC tournament, the Stags will have another shot at a title in the Maryland Private School tournament.
17. Wise (20-3) LR: 14
The Pumas fell to No. 15 Largo in the Prince George’s County championship game.
18. Bard (21-7) LR: 19
The DCIAA champ will be the team to beat in the DCSAA A bracket.
19. Damascus (21-2) LR: 18
The Hornets lost to No. 14 Churchill in the Montgomery County final.
20. South Lakes (24-3) LR: NR
The Seahawks’ most recent loss came in December.
Dropped out: No. 13 Battlefield On the bubble: Edison, Landon, Meade, Mckinley Tech