Canceled Games Throw Teams Into Overdrive

When coaches talk about using the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, rarely is the calendar something players need to take into consideration. But last week's snowfall forced some cancellations that put county teams in a very difficult four-day crunch.

Churchill, Quince Orchard and Wootton each had to play Friday and Saturday and, after not being allowed to practice Sunday, were right back on the court Monday. Quince Orchard's boys escaped with two victories in that stretch, and Churchill and Wootton lost two games apiece. It was tougher for Churchill, which hadn't played in the two weeks prior, but Quince Orchard and Wootton had both played only once in the previous two weeks.

The games were also some of the most critical on the schedule. Churchill and Wootton played all three of their games against Montgomery 4A West Division opponents, which could affect playoff seeding.

"It was pretty tough," Churchill Coach Matt Miller said. "The one thing I was worried the most about was injuries, because we also have games Wednesday and Friday."

If there was a silver lining, Miller said, it's that the stretch prepared his players for what they would face during the week of the regional tournament. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final are played in five days. But even then, teams have a day in between to practice and prepare for upcoming opponents.

"Preparation was a little difficult," Miller said, "but the guys had good focus, and that's what you have to be ready for. It was easier that this was the second time around [the division] schedule, so we'd seen these guys already, and we do scout them anyway."

Churchill ended the stretch on a good note. Not only did the Bulldogs avenge a loss to arch-rival Whitman last month, beating the Vikings, 67-51, but senior forward Chase Hicks scored 24 points to push him over 1,000 for his career. Miller said the school will honor Hicks before Friday's home game against Gaithersburg.

Rockets Continue Ascent

The Richard Montgomery girls ended last month with a flourish, winning four of five games to bring their record to 8-5 overall and 5-3 in Montgomery 4A East.

Even the Rockets' loss in that stretch -- an 11-point defeat to Blake on Jan. 23 -- showed how much better they're playing. Less than three weeks earlier, the Rockets lost to the Bengals by 29.

"We're doing more things right," Richard Montgomery Coach John Fahrner said. "It's always a matter of doing more things right than you're doing wrong. We're playing better team defense, better pressure defense, which is resulting in a few more easier baskets. And my Davis girls are getting the numbers we need out of them per game."

Senior forward Porcha Davis and her younger sister, sophomore guard Kiana Davis, combined for 40 points and 25 rebounds in a 59-48 win over Sherwood on Friday.

With both of them playing well, the Rockets can envision a significant improvement over last season's record of 9-11.