WCAC Girls Basketball Champs: St. John's

And for my last basketball post of the day, St. John's posing for pictures after they took the title with a 62-54 victory over Good Counsel.

Purchase Prints Here.

Senior Night and Gonzaga's John Jones

Tuesday night marked the last home game of the 2010-2011 basketball season for the Gonzaga Purple Eagles. In most sports, the last home game for colleges and high schools also includes the recognition of the teams' seniors. This was also the case with the Purple Eagles, but with a twist. While Gonzaga head coach Steve Turner recognized seniors Oliver Ellison, Ben Dickinson, Cahli Thomas and Malek Williams, he also honored aspiring high school hoopster and four-year manager John Jones.

Instead of sitting on the bench in khakis and a polo, recording stats and handing out water, Jones suited up, started and played several minutes throughout the game for Gonzaga's varsity basketball team. The fans chanted "We want J!" when he wasn't in the game and his teammates screamed for him to shoot when he was. Gonzaga beat Good Counsel 74-50 and while Jones went 0-2 with 0 points, it was certainly a night for him to remember.

See More Images Here

Way Back Wednesdays

I was sitting on the sideline of a DeMatha vs. Good Counsel regular season football game on November 3, 2007. At the time, Kenny Tate (now a Maryland Terrapin) was DeMatha's big time player. On the field he played the positions of wide receiver and defensive back very well and on the court he gobbled up rebounds for Coach Mike Jones. I was kneeling about 35-40 yards ahead of the line of scrimmage when DeMatha's QB, Tommy Chroniger, launched a pass toward the sideline. I shifted the camera away from my face, found the ball in the air, found the man he was throwing to and got right back behind the lens. As the ball came nearer and Tate (6) and the two defensive players jumped to action, I pressed down the shutter of my Canon Rebel XT and all of its 3 frames-per-second glory. Tate came down with the football, flipped it to the referee and hi-fived a couple of teammates. I looked down at the LCD screen and hi-fived myself. It was the first action shot that I was truly proud of taking.

Good Counsel Basketball Portraits

Last week I took a trip up north to Olney, MD and the Good Counsel campus but it wasn't to visit the back to back WCAC football champions. This time, I was on official business to photograph the team and individual portraits of the varsity basketball team. Why must teenagers always look so gangsta? Shout out to one light and RH Media Group once again for coming through with the assignment.

Good Counsel @ Archbishop Carroll Football

Good Counsel won the WCAC championship last year. Carroll hasn't been to the playoffs sinceWill Spencer was lining up in the backfield (exaggeration) so the outcome of this game was pretty predictable. Carroll kept it close until about the end of the first half when the score went from 7-0 with two minutes left to 28-0 at halftime. Defense wins championships, even in high school. When GC went up 35-0 and invoked the running clock mercy rule, the game went by pretty quickly. At the very least, the light was pretty nice and there was a lot of action. Shout out to "all black everything". Whenever teams come out with that, they usually get trounced.

Purchase Prints Here

I-95 Kickoff Classic at Towson University

The inaugural I-95 Kickoff Classic included 4 football games that pitted Baltimore teams against Washington DC area teams. It was a long day in which I shot 3 of the 4 games, none of which were exceptionally exciting. In fact, I vividly remember only two things (which is a little disturbing as I'm still a young man).

1) The light during the 2nd half of the DeMatha vs. Loyola Blakefield game was BEAUTIFUL!

2) Darius Jennings OMG Darius Jennings

Not only does he make people miss in the smallest of spaces, but he is the fastest player I've seen live since Caleb Porzel.

Shout out to Gilman. They look tough.

Good Counsel @ Gonzaga Basketball

In the WCAC, anyone can win on any given night. And Friday night, it showed. Gonzaga, a perennial favorite in this league were against the ropes during their game against Good Counsel. They ended up squeezing out a win with big help from guards Tyler Thornton (24 points) and Cedrick Lindsay (23 points). The team stayed calm and it paid off in the end. On to the next. Tonight they play rival Bishop O'Connell out in old Virginny. Shout out to coach Steve Turner for the access. There will be more this season.


Purchase Prints Here

3.5 Basketball Games in 8 Hours

Last Saturday, I spent the whole day sitting on a wooden floor in a camp chair with a camera attached to my face. The VMG Battle of the Beltway Classic held at the University of the District of Columbia pitted 5 teams from the Washington DC area against 5 teams from Baltimore. In the middle of that showcase, I headed over to the Verizon Center to photograph the alma mater play Georgetown. All of the Washington DC area teams won...except American. Shout out to Jordy, I randomly ran into him on the metro on the way to Verizon.

See More Photos Here





Purchase Prints Here

The 6th Time is the Charm

I couldn't wait for the football season to start at the end of August and just like that, it's over. For me, it began at a dusty field in Georgetown where The Model School for the Deaf played Maret. It ended in Annapolis at Navy's Stadium where Good Counsel finally beat DeMatha. I was able to squeeze in 12 games this season. It should have been 13, but since Coolidge isn't playing in the Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day, I'll be in New Hampshire.

For the past 5 years, Good Counsel football has run into the buzz saw that is DeMatha football in the WCAC championship. For the past 5 years, Good Counsel has gone back to Olney, MD without a victory. This year, my first year shooting the WCAC championship, Good Counsel beats the odds. Read about it here. It was a emotional game for both sides and I was able to get some pretty good reactions. Shout out to Louis Young who had two huge interceptions and holds the trophy below.


Purchase Prints Here

Warriors Win

Nope, not the Lady Warriors, just plain old Warriors. HD Woodson's girls basketball team perennially finds itself in the DCIAA Championship game if not the City Title game. Year in and year out, they come equipped with loads of Division I talent (who all seem to be going straight to NC State). This year was no different. Led by 6'6" Jeniece Johnson, the HD Woodson Warriors beat the Good Counsel Lady Falcons to be called the best high school girls basketball team in the area. Shout out to the Warriors who were rockin' the Penny's...in black and red, nice.



Purchase Prints Here

Championship!!!

The Gonzaga v. DeMatha WCAC Championship game was all it was hyped up to be. If you don't believe me, watch the last twenty seconds. As an American University alum, I don't think I've ever seen Bender Arena packed with so many people. Congrats to DeMatha for coming out on top. Also, shout out to the Good Counsel Lady Falcons who took the girls championship by defeating Holy Cross. Up next...the city title game, which matches the DC public school champs against the DC private school champs played at Verizon Center.


Purchase Prints Here

Purchase Prints Here

Some Semi-Final Action

Four more games, another day of shooting high school basketball. But this time, I mixed in a couple of girls bball games...why not. For more info...DCSportsFan. Shout out to the Sunday night/Monday morning snow that postponed Monday night's championship games.


Purchase Prints Here

Screaming Guys in Ties

Let's take a brief pause to salute the sideline generals of high school basketball. They shout, stomp, scream and gesture all for the love of the game. Shout out to them for managing a group of potentially egotistic and talented 15-18 year old kids.