Ashton Meeks – DeMatha Photo: Bradley Steiner (IG)
By: Mamadou Bah, Faith Harris and Kyle Alexander
Clinton Grace v. Takoma Academy
A match Clinton Grace was expected to dominate, Takoma Academy kept it tight through the first half. Takoma’s 2026 guard Nick Parris played a huge role in that, putting up 12 in the half while playing every minute. The Takoma Park squad had already upset a team in round one, defeating No. 16 New Hope, but it was unexpected they would give Clinton Grace such a big run for its money. The No. 1 seed in the CHSL playoffs was sloppy early on defense, taking unnecessary fouls that sent Takoma Academy to the line — where they didn’t miss often, shooting 80%.
Clinton Grace’s undeniable offensive talent still carried them to the end of the first half with a 37-32 lead. The squad shot 14-25 from the field during that span, and a modest 6-14 from behind the 3 point line. Clinton Grace looked more like itself to start the second half, going on 17-7 scoring run to start off and forcing Takoma to call a timeout. But it didn’t get better from there — just four minutes later, Clinton Grace led by over 20.
The match came to an end two minutes early, with Clinton Grace taking the 75-57 victory. J’lon Lyons produced another stellar showing with 17 points and nine rebounds as the 4-star continues to gain traction. The Clinton Grace team as a whole shot over 60% FG and a stellar 47.8% for three, highlighting the shooting capability the team presents. If the Eagles can deliver to the net at that level consistently, their opponents will have to put on stellar defensive performances to have a chance at stopping Clinton Grace.
Bullis v. SoMD Christian
SoMD Christian came into the matchup already on the wrong side of luck. Aaron McGlone’s recent transfer to Evergreen Christian put the Mustangs down their best man, and seeding left them facing a tough Bullis squad racked with ranked recruits. Bullis didn’t need their 5-star (position) Xavier Skipworth in the lineup to dominate. The Bulldogs went on an early 8-0 run and sat 4-star Finley Billy, giving the rest of their roster the spotlight. Zayvion Williams highlighted that group, putting up 15 to help Bullis take a 45-10 lead at the half.
SoMD went on a run to start the second, but nothing could redeem its early deficit as they fell 79-41 5o Bullis. Their work, however, did show on the stats as they jumped from 19% FG to 53% in the second half. On Bullis’ side of the sheet, Williams finished with 16 while Eddison Floyd posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Pall Einarsson and James Boisi also both hit double digit points for the first time this season. The Bulldogs bench got a chance to show off its depth in the matchup without its two best players. Finley Billy will likely lead Bullis through the playoffs as Skipworth looks questionable to return. Despite Skipworth’s absence and their lower seeding, the Bullis School is a serious threat to ending any team’s season.
Spalding v. Potomac School
Spalding got off to a hot start, opening the game on an 11-4 run. Potomac responded with a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 11. Both teams began applying defensive pressure midway through the first half, trading shots to keep the game close. Spalding then closed in on a 7-0 run to take a 25-18 lead late in the first half, gaining all the momentum. Potomac School’s defensive adjustments and aggressiveness on offense had them tied at 25 before Spalding’s Fox Heyer scored to take a 29-25 lead at half. Heyer led the charge for Spalding with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals on 50 percent shooting, being backed by AZ Adofo’s 6 points and 2 steals on 75 percent shooting. Akim Iscandari led Potomac with 7 points and 2 steals on 60 percent shooting. Both teams came into the second half swinging as Spalding extended their lead to 39-32. Potomac’s defense was the key factor in them taking a 44-41 lead midway through the second half, with Iscandari being more aggressive as the ball handler. As Spalding found ways to cut into the lead late in the half, Potomac had a response every time, staying in front. Potomac’s ability to finish at the rim through contact has kept them ahead late in the game, along with their three-point shooting to close out a 65-53 victory over Spalding. Logan Jones led the team with 15 points and 5 rebounds, followed by Iscandari’s 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Anthony Garris recorded 13 points along with 3 blocks to help defend the paint. Heyer led Spalding with 13 points and 4 steals while Braxton Bogard had 9 points on 4-5 shooting. Potomac’s defense was the key in the upset win as they held Spalding to 29.6 percent from the field in the second half to move on in the playoffs.
SSSAS v. Fairfax Christian
In a matchup that didn’t feature either’s team top scorer – Frank Siaca Bey (17.0 PPG) for Fairfax Christian and Julian Burgdolf (16.4 PPG) for SSSAS –Fairfax Christian’s offense still looked dominant in the first half, putting up 39 points, shooting an efficent 15-31 from the field and 5-12 from beyond the arc. The same couldn’t be said for SSSAS, who struggled offensively, with no player scoring more than 5 points, shooting just 8-27 from the field and only 3-12 from three-point range.
The same held true in the second half, as Fairfax Christian continued their dominance by putting up another 39 points en route to a commanding 78-45 victory. Five players finished with 9 points for Fairfax Christian, including Dominic Mason, who delivered a highlight-reel dunk that all but sealed the game. Aiden Friend for SSSAS finished 14 points as he tried to spark a second-half comeback, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Fairfax’s Christian dominance performance. Fairfax Christian will now face Bullis in the next round of the playoffs in what promises to be a high-level matchup between two of the top offenses in the league. Look out for Fairfax Christian to make a deeper playoff run as the postseason progresses.
Crofton vs Blake
Blake set the tone early in the game with their suffocating half-court defense. Their outside shooting on offense wasn’t as effective, but they made up for it in the paint. Crofton struggled to find consistent shots, along with just grabbing 5 offensive rebounds. Blake held a commanding lead, going into halftime up 36-21, led by Eli Konkler and Abdner Outtara’s 8 points each, along with Outtara’s 9 rebounds. Miles Denton led Crofton with 12 points. Blake’s defense kept them ahead as they held Crofton to 20 percent shooting from three and only 3 free throw attempts in the first half. Crofton started the second half, scoring the first two buckets before Blake began to respond. Crofton became more aggressive on the offensive side, looking to close the gap, but Blake continued to find ways to extend their lead. Blake started to pull away with their full-court press and relentless presence in the paint, jumping out to a 60-36 lead midway through the second half. Keeping their foot on the gas pedal, Blake cruised to a 77-50 victory over Crofton, as Blake had 4 players scoring in double digits. Eli Konkler led Blake with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals on 83 percent shooting. Wilson Tioknge also provided 11 points, making all of his shots. Crofton was led by Miles Denton’s 21 points and Dylan Shafer’s 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Blake’s relentless defense set them up for success early in the game as they advanced to the next round.
Good Counsel vs Pallotti
Good Counsel asserted their dominance from the jump, starting the game with an 18-4 run. Good Counsel was operating as a well-oiled machine, playing tight defense and transitioning to quick, efficient offense on the opposite end. Good Counsel ran away with a 36-17 lead at half, led by Israel Tchoubfong and Kyle Brown. Tchoubfong had 20 points and 5 rebounds on 8-9 shooting while Brown followed up with 10 points on 40 percent shooting. Their defense was the biggest factor, holding Pallotti to 3 total shots made from the field in the first half on 13/12 percent shooting splits. Good Counsel remained in the driver’s seat in the second half, but Pallotti started to find their shot later in the half. Regardless, Good Counsel did not ease up and kept their momentum through the game, taking a 68-44 victory. Israel Tchounfong led Good Counsel with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals on 70 percent shooting. Good Counsel’s defense hounded Pallotti all game, holding them to 25/7 percent shooting splits on 10 made shots as they propel to the next round.
Landon vs DeMatha
DeMatha’s star [pos.] Christian Proctor sat on the bench dressed in street clothes for the Stags’ round two playoff matchup against Landon. DeMatha gave their best man a rest day, but that didn’t mean the squad had no leader. Jamaal McKnight led the charge with a 16 point performance in Dematha’s 82-44 curbstomp victory. Landon kept it close through the first ten minutes, going back and forth with DeMatha’s stars.
Bethel Academy vs John Carroll
Bethel Academy and John Carroll delivered the tight matchup expected. Led by stars Andrew Maria and Aidan Able, the squads didn’t seem far from evenly matched despite their ranking difference. The teams scored back and forth, looking identical to each other in the first half. Bethel pulled away with a one possession lead at halftime, up 28-26. The team stars looked pretty similar as well — Maria and Able each scored 11, but Able posted over double the FG attempts than Maria. The second half played evenly matched John Carroll went on a 15-0 scoring run in the final five minutes to send Bethel packing.
Quarterfinals start next Tuesday July 1st @ 5:00
Bullis vs Fairfax Christian 5:00 pm
John Carroll vs Good Counsel 6:15pm
Dematha vs Blake 7:30pm
Clinton Grace vs Potomac 8:45