“Victory Monday” for Boys Basketball: Blake’s Team Shines Bright in Playoff Competition

It’s “Victory Monday!”  Last week was an exciting time for the Blake boys’ varsity basketball team, with three playoff wins and a trip to the MD state final four. The program started their busy week with a playoff victory against NEC rival Springbrook last Monday, 3/2, and then followed with two victories against the John F Kennedy Cavaliers last Wednesday and a Prince George’s team, the Eleanor Roosevelt Raiders. The Blake Beat writers, Edgar and Giselle, covered the outstanding seven-day period. 

On Monday, March 2nd, the Blake Bengals took care of business at home against the Springbrook Bluedevils, 85-66, to advance to the Regional Finals. The Bengals were led by Armani Fowlkes, who scored a robust 32 points. This was Blake’s first playoff game after earning a first-round bye the previous week. The playoff win against the Blue Devils completed a 3-0 season sweep against Blake’s NEC rival this season.

With one day of practice between the Bengals’ next game, the team then went on to torch Kennedy in an impressive 76-44 finish in the MPSSAA 4A Region Championship on 3/4. This was the rematch of a highly competitive first matchup between the squads, as JFK took the Bengals to overtime with a game-tying 3-pointer in the 4th quarter (Kennedy was the only team to take Blake to overtime this season). The final score of that first game was 76-70 with the Bengals on top. Undoubtedly, in the next meeting, the Bengals didn’t hold back with a 32-point win. Key performances from the game included point guard, Armani Fowlkes, who posted a strong 30 pts, 8 reb, 6 assist, and 4 stls, shooting guard Christian Kennard, who notably shot well beyond the arc with 14 pts and 4 reb, combo guard, Tahj Martin, who scored the ball with pace, had 12 pts, 4 reb, and 4 assist to add to the offense, and Eli Konkler who posted a momentum lifting 14 pts and 6 reb. 

To close the week, the Bengals finished strong with a win in the MPSSAA Class 4A basketball state round 1 competition, defeating PG County’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School 78-62. After the game, the team and head coach, Mr. Brandon Howell, were presented with what Blake Athletic Director, Mr. Fribush, stated as “The Final Four Plaque.” Every member of the program, from player to coach to injured teammates, climbed up a ladder and cut down pieces of the basketball net as keepsakes from the victory. 

Next up, Blake will go on to compete in the State Semifinals on Tuesday, March 10th, against Meade at North County High School (Glen Burnie, MD). The game tips off at 6:30 pm, and tickets can be purchased on GoFan (if they’re not already sold out!).  In the meantime, check out the Tournament Bracket and Results for more info on the MD state playoffs.