STATE CHAMPS!!!
On Saturday, March 14th, 2026, the Blake Bengals boys varsity basketball team won the MPSSAA 4A State Championship 60-44 against Walt Whitman High School. The game was played at UMBC’s Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
This dominant win marks the first state championship for James Hubert Blake High School under the MPSSAA athletic administration. The evening was filled with immense support from the Blake community, administration, staff, family members, news publications, the Blake Roaring Bengals pep-band, the cheer team, and a loud, excited student section that filled the stands in a sea of blue.Β
The Bengals truly showcased a team win, with scoring distributed evenly throughout the lineup. Blake had 6 scores with #4, Tahj Martin leading the way, putting up a momentum-lifting 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. #1 Christian Kennard also had a strong performance with 13 points and a big 3-pointer in the third quarter to help push the Bengals’ lead to double digits. University of Maryland, College Park, commit, #10 Baba Oladotun checked into the game with an immediate impact in the 1st quarter. Baba, who was notably out for most of the season with injuries, buried a three-pointer in the first quarter to give Blake their first lead of the game (16β15). Baba finished the game with 11 points and 5 rebounds. #5 Armani Fowlkes didn’t just impact the game by scoring (7 points), he also had an incredible defensive effort with 3 steals. Armani also helped the offense flow with 4 assists. #55 Eli Kolker added 4 steals, 6 rebounds, and 5 points, while #11 Abder Ouattara shot 4-5, making an efficient impact on the court, also adding 5 rebounds.
This story would not be complete without highlighting first-year head Coach, Mr. Brandon Howell, and the effort and commitment he has brought to the team. From off-season workouts, preparations, and skill work, Coach Howell has demonstrated composure and mentorship while fostering a team environment that builds off strengths and weaknesses. In an interview with The Blake Beat after the Bengals defeated Whitman earlier this year for the county championship title, Coach Howell noted that the program looked to βGet better, and continue to work on the areas in which we need to improve for our weaknesses.β While being βpatient defensively and then on top of that rebounding the ball, pushing the ball in transition so we can get easy baskets instead of setting up our offense.β This definitely followed through, as all scores in the state championship game had 5 or more rebounds, and the Benagls recorded an average of 11.6 steals per game during their postseason run, according to MaxPreps.
The Blake Beat sends congratulations to the boys’ basketball program and has enjoyed covering the playoff competition. Go Bengals!Β Β
