While talking about two recent state championship banners hanging in the Randallstown gymnasium, senior guard Wesley Bennett slipped.
“They didn?t put the other two ? or other one ? up yet,” Bennett said, alluding to the 2007 championship and the team?s assumed 2008 title.
The Rams are chasing down a fourth consecutive state championship ? a feat matched by just two teams in Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association history: Fairmont Heights (1968-71) and Dunbar (twice, 1993-96 and 2003-06).
Randallstown is moving into lightly charted territory, as it has emerged as the state?s most accomplished public school team outside of Dunbar and its school-record 11 state titles.
And for Randallstown, it all starts with defense.
“Some people do it, then stop and slack off,” senior guard Tione Womack said. “Once everybody is on the same page, defense will win the game. It?s discipline. If you stay calm and stick to the plan, we?ll win every game we need.”
Randallstown is one of 12 programs in the state with at least five state titles. With a successful campaign this year, the Rams would become the eighth Maryland school to win at least six.
And in the Baltimore County community, the Rams players? conversations begin and end with championship chatter.
“If I don?t hear it brought up at least five times aday, there?s something wrong with that day,” said senior forward Marcus Jeter, who averages 10 points and eight rebounds a game. “That?s all they talk about.”
Womack said the team runs a game?s worth of distance at practice before they even touch a basketball.
“Every team is looking to come to beat us so they could say they beat the three-time state champ,” said Bennett, the team?s best perimeter defender. “We?ve got to work hard in practice, keep working hard so we can keep winning and get back to states.”
The hard work has paid off for plenty of the team?s previous players. Kim English, who played a key role in last year?s championship, recently declared his intentions to attend Missouri after he finishes at Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep, where he plays with 2006 Randallstown alum Johnny Higgins, who will attend Duquesne this fall.
“They all come back, whether it?s in the summer or over the holidays,” Rivers said. “And they?re at all the big games, most of the guys who are still local.”
This year?s team may not be as talented as some of its predecessors. Junior forward Alex Jackson averages 16.7 points per game, and Womack averages 12.2 points and six assists per game.
Rivers, in his 14th season at Randallstown, said it?s “better to be lucky than good.” He may have been fortunate to win a state title in his rookie year in 1995, but Rivers and his staff have put in a lot of work to sustain the success. The players wear dress shirts and ties on game days and attend mandatory study sessions before practices.
“It?s about a program that we built. It?s not just a team,” Rivers said. “These guys are starting to buy into the program as far as ?we? and not ?me.? That?s really big for us this year, because this is probably a lot of pressure. You look at what we?ve done the last three years and they?ve handled the pressure pretty well.”
Title towns
» 11: Dunbar (most recently, 2006)
» 10: Gwynn Park (1988)
» 9: Blair (1979)
» 8: Crisfield (2000)
» 7: Thomas Johnson (1999), Fairmont Heights (1981),
» 6: Allegany (1993)
» 5: Bruce (1961), Frederick (1982), Northwestern-PG (2004), Randallstown (2007), Valley (1981)
