Critics, opposing teams, and even some of their own fans didn?t believe River Hill could earn a state championship banner. Make some space on the wall.
The Hawks (23-5) won their first state championship Saturday in a 60-51 win over Bethesda-Chevy Chase (22-4) at Comcast Center in College Park in the Class 3A final. All the team did was follow coach Matt Graves? vision.
“Before we left our shoot-around this morning, I told them to look up at the wall at the girls soccer banner, and I said, ?I want it right under there,?” Graves said.
Considered underdogs because of playoff inexperience, lack of height and a perceived lack of athleticism, the Hawks felt more prepared.
“I know hearing from a lot of people that we were the underdogs and they were going to come out and dominate us,” senior forward Daniel Hostetlersaid. “Even people around school were talking about it.”
They outrebounded the much taller Barons, 30-28. Hawks senior Tommy Brenton hit a state playoff record 19-of-20 free throws to pace a 24-for-30 afternoon at the line.
Brenton, River Hill?s tallest player at 6-foot-4, scored 28 points to help some of his teammates ? particularly Hostetler and sophomore guard Michael Campanaro ? avenge a state championship football loss from earlier in the school year.
“After losing at M&T Bank [Stadium], you don?t want to be labeled as not being able to win the big one,” said Campanaro. “Hopefully next year we get back [to the football and basketball championships], because we have a young team.”
Brenton and Hostetler were the lone seniors. After the game, Brenton was asked about Graves? first season when River Hill won just four games while installing a Princeton-style, slow-tempo offense.
“First practice as a sophomore, I had no idea what he was talking about with these back door cuts and picks,” said Brenton, who is still undecided on a college. “I didn?t believe it at all.”
Now Graves and the Hawks have a banner in the gym to make believers out of even the most committed doubters.
Put backs
» Tommy Brenton had a game-high 10 rebounds despite squaring off against B-CC?s 6-foot-8, Ohio University-bound Maurice Pearson. Brenton and the Hawks held Pearson to six points and four rebounds.
