Calvert Hall Brings Down DC’s Top-Ranked Team 61-60

Written by Gary Adornato 01/19/14

No. 7 Cardinals stage a fourth quarter rally to edge Riverdale Baptist, 61-60, at MLK Hoopfest

No. 7 Calvert Hall struck a big blow for itself and Baltimore, Saturday night, as the Cardinals staged a fourth quarter rally to claim a 61-60 victory over Riverdale Baptist, the top-ranked team in Washington, at the MLK Hoppfest at Coolidge High School in D.C.

Riverdale Baptist (17-3), which climbed to the top position in the Washington Post’s boys basketball rankings earlier this week, came into the contest riding a 12 game winning streak and the Crusaders pushed the Cardinals (20-2) around early, building a 15-9 lead at the end of one quarter.

Calvert Hall countered-punched in the second quarter and went to the halftime break down by just one point, at 29-28, but Riverdale Baptist re-established a six-point advantage by the start of the fourth quarter. The Cardinals, however, closed the game on a 21-14 run to pull out the one-point victory, their 20th of the season.

Keeping with their season-long theme of finding a different set of heros every night, the Cardinals leaned on the play of Sean Mayberry and TJ Duckett, who combined for 27 points, including a combined 8-for-11 effort from the free throw line.

Mayberry was the top CHC scorer with 14 points and he was a perfect 3-for-3 at the charity stripe. Duckett hit a pair of three-points and finished with 13 points.

Evan Phoenix and Nico Clareth were also valuable on both ends of the court. Phoenix scored seven points and collected 10 rebounds, while Clareth just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 boards, and he blocked four shots. Also contributing seven points and seven boards was Chris Wallace.

Making the victory even more impressive was the fact that the Cardinals pulled it off without junior star Drew Edwards in the lineup.

Calvert Hall was 7-for-16 from beyond the three-point arc, including a pair from reserve Reggie Rouse.

Defensively, the Cardinals also did an outstanding job on Chinanu Onuaku, Riverdale’s 6-foot-10 center who is bound for the University of Louisville. Onuaku did have a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and added four blocks, but did not do as much damage as usual. Alexander Long led the Crusaders with a game-high 16 points.

Another critical factor in the contest is that Riverdale Baptist missed a wide open dunk late in the 4th quarter. In a one point loss, the Crusaders would need to look no further for an explanation. Inspite of Riverdale Baptist obvious size advantage, another big factor in Calvert Hall’s favor was that it finished with a 48-42 advantage in rebounding. Also worthy of noting, Calvert Hall attempted a record 84 shot attempts. Riverdale Baptist attempted 58

NO. 7 CALVERT HALL 61, RIVERDALE BAPTIST 60
CH 9 19 12 21 — 61
RB 15 14 17 14 — 60
Calvert Hall: Mayberry 14, Duckett 13, Phoenix 7, Wallace 7, Bahar 5, Clareth 9, Rouse 6. Totals 22 10-16 61.
Riverdale Baptist: Jones 7, Wormley 5, Abrom 8, Onuaku 13, Long 16, Steele 4, Thomas 2, Oliver 5. Totals 23 14-36 60.

Owner-QB Link Disillusioned Shanahan

By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

Shanahan Unhappy With RG III- Snyder

ESPN reporter Dan Graziano explains why Robert Griffin III’s relationship with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder reportedly led to coach Mike Shanahan being ready to quit the team after the 2012 season.

Shanahan Was Ready To Quit After 2012
As speculation mounts about Mike Shanahan’s future in Washington, details have emerged about the coach’s dissatisfaction with the relationship between owner Dan Snyder and quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Disillusioned with the way Snyder was running the organization, Shanahan cleaned out his office in advance of last January’s wild-card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks and expected to leave the team whenever the season ended, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

KeimThe ESPN report that Mike Shanahan has had issues with the Dan Snyder-Robert
The source said Shanahan had grown tired of the way Snyder empowered Griffin and openly esteemed him above all other players. Shanahan didn’t blame Griffin but did blame Snyder for creating an atmosphere that Shanahan did not believe was conducive to winning. Shanahan privately told people close to him that he felt Snyder’s behavior with regard to Griffin was a “complete farce.”

In spite of that, Shanahan believed he would be leaving the team on a very positive note, as the Redskins had won the NFC East in his third year as their coach and were preparing for a playoff run. He believed the team had come together and shown strong character during the seven-game winning streak on which it ended the regular season.

But when Griffin injured his knee in that playoff loss, a source said, Shanahan changed his plans. He believed leaving at that point was no longer an option. He didn’t want the general public, or possibly even his players, to think he left because of Griffin’s injury.

Contacted this weekend about this information, Shanahan declined to comment.

Shanahan also declined to discuss the reported rift with Snyder after the Redskins’ 45-10 loss at home to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“It’s not the right time or place to talk about my relationship with Daniel Snyder,” Shanahan told reporters. “It’s not the right time or place to talk about something that happened a year ago.”

Mike Shanahan grew disillusioned at the special treatment Robert Griffin III received from owner Dan Snyder and had planned to resign after last season before the quarterback hurt his knee in the playoffs, a source said.
Through team spokesman Tony Wyllie, the Redskins said, “That story is ridiculous.”

A team source said Shanahan had grown weary by January of the way Snyder treated Griffin, empowering his quarterback and helping make him feel bigger than the team. The issue apparently carried over into the offseason and into this season.

Snyder regularly sent his security team to accompany Griffin when he went out in Washington. Snyder’s personal driver was spotted picking up Griffin’s then-fiancee (now wife) at road games.

But it wasn’t just Snyder’s relationship with Griffin that irked Shanahan. It was also the way in which he dealt with employees who had less star power than his star quarterback, sources said. After Kirk Cousins relieved an injured Griffin last December in Cleveland and led Washington to a 38-21 victory over the Browns, players and coaches spotted Snyder standing at the quarterbacks’ lockers, talking only to Griffin while, one source said, Snyder “didn’t acknowledge” Cousins.

The strain in the Shanahan-Snyder relationship is one of several negative backdrops to a season gone wrong in Washington, and the question now is what happens with Shanahan at season’s end.

Those who know him believe that, if he was willing to walk away last season, he might be willing to do the same this offseason. Snyder also could decide to fire him.

Either way, it appears a breakup is inevitable. Shanahan has one year left on his contract, and the Redskins are struggling through a disappointing season at 3-9. As a result of the 2012 trade that allowed the Redskins to draft Griffin, the team doesn’t even have a first-round draft pick in 2014. The Rams hold that pick, which, if the season ended Sunday, would be the No. 2 pick overall.

Steve T Getting Ready To Pay Off A Bet He Will Lose.

ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports In Bidding War For Tim Tebow As Broadcaster

Tim Tebow’s days in the NFL may actually be over.

The Big Lead is reporting that a huge bidding war for Tim Tebow’s services as a broadcaster is heating up between ESPN’s SEC Network, CBS Sports, or Fox Sports.

Reports say Tebow is finally beginning to realize his NFL career is over, and he’s ready to tackle television, sources say.

ESPN, CBS and Fox have all expressed interest in the magnetic Tebow, and one network – ESPN – already has a show set in place for him, a source says. It is anticipated that the Tebow jockeying will intensify in January, after his agent, Jimmy Sexton, is done riding the college football coaching carousel this month.
The Big Lead is reporting that ESPN’s SEC Network, which debuts on August 21, 2014, is planning its own version of ‘College Gameday’ and has settled on three names to make the show a hit.

Rece Davis would be the host, the magnetic radio voice of Paul Finebaum would play the role of Lee Corso, and Tebow would be the show’s version Kirk Herbstreit.

A source says ESPN is currently searching for another former SEC athlete to fill the final spot.

Reports say CBS wants Tebow so bad that they are willing to revamp everything about their college football show to appease the former Heisman Trophy winner.

2015 GUARD DREW EDWARDS DRAWS INTEREST FROM MARYLAND and NORTH CAROLINA

ALL-MET ELITE

CALVERT HALL
TOWSON MD.

SOURCE: DAILYTARHEEL.COM
Although his name is not widely known in national recruiting circles yet, 2015 combo guard Drew Edwards has established himself as one of the premier prospects in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. metro area, arguably the nation’s top region for high school basketball.
Tar Heels assistant Steve Robinson checked out the 6-foot-3 playmaker at Calvert Hall (Towson, Md.) on Tuesday afternoon, with Maryland also in the gym.
Clemson and Kansas State offered Edwards after watching him last week, joining Providence, Southern Cal, Virginia Tech and others as schools who have extended scholarship offers. Arizona, Georgetown, Maryland, Miami, Notre Dame and West Virginia have all also shown interest in Edwards.

Why Floyd Mayweather Is The Kobe Bryant Of Boxing

By Robert Littal

\This will be Kobe Bryant’s 18th year in the NBA. Normally when a player last that long in the NBA they are relegated to McGrady status, they are begging for one last opportunity before retiring like Allen Iverson or they have settled into a specific role player status like Ray Allen. Kobe Bryant in his 17th year in the NBA averaged. 27, 5 & 6 That’s not normal, it defies logic, you would think it would be appreciated, not just for the raw numbers, but for the sustained excellence over such a long period of time, but that isn’t what happens when you bring up Kobe Bryant. Go to Twitter or your barbershop and say the following: “Kobe averaged 27, 5 and 6 last year what do you think about that?” I guarantee you will hear something similar to these comments and more. “He still not better than Jordan.” “He’s a bad teammate.” “He wouldn’t have won without Shaq.” “He doesn’’t pass to anyone.” “LeBron is better.” “He snitched on Shaq.” “He raped that girl in Colorado.” Doesn’t matter if these comments are true or not. They are opinions, but the point is they have nothing to do with the facts. Regardless of your personal feelings about him, it doesn’t change his sustained excellence in the sport. Maybe he won’t be Jordan, maybe one day LeBron will have a better career, but there are times you just have to appreciate the here and now. Kobe’s career didn’t start with him being THE MAN, he was the sidekick the B-Side, but through Hard Work and Dedication he became the biggest name in the sport. Floyd Mayweather won his 1st title in 1998 against a Mexican Genaro Hernández who only had 1 loss at the time. 15 years later Mayweather won another title from Mexican Canelo Alvarez who had zero losses at the time. He was brilliant then and he was brilliant on Saturday. That’s not normal, it defies logic, you would think it would be appreciated, not just for the raw numbers, but for the sustained excellence over such a long period of time, but that isn’t what happens when you bring up Floyd Mayweather. Go to Twitter or your barbershop and say the following: “What do you think about Floyd Mayweather taking a young, strong, powerful champion to school?” I guarantee you will hear something similar to these comments and more. “He scared of Pacquiao.” “He picks his opponents.” “He isn’t better than Sugar Ray Robinson or Leonard” “He ducks fighters.” “He runs in the ring.” “He’s going to go broke.” “He beats on women.” Doesn’t matter if these comments are true or not. They are also opinions, but the point is they have nothing to do with the facts. Regardless of your personal feelings about him, it doesn’t change his sustained excellence in the sport. Maybe he won’t be remembered like Sugar Ray Robinson and maybe he is partly responsible for the Pacquiao fight never happening, but there are times you just have to appreciate the here and now. Mayweather’s career didn’t start with him being THE MAN, he was the sidekick the B-Side of PPVs, but through Hard Work and Dedication he became the biggest name in the sport. Sometimes you just have to appreciate greatness when you are seeing it, because when it is gone you will miss it. The NBA is going to miss Kobe Bryant whenever he retires. There will always be other great players, but there will never be another Kobe. Boxing is going to miss Floyd Mayweather whenever he retires. There will always be other great boxers, but there will never be another Floyd Mayweather. There are only so many athletes in the world that bring out strong emotions in people. We are witnesses to two who honestly should be on the downside of their career, but keep defying the odds and that is something haters and stans alike should appreciate.

Lavon Long Pre-Season Rookie Of The Year

Lebron James Marries Savannah Brinson

By Natasha Paul

Lebron James’ long-time girlfriend, Savannah Brinson, has to be the most patient woman, but as the saying goes, her patience has finally gotten her what she wanted. CBS Sports reports that Lebron and Savannah have tied the knot yesterday in a super-secret wedding in San Diego, California. The couple has been together since high school. Though no pictures have surfaced via Twitter, Instagram or any other social media avenues, the wedding took place at the Grand Mar hotel and guests included close friends such as Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union and Neyo. After winning his second NBA championship earlier this year, it just seems that King James would finally crown his queen.
Read more at http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2013/09/report-lebron-james-marries-savannah-brinson/#2RGfJE7D7UgcdHKX.99

Oladipo: “I Really Didn’t Want To Go To Cleveland”

Victor Oladipo, Bill Simmons’ top choice in the 2013 NBA Draft, apparently wasn’t one for calling Cleveland home. In a quote that was pulled from a Orlando Magic ticket-holder event, the rookie shooting guard who was one of several players potentially slotted for the No. 1 overall pick owned by the Cavaliers, said that he “really didn’t want to go to Cleveland.”
The quote was then tweeted out by the Orlando Magic’s official Twitter account and instantly drew the ire of Cleveland fans. Oladipo wasted no time issuing an apology to Cleveland fans who took his statement as a moment of disrespect.

While the statement obviously reflects on Cleveland, a city that has had it’s fair share of players speaking poorly of it’s economy, weather and/or lack of nightlife, it is easy to see how a rookie player would want to endear himself to the team that did make the investment in him on draft day. David Steele, the Magic’s television play-by-play announcer, referred to Oladipo’s comment as ”harmless banter.”

Doug Williams Fired By Grambling

Doug Williams, who was a Super Bowl MVP as quarterback of the Washington Redskins, has been fired as the Grambling State coach, he said today.
Williams, 58, said he was called to the office of the school president and was handed a letter of termination, according to the Monroe (La.) News-Star.
“There wasn’t a lot of conversation,” Williams said. “I told him ‘okay’ and I was gone.”
Williams succeeded the legendary Eddie Robinson, for whom he played, in 1997 and went 53-17 before leaving after the 2003 season to take a personnel job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He returned to Grambling in 2011 and the Tigers won their fourth Southwestern Athletic Conference title under him. But last year, the team was 1-10 and this season, with Williams’s son D.J. at quarterback, the team is 0-2.
Running backs coach George Ragsdale was Williams’s interim replacement.