Is Hylton up for a postseason run like last year’s?
Tuesday night at home against Gar-Field it was easy to see the team’s potential to at least approach last year’s success, when the Bulldogs made a surprise run to the state final. Senior guard Marcus Stephens led a balanced Hylton attack with 19 points as Hylton celebrated senior night with a 70-56 victory over the Indians.
“Hey, to be honest with you we didn’t expect to do what we did last year,” Hylton coach Barry Smith said after the game. “But absolutely we can [make a run]. Last year gives us hope. We just want to take one game at a time and see what we can do.”
The Bulldogs showed their firepower early in the second quarter with the game knotted at 12. In just over a minute Hylton went on a quick 8-0 run which Stephens capped off with a three-pointer. Those were the first of 25 second quarter points by the Bulldogs that would earn them a double-digit lead they would keep most of the game.
Stephens, who will play at St. Thomas Aquinas next year, had plenty of help on offense. Senior starters Nicholas Peterson and Jordan Rogers combined for 19 points, with Rogers also pulling down 11 boards to help his team out-rebound Gar-Field 36-16. The Bulldogs also got good contributions off their bench with senior guard Kris Moore scoring 12 points and sophomore forward Jack Dolan 10.
The balanced attack seems to indicate Hylton can still get the job done when opponents key on Stephens in the playoffs. The Bulldogs have depth, quickness, rebounding and a lot of senior experience. Before the game the school honored the eight seniors on the roster.
“It’s a great group of kids,” Smith said of the seniors. “I’ve had some of those guys since their freshman year and it seems like they’ve been here forever. Eventually we’ll miss them but we have a saying: ‘Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.'”
Gar-Field (3-8, 4-17), which has a victory over district-leading Potomac this year, didn’t quit and cut the Hylton lead to 10 on a couple of occasions late. Sophomore forward Cory Wilson led the Indians with 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Junior guard Antwi Asante added 13 for Gar-Field, which will conclude its regular season Friday against Woodbridge.
Hylton (8-3, 12-9) has clinched second place in the district and will conclude its regular season on that day as well, against Potomac.
–Chris Jollay
all stats are unofficial
| GAR-FIELD | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| ASANTE | 4-11 | 4-4 | 13 | 4 | 3 | |
| WHITE | 3-8 | 1-2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | |
| BYERS | 4-7 | 1-1 | 9 | 1 | 4 | |
| AKADJE | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| WATTS | 4-6 | 0-0 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| Cory Wilson | 7-10 | 2-5 | 16 | 6 | 0 | |
| Stevens | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rodas | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Adri | 0-2 | 1-2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| King | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 23-50 | 9-14 | 56 | 16 | 17 | |
| Threes: Asante 1-2, Stevens 0-2, Watts 0-1, Adri 0-1 | ||||||
| HYLTON | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| NORWOOD | 1-2 | 2-4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| STEPHENS | 6-14 | 6-6 | 19 | 4 | 0 | |
| PETERSON | 4-6 | 1-2 | 9 | 6 | 1 | |
| ROGERS | 4-7 | 2-2 | 10 | 11 | 0 | |
| THACKER | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Dolan | 4-8 | 0-1 | 10 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cheek | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Davis | 1-4 | 1-1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Moore | 5-5 | 0-0 | 12 | 2 | 2 | |
| Bryant | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Martin | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Perkins | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 26-50 | 12-16 | 70 | 36 | 10 | |
| Threes: Moore 2-2, Dolan 2-4, Norwood 1-2, Stephens 1-7, Peterson 0-2, Thacker 0-2, Davis 0-1 | ||||||