People are rightly excited about all the newcomers on Keith Honore’s Potomac squad this year. There’s a ton of transfers and freshmen that can flat out play. But although Honore lost most of his team from last season, there’s a few holdovers that can also light it up. Senior Jaylen Williams and junior Rejahn Woods proved it on Tuesday night.
In the opener for both teams, Williams scored 21 points and Woods added 14 including some clutch free throws to power host Potomac past Stonewall Jackson. Both didn’t play too much last year but showcased the program’s considerable depth with their performance on Tuesday. It was Potomac’s 56th straight win on its home floor.
It wasn’t easy. The Raiders have one of the region’s best backcourts around in Antonio Warner (12 points, seven assists) and Presbyterian-signee Jordan Gibson (19 points). Potomac led most of the way after the first quarter and even kicked its lead up to double digits late in the third, but Stonewall just wouldn’t go away. They tied the score twice late, once off a Dashaad Mason (15 points) lay-up early in the fourth and once on a Gibson three-pointer with 5:07 left.
Despite their relative lack of experience, the Panthers dug in each time and never let the Raiders take the lead. Massaponax transfer Nick Pullum was strong inside and rebounded well late. He finished with a double-double. The Panthers also used their quickness to get in the lane and to the hoop all night and continued to do so in the fourth quarter even with Stonewall occasionally flashing an effective zone. They got to the line 32 times on the evening and rarely settled for bad shots. When it counted most Woods was especially clutch. In the game’s final moments he hit five of six free throws to effectively seal the win.
Stonewall, meanwhile, was only 7-18 from the line, making it all that much harder to defeat a team like Potomac. It was a game effort from the Raiders but a winning tradition is a winning tradition, and the Panthers have one like perhaps no one else locally. Honore’s squad was even missing a few players due to injuries, including Paul VI transfer Devon Sims.
The realization that the Panthers aren’t even at full strength can’t be comforting to Potomac’s opponents.
–Chris Jollay
–all stats are unofficial
| POTOMAC | FG | FT | TP | RB | AST | |
| HARRIS | 3-5 | 0-2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | |
| WOODS | 2-2 | 10-12 | 14 | 2 | 4 | |
| WILLIAMS | 8-13 | 5-9 | 21 | 5 | 4 | |
| TAYLOR | 2-8 | 2-2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| PULLUM | 4-8 | 3-6 | 11 | 10 | 1 | |
| Cumba | 2-3 | 0-0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| Satchell | 3-8 | 0-1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |
| Morris-Dockery | 3-3 | 0-0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 27-50 | 20-32 | 76 | 29 | 13 | |
| Threes: Cumba 1-1, Satchell 1-4, Williams 0-2 | ||||||
| STONEWALL | FG | FT | TP | RB | AST | |
| WARNER | 5-9 | 1-3 | 12 | 4 | 7 | |
| BOXLEY | 1-4 | 2-2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | |
| WHITAKER | 1-1 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| GIBSON | 8-15 | 0-1 | 19 | 3 | 0 | |
| WADDY | 4-5 | 1-6 | 9 | 6 | 0 | |
| Mason | 6-12 | 2-3 | 15 | 5 | 2 | |
| Moore | 2-4 | 0-1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| Folkes | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| Reed | 1-3 | 1-1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 30-57 | 7-18 | 72 | 29 | 14 | |
| Threes: Gibson 3-5, Warner 1-1, Mason 1-4, Reed 0-2, Folkes 0-1 | ||||||