Photo: Washington Post
The C.H. Flowers Jaguars boys’ basketball team is a first-time regional champion in school history. The Jaguars defeated Eleanor Roosevelt, 60-52, Thursday night to win the Maryland Class 4A South II regional championship and a spot in the state quarterfinals.
The game was a battle early on, with the teams tied 31-31 at halftime. The Flowers struggled to cope with Roosevelt’s increasing full-court pressure. But in the second half, senior leader Tyrell Bowles and junior guard Charles Garner took over, penetrating the defense and guiding the Jaguars to a lead they never lost. Garner’s three-pointer with one minute remaining sealed the victorious win, leading to a wild celebration on the court.
“It’s unbelievable man,” Bowles told the Washington Post. “I don’t even know how to feel right now. Just made history. Glad to be a part of history.”
Bowles, a 6-foot-9 forward and last year’s Prince George’s County Player of the Year, has been overpowering this season with averages of 22.4 points and 9.4 rebounds. Despite this, while Flowers has seen success in football, girls’ basketball, and girls’ track, the boys’ basketball program had not seen a regional final until this season. The team had no idea about its playoff woes until Coach Brian Brooks and Athletic Director Carlyle Rose put things into perspective.
Brooks held the championship plaque high over his head after the final buzzer, his smile from ear to ear as he looked out at the crowd. It was all the sweeter given that Roosevelt had been a thorn in Flowers’ side in recent years.
Now 25-2, the Jaguars have an even tougher task in trying to stem state champion Frederick’s tide in Saturday’s state quarterfinals. If Flowers succeeds, they will be headed to College Park for the state semifinals, further extending their record-breaking run even longer.
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