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Lions To Play In All Star Game
Several Lions players have been selected to play in the prestigious Frederick City vs Frederick County all star game. Chris Hannigan, Luther Weedon and Brandon Geppert have all been chosen to participate. This is a distinguished honor given to top seniors in the county. Walkersville's Coach Dave Masser has been selected to be the head coach of the County squad, with Coach Brad Winn assisting him. This year's game promises to be especially exciting featuring the top scorers in the MVAL (aside from Luuuuuuuther!) Ryan Brandenburg of Urbana, Joe Keimig of Middletown, John Tumulty of Catoctin, and others.
The game is scheduled for 8pm at Thomas Johnson High School. There will also be a skills competition featuring dunks, etc. The ladies game will be played at 6:00. At half time of the ladies game, there will be a free throw shooting contest. After their game, the ladies will have a three point shootout, followed by the slam dunk contest for the boys. The boys three point shootout, featuring Luther Weedon for the County and Tim Abercrombie for the City, will be conducted at half time of the boys game. Admission is $5.00 per person.
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2004-05 Season Honors
TEAM HONORS:
MVAL Piedmont Division Co-Champions
F.C.C./Frederick News-Post Holiday Tournament Champions
#1 Final Ranking by Frederick News Post
#1 Final Ranking by MVAL Website - Power Poll
2A West Region Champions
Maryland State 2A Final Four
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Chris Hannigan - 1st Team All MVAL - Piedmont Division / 1st Team All Area
Luther Weedon - 1st Team All MVAL - Piedmont Division / 1st Team All Area
Brandon Geppert - 2nd Team All MVAL - Piedmont Division
Naquan Brown - Honorable Mention All MVAL - Piedmont Division
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Lions hold their own vs. Wolverines
Published on Saturday, March 12
By Jason Fraley
Sports Correspondent
Frederick News-Post
COLLEGE PARK -- Frederick Country basketball gained some more respect on Friday night.
After the Walkersville boys basketball team fell 59-50 to Potomac in the Class 2A State semifinals at Comcast Center, its reaction was subdued. The Lions had just gone toe to toe with the Wolverines -- a team that boasted a perfect 25-0 record and the top public school ranking in the state -- and still had a chance to tie within the game's final minute.
"Even though we didn't win, we won, because we gained respect," senior Chris Hannigan said. "There was all that hype about how they were going to blow us out. ... We proved that we can play basketball. I'm not mad or sad at all."
Hannigan did his part. He scored 19 points, shot 8-of-13 (62 percent) from the field and buried three 3-pointers -- two of which came within the first two minutes of the game.
"I was nervous a little, but once I hit that first 3, it felt good," Hannigan said.
Teammate Luther Weedon followed suit with a baseline jumper and two 3-pointers of his own, adding eight points in just over a minute. When the period was over, Walkersville held a 20-15 lead.
"They knew there was a game coming," senior Brandon Geppert said.
With under three minutes left in the half, Weedon and Hannigan began trading baskets with Potomac's Bobby Shannon and Donald Kirk through three lead changes. Kirk's steal and fastbreak layup put the Wolverines up 32-29 -- a lead they would take into the half.
Unfortunately for Walkersville, Potomac never relinquished the lead.
Defensively, the Wolverines picked up the pressure. Kirk and fellow guard Andrew Azodeh smothered Walkersville's Shaynon Thompson, who took over point guard duties just five games ago.
On the offensive side, Potomac began to relax into a slow-paced offense that had the Wolverines holding the ball for what seemed like minutes.
"The way I saw it was that if they want to stand there and hold the ball, we'll let them," Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman said. "The shorter the game, the better it is for us."
Potomac's methodical offense ran the clock and benefited 6-foot-8, Villanova-bound center Dante Cunningham, who after being held to just four points in the first half, caught fire and scored nine in the second.
"We rebounded better in the first half, and they crashed the boards on us in the second half," Geppert said. "We're used to a fast-paced game, so (the slow offense) made it harder."
Still, Walkersville was able to keep the game close, trailing just 46-43 at the end of the third, and continuing to trail by three going into the game's final minutes.
Jabari Brown's two free throws brought the Lions to within 53-50 with 1:44 to play, but Potomac again implemented its stalling offense.
Walkersville was forced to foul with 47.1 seconds left, and as Potomac converted on all four of its free throws, the game slipped out of the Lions' reach.
But in the postgame press conference, the Lions seemed pleased.
"Just getting here wasn't enough, but being a little country town, a lot of people didn't think we would get here," Geppert said.
"We had nothing to lose and everything to gain," Hannigan said.
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Oh So Close!!!
The Lions put forth an amazing effort against a very talented and athletic team at the Comcast Center... and almost pulled off the upset of the tournament! The Lions came out to begin the game and set the tempo with Chris Hannigan draining a 3 pointer from deep downtown. From there, the Lions went on a run and had control of nearly the entire first half. Chris Hannigan and Luuuuuuuuther Weedon put on a shooting exhibition for the fans and made up almost all of the Lions' first half points. Brandon Geppert did a magnificent job on defense drawing several of his patented charges!
(please forgive me for not giving details of each player's efforts - I am going from memory and do not have the luxury of having a scorebook to refer to. needless to say, every Lion who saw action contributed in a big way.)
The second half turned into a see-saw battle with the lead exchanging hands several times. It was clear that Potomac was completely taken by surprise by the Lions and seemed to be reeling all night long. With about 5 minutes to go, the Lions ran into some bad fortune as their hot shooting ran into a cold spell. The Lions saw about three possessions with three excellent jumpshots not find the bottom of the net resulting in no points. The Wolverines were able to take advantage of the situation and gain a slight lead. The Lions battled back to three points, but were unable to tie the game back up. With around two minutes left and a 3 point difference, Potomac's coach called for his team to run a ball control delay - which I saw as a gesture of respect for the ample abilities of the Lions. They certainly couldn't risk a turnover which would allow the Lions to tie or go ahead in the game. This forced the Lions to have to foul Potomac sending them to the line in order to get a change of possession. Unfortunately Potomac was nearly perfect from the charity stripe. The final seconds ticked off with Potomac winning 59-50. The game score was in no way reflective of the incredible game that the Lions played. Special recognition goes to Coach Zimmerman and his staff on a magnificently managed game. Their intense preparation for this game was clearly evident in the team's play. Many people expected the Lions to get blown out in this game, and an even greater number of people came away impressed by the scrappy squad from "Da Ville". They clearly had Potomac on their heels for much of the game.
Congratulations to the Lions, the coaching staff, cheerleaders, our Lion mascot (Mark Ferro who was perhaps the best mascot in school history)and our Lions' fans on an incredible year. Thank you all for so many wonderful memories!
*If you have any photographs from the game that you'd like to share, please email them to lionsbaseball@aol.com so we can post them here. Please have them in a .jpg format.
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Lions have come long way in three seasons
Published on Friday, March 11
By John Cannon
News-Post Staff
WALKERSVILLE -- Two seasons ago, Walkersville's boys basketball team played a bunch of sophomores and was guided by a rookie head coach.
Doesn't sound like a recipe for success. The only thing is, that team wasn't too shabby.
"I thought, '(We finished) .500 ... that's pretty good,'" said Bruce Zimmerman, who was the Lions' new head coach that year. "So I knew when those guys were seniors, something could happen."
Here's what happened this season: the Lions earned their first trip to the state tournament since 1992. They face powerhouse Potomac -- arguably the strongest public school in the state -- in the Class 2A State semifinals at College Park's Comcast Center today at 7 p.m.
The Lions are heavy underdogs. That's a first for them this season, but many of the team's seniors grew accustomed to that role two years ago.
Take Chris Hannigan. He may be the towering veteran these days, but two years ago he was feeling his way out on the varsity level. And he wasn't the only one.
He was joined by fellow sophomores like Alex Edgley, Shaynon Thompson and Brandon Geppert. And like those players, Zimmerman also had a jump to make -- the longtime JV coach from TJ was a newly-minted varsity head coach in a different program.
"Two years ago, we had a coach in his first year. It was hard to adjust to his style," the 6-foot-7 Hannigan said. "We figured it would take one or two years to get in a rhythm."
As that group of sophomores matured, they were joined last season by Luther Weedon, a lethal outside shooter who transferred from TJ.
Sure enough, the Lions proved to be a force in 2003-04, winning the MVAL Piedmont title and reaching the Class 2A West Region championship, where they lost to South Hagerstown.
But the Lions knew they had a load of talent returning, and they knew they had an excellent chance of finally making the state tournament.
"We expected it from when the horn ended last year's (region) championship game," Zimmerman said. "We expected to be here."
Since then, the Lions added a few more weapons.
There were young ones, like freshman Jabari Brown, and older ones, like senior Naquan Brown, who didn't even start playing organized basketball until his sophomore season.
"We knew he'd be a heckuva player," Geppert said.
Naquan Brown ended up with a ton of good memories this season. So far, the top one was last Friday's regional championship classic against Middletown. Weedon hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer, triggering a wild celebration in Walkersville's jam-packed and raucous gym.
That gym was vastly more calm as Brown stood in it after Wednesday's practice.
"I'm going to miss this court," Brown said. "I love this court."
Still, he won't mind finishing up his career on Comcast Center's court.
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2A West Region Champions!!!
The Lions battled their arch-rivals in a see-saw battle that lasted the entire game with the outcome coming down to the very last possession. Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuther Weedon took the ball with less than 4 seconds left on the clock, dribbled through traffic and hit a layup that hit the bottom of the net just as the buzzer sounded. Less than a second later, the court was engulfed in Lions' fans in a long awaited celebration!
The Lions will move on to Comcast Center next weekend for the State semi-finals. The Lions will play Potomac High School Friday night, March 11th at 7pm.
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Lions Return To Regional Finals
Walkersville defeated Winters Mill 69-60 tonight to advance to the Regional Championship Friday night at 7:00 p.m. As the #1 seed in the 2A West Region, the Lions enjoy the home court advantage. They will face Middletown in a matchup of longstanding rivals. #3 seed Middletown defeated 2nd seeded North Hagerstown by 3 points tonight. Walkersville and Middletown split their regular season games and ended up as Co-Champions of the MVAL Piedmont Division.
The game is expected to draw a sellout crowd as the Lions hope to jam the gym with their great fans. If you plan to attend, you better get there early as the game should result in another standing room only crowd. Last year's Regional Championship saw lines forming 2 hours before tipoff, with many spectators turned away at the door.
See below for newspaper articles of the game. Best of luck to the Lion's as they continue their quest for Comcast.
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Finding it inside
Published on Thursday, March 3 in Frederick News-Post
By Jason Brennan, Sports Correspondent
WALKERSVILLE -- Coach Bruce Zimmerman had been preaching all game to his Walkersville boys basketball players to get the ball inside, and by the time they responded, it was almost too late.
The Lions' superior size was their biggest asset Wednesday night in the Class 2A West Region semifinals against scrappy Winters Mill, but they didn't utilize it much until they almost blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead.
After finally heeding Zimmerman's advice in the final four minutes of the contest, Walkersville -- whose shortest player on the floor at times, 6-foot-1 Luther Weedon, was the same height as Winters Mill's tallest player -- held on to win 69-60.
"We normally like to get out in transition and it was hard for us to get passes inside tonight," said Walkersville's Brandon Geppert, who had 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "It's kind of hard to stop when we're able to get the ball inside, though."
The top-seeded Lions (20-4) next play host to third-seeded Middletown Friday at 7 p.m. for the region championship and a place in the state semifinals. The Knights advanced by knocking off North Hagerstown, 59-56, Wednesday night.
The Falcons, who finished the season with a 17-7 record after going 3-20 last year, began the fourth quarter trailing by 15. However they cut the deficit to 59-58 with 4:41 remaining by scoring 18 points in a three-minute, 19-second span.
"There was a sense of fear in me, but not in (our players)," said Zimmerman, whose team opened up a third-quarter lead with its transition game. "But we didn't give up and we made our free throws."
That they did, primarily because of their effort to get the ball inside -- and keep it there -- instead of kicking it out. That forced Winters Mill into a defensive position.
Walkersville's Naquan Brown and Shaynon Thompson fed the ball inside to teammates like 6-foot-7 Chris Hannigan and the 6-foot-3 Geppert, while Weedon -- a formidable outside threat -- forced the issue by driving inside.
Instead of giving up the easy layup, Winters Mill had no choice but to foul.
Walkersville went 6 for 8 from the line in the remaining 4:03 and its last two buckets came in the paint to close out the win. The Falcons scored just two points the rest of the way.
"We've had 15-point leads both nights ... but I guess the fourth quarter is not safe for us," said Zimmerman, whose team almost blew a nine-point lead with less than two minutes to go in Tuesday's win over Liberty.
"It's like a curse," Geppert said. "We almost play like we don't want to lose. We get to where we don't want to turn the ball over and it seems like guys don't want the ball in their hands."
For the game, the Lions were great from the line, going 25 for 29. Thanks to Geppert's quality effort and Brown's 10 points, they also were able to overcome just 10 points from Weedon, the area's leading scorer at nearly 22 points a game.
Hannigan also had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards.
George Neville paced Winters Mill with 15 points, but if he had stayed out of foul trouble, things could have been different. He was arguably the quickest post player in the game, and at just 6-foot-3, was able to continually work his way for layups.
The Lions now have a chance to knock off rival Middletown and avenge last year's region final defeat (a loss to South Hagerstown).
"We want Middletown," Geppert said. "They are our archrival and they beat us (last week) at their house. But now they have to come to our house."
Middletown 59, North Hagerstown 56
HAGERSTOWN -- Middletown's timely foul shooting in the fourth quarter carried the Knights (19-4) into Friday's regional championship game.
Middletown and Walkersville split the regular season home-and-home series.
The Knights led 16-11 after one quarter and 25-18 at the half.
Mike Holda led Middletown with 15 points, while Paul Crone had 12. Joe Keimig had 10 points with six rebounds and eight assists for the Knights.
Patrick Carney had nine rebounds for Middletown.
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Lions Pull Inside Job To Beat Winters Mill
Hagerstown Herald - Thursday March 3, 2005
by TIM KOELBLE, koelble@herald-mail.com
WALKERSVILLE, Md. - One reason a coach is on the sideline is for the players to follow instructions during the course of a game.
Walkersville boys basketball coach Bruce Zimmerman is fortunate to have some good listeners, otherwise the Lions might be getting instructions for turning in their uniforms for the season.
By abandoning much of their perimeter game and shoving the basketball inside, the Lions put together a powerful pair of middle quarters that lifted them over Winters Mill 69-60 in the Maryland Class 2A West semifinals Wednesday night.
"Bring on Middletown ... we really want them again," said senior Brandon Geppert. "We want them at our place."
That's exactly what Walkersville will get when the Lions play host to Middletown in their third meeting of the year Friday at 7 p.m.
The home team has won the previous two matchups this year. This time, it will be for a berth in the state semifinals.
With Winters Mill's lone big man, George Neville, in foul trouble - he eventually fouled out with 7 minutes, 15 seconds to play - Zimmerman wanted his team to pound the ball inside.
"They didn't have anyone that could stop us because of our size," Zimmerman said. "We knew they would concentrate on Luther (Weedon) and Chris (Hannigan) so we wanted our guys to be able to post up and knock it around."
Geppert and Hannigan each scored 17 points for Walkersville, which erased a 16-13 deficit after eight minutes and turned it into a 35-31 halftime lead behind eight points from Weedon.
That set the stage for Geppert, who scored eight of Walkersville first 12 points in the third period, including a basket when he rebound a missed Winters Mill shot and went end-to-end for a twisting layup and a 48-38 lead with 4:15 remaining in the quarter. "I used to be a big point guard when I was in 10th grade," said Geppert.
Even with a 55-40 deficit heading into the final period, Winters Mill battled despite having to do so without Neville, who finished with 15 points. The Falcons hit four 3-pointers and reduced the gap to 59-58 with 5 minutes left.
But Hannigan hit a pair of free throws, Naquan Brown had a rebound putback, Weedon hit a runner and Shaynon Thompson finished off the Falcons with four free throws to cap the Lions' 25 of 29 peformance at the line.
"We knew (Winters Mill) could shoot the 3s ... just shows no lead is safe," said Zimmerman. "Alex (Edgley) took up some space inside and Geppert had a heck of a game."
Hannigan finished with 12 rebounds and Geppert had eight as the Lions outrebounded Winters Mill, 40-26.
Brown and Weedon each supported the Walkersville effort with 10 points.
"Brandon was huge tonight," said Hannigan, nursing a sore hand with ice after the game. "He had a career-type night."
Geppert said he thought the transition game was the key.
"We got out and ran in the third quarter and pushed the ball and got into a lot of one-on-one situations," Geppert said. "We were hard to stop inside."
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Walkersville's execution does in Winters Mill
By Bob Blubaugh, Carroll County Times Staff Writer Thursday, March 03, 2005
WALKERSVILLE - Talk about executing a game plan to perfection.
Walkersville's main goal going into Wednesday's Class 2A West semifinal centered around getting Winters Mill's leading scorer and rebounder, George Neville, into foul trouble.
Neville had two fouls after two minutes and played less than half the game before fouling out.
Blessed with a bigger and stronger front line even with the 6-foot-3 Neville in the game, Walkersville pounded the ball inside, dominated the glass, and survived a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback to win 69-60.
Brandon Geppert (6-3) and Chris Hannigan had 17 points each and combined for 21 rebounds for Walkersville (20-4).
"We knew that once he was out of there, we could pound it in to me and Hannigan," Geppert said.
They did just that, particularly during a third quarter in which they out-rebounded the Falcons 16-2 and turned a four-point halftime lead into a 15-point advantage.
Neville picked up his first foul on Walkersville's first possession and had two - and a seat on the bench - moments later. He fouled out with 7 minutes, 15 seconds remaining, having scored a team-best 15 points in only about 15 minutes of court time.
"Everybody sees the points with him, but we lose a lot when George isn't on the floor," WM coach Dave Herman said. "It's tough not having him because we run a lot of things through him. We missed him."
But even when he was on the floor, Geppert, Hannigan and forward Naquan Brown (10 points) were able to get easy baskets inside or get to the foul line. Walkersville made 25 of 30 free throws.
"Once I get in foul trouble I have to take it easy and it's kind of hard to play defense inside with that big physical kid," Neville said. "It sucks getting into foul trouble. Everybody calls me a hacker. I get a few tough calls every game."
That was the idea, from Walkersville's perspective.
"We're normally a perimeter-oriented team. Tonight, I said we have got to get Neville in foul trouble and we have got to throw it inside," Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman said.
They did. Still, the county champion Falcons got back in the game just when it seemed they were dead.
Trailing 55-40 when the fourth quarter began, Jimmy Dorsey hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to energize Winters Mill. T.J. Conner then hit a pair of free throws. Matt Deane followed with a 3-pointer from the right wing and Ryne Bridges sank two more foul shots.
Then Bridges nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Dorsey swished another 3 from the right wing, and Phil Dorsey converted a stickback to complete an 18-4 run that took just three minutes and pulled the Falcons to within 59-58.
"That's the way they've been all year," Herman said, of his players. "I'm going to miss having them around because of how good they are when things go bad. They don't quit."
But they did quit scoring after that, missing shots on their next six possessions and - because of their size disadvantage - never getting any second-chance opportunities. Walkersville scored eight straight points over the next four minutes to hold on.
Winters Mill finishes at 17-7, but not before the Falcons won the county title and essentially put their program on the map a year after going 3-20 in their inaugural season.
"The fact that the kids put themselves in position to be here and be down one in the fourth quarter is a testament to what they've done," Herman said. "I've loved spending 2 1/2 hours in the gym with them every day. I'm so proud of them."
Winters Mill (60): T.J. Conner 9, Ryne Bridges 10, George Neville 15, Mark Wood 2, Matt Deane 6, Phil Dorsey 4, Jimmy Dorsey 6, Brett Burrier 6, Jimmy Cotterman 2. Totals: 23 7-7 60.
Walkersville (69): Chris Hannigan 17, Naquan Brown 10, Brandon Geppert 17, Luther Weedon 10, Shaynon Thompson 4, Jabari Brown 7, Alex Edgley 4. Totals: 21 25-30 69.
Winters Mill 16 15 9 20-60
Walkersville 13 22 20 14-69
Three-point goals: WM-J. Dorsey 2, Bridges 2, Deane 2, Conner; W-J. Brown, Hannigan.
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Lions Advance to Regional Semi-Finals
The Walkersville Lions defeated the Liberty Lions 57-54 to advance to the Semi-Finals of the 2A West Region. The Lions will now host Winters Mill tonight at 7:00 p.m. Winters Mill advanced with a 88-45 victory over FSK last night.
Walkersville got out to a big 17-2 lead late in the 1st quarter and held on from there. Luther Weedon was high scorer for the Lions with 16 points and 4 assists. Chris Hannigan contributed 14 points and 6 rebounds. Chris came up big at the end of the game, blocking a shot by Jason Smith and grabbing the rebound. He was immediately fouled with 18.9 seconds remaining in the game and Walkersville clinging to a 55-54 lead. Chris sank both foul shots to push the lead to 3. Liberty missed a final three point attempt and the clock ran out as the ball was bouncing out of bounds.
Brandon Geppert added 10 points, a team high 10 rebounds and 3 assists, along with doing an excellent defensive job on Liberty's big man - Andrew Martin.
See below for the article published in the Carroll County Times.
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Carroll County Times Article as Walkersville Defeats Liberty
Comeback falls short for Lions
By Bob Blubaugh, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, March 02, 2005
WALKERSVILLE - After watching the potential game-tying shot rattle in and out and the ball subsequently bounce out of bounds as time expired, Frank Sisolak gritted his teeth, pulled his jersey momentarily over his face, and then walked off the court for the final time as a high school basketball player.
The senior point guard had done all he could, spearheading a furious Liberty comeback against top-seeded Walkersville that fell just short, 57-54 Tuesday in the Class 2A West quarterfinals.
Liberty had fallen behind by 15 points in the first quarter and still trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter before an inspired defensive effort made it a one-point game in the final minute.
Sisolak, who scored a game-high 17 points, had six points and three steals in the final quarter.
"This was our last season ... our last game - I had to leave it all out on the floor," Sisolak said. "We all did. It's a shame we couldn't pull it off."
Liberty didn't allow a field goal over the final seven minutes and outscored Walkersville 18-6 over that span, forcing five turnovers. Sisolak's pressure on the ball was the key.
"He's the key every game," said Liberty coach Steve Johnson. "We certainly turned the pressure up on them. Nobody wanted to go home."
But Liberty's season ends at 14-8 while Walkersville (19-4) hosts a regional semifinal tonight against fourth-seeded Winters Mill. But Liberty made the top-seeded team look susceptible to the press.
Still trailing by nine points with less than two minutes remaining, Liberty forced three straight turnovers and scored eight consecutive points on a pair of stickbacks by Andrew Martin, a short jumper by Jason Smith and a Sisolak drive that pulled his team within 55-54 with 45 seconds to play.
Walkersville then missed a pair of free throws, giving Liberty a chance to take the lead. But Chris Hannigan blocked Smith's jumper in the lane and Hannigan pulled the rebound away from Martin and was immediately fouled. He hit both free throws to make it 57-54 with 18.9 seconds remaining.
Liberty's Leroy Wheatley tried to tie it with a 3-pointer from the right wing with time running down, but his shot bounced around the rim and out. Martin grabbed the rebound and tried to pass back out to Wheatley, but the ball was knocked away and the game was over.
"We just came up a little short," Johnson said.
Luther Weedon led Walkersville with 16 points, but he was held without a field goal in the second half. Hannigan had 14.
Smith came off the bench to score 14 points for Liberty and the 6-foot-7 Martin had 11, but Walkersville's limited him to only a handful of touches before the fourth quarter.
Liberty looked on its way to a lopsided loss early. The Lions missed nine of their first 10 shots and fell behind 17-2 before a Sisolak 3-pointer ended the first quarter. The deficit was 13 at halftime when Johnson told his players they'd be able to get back into the game, which they did in the final two minutes.
"I didn't think it would take so long, though," he said, attibuting his team's horrendous start to the fact that Liberty hadn't practiced in eight days because of snow.
Sisolak said that although he and his teammates fell short of their goal - reaching the state Final Four - the season was a success because of the 14 wins that included the first victory over Thomas Johnson in school history.
The coach called it a solid year and said graduating seniors Sisolak, Martin & Co. have left a legacy.
"It's going to be hard to replace them," Johnson said. "They've set the tone for our program. We've come a long way."
LIBERTY (54): Frank Sisolak 17, Andrew Martin 11, Justin Cunningham 4, Jason Smith 14, Ryan Liberatore 2, Eric Houseman 4, Leroy Wheatley 2. Totals: 22 8-9 54.
WALKERSVILLE (57): Chris Hannigan 14, Naquan Brown 9, Brandon Geppert 10, Luther Weedon 16, Shaynon Thompson 3, Jabari Brown 3, Alex Edgley 2. Totals: 18 15-20 57.
Liberty 5 15 16 18-54
Walkersville 17 16 15 9-57
Three-point goals: L-Sisolak 2; W-Hannigan 3, Weedon 2, J. Brown.
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Records Set in 2004-05 Season
The following records have been established during the 2004-05 season!
Chris Hannigan broke the career rebounding record set last season by Brock McCollum. Chris ended his career with 718 boards.
Luther Weedon has re-written all of the records for 3 pointers made. Corey Hoffman (2000-01) held the season record with 59. Luther established the season record with 82. Luther twice hit 8 3's in a game to break that record and ended his career with 129 three pointers to set that mark in stone also. Luther also set the season and career free throw percentage marks this season. He hit 84.9% from the line this year and 82.3% for his career.
Dave Berry already set the career record for assists last season. Dave also broke the season record last season. That record was held by current FCC Assistant Coach Brian Miller for 15 years (Brian took the record from a certain red head point guard [Coach Winn] who held the record for 10 years before that). Dave has re-written the season record again this year with 160. His career records stands at 418.
Congratulations to all three record setters and to the rest of their teammates who contributed to their individual success!
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Congratulations Chris Hannigan for 1000 Career Points
February 8, 2004 --
Chris Hannigan reached a milestone for high school basketball players when he scored his 1000 career point against Winters Mill.
Chris overcame early jitters as he approached the mark. But, mid-way through the 3rd quarter, he hit a patented, left-handed 3 point shot to reach 1000 points for his career. The game was halted and Coach Zimmerman presented Chris with a game ball to honor him for reaching this milestone.
Congratulations to Chris for a stellar 4-year Varsity career and thank you for all of your contributions to the program up to this point.
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Final MVAL Standings Updated
Click "MVAL Standings" tab to view current standings.
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Team and Individual Statistics
For up-to-date team statistics, click on "Team Rosters" tab and select division "MVAL_Piedmont Division" and team "Walkersville Lions". JV Stats are also available by selecting division "Junior Varsity" and selecting team "Walkersville JV Lions". Freshmen stats are not posted as requested by the Coach.
Click on individual player's name for game by game information.
The team roster and statistics page is now open again.
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Thompson sends Cadets past Lions
Thompson sends Cadets past Lions
Published on Saturday, February 5
By Jason Brennan
Sports Correspondent
Frederick's Chris Thompson's hit a baseline layup with 44 seconds remaining in overtime against Walkersville Friday night, helping the Cadets clinch one of the area's biggest upsets of the season.
Capping a wild back-and-forth affair, Thompson scored the last two of his game-high 25 points on a reverse lay-in and seconds later pulled down a rebound off Luther Weedon's missed 3-pointer to help Frederick (7-9) take a stunning 83-79 victory.
"I just wanted to win and when I saw an opening, I decided to drive, figuring I'd either make it or get fouled," said Thompson, who scored 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime. "Then, I was worried about us stopping Luther and after the shot went up, I just boxed out like coach tells us to.
"This win will tell people we're not as bad as everyone thinks. We're coming together."
Steve Custis, Thompson's backcourt-mate who had 16 points, nailed a pair of free-throws with 5.1 seconds remaining and the Lions (14-3) committed a turnover with four seconds left, ending their chances.
"First of all, this was just a great high school basketball game," said Frederick coach Derek Shackelford, whose team overcame a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to force the extra session. "Walkersville showed why it's one of the best teams in the area, and I'm happy with how our kids kept battling."
Two free-throws by Walkersville's Dave Berry with 56 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 73. They also ended a 7-2 run after Frederick had built its lead to 73-68 with 1:20 remaining. Both teams had chances to score in the final seconds, but neither converted.
Berry began overtime with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the tide changed on Frederick's next trip down the floor. Dave Smith was credited with a tip-in to cut the Cadets' deficit to 76-75, but as the ball was going through the hoop, Walkersville's Chris Hannigan -- who had 21 points and 10 boards in limited action due to foul trouble -- was called for his fifth foul while battling for rebound position.
Although Frederick didn't convert the ensuing free-throws, Hannigan was left to watch from the bench.
"The key point was after we went up three in (overtime), we accidentally tipped the ball in and a phantom fifth foul was called on Hannigan," said Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman, whose team beat Frederick 79-67 in December. "It was a good game, it's just a shame the kids weren't allowed to decide it."
Following the pivotal foul call, the teams traded baskets over the next 90 seconds, but Frederick closed the game with six straight points.
The overtime wouldn't have happened if not for the play of Thompson and Custis in the fourth quarter.
During the Cadets' comeback in the fourth quarter, the sophomore duo combined for 16 of the team's 22 points during a run that saw them turn a nine-point gap into a 73-68 lead with 1:20 to go.
"Chris and Steve stepped up big for us and I'm proud of both of them," said Frederick's Lenwood House, who had 12 points and 13 rebounds despite dealing with his own foul trouble. "I can't say enough about Chris. His 25 points were well-deserved and much needed. And Steve, he's turning into a great floor general."
The highly-charged affair featured 18 ties and 19 lead changes. Custis also had seven assists for Frederick, while Micky Davis had 10 points and several key rebounds in House's absence.
Weedon and Naquan Brown each had 15 points for the Lions. Berry had eight points and six assists.
In JV action, Walkersville won, 79-67. D.J. Mowrey led the Lions with 17 points. Vinny Moore had 11 for the Cadets.
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Weedon warms up, leads win
Weedon warms up, leads win
Published on Wednesday, February 2
By Jason Brennan
Sports Correspondent
WALKERSVILLE -- Sure, Walkersville's Luther Weedon -- the MVAL Piedmont's most prolific scorer -- had his share of points entering the late stages of Tuesday's game against Tuscarora.
But it wasn't until he got on a roll, courtesy of the Lions' transition-producing pressure defense, did he help Walkersville (14-2, 6-1 MVAL Piedmont) pull away for a 76-62 win over the Titans.
After Tuscarora (10-5, 4-3 MVAL Piedmont) pulled within 45-41 with 1:31 to go in the third, Weedon scored eight of the Lions' next 10 points over a one-minute, 56-second stretch to turn the unsteady lead into a comfortable 55-43 advantage with 7:19 remaining.
The reason Weedon got it going so quickly? A change in defense caused the Titans to turn the ball over and left Weedon ahead of the pack, able to convert in the transition game.
"You have to give credit to our other guys because they stretched the defense, forced (Tuscarora) into some turnovers and it got us running where Luther was out in front," Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman said. "Once we began our spurt late in the third and fourth, I looked up once and we were up three; the next time I looked up, we were up 18. Usually, we go on a spurt in the first half, but tonight it came late ... I'm just glad it came."
"I like the pressure because it makes us play better," said Weedon, who ended with a game-high 21 points despite seeing limited time in the first half due to foul trouble. "We were frustrated, but in the second half we took over."
The Lions pressured the ball more during their run, and Tuscarora had a hard time adapting. The Titans began the fourth quarter 2-for-9 from the floor with five turnovers, while Walkersville was just the opposite, going 7-for-10.
Walkersville took the lead for good late in the first quarter, but the Titans chipped away and got within 46-43 on a short Hamilton Woodfolk jumper with under a minute remaining in the third.
With Weedon at the forefront, the Lions responded with a 22-6 run that lasted deep into the fourth, putting away the game.
The first time these teams played in December, the young Titans fell apart soon after halftime. This time, they hung with one of area's top teams well after that, which coach Dan Wagner sees as an improvement.
"They had us early in the third the last time, but this time we hung with them until early in the fourth," said Wagner. "They went to that 2-2-1 zone and then we started with the turnovers and mistakes. The mistakes will kill you."
Chris Hannigan also stepped up in the second half for the Lions with 12 of his 16 points en route to a double-double with 10 boards. Dave Berry had seven points and nine assists.
For the Titans, Mitchell Weedon had 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Malcolm Kattes had 10 points and 10 boards. Woodfolk also had 12 points.
In junior varsity action, Walkersville came from behind in the fourth to win, 57-52. D.J. Mowrey led the Lions with 18 points and Tyler Jordre had 13. Mike Leizear led the Titans with 15 and Brian Kidd had 12.
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Fitting exclamation; Hannigan’s jam caps Lions win
Fitting exclamation; Hannigan’s jam caps Lions win
Published on Friday, January 28
By John Cannon
News-Post Staff
WALKERSVILLE -- Thanks to foul trouble, Walkersville's Chris Hannigan spent a considerable portion of the second half watching from the sidelines, yearning for a chance to get back in the game.
Oh, well, at least he got to provide a fitting exclamation mark.
Hannigan's powerful, swooping dunk with 10 seconds left had Lions fans erupting in celebration before the final buzzer sounded in Walkersville's 68-51 win over rival Middletown in MVAL Piedmont boys basketball action on Thursday.
"Oh, man. That's the greatest feeling in my life, so far," said Hannigan, who had 15 of his game-high 17 points in the first half before getting hampered by foul trouble. "They were my only two points in the second half. But it was worth it."
It was hard to tell if Hannigan's jam made the rim rattle for a few seconds. The roar of the crowd drowned out any sound from the court.
"That was a fitting ending," Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman said. "The crowd got excited. That's about as loud as I ever heard it in here."
Not that there wasn't a sense of excitement throughout this matchup between the Piedmont's top two teams. The gym was jam-packed. The Lions' mascot did the worm. The Knights' mascot attempted somersaults. And Walkersville's Brandon Geppert, with his crutches tucked behind the bench, was hobbling around on his bandaged right ankle giving teammates high-fives and pats on the back.
Geppert's absence -- due to an injury he sustained against Century -- was a major source of concern for the Lions (13-2, 5-1 Piedmont) on Thursday.
"Brandon's our tough guy," said Zimmerman, who figured the Lions needed Geppert to help contain Middletown post threats Patrick Carney and Jonathan Hall.
Those concerns were alleviated by Walkersville's Jabari Brown, who had 14 rebounds, and Alex Edgley, who had eight.
"They split time at the 5-spot, and they did a great job," Zimmerman said. "I thought all of our post players did a great job."
That group included Hannigan. Well known as a 3-point shooting threat, the 6-foot-7 senior showed that he's growing comfortable mixing it up in the paint.
"He's been doing that a lot lately," Zimmerman said. "He's becoming more physical inside and getting on the boards."
Hannigan had 10 rebounds, and his offensive production early in the game was essential because Middletown's Joe Keimig helped hold Luther Weedon, Walkersville's top scorer, to two points in the first half.
"Joe did a great job defending," Middletown coach Jon Jarrett said. "He did everything I could've asked for."
Walkersville lost its second-leading scorer when Hannigan left the game after picking up his fourth foul with 2:21 to go in the third quarter . He didn't return until the 3:03 mark of the fourth quarter.
"I was getting antsy," Hannigan said. "I kept bugging coach to put me in."
At first, Hannigan wasn't the only one in distress.
"He was playing so good," Zimmerman said. "I thought, 'We're in trouble now.' But we play seven guys, and Shaynon (Thompson) and Jabari did a great job."
So did Dave Berry, the point guard who had 11 rebounds and three blocks to go with his 10 assists. And so did Naquan Brown, who had 12 points and three steals. Then there was Weedon, who returned to his productive ways, hitting three 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points.
Weedon's 3-pointer with 5:42 left in the fourth gave the Lions their first double-digit lead, 53-41. The Knights would never get closer than 10.
"I lost composure. I'll take the loss on my shoulders," said Jarrett, who got a technical foul in the third quarter. "The kids played their tails off."
Keimig and Tyler Moser each had 10 points for the Knights (12-3, 5-1).
Middletown won the JV game, 61-47. Tyler Ausherman had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Knights, while Mike Riggin and Mike Oursler each scored 10. Ryan Dawson had 15 points for the Lions.
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Signs of success at WHS
Published on Thursday, January 27
Touching all the bases
By Stan Goldberg
Sports Editor
DAVE BERRY sat on the bench next to Luther Weedon during a Walkersville basketball practice and, using his hands, communicated with his teammate. Even though Berry only knows the basics of sign language, Weedon had no trouble understanding him, as if they had their own special way of communicating.
During games, if Lions' coach Bruce Zimmerman needs Weedon's attention, either Berry or Chris Hannigan will usually go over, tap Weedon on the shoulder and point to Zimmerman.
After an early-season game, a reporter needed to talk with Weedon in the locker room. Hannigan came over to interpret.
Luther Weedon is deaf. But that has not stopped the six-foot senior guard from being one of the best basketball players in the area, averaging 23.7 points a game. And one big reason for his success is because of the way he relates with his teammates, most of whom he has known since he was in middle school.
"I feel comfortable with them," Weedon said through his interpreter Crystal Lam after the Lions' practice. "It's important, we don't mess up during games. Dave is the best at signing and then Chris. Jabari (his cousin and teammate Jabari Brown) is the worst along with coach."
"He grew up with a lot of these kids and they don't consider him to be deaf," Zimmerman said. "They all adapted well. It is second nature to us. Maybe it would be more difficult if they didn't know each other so well."
Lam is also impressed by the way the players respond to him.
"The players know lots of signs, many of them bad signs," Lam said. "The kids today will accept someone if they have a disability. A lot depends on the coach, and he and Luther work well together."
"I try, but I am not good at it," Walkersville senior Shaynon Thompson said of using sign language. "I just talk and he reads my lips."
Berry, a senior, said his great grandparents were deaf and his father knows how to sign. He also said he learned a little from a course he took in the seventh grade and from talking with another friend whose parents are deaf.
"I know a little bit," Berry said. "While I talk with him, I try to use my hands. Sometimes he reads my lips. I've known him since the seventh grade when we played basketball together. I didn't think he would have a problem."
Hannigan also has played basketball with Weedon since the seventh grade.
"He can read lips very well and I know some sign language," he said. "At first when he played AAU basketball, it was kind of hard. But he understands the game and picks things up quickly. Sometimes during a game if the coaches call a play, I will grab him to get his attention."
"I get involved in the game and I can't pay attention to everything," Weedon said. "So they will tap me on the shoulder to get my attention. That happens often. Dave helps me the most, but sometimes Chris will step in."
He said when he first started playing basketball with hearing kids, he was a little worried, but not for long.
"I thought maybe I couldn't play basketball with them," Weedon said. "By the time I was 8 or 9, I realized I could play. Now I am fine."
n n n
ALONG WITH THE players, the two most important people for Weedon on the basketball court are Lam and Zimmerman.
Lam is at every game and every practice. She played the game a little growing up in Brunswick and understands it.
"The players consider her another team member," Zimmerman said. "It's going to be funny not having her around next year."
Lam will sit on the bench during games and at practice. When the team goes in a huddle, she is nearby. At practice, Zimmerman was explaining something to his players and she stood next to him and signed to Weedon.
"During drills, if something pertains to Luther, Bruce will point to him and he will look over at me," Lam said.
She also works with him in the classroom.
"Luther is 60 to 65 percent dependent on an interpreter" she said. "The rest, he is on his own. In his gym class, he doesn't have an interpreter. He doesn't have one at lunch."
Zimmerman has known Weedon since his future player came to a basketball camp in the fourth or fifth grade.
"He was one of the best players there," Zimmerman said. "I asked someone if he knew who the player was. He said he was Luther and he was deaf. I never would have known. He didn't have an interpreter at camp. By just watching, he picked things up."
Weedon played for Zimmerman when he was at Thomas Johnson High School. Weedon was on the junior varsity team as a ninth grader. He transferred to Walkersville his junior season.
"Because Luther has known Bruce so long, he knows what he means, they understand each other well," Lam said. "He can tell by Bruce's facial expression if he is upset or happy."
"I know when he is mad, I can hear him in my mind," said Weedon, who would like to play at Maryland, but knows that it not realistic. Gallaudet and several smaller colleges including FCC are looking at him.
Zimmerman said at times he had to adjust.
"The biggest problem we have is in the middle of a game sometimes we might want to change a play, and I can't do it," he said. "I have to wait for a lull in the action. But deafness doesn't hinder the way he plays, he has a very high basketball IQ."
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Lions Handle Tuscarora
Published on Tuesday, January 4
By Bill Cauley
News-Post Staff
Luther Weedon wasn't happy with the way he played in Walkersville's game against MVAL-Piedmont rival Tuscarora on Monday.
The Lions senior guard didn't feel comfortable. The fact he scored a game-high 31 points in Walkersville's 84-65 win over the host Titans even surprised him to a certain extent.
"The shots just didn't feel right," Weedon said. "But they still went in."
Of his 31 points, eight came on 3-pointers, which tied the school record for the second time this season.
Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman wasn't happy with his team's play, either. He said the defense needs to play better and the team needs to be consistent the entire game. The Lions were forced to play catch-up through much of the first half.
Walkersville (7-1) trailed by 29-22 with 4 minutes, 31 seconds to go in the first half, before taking control of the game. Down 33-27 with 1:52 left in the half, Walkersville's Dave Berry canned a 3-pointer to pull the Lions within three and, 20 seconds later, Chris Hannigan hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 33.
Amid chants of "Luther, Luther" from the Walkersville fans, Weedon nailed a 3-pointer with 52.2 seconds left in the half, and Walkersville had the lead back for good. The Lions led at halftime, 39-33.
"In the last three minutes of the first half, we played the way we should play all the time," Zimmerman said. "That's been the story of our year thus far. We've played well in spurts and that's got to change. We need to play well for four quarters."
"Our youth showed tonight," Tuscarora coach Dan Wagner said. "We were playing well in the beginning and then things started to break down. We stopped attacking their defense and then we went scoreless in the last few minutes of the first half. Our turnovers (16) hurt us, too."
Brandon Geppert and Hannigan each had 14 points for the Lions, and Jabari Brown came off the bench to scored 13 -- all in the second half. "Coach said to just play the way I'm supposed to play and the shots would start to fall," Brown said.
Hannigan had 11 rebounds for Walkersville and Berry had 12 assists. Geppert had five assists.
For Tuscarora, Malcolm Kattes had 14 points, Chris Castro and Dan Reid each had 11 and Mitch Weedon had 10. Brian Sweeney had five assists for Tuscarora.
Tuscarora won the junior varsity game, 51-42. Nick Meekins had 14 points for the Titans, while D.J. Mowery had 15 points for Walkersville.
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Lions Win Frederick News Post/FCC Holiday Tournament
Lions run past Cadets
Published on Thursday, December 30
By John Cannon
News-Post Staff
Dave Berry pushed the ball up the floor in a flash.
Luther Weedon and Chris Hannigan often wasted little time getting off a shot.
Walkersville loves to play a fast-paced brand of basketball. But if the Lions start getting out of control, coach Bruce Zimmerman stops things in, well, a hurry.
As Zimmerman said: "We're going to run with purpose."
That purpose served the Lions well on Wednesday as they used their fast-break ways to down Frederick, 79-67, in The Frederick News-Post Holiday Classic championship game at Frederick Community College.
At halftime, the Lions (7-1) were clinging to a 38-34 lead. Then they went on one of their trademark scoring spurts, compliments of fast-break baskets.
Weedon -- who had his second straight 33-point game and later claimed the tournament MVP award -- swished jumpers, flew to the hoop for fast-break layups and even hit a bank shot to contribute 11 points in the third quarter. Weedon just loved being a part of Walkersville's smooth yet fast-flowing offense.
"It's exciting when we're all working together," Weedon said.
"We just feel unstoppable," said Hannigan, who chipped in 18 points and earned All-Tournament team honors.
And the trouble is, defenses have to stop more than just Hannigan and Weedon whenever the Lions get on one of their rolls. In the pivotal third-quarter run, Brandon Geppert converted a three-point play and Naquan Brown nailed a jumper.
"Once we get going, it's hard to stop us," Geppert said.
On the other side of the floor, Brown and Shaynon Thompson kept up the pace by applying heavy defensive pressure.
"That's probably the best defensive quarter we've played all year," Zimmerman said. "We tried to take (Steve) Custis out of the game. Naquan and Shaynon did a good job on that."
The Lions had good reason to target Custis. The sophomore guard nailed three 3-pointers in the first half, including one with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. He finished with 21 points and was named to the All-Tournament team.
Custis helped the Cadets battle back from an early 20-8 deficit that was caused by another Walkersville scoring spurt.
"They run like that whenever they get the chance," Custis said.
The only thing is, Walkersville's scoring spurts have often been followed by lulls.
"We look fantastic for five minutes at a time -- on offense and defense," Zimmerman said.
But the Lions sustained such play for an extended period of time on Wednesday, leading by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter before pulling their starters. Those first-stringers were beckoned back into the game, however, after the Cadets narrowed Walkersville's lead to 14 with 2 minutes, 50 seconds left.
Berry and Alex Edgley each had four assists for Walkersville. Hannigan had nine rebounds, and Brown grabbed five. Weedon made three steals.
Quenton Beard, who made the All-Tournament team, and Chris Thompson each had 11 points for Frederick. Jeremy Duvall scored 10.
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Lions Advance to Tournament Championship Game
Lions fight out of corner
Published on Wednesday, December 29
By John Cannon
News-Post Staff
The Walkersville boys basketball team had to battle back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Good thing the Lions had Luther Weedon in their corner -- literally.
From the corner, Weedon nailed an electrifying 3-pointer to put Walkersville in front for good and highlight a 27-3 run that led the Lions to a 89-74 win over Meade in The Frederick News-Post Holiday Classic at Frederick Community College on Tuesday.
The nightcap featured even more drama when Frederick stormed back from a 13-point first-quarter deficit to pull out a 72-64 overtime victory against Eastern Tech.
The Lions and Cadets will meet in the tournament championship game tonight at 7:30.
Walkersville seemed destined for the consolation game, but seniors like Weedon -- who scored a game-high 33 points -- and Chris Hannigan -- who added 18 points -- had other ideas.
It didn't matter that the Lions had a seemingly daunting 67-56 deficit to erase with only about seven minutes left in the game.
"We never panicked when we fell behind," said Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman, who believed his team's wealth of game experience helped explain that mindset. "We play seven seniors and a freshman, and Chris and Luther stepped up for us."
Weedon scored 12 points during Walkersville's pivotal run. Oddly enough, he only had one his trademark 3-pointers in that stretch -- the one that gave the Lions a 69-68 lead. The rest came on foul shots and layups, including a conventional three-point play.
Still, Weedon finished with five 3-pointers, not that teammates like Hannigan had to be reminded of the sharpshooter's ability.
"He shoots the lights out," Hannigan said. "He's probably the best shooter on our team, by far. Everybody calls him silent but deadly."
Hannigan isn't such a bad shooter himself. He nailed a 3-pointer earlier in the fourth quarter to help kick off Walkersville's run, and he later added another pull-up to help the Lions start pulling away. The Lions missed such production when Hannigan saw limited action after picking up his fourth foul in the third quarter.
"When he got back on the floor, he hit some big shots," Zimmerman said.
The Lions also had to cope with limited play from defensive ace Shaynon Thompson, who was hobbled by a thigh injury. But Naquan Brown helped fill the void, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
"He stepped up big. That was his first career double-double," Zimmerman said. "He's in our rotation. He had to play a lot of minutes tonight."
Brandon Geppert had 10 points for the Lions (6-1). Dave Berry had 12 assists, 10 rebounds and three steals. Hannigan had seven rebounds.
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Weedon Torches Cougars for 27
Weedon torches Cougars for 27
Published on Thursday, December 23
By Bill Cauley
News-Post Staff
WALKERSVILLE -- "Luther was on fire."
That was Catoctin coach Ryan Oman's assessment of Luther Weedon's 27-point effort for Walkersville in an 82-51 win over the Cougars in boys basketball on Tuesday.
Weedon, a 6-foot senior guard for the Lions, showed he could score from just about everywhere on the court.
Of his 27 points, he had 13 points in the second quarter as Walkersville (5-1) began pulling away from the stubborn Cougars (1-5). Weedon drilled two 3-pointers in the second quarter to help his team to a 43-22 lead at the half.
"We got right in his face on the inside, but he still made his shots," Oman said. "We knew he was capable of scoring. He's that good."
The Cougars tried to spread the Lions out on offense and, for the most part, it worked.
The best Walkersville could do was a 15-10 lead after one quarter before Weedon's shooting began to break down Catoctin's defensive scheme. By the end of the third quarter, the Lions led 65-38, and Walkersville led by as much as 31 in the final quarter.
But even a good Lions' offense couldn't make up for a Walkersville defense that was still feeling the effects of the loss to Thomas Johnson last week. Lions' coach Bruce Zimmerman made it clear he wasn't happy with his team's defense.
"We've got a few days of practice before our tournament next week, and you can bet that's something we're going to work on," Zimmerman said. "We can do better, and there will be a better defensive team on the floor next time. We had guys losing their man, Catoctin was getting penetration and we let them spread us out."
"We had to have some people step up," Weedon said. "Coach was right about them getting penetration. We needed to penetrate better. I think I might have shot the ball too much, too."
Walkersville got a 12-point effort from Brandon Geppert, who scored nine in the first half. He also had seven rebounds, while teammate Dave Berry had six assists. Shaynon Thompson had four assists for the Lions.
"We knew we were going up against one of the top teams in the area, and we thought we had a pretty good plan for them," Oman said. "I know it's unusual to say after a loss, but I told the team I thought we took a step forward tonight. We found some weaknesses and exploited them."
Kyle Huyser led Catoctin with 12 points, while John Tumulty and Ben Rose each had 10. "We're still searching for some answers, seeing what works best for us," Oman said.
Walkersville also won the junior varsity game, 67-46. Tyler Jordie had 16 points for the Lions; Kevin Jandovitz, Bruce Gaines and D.J. Mowry each had 11 and Ryan Dawson had 10. For Catoctin, Corey Specht had 22 points.
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Lions Break Century Mark with 101-36 Victory Over Boonsboro
WALKERSVILLE, Md. - Chris Hannigan had 27 points and seven rebounds to lead the undefeated Lions past the winless Warriors. Luther Weedon had 19 points for Walkersville (3-0). Alex Edgley had 10 points and seven rebounds. Jabari Brown with 11 points and Brandon Geppert with 10 points rounded out the double figured scorers. Dave Berry added 7 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Mike DeBarge and Jared Lyons each had nine points for Boonsboro (0-3).
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Lions Defeat North Hagerstown
Weedon mows down North
By TIM KOELBLE
koelble@herald-mail.com
Check those nets hanging from the rims at North Hagerstown High School. They just might have a severe brown burn on them, courtesy of Walkersville's Luther Weedon.
The 6-foot senior ripped the twine for a school-record eight 3-pointers and finished with 33 points on Friday night as the Lions clawed their way out of town with an 87-74 victory over North.
Coming off a 36-point performance in Tuesday's opening-night win over Brunswick that included six 3-pointers, Weedon hit three long-range shots in the first four minutes of the game to push Walkersville to a 15-2 lead. Against North, Weedon was 8 of 11 past the arc and 10 of 15 overall.
He hit three 3s in the third quarter and another in the final period that helped spark an 8-0 Lions run with 4:04 to play, breaking a 73-73 tie. After a North free throw, the Lions finished out the victory with six free throws.
"Since last year I've had the confidence in my shooting," Weedon, who is deaf, said through an interpreter. "I wanted to beat North real bad. I don't come out expecting to make this many 3s, but I had a lot of open looks."
Walkersville (2-0) can thank Weedon, along with senior Naquan Brown and freshman Jabari Brown, two players that came off the bench when starters Dave Berry, Brandon Geppert and Shaynon Thompson were all stuck in deep foul trouble.
Add in 6-foot-7 Chris Hannigan, who had an off night, and Lions coach Bruce Zimmerman juggled his deep bench with mastery.
"I knew Juice (Brown) would be a good player seeing him for three weeks in practice," Zimmerman said. "He went beyond expectations tonight."
Indeed he did, scoring 11 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Naquan Brown had 10 points to help support Hannigan's 13 points and 10 rebounds.
"We were almost in real big trouble, I mean real big if we have any more fouls on those guys," Zimmerman said. "Chris was off but he battled. And Weedon, he's got the OK to shoot anytime if he's open."
The Hubs (1-1) used a 33-point second period to wipe out the early deficit and take a 41-39 halftime lead.
Sophomore Dee Mency hit for nine of his team-high 23 points and junior Tyrell Wilson scored eight of his 20 points.
That was the impetus for the Hubs on the comeback, but Weedon wiped out a 46-43 Hubs lead with three more from beyond the arc and the Lions gradually built a 67-61 lead after three quarters.
Brown had two offensive rebounds for scores around a Mency goal for North, the last giving the Lions a 75-73 lead with 3:51 to play.
"We had some poor shot selection and the offense was sluggish in the beginning," said North coach Tim McNamee. "We answered them when we got going, but we really got hurt on the boards in the second half."
After a 21-21 tie on the boards in the first half, the Lions went on to a 52-38 margin on the glass, helping to offset the Hubs' second and third periods during which they were not guilty of a turnover.
"Mency and Wilson, they are young and they played real hard," McNamee said. "(Quielan) Gantt had an off night scoring but he really played well defensively."
Gantt labored from the floor, finishing 4 of 20 and scoring 13 points. However, all of his buckets were from inside five feet.
"Walkersville is real solid," McNamee said, with an emphasis on real.
Weedon said he thinks he and his teammates are for real, too.
"I think we can go a long, long way," he said.
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Lions Romp in Season Opener
Walkersville has 3-for-all in win over Roaders
Published by The Frederick News-Post on Wednesday, December 8
WALKERSVILLE -- It was a display of 3-point shooting normally not seen among high school teams in Frederick County. Walkersville made 12 treys as the Lions downed Brunswick, 87-38, on Tuesday night. The dozen 3s either set or tied a school record, according to the Lions' coaches.
Luther Weedon made six of the 3s and Chris Hannigan added five. Jabari Brown added one for good measure. Weedon finished the game with 26 points. Hannigan had 21 points. Neither played in the final quarter.
"If we are open, we are going to shoot the ball," Walkersville coach Bruce Zimmerman said. "We want to play fast. If they gave us the shot, we will take it."
"I knew they would get up and down the floor, but I didn't expect them to hit that many shots," Brunswick coach Dan McLane said.
Weedon, a 6-foot guard, made 6-of-18 3-pointers. Hannigan was 5-of-8. Neither is a stranger to making the 3s. Last year, Weedon hit 47 of them and Hannigan said he had 30. "I will take it anytime," Hannigan said. "I am getting better and better. I have been working on my shot, shooting all the time."
Hannigan is not your typical 3-point shooter. He is 6-foot-7, and in high school a player that size usually plays in the post. "Even though he is 6-foot-7, he is a great perimeter player," Zimmerman said.
"I've been shooting 3s all my life, especially in our explosive offense where they let us go down and shoot the 3s," Hannigan said. "If I am open, I am going to take that shot."
As a team, the Lions made 12 of 33 from behind the arc. Brunswick only made one. The Lions' 3-point shooting allowed them to take a 20-10 first quarter lead, and it wasn't much of a game after that. They outscored the Railroaders 29-8 in the second period to lead 49-18 at the half. They had runs of 11-2, 9-0 and 20-0 in the game.
"I didn't think they would have that explosion in the second quarter," McLane said. "That was the game."
It was the second game in two days for the Railroaders, who lost to Poolesville on Monday. It was the opening game of the season for the Lions, who are expected to be one of the strongest teams in the area this season.
Hannigan had 18 rebounds for the Lions. Brown had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Chris Papanicolas led the Railroaders with eight points.
Walkersville won the junior varsity game, 60-58. D.J. Mowrey had 15 points for the Lions, while Tyler Jordre had 14. For Brunswick, Grant Wilson had 18 points and Austin Darling added 15.
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