The Northwood boys basketball team traveled to 3A Eastern Division foe Blake HS on a snowy Tuesday evening (Feb. 2) hoping to get its 8th win of the season but instead returned home with a 69-60 loss.

The first quarter was close, but Blake took control at the half with a 36-24 lead. However, the Gladiators made a run with reserve guard Josh Smith pouring in 12 second-half points to keep the game close.

The home team held on at the end. Senior Ed Dyson resumed his scoring process, leading Northwood with 28 points, his second highest output of the 2009-10 campaign.

Northwood - with another game set for Friday -- fell to 7-10 on the season overall. –– posted by jay p. goldman, 2/2/10, 9:05 p.m., with reporting by john michelsen

A few photos by the Blake photographer can be seen here.

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Game 16: Wheaton 56, Gladiators 37

Northwood’s varsity boys basketballers hosted Wheaton HS on Friday (Jan. 29), hoping to get their second home win of the season. But it was not to be.

After a promising first half, during which Northwood built a 25-17 lead, the Knights took full control enroute to a one-sided 56-37 mastery of the host Gladiators. Wheaton outscored the Glads 39-12 following the interval.

Senior Ed Dyson had 10 of his team-high 11 points in the first half.

The Glads had hoped to finally square their record, but instead the overall won-loss mark fell to 7-9.

Northwood returns to action twice next week, on Tuesday and Friday.–– posted by jay p. goldman, 1/29/10, 10:30 p.m., with reporting by john michelsen

Gazette Story on the Girls and Boys games here and additional story of boys' game here. _________________________________________________________________________

Game 15: Gladiators 55, Kennedy 51

Northwood's varsity boys hoopsters took their first win on their home floor and captured their fifth win in the last six outings, holding off the visiting Kennedy Cavaliers, 55-51, on Wednesday (1/27).

Trailing 12-10 after the first quarter, the Gladiators got a boost from senior guard Dean Michelsen, who scored his side’s last five points before the mid-game break, staking Northwood to a 24-15 lead.

The Cavaliers, featuring the No. 2 scorer in county basketball this winter in Angelo Adon (24 points per game), made a second half push to close within 2 with 11 seconds remaining, but senior Ed Dyson’s pair of free throws iced the victory. Classmate Jake Gross led Northwood with 15 points.

Northwood (now 7-8 overall) plays at home on Friday afternoon, its third game of the week. ––posted by jay p. goldman, 1/27/10, 8:20 p.m., with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 14: Gladiators 58, Rockville 52

The Northwood boys varsity hoopsters continued their winning ways on a road trip to Rockville HS on Monday afternoon, edging the Rams by 6.

Coach Tony Dickens' Northwood squad led 26-22 at the half, but at the end of three periods the score was all knotted up. The Gladiators outscored the Rams 19-13 to pull away in the final frame to capture its third successive triumph.

Senior Ed Dyson had a game-high 25 points -- his eighth game scoring 20 or more this winter -- while junior teammate Daniel Shaffer continued his impressive play with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Northwood, with two more games this week, raised its overall record to 6-8. ––posted by jay p. goldman, 1/25/10, 11:30 p.m., with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 13: Gladiators 41, Montgomery Blair 40

Senior Ed Dyson produced only half of his season scoring average, but it was a single basket that may prove to be the most memorable high point of his scholastic sports career.

In the annual hardwood matchup also known as the Battle of the Boulevard, Dyson hit a 10-footer with a second remaining to lift the Gladiators' boys varsity basketball team over neighborhood rival Montgomery Blair in a thrilling 41-40 win on Friday night (Jan. 22).

In front of a boisterous crowd that included a sizeable turnout of Gladiator fans including Principal Henry Johnson at the Blazers' gym, Northwood held on for dear life as the host team outscored them by 25-18 during the final two quarters. The Glads held an 8-point lead at intermission.

Dyson entered the contest with a 19.1 points per game average, good for 5th place among the top scorers in Montgomery County this week, but he experienced somewhat of an off-night, hitting for just 10 points after early foul woes. However, after the Blazers went ahead by a point with 8 seconds on the clock, Dyson took the inbounds pass and raced downcourt for a short shot, emptying the stands of joyous Gladiator fans.

The officials ordered them back into their seats when they reset the game clock for 0.9 seconds, but it was a formality and Northwood took home the bragging rights for a year. Daniel Greenfield had 11 points and Daniel Shaffer had 6 for the winners.

With the loss, the Blazers fell to 1-12 overall, while the Glads raised their overall mark to 5-8 with a second successive win.

After a one-week layoff leading up to the Blair game because of first-semester exams, the Gladiators will play three games next week with the Wednesday and Friday contests both at 5:15 p.m. on the home floor. ––posted by jay p. goldman, 1/23/10, 3 p.m., with reporting by susie shaffer

READ THE GAZETTE'S STORY ON THE GAME HERE.

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Game 12: Gladiators 64, Einstein 57

Northwood won its fourth game in boys varsity basketball, rallying from a five-point halftime deficit to edge past host Einstein HS, 64-57, on Friday night (Jan. 15).

Senior Ed Dyson continued his torrid scoring pace, pouring in a game-high 24 points as the Glads outscored the Titans 18-7 in the final quarter to gain the victory. Classmate Jake Gross chipped in with 13 points.

Dyson, little known before the season's start, has emerged as one of the county's top scorers. He has scored 21 or more points in his last four outings and holds a 19.1 scoring average through 12 games.

Einstein held a 35-30 advantage at the midway point, but fell to its 10th defeat in 11 outings this season.

Coach Tony Dickens’ hoopsters, now 4-8 overall, will return to action at 7 p.m. next Friday, visiting neighborhood foe Montgomery Blair HS just a few blocks down the roadway. –– posted by jay p. goldman, 10:50 p.m., 1/15/10

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A run for their money...

Game 11: Blake 59, Gladiators 49

One of the county’s top varsity basketball teams, Blake HS, got a scare it obviously didn’t expect when visiting Northwood on Wednesday evening (Jan. 13).

The visitors, once beaten in 10 outings this winter, figured they had a laugher on their hands at the game’s start. Blake came out on fire, mounting a huge 46-19 halftime lead. However, with junior Daniel Shaffer hitting the boards with gusto and the team playing suffocating defense, the Gladiators made it a ballgame after intermission with Blake escaping with a 10-point margin of victory as they managed to score only 13 points during the final two quarters..

Senior Ed Dyson again led Coach Tony Dickens’ Northwood side in scoring with 23 points. Classmate Jake Gross chipped in with 15.

The Gladiators, now 3-8 overall, return to action on the road Friday night, their third game in five days. – posted by jay p. goldman, 9:50 p.m., 1/13/10, with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 10: Gladiators 49, Wheaton 43

Northwood’s boys basketballers broke their string of five straight setbacks on Monday night (Jan. 11), overcoming a four-point deficit entering the final quarter to defeat the host Wheaton Knights, 49-43.

The Gladiators were led again by senior Ed Dyson, who tallied 21 points.

Wheaton held a 27-18 halftime lead.

Northwood, now 3-7 overall, returns home Wednesday in search of its second win in a row, hosting one of the county’s powers, Blake HS.– posted by jay p. goldman, 10:15 p.m., 1/11/10, with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 9: Kennedy 69, Gladiators 66 (OT)

Despite a sterling 32-point performance by senior Ed Dyson, Northwood’s boys varsity hoopsters dropped a 69-66 overtime contest to host Kennedy HS in the finale of a boys-girls doubleheader on Friday night (Jan. 8).

The Glad boys played their most impressive half of basketball at the outset, overwhelmimg the host Cavaliers and grabbing a 37-23 margin at the interval. Unfortunately, Northwood couldn’t keep up the pace or hold its composure when it mattered most, leading to a 59-all deadlock at the end of regulation time.

In a hotly contested overtime, the Kennedy team prevailed in front of a home crowd, outscoring Northwood 10-7 in the extra session.

Dyson’s scoring output was the most by any Gladiator in the past several seasons. He was joined in double figures by classmate Jake Gross, who added 10.

Northwood, which fell to 2-7 overall, has three games on its platter next week, with only the Wednesday contest against high-powered Blake HS on the home hardwood.– posted by jay p. goldman, 10:50 p.m., 1/9/10, with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 8: Sherwood 85, Gladiators 54

The varsity boys basketballers at Northwood played a competitive first half, but the host Sherwood Warriors delivered a mighty blow in the second half enroute to a convincing win on Thursday night (Jan. 7) in Olney.

In a makeup game of one cancelled by the mid-December snowstorm, Sherwood handed Northwood its worst pounding of the winter, 85-54, sending the Glads to their fifth consecutive defeat and dropping the team’s overall won-loss record to 2-6.

Ed Dyson once again paced the Glads in scoring with 11 points while mates Elijah Bell and Josh Smith both chipped in 8 points.

The Gladiators trailed only 37-29 at halftime, but the Sherwood troops stormed out of the locker room following intermission and never looked back.

There is no time for the Gladiators to recover as the squad travels to Kennedy HS as part of a girls-boys doubleheader Friday. – posted by jay p. goldman, 8:10 a.m., 1/8/10, with reporting by john michelsen

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Game 7: Rockville 67, Gladiators 59

In its first game of the new year, Northwood’s varsity basketballers looked like a team in serious need of a new resolution to reverse its recent sad fortunes.

The Gladiators matched up pretty well in a 67-59 defeat to rival Rockville HS on Tuesday on the NHS hardwood. The contest, the first for both squads following the winter break, was hotly contested, but the Rams dominated the paint with three players totaling all but three of the team's 67 points.

At halftime, Rockville carried a 37-29 lead.

Northwood's defensive pressure kept them in the game until the final stage.

Leading scorers for Northwood were Ed Dyson with 17 and Jake Gross with 13.

Coach Tony Dickens’ Glads dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling to 2-5 on the 2009-10 campaign. The team has little time to regroup, traveling on Thursday to Sherwood HS and on Friday to Kennedy HS. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 10:20 p.m., 1/5/10, with reporting from john michelsen

Game 6: Owings Mills 54, Gladiators 48

Northwood’s boys varsity basketball squad took fourth place in the Venice Harvey Allstate Invitational hosted by Magruder HS on Tuesday (Dec. 29).

In the event’s consolation contest, the Gladiators gave a very good effort against Owings Mills HS but fell by the score of 54-48. The setback dropped Northwood's won-loss mark to 2-4.

In a very physical encounter, Ed Dyson once again led the Northwood scorers with 19 points, including four 3-pointers.

The Glads return to action in county league play next Tuesday, hosting Rockville HS for a 7 p.m. tipoff. -- posted by jay p. goldman with reporting from John Michelsen, 12/29/09, 8:30 p.m.

Game 5: Mount Hebron 61, Gladiators 47

In the opening round of the holiday tournament hosted by Magruder HS, the Gladiators fell to the Vikings of Mount Hebron, 61-47, on Monday (Dec. 28).

Northwood was outscored 16-7 in the first quarter and never could catch up in falling to the team’s third defeat in five outings. It was the team’s first contest since Dec. 15 because of the snowstorm cancellation of its Dec. 21 game.

Senior Ed Dyson led Coach Tony Dickens' Gladiator hoopsters with 25 points, the lone NHS performer to hit double figures.

Northwood now plays in the consolation match on Tuesday against the other first-round loser, Owings Mill HS. – posted by jay p. goldman with reporting from John Michelsen, 12/29/09, 8:15 a.m.