by Derek Toney
D'Andre Green is accustomed to championships. In 2006, he played on
Edmondson High's Class 2A state championship football team, and was a
key starter to last fall's Red Storm's return to the state playoffs.
Edmondson's 51-45 victory over Park School in the finals of the Hoops for Habitat
boys' basketball tournament Friday evening at Park didn't have the
cache of a postseason title. But for Green and the Red Storm, it was
just as sweet.
"We're trying to bring basketball back," said Green, who was starting
free safety this past fall. On the court, the junior guard paced
Edmondson (4-3) with 13 points, and was the tournament's most valuable
player.
Jerome Smith added 11 points for the Red Storm, and senior center
Darius Morris had 10. Anthony Kinslow led Park (4-6) with 10 points.
Trailing 29-22 at intermission, Edmondson ceased control in the third,
outscoring the Bruins, 18-4, to take a 40-33 advantage. Red Storm coach
Darnell Dantzler said Friday was a new experience.
"They were nervous," said Dantzler. "Even on the bus ride over here,
some of the guys were talking to me about not being sure of the type of
atmosphere and the pressure. I just told them to relax at halftime,
understand once we improve on our defense we were going to be fine."
"We've never really won anything, and this our first time winning a
championship and everybody contribute," said Smith, a junior guard. "We
had good defense down the stretch. It was a close game, but we came out
with the win."
Smith, selected to the all-tournament team, scored eight in the third
quarter. The Bruins got back to within three, but Park coach Josh Wolf
said the Red Storm was able to capitalize on his team's mistakes over
the final 16 minutes.
"I'm proud of the effort because that's an amazing team," said Wolf,
whose team beat Grace Bible Thursday to reach the finals. "They were
bigger, stronger, faster. It's probably the best team we'll play all
year."
The west Baltimore school defeated MIAA schools Archbishop Curley (B
Conference) and C Conference Park for its first tournament title in
basketball since 2000 when the Red Storm won the 2A North Region
championship. Dantzler, who played at Dunbar in early 1990s and guided
the Poets to the 1A state title game last winter, is trying to bring
basketball on the same plateau with football.
"A lot of them haven't been around or familiar with winning. They get
it on the football field," said Dantzler. "It's a bunch of baby steps,
they come to school every day and play hard. They got a lot of bad
habits, but a lot of things that I thought I was going to get, I'm not
getting at all."
Dantzler inherited a young team with Garnat Garrett, Green and Smith
the only returners. Whether the Red Storm will have success in the
March postseason remains to be seen, but they're determined to emerge
from out the shadow of their football team.
"We have take to that this intensity from winning this tournament back
into the city and show we're not a team to be put down," said Smith.
"We're not the underdogs that everybody think we are."
Hoops for Habitat Tournament
at Park School
Championship
Edmondson 51, Park School 45
Edmondson: Kidd 3, Garnett 5, Green 13, Smith 11, Riddick 4, Morris 10, Mouzon 8. Totals 18 15-26 51.
Park: Nelson 5, Kinslow 10, Ottenheimer 4, Hettleman 4, Boone 2, DeMarco 9, Keiser 8, Levin 3. Totals 19 4-8 45.
Halftime: Park 29, Edmondson 22.
Edmondson 13 9 18 11-51
Park 11 18 4 12-45
