St. Charles’ bench reacts as time runs off the clock at the end of the team’s 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. The Spartans defeated Oxon Hill 78-62.
St. Charles’ Max Brooks goes up for a first-half dunk during the Spartans’ 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Brooks scored a team-high 21 points in the Spartans’ 78-62 victory.
St. Charles' Tremaine Chesley contemplates his next move during the second half of the Spartans' 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Chesley scored 16 points in the Spartans' 78-62 victory.
St. Charles' Klayton Batten and Max Brooks go up to alter the shot of Oxon Hill's Michael Sumner during action in the teams' 3A South Region I semifinal encounter at St. Charles on Tuesday night. The hosts defeated Oxon Hill 78-62.
St. Charles' Tremaine Chesley and Klayton Batten talk at midcourt during a break in the action in the Spartans' 78-62 victory against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night.
St. Charles’ Omar Mcgann waits in the corner for the pass from Tremaine Chesley during the latter stages of the Spartans’ 78-62 victory over the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Mcgann scored 13 fourth-quarter points to help the Spartans seal the 3A South Region I semifinal victory.
St. Charles head boys basketball coach Brett Campbell shouts out instructions during the Spartans' 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. St. Charles won 78-62.
Oxon Hill's Ryan Curry scans the defense with St. Charles' Max Brooks guarding during second-half action in the teams' 3A South Region I semifinal at St. Charles on Tuesday night. The host Spartans won 78-62.
St. Charles’ bench reacts as time runs off the clock at the end of the team’s 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. The Spartans defeated Oxon Hill 78-62.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles’ Max Brooks goes up for a first-half dunk during the Spartans’ 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Brooks scored a team-high 21 points in the Spartans’ 78-62 victory.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles' Tremaine Chesley contemplates his next move during the second half of the Spartans' 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Chesley scored 16 points in the Spartans' 78-62 victory.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles' Klayton Batten and Max Brooks go up to alter the shot of Oxon Hill's Michael Sumner during action in the teams' 3A South Region I semifinal encounter at St. Charles on Tuesday night. The hosts defeated Oxon Hill 78-62.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles' Tremaine Chesley and Klayton Batten talk at midcourt during a break in the action in the Spartans' 78-62 victory against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles’ Omar Mcgann waits in the corner for the pass from Tremaine Chesley during the latter stages of the Spartans’ 78-62 victory over the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. Mcgann scored 13 fourth-quarter points to help the Spartans seal the 3A South Region I semifinal victory.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
St. Charles head boys basketball coach Brett Campbell shouts out instructions during the Spartans' 3A South Region I semifinal against the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers on Tuesday night. St. Charles won 78-62.
Staff photo by ANDY STATES
Oxon Hill's Ryan Curry scans the defense with St. Charles' Max Brooks guarding during second-half action in the teams' 3A South Region I semifinal at St. Charles on Tuesday night. The host Spartans won 78-62.
In years past, the St. Charles boys basketball team wasn’t able to rise to the occasion when the lights got bright, evidenced by the still banner-less walls in the school’s gymnasium. But this year’s Spartans are changing the narrative.
After earning the program’s first championship when it clinched the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference title on Feb. 26, St. Charles has intentions on adding to its collection and moved a step closer with its 78-62 victory over the visiting Oxon Hill Clippers in a Class 3A South Region I semifinal on Tuesday night.
The Spartans advanced to host Potomac, another top Prince George’s County program, in the regional final on Thursday. The winner advances to Saturday’s state quarterfinals.
Armed with the experience of playing in many high-profile games at this point, Tuesday night’s semifinal in front of a packed house was just another night for the Spartans.
“All of us have played in bigger crowds than that since 11th grade,” said St. Charles senior Omar Mcgann, who scored 13 fourth-quarter points, including a pair of critical three-pointers at the start of the period to stomp on any Oxon Hill rally intentions. “The seniors, we’ve been through this in 11th grade. Seeing a big crowd like this doesn’t rattle us. We’ve seen other schools come in here and bring their crowd and try to get us rattled. We’ve been through it so much that it doesn’t affect us anymore. We just keep our heads and continue towards the goal ahead.”
Oxon Hill (21-4), the region’s No. 4 seed, scored the game’s first four points, but top-seeded St. Charles (24-1) responded by scoring the game’s next 10 points, ending the run on one of several emphatic Max Brooks dunks to lead 10-4. Brooks scored nine points in the opening period and was a dominant presence on both ends of the floor as the hosts proceeded to build a double-digit advantage they held through the second quarter.
“He really stepped up,” St. Charles head coach Brett Campbell said. “He took pride in playing defense for us all year long. He really did a good job protecting the rim for us, rebounding the ball and the guys rewarded him getting him the ball where he wanted to do and he was able to finish at the rim.”
Ahead 30-11 after Myron Davis’ bucket with 3 minutes 51 seconds left in the second quarter, the Spartans saw their lead shrink slightly to 32-20 by the half. Oxon Hill continued to chip away in the third quarter, eventually pulling to within 42-37 on Michael Sumner’s three late in the latter stages of the period. But Mcgann answered with a triple of his own, followed by a Tremaine Chesley basket to quell what was the Clippers’ biggest swing.
Having played as challenging schedule as they could during the regular season, Campbell believes the Spartans are prepared for just about anything.
“We talk about adversity,” Campbell said. “We’ve had a tough schedule. We’ve hit adversity. We’ve been through slow starts, we’ve been through fast starts and the other team making a run. We’ve really been through it. We just emphasize sticking together.
“When you’re playing schools like Riverdale [Baptist], O’Connell, Wise, our guys are prepared for most things that are going to be thrown at them, especially talent and size. ... We’ve tried to have the best schedule possible to prepare ourselves for this.”
Ahead 50-41 entering the fourth quarter, St. Charles eliminated any drama as Mcgann hit a pair of early threes to trigger a 12-3 run to extend the team’s advantage to 62-44.
“Omar’s a fantastic shooter and he really works hard on it,” Campbell said. “That’s just the extra hours in the gym and getting up the extra shots. Getting here early, staying late.”
After Ronald Polite scored five of the game’s next seven points to pull the Clippers to within 64-49 with 3:18 remaining, Brooks delivered an emphatic dunk which was followed by a pair of Mcgann free throws to put any possible Oxon Hill comeback intentions to rest.
“Coach told us to stay poised,” Mcgann said. “That was the main thing we had to do. This was a big game for everybody, Charles County, P.G. Us staying together and getting this win was big for all of us.”
Brooks scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the first half as St. Charles took control. Mcgann finished with 19 points, while Chesley added 16.
“It was a great team win,” Brooks said. “We executed very good this game. We didn’t let up at all.”
Significant as the win may have been, it still earned St. Charles nothing more than a spot in the region final. The Spartans’ goals are bigger. Thursday night’s game against Potomac, the region’s No. 2 seed, presents the opportunity for the still-young program to earn its first regional championship.
“We talk about 12 hours,” Campbell said. “We celebrate it for 12 hours, but tomorrow morning at 7:30 when they get here for school we’ve moved on.”
“We’re just trying to make history,” Brooks said. “Nobody’s done it before. We’re trying to break through and do it.”
