Weekend Warriors

<p>The weekend warriors series is back! Here is a rundown of some standouts from Saturday and Sunday’s action.</p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="777061" first="Favour" last="Aire"] | Bishop McNamara ’22</h5> <p>Aire was his dominant self in the WCAC Quarterfinals vs. Good Counsel. The Falcons were relatively undersized and the Miami commit took full advantage. Aire started the game with a three-point attempt, but everything else came in the paint. He dunked whenever he could and converted a nice up-and-under move in the second half with his left hand. Defensively, Aire produced 2 blocks and 2 deflections, evidence of his relentless activity.</p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="957060" first="Franklin" last="Ayissi-Etoh"] | Archbishop Carroll ’23</h5> <p>Ayissi-Etoh is a strong two-way guard prospect who is enjoying a breakout campaign for the Lions. He recorded 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 deflection on Saturday. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="957038" first="Jaden" last="Johnson"] | Bishop McNamara ’23</h5> <p>If you just looked at the box score of Saturday’s game without watching, you wouldn’t know how big of an impact Johnson made in the win for McNamara. Defensively, he was absolutely terrific from start to finish. Johnson’s strength at the point of attack can be challenging for opponents. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="957022" first="Cam" last="Gillus"] | Sidwell Friends ’23</h5> <p>Like Johnson, Gillus played lockdown defense at the point of attack over the weekend. He had 6 steals and 1 deflection in the MAC Championship win for Sidwell. Gillus does a tremendous job of turning defense into quick offense for his team. He is so quick and fearless when attacking the basket. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="1259625" first="Jadyn" last="Harris"] | Bishop O’Connell ’24</h5> <p>It feels like Harris shows off new aspects of his game each time he hits the court. On Saturday, he was terrific defensively for O’Connell. Harris recorded 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 4 deflections for the Knights. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="1259542" first="Ben" last="Hammond"] | Paul VI ’24</h5> <p>In the absence of [player_tooltip player_id="1259620" first="Darren" last="Harris"], Hammond saw more opportunities and took huge advantage. The sophomore scored 15 efficient points in PVI’s win over Carroll on Saturday. Hammond rebounded his position. He also played solid defense both on and off the ball.</p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="999616" first="DeShawn" last="Harris-Smith"] | Paul VI ’23</h5> <p>Harris-Smith had yet another productive all-around outing on Saturday for the Panthers. DHS posted 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 deflections. He punished foes with his strength and aggression around the basket. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="1370498" first="Nykolas" last="Lewis"] | Gonzaga ’25</h5> <p>Lewis held his own against the Knights backcourt on Saturday. The freshman posted 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in a win for Gonzaga.  </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="957026" first="Malik" last="Mack"] | St. John’s ’23</h5> <p>Mack looks as healthy as he has at any point during his high school career. He is playing his best basketball at the moment while doing a bit of everything for the Cadets. The dynamic lead guard is in line for an uptick in recruitment. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="904682" first="Kyle" last="Pulliam"] | Good Counsel ’22</h5> <p>Pulliam did not suit up for Good Counsel’s opening round win over Ireton but was called into action for the quarterfinals against McNamara. The Falcons were undersized in the frontcourt, and he stepped in admirably essentially on one leg. Pulliam posted 6 points and 7 rebounds in a loss. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="904621" first="Rodney" last="Rice"] | DeMatha ’22</h5> <p>Rice started off 5 of 5 from deep against St. John’s. He hit one from behind the volleyball line near half-court. The VT commit showed why he is considered one of the top shooters in the area in a gym where depth perception can be an issue. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="904630" first="Jerrell" last="Roberson"] | DeMatha ’22</h5> <p>Roberson gobbled up a ton of rebounds for the Stags against St. John’s. The JMU commit was a dependable anchor in the paint this year for DeMatha. </p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="904658" first="Masai" last="Troutman"] | St. Andrew’s ’22</h5> <p>Troutman showcased elite shot-creating and making ability off the bounce in the MAC Championship against Sidwell. He scored 15 points and hit 3 of 4 long jumpers from behind the arc.</p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="904642" first="Jared" last="Turner"] | Gonzaga ’22</h5> <p>Turner’s development is accelerating as his senior campaign begins to wind down. The Northeastern commit recorded 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 deflection in a quarterfinal win over O’Connell.</p> <h5>[player_tooltip player_id="1127314" first="Caleb" last="Williams"] | Sidwell Friends ’24</h5> <p>Williams deserves plaudits for a brilliant run of play this season. He improved steadily over the course of this campaign. In the MAC Championship, he was indispensable. Williams recorded a game-high 7 rebounds, hit a game-high 3 triples, dunked the ball in traffic in the half-court, and showed that he is willing to use his size in the post to exploit smaller opponents. </p>