MPSSAA 3A Regional Final: Sherwood 55, Blake 47

In a classic Montgomery County rivalry matchup, visiting Sherwood avenged an earlier loss at Blake (where the Bengals also ended their season in the first round of states a year prior) with a wire-to-wire win. The Vikings jumped out to a commanding first half lead before holding on in the fourth following a Blake charge. Blake's star sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2353518' first='Babatunde' last='Oladotun'] led all scorers with 20 points in a spirited effort while senior guard Alex Welch proved to be the key for the victors, who move on to Saturday's state quarterfinal.    After catching the eye with his play last month in Sherwood's narrow loss at Blake, Welch was all over the floor for the Vikings in a standout performance to secure the win. He came out aggressive but struggled to find his shot before getting going with an explosive backdoor dunk followed by a wing 3. In the interim, Welch shined as a passer while showcasing advanced floor vision, and as a defender using his length and instincts to force turnovers. He applied the finishing touches with another dunk in the fourth, before getting fouled on one 3 and knocking down the dagger from deep to put the nail in the coffin in the final minute. A late bloomer who's still 17 years old, Welch could look like a steal if he slips below the scholarship level. He could be one to really boost his stock with a prep year.     It wasn't his biggest scoring output as he was allowed very few clean catches, but Oladotun showed plenty of the immense talent that has him regarded by many as the #1 2027 prospect in the country. Nearing 6'9” with a feathery jump shot and natural ball skills, he's made strides in his physicality and athleticism to be able to better enforce his will over the course of a game. A natural wing at the next level, he guards seamlessly across ‘1'-‘5' while serving as a main rim protector (5 blocks tonight) and helping clean the glass. Perhaps most importantly for such a touted young prospect, Oladotun plays with a supreme respect for the game, competing hard from whistle to whistle while being receptive to scoring and leading by example with his composure and unselfishness. Despite the loss, the supremely talented youngster gave a window into the progression made over the course of a successful sophomore year.     The other eye-catcher from Sherwood's loss to Blake last month, Nix simply refused to lose tonight, setting a tone with his nonstop two-way energy en route to a loud double-double. Despite being nominally undersized, he made a constant impact on the glass on both ends, hauling in 13 boards thanks to his length, relentless pursuit, and nose for the ball. Nix was effective as a scorer on the interior, finishing putbacks and carving out space to convert dumpoffs. Moving forward we'd like to see him incorporate some ball skills or a floor spacing element, but with rebounding being a skill that's been known to translate up in levels, Nix has a chance to play his way onto scholarship radars in years to come with his perpetual motor and natural instincts for the ball.     The offensive engine during a commanding Sherwood first half, Wilson came out hot and aggressive with 10 of his team-high 14 points in the opening two quarters. He used his quick first step and compact strength to propel his way downhill both in the open floor and the halfcourt. Playing with constant passion on both ends, he was impactful pressuring the ball and found his way to several loose balls for scrap points. He added a momentum-swinging 3 in the second half for good measure. Wilson will take his talents to Stonehill for football, but looks to cap his hoops career with a state title after helping key the win tonight.     The other bright spot for Blake was the play of Fowlkes, an energetic two-way pitbull who brings plenty of bite despite his small stature. He made his biggest impact throughout the game as a spirited point-of-attack defender, bothering opposing ballhandlers into numerous turnovers to kickstart a sputtering Bengal offense. With his team trailing by double digits in the final quarter, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the final frame and pairing with Oladotun to cut the Sherwood lead to 4 with his relentless rim pressure. We'll look to see growth in his decisionmaking and perimeter shooting, but small colleges would be wise to start checking on Fowlkes as an energetic change-of-pace option in the backcourt.

In a classic Montgomery County rivalry matchup, visiting Sherwood avenged an earlier loss at Blake (where the Bengals also ended their season in the first round of states a year prior) with a wire-to-wire win. The Vikings jumped out to a commanding first half lead before holding on in the fourth following a Blake charge. Blake's star sophomore Babatunde Oladotun Babatunde Oladotun 6'8" | SG Blake HS | 2026 MD led all scorers with 20 points in a spirited effort while senior guard Alex Welch proved to be the key for the victors, who move on to Saturday's state quarterfinal.