2025 Xaverian Classic: Saturday’s Headlines

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The seventh annual Xaverian Classic was this weekend at Our Lady of Good Counsel and featured a loaded field of teams from all over the country. I was in attendance for Saturday's slate of games, which left no shortage of headlines.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2575614' first='Keon' last='Scott'] puts folks on notice in win over Loyola Blakefield</strong> (MD)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 Meade guard [player_tooltip player_id='2575614' first='Keon' last='Scott'] showed why he's considered one of the best at his position in the public school sector for the state of Maryland with a loud 37-points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in the Mustangs' 69-52 win over Loyola Blakefield. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is a smooth operator who can make his impact on or off the ball. He's a three-level scoring threat who can use the gravity he demands form the defense to make the game easier for others around him and 2026 F [player_tooltip player_id='2453744' first='Arouna' last='Soumaoro'] and 2026 G [player_tooltip player_id='2987203' first='Jayvon' last='Thomas'] took advantage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2983862' first='Kaleb' last='Haysbert'] has put together a strong start to his sophomore season despite the Dons' struggles as team. The future is bright led by Haysbert and once new head coach Roger Garfield gets to implement his system, the tides will change. Haysbert poses a good blend of size, skill and versatility. He led the Dons with 15 points while 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2546118' first='Ayo' last='Olofintila'] scored 12 in defeat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>St. Andrew's (MD) controls the pace throughout</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second game of the day, St. Andrews defeated McDonogh 66-53.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2353583' first='Damon' last='Nelson'] is operating with the pce and confidence that he was on Saturday, it lifts this St. Andrew's team to a new level. He's fluid and precise with his attack off the bounce and after knocking down a few jumpers early, he began to touch the paint with intentions of finding cutters along the baseline or zipping passes out to the perimeter. 2027 sharpshooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2888893' first='Devin' last='Wingfield'] creating floor spacing early on with his long-range shooting as he and Nelson spearheaded the scoring attack. Nelson scored 19 while Wingfield finished with 18. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='3041596' first='Max' last='Raue'] is a name that we'll keep close tabs on moving forward as a 6-foot-4 sniper with high basketball IQ playing within structure. The sophomore scored 13 in the win. St. Andrew's was without 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1494165' first='Jayson' last='Peterson'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2455425' first='Carlos' last='Ferguson'] was the bright spot for McDonogh. The 6-foot-7 southpaw is as fluid of an athlete that you'll find in the area and is a big reason why he's emerged as arguably the top wide receiver in the class locally. With the Eagles down two starters, Ferguson had to fill many roles and did so effectively as he finished with 19 points and showcased true versatility at both ends. McDonogh was without two starters in 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2547346' first='Sonny' last='Moore'] and 2029 Christian Rhodes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bullis (MD) escapes a close one against Malvern Prep (PA)</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2194788' first='Xavier' last='Skipworth'] has stepped in as the primary playmaker for Bullis this season after spending his freshmen year acting as a valuable role player on a team led by high-major seniors. Now with the ball in his hands, his overall feel as an on-ball presence has significantly raised an already high ceiling. The No.1 overall prospect in the MD/DC 2028 rankings paced Bullis with 18 points in a nice win over Malvern Prep by a final score of 73-64. The second half scoring surge belonged to 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1588109' first='Finley' last='Billy'] (UPenn) as he connected on three of his five triples in the third frame of play. The sharpshooting forward tied Skipworth for 18 points in the effort. Bullis was without 2028 KJ McLinton and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2454536' first='Zayvion' last='Williams'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Malvern's side, the Friars were led by 2027 Nick Harken's 17 points. The 6-foot-4 forward plays with tremendous physicality and despite his lack of size when playing on the block, he utilized his strong base and leverage score or haul in rebounds. 2028 Logan Chwastyk showed off why he's one of the premier names, along with Skipworth, in the region. The 6-foot-10 forward is packed with skill and fluidity for a player of his height. He moved extremely well laterally when defending in space and offensively, he scored on over the shoulder hooks, face-up jumpers, and even showed off confidence from deep knocking down a triple. 2028 Bryce Perkins was another producer that showed his share of signs as a long-term bet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Santa Margarita (CA) earns big victory over DeMatha (MD)</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Friday evening, Santa Margarita lost a close contest to Bishop McNamara (MD) and had to attempt to regain their footing against another WCAC program in DeMatha Catholic. In the first half, the game was close as expected with the Stags holding a 5-point advantage heading into the locker room. The second half was a different tale though, as Georgia Tech commit [player_tooltip player_id='1956542' first='Kaiden' last='Bailey'] and Washington State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1956520' first='Brayden' last='Kyman'] took over the game for the California program as they'd go onto win 71-54.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kyman's jumper was falling from the opening tip and he'd ride the momentum during their fourth quarter run as he finished with a game-high 35 points while Bailey really came alive in this second half that helped his team gain full control of the game for the final seven or so minutes. Bailey would go on to score 23 points in the matchup and shined with his mature pace, ability to get to his spots in the mid-range for fluid pull-ups, and high IQ defensive plays to help halt the DeMatha offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeMatha came into this one after a dominant win on Friday night against Fayetteville Academy (NC) at the Capital City National Showcase. The start of this one looked to be in their favor as indicated by the advantage at halftime, but their execution and overall shooting percentages took a drop in the final two frames as Santa Margarita's sky-rocketed. 2026 Ace Meeks would lead his team in scoring with a modest 13 points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Tchoubfong's big outing leads Good Counsel (MD) over Georgetown Prep (MD)</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The hosting Good Counsel Eagles didn't take long to establish themselves in their game against Georgetown Prep, as they'd go on to win by a final score of 67-42. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353535' first='Izzy' last='Tchoubfong'] was superb in the effort, scoring 30 points and doing his damage within the flow of the offense and from multiple levels. Tchoubfong is expected to be one of the consistent, primary options for head coach GJ Kissal and on Saturday night, he showed that he is equipped to have breakout performances such as this. Consistency will be key with the 6-foot-6 hybrid forward as he enters December of his junior season and in order for Good Counsel to turn head in the WCAC, Tchoubfong will need to hover around 15-20 points per game. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2548919' first='Kyle' last='Brown'] supplied some stability in the backcourt as a combo guard where he picked his spots nicely to act as the second scoring punch to Tchoubfong. 2028 TJ Tarkang had one of the plays of the day in the first half in poster fashion that had the Good Counsel faithful buzzing in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There weren't many bright spots for Prep in this one other than 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1891144' first='Sinan' last='Huan']. The Purdue pledge flashed some improved comfort attacking off the dribble from the perimeter and operated effectively with his touches on the block before double-teams could react, but often times the 7-footer was met by two or three defenders on the catch and had to act quickly by rushing a shot or kicking it back out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->