Paul VI, led by a new pack of seniors, handles Sidwell

[DCSportsFan.com]

The National High School Hoops Festival, held at DeMatha every December, is one of the more prominent early-season basketball events in the country. This year, the 20-team field featured powerhouses from Arizona, California, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

But Sunday night, the 13th and final game of the two-day event in Hyattsville featured two D.C.-area schools located less than 35 miles apart. After hours of exciting action featuring far-flung powerhouses and high-major prospects, the buzz inside DeMatha’s crowded gym reached its peak as No. 1 Paul VI and No. 2 Sidwell Friends launched into their layup lines.

If the crowd was expecting a nail-biter, it left disappointed. Paul VI controlled the contest from the start, leading by double digits most of the way in a defiant, defensive 65-47 win.

“I was really proud of that performance,” Coach Glenn Farello said. “I thought we showed some toughness this weekend. And that’s exactly the type of game you want in December — iron sharpens iron.”

These teams faced off last year at the end of the regular season, a nonconference tuneup before the postseason began. Sidwell won that one, 75-68, and sustained its momentum to the end of the postseason as it won Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference and D.C. State Athletic Association titles.

Paul VI went on to finish as runner-up in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and champion of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. The Panthers graduated All-Met Player of the Year DeShawn Harris-Smith (now at Maryland) but returned a boatload of talent, including five seniors destined for high-major college basketball.

Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/12/10/no-1-paul-vi-led-by-new-pack-seniors-handles-no-2-sidwell/

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