The top-ranked Archbishop Spalding boys basketball team will be showcased this week at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Invitational at Cape Henlopen High in Lewes, Del.
The Cavaliers (6-0), who have a key Catholic League/Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference game at 1:45 p.m. today at No. 4 Mount St. Joseph (5-0), will tip off at 8.30 p.m. Thursday in the Slam Dunk against Georgetown Prep.
Ranked No. 18 in the state Independent Media Poll, the Little Hoyas (5-1) are familiar to the Cavaliers.
"We scrimmaged them [in preseason] and they have a very, very big team with 7-foot-1 Roy Hibbert, who is committed to Georgetown, " said Spalding's fourth-year coach, Mike Glick, who is two wins shy of his 200th career victory. Glick coached Pallotti High for six years before coming to Spalding.
"Overall they're much bigger than we are. It's a very good challenge for us. Hopefully, we can get the rust off after the Christmas holidays."
Spalding is the only metro area team competing in the Slam Dunk, but many teams from the D.C. area are participating, including Georgetown Prep, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gonzaga, Good Counsel, Oxon Hill, Bullis Prep and Spingarn.
On Thursday, the Cavaliers posted a 56-51 overtime win at Eleanor Roosevelt in Prince George's County. The Raiders are the defending Class 4A state champions, but are off to a 1-5 start this season.
Will Bowers, the Cavaliers' 7-foot center, made a three-pointer from the top of the key with two seconds left to force overtime at 48-48.
It was only the second three- pointer in Bowers' three-year varsity career.
"We had a play for Will to take that shot and he delivered," Glick said.
"We had an 18-2 lead in the first period, but ended up down by one at half when Roosevelt ended the half on a 15-0 run. Our kids were very resilient in a very hostile environment away from home."
Bowers finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and 6-8 junior Rudy Gay had a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Pehrson to Jacksonville
Broadneck's Preston Pehrson accepted a baseball scholar- ship to Jacksonville (Fla.) University earlier this week.
Pehrson is a 6-2, 235-pound left-handed hitter who was an All-Metro catcher last spring as a junior, and this fall was named an All-Metro linebacker in football.
Considered to be a pro prospect in baseball, Pehrson batted .476 with eight doubles, two triples, three homers and 24 RBIs for the No. 11 Bruins (14-7).
Pehrson had a .983 fielding percentage with 19 assists, including the 14 would-be stealers he threw out.
"Preston will get a chance to play at a very high level against some great teams like Florida, Florida State and Miami, " said Broadneck baseball coach Sean Tettemer.
"They [Jacksonville coaches] expressed an interest in Preston from Day One, and that meant a lot to him. And they continued to show interest through football season. Playing in Florida, he will get a lot of exposure."
Pehrson hopes to get a chance at pro baseball in the future.
Jacksonville plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Wilson back?
Brad Wilson, the head football coach at Glen Burnie, could be returning to North County, where he was once defensive coordinator. Wilson, who is 9-41 in five years at Glen Burnie, has applied for the vacant job at North County, where Greg Justice was fired after winning two games in two seasons.
Meanwhile, Chesapeake let Tom Kraning go after 15 seasons as its football coach. Kraning had no winning seasons and a 52-98 record.
Sideliners
Annapolis got some good news Friday from 6-5 junior forward Elliott DeVoe. X-rays on his left ankle, which he injured in the No. 6 Panthers' 85-59 romp over No. 12 Southern-AA on Thursday, were negative. ... Off to a 4-0 start, the Glen Burnie boys basketball team will play host to the first James T. Bogle Tournament, named after the retired Gophers coach and athletic director, Thursday and Friday. ... No. 16 Meade (3-1) lost its first game Thursday to Severna Park (2-2), 61-52, in overtime. ... Meade coach Butch Young had no idea when a reporter told him last week that his team's 49-28 win over C. Milton Wright was his 500th.
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