SNOW HILL- Snow Hill’s men’s varsity basketball team beat Surrattsville, 92-75, last Saturday in the state’s Class 1A championship game to collect its third state title and complete a magical perfect season at 26-0.
The Eagles jumped out to any early lead against Surrattsville at the Comcast Center at the University of Maryland last Saturday and never looked back on their way to a state championship and a perfect 26-0 season. The state title was the third in Snow Hill history, with other championships won in 1989 and 2001. This one had to be the sweetest though because it put the perfect punctuation mark on a special unbeaten season.
Snow Hill led Surrattsville, of Prince George’s County, 23-17, after one quarter and surged to a 52-39 lead by the half. The Eagles extended their lead to 15 points at 75-60 at the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 23 in the fourth before the Hornets went on a mini-run to cut the lead to 14 with a lot of time left. Snow Hill finished strong, however, and finished off Surrattsville 92-75 to win the state championship.
Snow Hill got offensive production from up and down the roster during the championship game with six players scoring in double figures. Darryle Dennis led the way with 19 points, while Cedrick Johnson and Keith Jackson each scored 16. Trevon Johnson pitched in 12 points, Davonte Purnell scored 11 and Josh Duncan added 10. Surrattsville’s Jamahl Brown led all scorers with 36 points in the title game.
Snow Hill reached the state’s Final Four by beating Worcester County rival Pocomoke, 76-73, in the Class 1A-East Region Final. In their first state semifinal game, the Eagles beat legendary Baltimore City high school program Dunbar, 63-54, behind a 23-point effort by Dennis.
In the Dunbar game, Snow Hill led 19-10 at the end of the first quarter but saw their lead evaporate to just two points at 28-26 at the half. The two teams played even in the third quarter, which ended with the Eagles leading by one point. However, Snow Hill settled the issue in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Poets by eight to advance to the state championship game against Surrattsville.
Last Saturday’s state championship win for Snow Hill wasn’t the only reason to celebrate for local high school basketball fans. While the Eagles were winning their title game, the Pocomoke girls’ basketball team was winning a state championship of its own, beating Alleghany, 66-53, in the Class 1A final. It was the Pocomoke girls’ team’s first state championship ever after 10 trips to the Final Four. The Warriors finished the season with near perfect record of 27-1.