Rams butt up against best

‘‘It’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure,” Rockville coach Jack Freeman said. ‘‘Last year we were just kind of hoping, and seeing what it was like. This year the kids know and believe they can play with these teams. We’ll take it one game at a time. But we’re better this year. We’ve played some real good games against some real good teams.”

Rockville, the ninth seed in the region, finds itself in a similar situation as last year. It’ll travel to eight-seeded South Hagerstown (8-13) for the opening round and should it prevail, it’ll face the No. 1 seed, Winters Mill. The Rams defeated South Carroll, 69-53, in last year’s tournament before falling to eventual regional champion Winters Mill, 87-59, in the second round.

But Rockville is a different team this time around. The Rams have displayed maturity, composure and consistency this season. They’ve settled into their roles nicely and have a lot of chemistry.

They’ll look to seniors Sean Canahuate (13.3 ppg), Kevin McTighe (10.9 ppg) and Phil Dennis (10.6 ppg) for big numbers on offense. Josh Myers has been a force under the rim all year, averaging 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Inside-outside threat McTighe leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. The Rams have taken good care of the ball this year, averaging just nine turnovers a game.

Rockville has a good chance of getting past the first round, but to do so it’ll have to stop South Hagerstown’s power trio, Muz Bhutto, Alvin Roberson and James Brunson.

Bhutto was the fourth-highest scorer in the Monacacy Valley Athletic League’s Antietam Conference this year with 15.8 points per contest. He also led the conference with 5.4 assists per game. Roberson (6-foot-2) averages 10.6 rebounds per game and Brunson averages 7.4 rebounds.

Winters Mill returned five players from last year’s state semifinalist team, including 6-foot-5 senior forward Brett Burrier, who’s scored more than 1,000 career points and leads the team in scoring this year with 19 points per game. He’s also strong on the boards, with eight rebounds per game.

The Falcons also have Devon Lesniak to man the backcourt. He missed much of the season with two broken arms, but, since his return a couple weeks ago, he’s averaged 18 points per game.

Also lingering in Rockville’s top half of the draw is Clarksburg, South Carroll (1-20) and North Hagerstown (8-11). Clarksburg will host South Carroll will battle in the first round, with the winner to face either Frederick or North Hagerstown in the second round.

Brand-new Clarksburg (0-18), with no seniors in the school, has struggled to match up against some of the bigger varsity teams in the county this year. But, they’re hoping to use those experiences in the first round against South Carroll.

The Coyotes are viewing the postseason as a brand-new start, is led by junior guard Chris Cabrera with 10.2 points per game. He’s the only player on the team who has played in a regional tournament before with Poolesville last year. Junior Marquis Franklin averages 7.2 points per game and junior Eddie Raff adds 6.5 points.

Northwood, on the bottom half of the draw, travels to Liberty (5-15) in the first round, with the No. 4 seed Middletown awaiting the winner. Northwood, also with no seniors in the school, has notched a couple of solid wins this year and might even be considered the favorite heading into Friday’s duel. The Gladiators rely on big numbers from juniors Nate Epps (10.9 ppg), Alex Bazzie (7.1 ppg) and Jeremiah Conaway (9.8 ppg).

In order to get past the Lions, Northwood will have to stifle leading scorers Zach Sleight (15.5 ppg), Ryan Miller (15.4 ppg) and Colton Weaver (13.7 ppg).

Should the Gladiators win their first playoff game since the school’s reopening three years ago (this is their first varsity season since reopening, however), they’ll face Middletown’s 6-5 junior forward Tyler Ausherman, who averages 12 points and eight rebounds per game, along with leading scorer, 6-2 senior guard Paul Crone (13.1 ppg).

‘‘I’ve been coaching [in the area] for 15 years and I think more so than any other year, there are several teams that can win this thing,” Winters Mill coach David Herman said. ‘‘I think this region is stronger from top to bottom and there are a bunch of teams that can win it other than the top four seeds.”

2A West Boys Basketball Playoffs

Contenders: Winters Mill (16-4), Walkersville (13-6), Middletown (14-5), Frederick (15-7)

Darkhorses: Century (11-8). Rockville (8-10)

Players to watch: Muz Bhutto (South Hagerstown, Sr., 15.8 ppg), Jabari Brown (Walkersville, Sr., 21.6 ppg), Brett Burrier (Winters Mill, Sr., 19.0 ppg), Chris Cabrera (Clarksburg, Jr., 10.2 ppg). Sean Canahuate (Rockville, Sr., 13.3 ppg), Paul Crone (Middletown, Sr., 13.1 ppg), Steve Custis (Fredrick, Sr., 24.5 ppg), Nate Epps (Northwood, Jr., 10.9 ppg), Kevin McTighe (Rockville, Sr., 10.9 ppg), Chris Thompson (Frederick, Sr., 19.4 ppg)