Familiar foes meet again?

Class 4A North Region Boys Basketball: Springbrook, Sherwood on collision course in regional semifinals

However, should they reach the regional semifinals, they would run into fourth-seeded Woodlawn (16-7), led by 6-foot-1 guard Danny Smith, who upset Parkville, 51-44, on Jan. 31. Starting with that victory, the Warriors went on a three-game winning streak of their own, and made it all the way to the Baltimore County championship finals before falling to Randallstown, 67-56.

Second-seeded Springbrook (17-3) enters the playoffs with the second-best record in the county, one game behind Bethesda-Chevy Chase. Led by outstanding junior shooting guard C.J. Garner, who leads the team and ranks third among Montgomery County public school boys with 21.4 points per game, the Blue Devils have shown the ability to run for 32 minutes. Garner, the only junior in the starting lineup, is the offensive meal ticket, but point guard Othello Banaci’s quickness and ball-handling ability may be just as important.

Their last loss came at the hands of third-seeded Sherwood, 81-70 on Feb. 8, and the two are odds-on favorites to face each other in the third round. But Springbrook would have to beat either seven-seed Patterson or 10th-seed Perry Hall to reach that point. Both of whom head coach Tom Crowell knows little about, but he does fear the depth of his team’s region.

‘‘I don’t know much about these schools, but Parkville might be the team to beat, and then Woodlawn beat them,” Crowell said. ‘‘Then Sherwood’s the team to beat in our county — division champion. I think our division is tougher than the Montgomery County regions.”

The other Warriors, Sherwood (16-4), split with Springbrook this year, with the loss coming at home in January. They are led by dynamite shooting guard Deontay Twyman, a do-it-all scorer who possesses elite quickness, ballhandling ability, and range from beyond the arc. His 15.2 points per game lead the team, but unlike a year ago when he was the only huge threat, St. John’s (D.C.) transfer Bo Holston has taken much of the burden off this year. The 6-4 junior swingman (12.6 points per game) has become a legitimate number two option next to Twyman, giving the Warriors perhaps the best one-two punch in the region.

Sherwood, who must beat either six-seeded Kenwood or 11-seed C.M. Wright in the second round to advance, also split the season series with No. 12 Blake, the third Montgomery County team in the region. They face fifth-seeded Dulaney in round one, and will face Woodlawn should they advance.

The Bengals (12-7) feature a veteran starting five consisting of all seniors. They are the top five scorers on the team, including forwards Eric Pugh (13.8) and Jason Nwosu (13.2).

‘‘For nine of my 13 kids, it could potentially be their last high school basketball game; for some it will be their last game they play with referees,” said coach Marcus Wiggins. ‘‘It’s nice to say ‘Play every game like it’s your last’, but it’s literal at this point.”

4A North Boys Basketball Playoffs

Contenders: Parkville (19-2), Springbrook (17-3), Sherwood (16-4)

Darkhorses: Blake (12-7), Woodlawn (16-7)

Players to watch: Othello Banaci (Springbrook, Sr., 8.3 ppg), C.J. Garner (Springbrook, Jr., 21.4 ppg), Bo Holston (Sherwood, Jr., 12.6 ppg), Jason Nwosu (Blake, Sr., 13.2 ppg), Micah Perry (Springbrook, Sr., 10.7 ppg), Eric Pugh (Blake, Sr., 13.8 ppg), Danny Smith (Woodlawn, Sr.), Deontay Twyman (Sherwood, Sr., 15.2 ppg)