Snow Hill Makes Eastern Shore Statement

Ron Bailey, Publisher

March 16, 2008 – “Go get your record book” replied Snow Hill head coach, Allen Miller, in a slightly irritated manner, when asked if basketball on Maryland’s Eastern Shore consistently gets slighted in terms of respect. “Take Dunbar out of the question, and Eastern Shore wins championships”.

When doing so, you see teams from that seemingly distant, insular, somewhat maligned yet charming and historical section of Maryland, have had great success in 1A classification basketball; subtracting Dunbar’s titles since the 1A division was created in 1989, schools from the Eastern Shore have won 46% of its state championships.

Snow Hill celbrating their win.

Make that 50%, as Snow Hill, champions themselves in 2001 and 1989, rule the roost again, via a 92-75 thrashing of Surratsville (PG County) in Maryland state tourney championship game action at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center yesterday.

Adding to Snow Hill’s brilliant season was a 28-0 record, of which Miller remarked “I never think a team will go undefeated”, a feat he has previously reached and according to him, shares with only eight or nine coaches in recent, high school history nationally.

This time around, Snow Hill did it by unselfishness.

“If there is anything I yell at these kids about, it’s being too unselfish, making the extra pass too much” shared Miller of his team’s penchant for team play, one that generated 17 assists against Surratsville, and has seen nine different players lead the Eagles in scoring this year. A look at the score sheet illustrates that unselfishness, with six Snow Hill players finishing in double figures: seniors Trevon Johnson (12 points) and Josh Duncan (10 points), juniors Davonte Purnell (11 points) and Darryle Dennis (19 points), plus sophomores Cedrick Johnson and Keith Jackson, both with 16 points.

Fueling that dynamic are not only close familial bonds – Miller joked he was the only one not related to anyone on the team – but vast experience with one another, as many players have competed together since the age of 11.

Surrattsville (11-13) was led by seniors Jamahl Brown (36 points, six rebounds) and Ifadayo Olasupo (16 points), who all season long have provided a lethal offensive (Brown) and defensive combo.

The Hornets, coached by Ulysses Lee, battled through adversity all year, not winning back to back games until the playoffs and losing guard Darrien Clark (a 25 a game scorer) earlier in the season, while junior Kris Harris was suspended in the state tournament, a fact Lee lamented the young man “will have to live with for the rest of his life”. The team also didn’t win back to back games, until the playoffs

Nevertheless, Brown tried to carry Surratsville, despite according Miller being a defensive focus: “We threw people at him, to try to wear him down…He’s made some very difficult shots against some very good athletes”. It was not uncommon for him to bring the ball up the floor despite the Eagles attempting to take away his left (dominate) hand, and either pull up for a shot or drive and pass to a teammate.

Of the defensive pressure his team faced, Brown acknowledged his team typically sees it in the second half in PG 1A league play, but not necessarily all game.

The dynamic of having good, athletic, unselfish players will be a Snow Hill staple going forward, given the young age of its roster.

“For me, it feels good in that we had two seniors leaving” said Jackson, the sophomore, who also finished with nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal. “We are going to come back and do what we do”.

“We have a great chance of repeating” added Johnson, a guard who benefited from several drive and kick scenarios.

This bunch of Eastern Shore resident’s plan on proving that part of Maryland can play the game of hoops.