NHSHF 09 Preview: Wise Has Cobbled Together a Crew

Ron Bailey, Publisher

After losing a quintet to college, the Pumas, through promotion and circumstance, have compiled a team that could be dangerous.

December 10, 2009 – Starting their season this evening, Wise High School (MD) will face Paul VI (VA) in National High School Hoops Festival play Saturday. Hosting the event for the third consecutive year, the Wise community is “elated to participate”, per its coach, O.J. Johnson. “It not only gives our team an opportunity to showcase their talents, but for people to see our great facility…It’s great to have such an event here in the county (Prince George’s).

He relishes the chance to face Paul VI as well. “I love it. I think my kids really get excited for it” said Johnson of playing against a Washington Catholic Athletic League foe. “The kids really do, going against (a team from) one of the best conferences in America”.

Doing so may help the Pumas reach their goal, which as a young team is “To be in the top four in the 4A (division) in PG County”. To attain it, Wise must “continue to get better night in and night out” said the coach. Accentuating this need to improve is the loss of five student-athletes from last year to college ball.

Helping reach that goal in a big way is 5’9”, senior point guard Daryl Trayham’s unexpected return to Wise, where he starred two years ago. Explosive and quick with guile and savvy to his game, OJ noted of Daryl “A pass first guard is always great to have on a team”.

Daryl Trayham, a dynamic pass first point guard, has returned to his neighborhood school, Wise.

Trayham will fit right in at Wise, where Johnson shared “We have a four guard offense”. One of those backcourt guys is senior, 5’10” floor leader, Eugene Davis.

Overall, Johnson expects to play “between 11 and 13 players per night, depending on the opponent”, as Wise wants to “wear people down” Such a deep rotation portends pressure defense, a staple of Puma Basketball.

Bolstering the team are four football players from the Maryland state runner up squad this year, including 6’3” Titus Till and 5’10” Andre Markell - both seniors who were factors on last year’s hoops team that also placed second in Maryland 4A competition. Till will hit the gridiron for the University of Maryland next year.

“We are a young team without a lot of varsity experience” summed Johnson. “But we do have guys that moved up from JV”. Add the returners and of course Trayham, and the team’s goals of receiving that bye in the PG 4A Tournament could be reached. After that, anything is possible.