Bulldogs Look to Continue High-Energy, High-Intensity Play

Midway through its season, the boys’ varsity basketball team sits atop the Montgomery 4A South Division, winners of seven of eight games and owners of a half-game lead over rival Wootton.

But the Bulldogs (9-3 overall, 4-1 division) don’t plan to get comfortable with where they stand.

“I think our guys are happy but not satisfied,” Head Coach Matt Miller said. “We’re halfway through division play and there remains five more games to determine who’s the division champ this year…[Our players] know there are bigger fish to fry.”

The Bulldogs have developed a reputation this season for being a high-energy, high-intensity team, yet it took 10 games into the season for his team to put forth a complete effort, Miller said.

In Churchill’s Jan. 6 win over rival Wootton, the Bulldogs held their 4A South Division counterparts to a meager 40 points.

“I though it was the first time all season we played a full four,” Miller said, referring to his team finally bringing the energy and intensity he preaches for an entire game.

And when they do so, Miller said he sees the full potential of his team.

“When they do take it upon themselves, you can see it in warm ups and you can see it in the locker room, and that’s when it really takes hold,” Miller said. “Once these guys really start playing for each other as opposed to playing for their coach, that’s when they realize their talents.”

That attitude is ingrained in this year’s team after watching last year’s team advance to the second round of the MPSSAA state basketball tournament on the strength of high-energy play, junior guard Dominique Williams said.

“We just saw what we did last year and we want to carry it on,” Williams said.

In the team’s first game in a week, Churchill hosts Bethesda-Chevy Chase (8-4, 3-2) at 5:15 p.m., hoping to earn a second win over the Barons and keep them from tying the Bulldogs for the division lead.

Miller said he felt B-CC had a poor shooting night in his team’s 55-33 win on Dec. 21, missing a lot of shots they normally would make.

“They (BCC) score a lot of points,” Miller said. “There are games they’re in the high 50s, 60s, 70s and we’re really going to have to work to try to clamp down on their shooters.”

If the Bulldogs are able to harness the same effort they brought against Wootton, Miller is confident in a resulting ‘W’.

“I think the biggest thing is really just make sure we’re playing with the same energy and intensity as last time when we played [B-CC] at their place,” he said. “If we bring the enthusiasm, it really doesn’t matter what we’re running on offense or defense. We’re generally successful when we play our hardest.”