26 Feb Cesar Chavez claims PCSAA boys’ title win over Thurgood Marshall; Friendship Collegiate runs past Washington Latin in girls’ final
Cesar Chavez claims PCSAA boys’ title win over Thurgood Marshall; Friendship Collegiate runs past Washington Latin in girls’ final
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“You see how your guys will respond, you test them,” Battle said. “And I know these guys well, so I knew they could do it. And next thing you know, they are the ones taking the timeout, and you’re going to win the game.”
Cesar Chavez’s preparation started all the way back on Nov. 30. With a strong core of seniors including Tate, Long, Tyrese White and Troy Johnson, Battle scheduled a road game with top-flight Paul VI for the season opener. The Eagles lost by 12, and on Feb. 4 they lost to Eleanor Roosevelt by three.
But they were learning how to play in games like Sunday’s, in which physicality, pressure and pace are unrelenting.
The Warriors pushed ahead by attacking the rim before burning the Eagles from deep. Tate, who shot poorly throughout, deferred to teammates as Thurgood Marshall’s lead ballooned to double digits. Then he went into full-on attack mode, scoring six straight points before closing the third quarter with two heady assists.
The first was a cross-court shovel pass that set up Khalel Tolen for a wide-open three-pointer. The second came after he danced through the Warriors’ full-court press, stopped on a dime at the elbow and set up a buzzer-beating jumper for Martin Lawrence.
After it swished through the rim, Tate clenched his fists and screamed at the ceiling. And the Eagles never looked back.
“Coach trusted us, and we trusted him back,” Tate said. “That’s how you win games like this.”
Heniaya Moton is used to scoring the ball, stealing the ball and setting up her teammates by passing the ball. She is not used to swatting the ball, but the senior guard anchored Friendship Collegiate’s defense with five blocks in a 50-32 win over Washington Latin .
“I don’t where that came from,” Moton said, laughing. “I just wanted to make sure they couldn’t even get close to us.”
That was accomplished, and her game-high 22 points also helped the Knights to the PCSAA girls’ title. Friendship Collegiate (17-5) frequently turned stout defense into efficient offense, and Jamae Henson added 10 points. Sabria Taliaferro led Washington Latin (15-9) with 10 points in the defeat.