Last week, DeMatha concluded their regular season with back-to-back road wins against The Heights and St. John Paul the Great. They were important wins to close out the season, coming off two losses in a home-and-away against conference rival Paul VI.
The Stags finished 18-11 overall and 8-7 in the WCAC, which placed them 6th in the conference. Senior guard Justin Jordan is very confident the team will carry their season-ending win streak into the playoffs. “A lot of people are counting us out and don’t have us going that far, but I think that if we continue to put the work in that we’ve been putting in all year, we’re gonna turn a lot of heads this playoff run.”
Justin also thinks there’s good teamwork and chemistry among the team. “Hopefully we go into the playoffs with a positive mindset,” he said.
Justin said that what he wants people to remember about his legacy at DeMatha is that he was energetic and he always wanted the best for the people around him and the team. His favorite DeMatha memory was senior night.
Coach Mike G. Jones III is also ecstatic for the playoffs. “I think we’re trending and rolling in the right direction. Our defense is starting to pick up a little bit, guys are being vocal on the defensive end, and [on] the offensive end we’re starting to make shots. So I think we can get hot in the right moment and make a lot of noise in the tournament,” he said.
Coach Jones is reaching the end of his second season as DeMatha’s head coach. He gave voice to his favorite memory so far as the head of the program, saying, “My favorite memory was last year winning at Alhambra, which was really good, and then also going to Hawaii this year.”
One thing Coach Jones thinks separates himself from other coaches is his confidence that he won’t be outworked. “I watch a lot of film, try to help my team prepare. The separation is always in the preparation, so how I separate myself from other coaches is that I put in the work more than any other coach.”
This Saturday, DeMatha begins its postseason journey with a tough test against St. John’s. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15pm at Gallaudet University.
