The prestigious basketball school, DeMatha Catholic High School, has reached the top again in Maryland. Led by head coach Mike G. Jones III, the Stags won the Maryland Private School State Tournament. The Stags played against a lot of tough teams but ended up being the best and won it all. They were labeled as the sixth seed but with their play, they proved they are the #1 team in Maryland

The first game was a very good performance by the team. Sophomore guard Ashton “Ace” Meeks blew the crowd and the opposing team away with his 27 points. He hit 5 threes and recorded 2 steals to help his team to a 70-53 win. His partner in the backcourt, Jacob Wallace, added a steal and 14 points to the effort.

The second game gave the Stags some bumps, but junior forward Charles Thomas stepped up to the plate by scoring 23 points in only 19 minutes of action, leading his team to a 73-69 victory. Underclassmen guards Ace Meeks and Jamaal McKnight Jr. also stepped up big-time in the game. Each scored 14 points and added a bunch of assists.

The third game was a pretty entertaining one for the Stags when they played St. Andrew’s Episcopal in a thrilling 77-58 win over the Lions. It was another big game for Ace Meeks. He again knocked down 5 threes on his way to a 23-point game. Two other players who had a big impact were juniors Caden Walton and Jacob Wallace. Walton had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Wallace wasn’t far off a triple-double with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.

In the championship, the Stags faced bad calls, injuries, slippery floors, and foul trouble, but that was not enough for them to be stopped from getting the crown as champions of Maryland in a 74-68 victory over the Bullis Bulldogs. The team played great but that backcourt was unstoppable.

Led by McKnight, Meeks, and Wallace, DeMatha’s top guards had a combined 50 of their team’s 74 points. It was not an easy game for the Stags, but they pulled through in a double-overtime win. Meeks scored 6 of the last 8 points for the team. The other 2 points were scored by freshman Derek “Beau” Daniels who put down a ferocious slam dunk off a steal to end the game with 3 seconds remaining. The game ended with the Stags’ bench clearing and celebrating on the court after they shook hands with the Bulldogs.

Ace Meeks took home MVP honors of the tournament.

The Stags are looking to repeat next year in this tournament and will be looking to crown themselves champions of the WCAC as well.