Patterson Mill boys basketball’s seniors met privately last week. They were unhappy with how their season had gone to that point. The wins were there, but the effort and intensity was not.
“It was definitely needed as a team, especially coming off a tough loss earlier in the week,” senior Colin Luddy said. “We didn’t necessarily play our best. We kind of grouped everybody up, could talk about everything, what was on everybody’s mind. I feel like that really made us grow together as a group.”
They discussed a wide range of pressing topics, from remaining composed in tight games to how they’d approach their upcoming opponents to get back on track.
The Huskies haven’t lost since the gathering. They’re 3-0 after Tuesday’s 68-60 home win over C. Milton Wright, in which they led by double digits for much of the contest before the Mustangs trimmed the gap to six with a minute to play. There, Patterson Mill relied on those experienced seniors to stop a total collapse in a moment just like what they had talked about a week ago.
Patterson Mill returned a strong senior core that engineered a dominant 2024-25 season, reaching the Class 1A state quarterfinals where it fell to eventual state runner-up SEED by just three. They’re all back for a final ride, chasing the program’s first state championship. All involved believe they have what it takes to do it.
“We’re trying to find our identity,” coach Jeroud Clark said. “I think we found it the other day in our team meeting. The kids buy into each other. We are a leadership-based team through the kids. I’m going to be here long after they graduate, so it’s up to them.”
Guard Kai Gibson, forward James Hammond and Luddy all received All-County honors last season and form a trio that can score and defend at all levels. In Tuesday’s win, Luddy led the Huskies with 16 points. Gibson added 14, James Kropp chipped in 11 and Hammond logged 10 — “Nobody talks about James Kropp,” Clark made sure to note when asked about his seniors.
The ferocity Patterson Mill seeks to play with was evident Tuesday. They’re all over loose balls, diving across the hardwood and leaping out of bounds to save possessions. They draw charges, steal inbounds passes and poke balls away for easy steals that become buckets on the other end.
Patterson Mill is 10-1 after beating C. Milton Wright. The Huskies opened the season with seven straight wins, then a 21-point loss in their second game back from winter break to Elkton prompted the senior meeting. They responded with two consecutive road victories before topping the Mustangs (9-4), who entered the contest even with Patterson Mill in the win column.
“[A state championship] is something that everyone’s shooting for,” Luddy said. “It makes everyone want to play harder. If that’s our goal, we really want to go toward it, not shy away from it.”
That’s precisely all that’s missing.
There’s three girls basketball state champion banners hanging in the Patterson Mill gym. No boys basketball ones.
Luddy wants to be a part of the group to hang the first to memorialize this senior class. They’re keenly aware of that and looking to change it. But Clark stresses that looking that far ahead can do more harm than good.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to get better today,” the coach said. “Every single season, we’re like, how do we get better every day? What’s our process today? Today is the biggest day of the year.”
Is it difficult keeping wide-eyed 16 and 17-year-olds focused so intently on the present when the long-term goals are that big? Clark says no.
“You should come to our practice,” he said.
Well, what goes on there? Apparently it looks identical to their games.
“They battle. They’re warriors,” Clark said. “I don’t think they can think about tomorrow, because they’re only thinking about not falling flat on their face in practice.”
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
Leave A Comment