Three years ago, Marcel Boyd was an exceptionally tall junior varsity football player, and his coaches at Gwynn Park High School in Brandywine knew the 6-foot-5 ninth-grader was out of place.

“My coaches were, like, ‘we got to get you on the basketball team,’” Boyd said.

As a sophomore, Boyd played organized basketball for the first time. Now standing 6-9 in his senior year, Boyd recently gave a verbal commitment to accept a basketball scholarship at Howard University.

“Basically it came down to me and my family sitting down and discussing it, and I really wanted to get my college decision out of the way so I could focus on the season,” Boyd said. “It also came down to Howard because [2011 Gwynn Park graduate] Brandon Ford is on the team, and that’s a person I know. Also Howard is not too far from home and my parents can come to all of my games. The education offered there is also top-tier.”

Boyd also drew interest from Robert Morris University, Mount Saint Mary’s and St. Francis.

“It’s perfect for him,” said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. “It is the classic win-win position. First of all, Howard is getting a kid who’s going to end up being much better than his level. When Marcel is 20, 21 years old people are going to say that was a great recruit. They’re getting a kid with tremendous upside that does not have to step in and win right away.”

Boyd now turns his attention to preparing for his senior season. He will play a key role for the Yellow Jackets, who are the 2A South Region title the past two years. Last season, Boyd averaged 7 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Glick said Boyd’s progress from novice to an NCAA Division I scholarship in three years is impressive.

“I think Marcel has made remarkable improvement since I first got him, and all the credit goes to him and his work ethic and the hard work he put in,” Glick said. “I think Gwynn Park was an ideal situation for him because gave an opportunity to play a lot and learn from his mistakes. Playing on good teams really helped him where he didn’t have to shoulder the load.”

Boyd has spent a lot of time playing the past two summers with club teams, which he said has helped him immensely.

“I’ve been working on my footwork and all of that stuff for two years now,” Boyd said. “I played with Team Takeover my sophomore year. They helped me tremendously with my footwork. They played so many games. Then I joined Dynamic Disciples and they helped me tremendously with my coordination.”

Boyd’s conditioning has improved massively over the years, Glick said.

“Athletically, his stamina has gotten much better. Strength and coordination is much better,” he said. “In his first year, he played weak physically. He’s gotten some offensive moves where he can score consistently with a turnaround jumper and jump hook.”

In Glick’s six seasons at Gwynn Park, Boyd is the fourth Division I college player the Yellow Jackets have produced: Sean Thomas (Morgan State), Harold Washington (Canisius) and Ford (Howard).

“I’m just blessed to get the opportunity to play high school basketball and get a scholarship to a good school,” Boyd said.

thampton@gazette.net

Tuesday evening in the quarterfinal round of the Falconers’ Summer Basketball League at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, the Yellow Jackets did little to alter that reputation as they fell to Suitland, 29-24.

Gwynn Park (4-5) managed only two points from rising senior Marcel Boyd in a sluggish third quarter. The Yellow Jackets, who dressed only six players for the game, did get 10 points in the game from rising senior Jarvis Hawkins, however. Suitland managed only two points in the third period as well on a layup by Dequan Doyle.

“I thought we played as good game,” Hawkins said. “I know it was tough with only six players. But we stayed with them. It was a good summer. I think we have a lot of good players coming back, and we have some players moving up [from the junior varsity team]. This whole summer league was a good experience. I think we learned a lot about working together. I think we can win the [2A South] region again. I’m confident we can do that again.”

Hawkins scored the Yellow Jackets’ first three points and later added the first four points of the second quarter, which ended with the score tied 10-10. Hawkins had a conventional 3-point play late in the fourth quarter to bring the Yellow Jackets within one at 23-22 with 2 minutes, 19 seconds remaining. But Suitland’s Keyshawn Miller countered with two buckets and Lamont Reed had one as the Rams pulled away in the final 2 minutes to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals against top-seed Riverdale Baptist.

Wednesday’s semifinal games were played after The Gazette went to press. The championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. today at Riverdale Baptist.

Gwynn Park summer coach Spencer Way commended his undermanned squad for its effort on Tuesday and throughout the summer.

“We were a little sluggish in spots, but when you only have six players that’s going to happen,” Way said. “We tried to slow it down. We just had too many turnovers in key situations late in the game. But overall, I thought it was a good summer for these guys.”

Yellow Jackets’ rising junior Tracey Hudgens spent the previous two seasons with the junior varsity squad, but he expects to be part of the varsity team this coming winter. Hudgens connected on two jumpers in the second quarter, including the team’s only 3-pointer of the night during an 11-3 run that gave the Yellow Jackets their last lead of the game at 15-13 with 2 minutes left in the first half. Those buckets were quickly offset by two jumpers from Miller, which gave the Rams an 18-15 edge at the intermission.

“I think this summer showed me how much harder I have to work,” Hudgens said. “I watched the varsity games last year and they’re a lot better than JV. I have to improve my strength and conditioning, and I need to become more aggressive on the floor. It’s a lot tougher playing with only six players. You don’t get to rest. [Suitland] had some good shooters. I tried to stay with [Miller] but he got away from me a couple of times.”

tblack@gazette.net

Charles H. Flowers High School rising junior Brandon Green said Jaguars’ boys’ basketball coach Billy Lanier rarely mentions his days at Oxon Hill.

“The only time he brings up Oxon Hill is to tell us that he has rings and we don’t,” Green said. “He mentions Oxon Hill to let us know what it takes to win.”

Two years ago, the Jaguars won just four games. Last year, they won 14 and found themselves in the 4A South Region final in their second season under Lanier, who guided Oxon Hill to Class 4A state titles in 2000 and 2003. Lanier’s passion and confidence has rubbed off on his players at Flowers.

“We feed off him and he gets into us and into our heads,” said Green, who averaged 13.5 points per game last season. “That fuels us.”

Despite losing Tuesday night’s Falconers Summer League game to Gwynn Park, 30-23, the Jaguars understand that championships are built piece by piece and by doing all of the little things that helps teams become successful.

“We just have to keep working hard in the weight room, getting better on our own,” said Flowers rising junior Brandon Holloway.

Meanwhile, Gwynn Park was without a formidable presence on Tuesday, as rising senior guard Eric Batts continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, which he suffered in December. He has faced physical and mental challenges as he rehabilitates.

“It was emotional, especially when I first got the surgery,” Batts said. “Sometimes it felt like I wasn’t going to come back. It’s been real frustrating, especially considering it happened in my junior year, one of the most important years of my high school life. But I have people to push me like my family and my friends. I have great support behind me.”

Batts said he does not expect to be cleared by doctors to resume team activities until August or September.

The Yellow Jackets ended up getting hot at the right time last season, capturing the 2A South Region title before losing in the state semifinals. Batts believes the team’s fortunes may have been different had he been able to play.

“I feel like I brought that toughness to the team,” said Batts, who averaged 7.3 points per game through seven games in December. “I felt that when I went down, they got down a little bit but they got it together and started to win. I think if I would have played, we would have won the state title.”

Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick wants to make sure Batts comes back totally healed.

“I think the most important thing not only for Eric but for anybody is that they’re young and have a lot of career in front of them,” Glick said. “We want him to come back at 100 percent and not too early, and that’s the biggest thing. If he could rejoin us by January and be 100 percent, I would be elated.”

Glick said Batts has almost been like an extra assistant coach while he’s been sidelined, adding that seeing the game from that perspective will make Batts a better player once he’s back on the court.

“We really need his leadership on a team that returns no starters,” Glick said. “He’s had as good an attitude as any player I’ve coach with a major injury. He’s not depressed or down. He’s really been a great leader for our kids.”

thampton@gazette.net