The three teams that entered Friday tied atop the County 3A/2A/1A League boys' basketball standings – Largo, Frederick Douglass and Potomac – will take center stage over the next week as they play one another. But a fourth team stands poised to be a factor during the final six regular season games and into the postseason: Gwynn Park.

The Yellow Jackets (12-4 overall, 8-4 league) were missing starting senior guard Brian Blue (football recruiting visit), but defeated Friendly, 67-60, Friday at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine. Juniors Brandon Ford and Tion Barnes led Gwynn Park past Friendly with 25 and 17 points, respectively. It was Gwynn Park's fifth win in its past six games.

"We're getting better, that's the key," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "I thought Curtis Hardy did a great job of stepping in and providing excellent defense in Brian Blue's absence."

Ford scored 10 points in the first quarter and connected on 11 of 13 field goal attempts, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Barnes gave the near-capacity crowd something to cheer about with three powerful slams and led his team with seven rebounds.

"Last year all I did was drive [toward the basket], so as teams would back up off me, I developed a jump shot," Ford said.

All nine of Ford's 2-point field goals came from in the lane. Reginald Sims scored 15 points, Michael Johnson added 12 and Davon Morton had 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Patriots.

Gwynn Park held a 33-31 halftime lead and Friendly was able to cut it to 36-35 with 6 minutes, 21 seconds to play in the third quarter on a layup by Johnson. But then both teams struggled to score. After two Gwynn Park free throws and a Friendly layup, the score was 38-37 with 4:33 left in the period.

The Yellow Jackets pulled away by scoring eight unanswered points over the next two minutes, with Ford and Barnes combining for six of them. Gwynn Park held a 50-41 lead heading into the final quarter.

Friendly (7-8, 6-7) was not able to get closer than five points in the fourth quarter, 63-58, with 59.2 seconds to play. The Patriots struggled to score after that and the Yellow Jackets extended their lead with two free throws and a layup.

Friendly, which was the Class 3A state runner-up last season, has lost three in a row and six of its last eight.

"It's been a long, trying season," said Friendly coach Rob Garner. "Our gameplan was we had to keep Ford out of the lane, and we had to keep Barnes and [Mike] Hemsley off the boards, and for a while we did that. And then for a two-minute stretch, they just absolutely overpowered us."

Gwynn Park plays at Largo on Tuesday, which entered play Friday night tied with Frederick Douglass and Potomac for first place in the County 3A/2A/1A League. Douglass beat Largo by a point on Friday.

Gwynn Park 67, Friendly 60

Friendly 18 13 10 19 - 60

Gwynn Park 21 12 17 17 - 67

Friendly (7-8, 6-7): Reginald Sims 15, Michael Johnson 12, Davon Morton 11, Justin Strong 7, Lovell Brooks 6, Sherrod Baltimore 4, Chris Adewole 3, Bernard Savoy 2.

Gwynn Park (12-4, 8-4): Brandon Ford 25, Tion Barnes 17, Eric Batts 11, Mike Hemsley 6, Curtis Hardy 6, Daniel Henry 2.