No. 15 Seneca Valley avenges No. 16 Tuscarora, triumphantly takes 3A West crown

GERMANTOWN — Teary eyed and with a glimmer smile, Brian Humphrey climbed the latter, step by step, with scissors in his right hand and a photograph of his dad in his left until he reached the top.

“This ones for dad,” Humphrey said, emotionally, honoring his father, Jimmy Humphrey, who passed away in late January.

The Seneca Valley head coach slapped the tape-outlined photograph to the backboard, with his father looking back at him, and cut the final piece of twine that dangled, thrusting whatever remained of the net in the air to the celebration over his shoulder.

After dropping the same exact game just a year ago, which felt as more of a dream than reality, No. 15 Seneca Valley (21-4) erased all doubt this time around to avenge No. 16 Tuscarora in the 3A West region championship 61-59.

“We were fortunate enough to get here last year,” Humphrey said. “It almost felt as a dream then, because of where we were before. … I’ve spent four years as a player, and this is my 10th coaching, so I’ve spent 14 years dreaming of this moment.”

It was an emotional and meaningful night for Humphrey and his Seneca Valley basketball team, as the victory pushed their win streak to 13 games. They haven’t lost a game since January 30th, two days after the passing of Jimmy Humphrey, who also ran the scorers book the past couple of years.

“I’m just playing for (Coach Humphrey’s) dad,” senior forward Quintin Twyman said. “He was such a kind person, you don’t like hearing that news. He was apart of our team, so I’m just doing it for him and coach.”

Twyman, who didn’t even make his win-less junior varsity team as a freshman, has developed from a bystander in the stands to one of the most dynamic forwards in Montgomery County in a span of four years.

He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, scoring seven of his teams last 12 points while grabbing a pair of pivotal offensive rebounds in the final five and half minutes.

The first offensive rebound ended in a put-back to push Seneca Valley’s lead to four points with 5:19 to go. The second offensive rebound happened with 14.1 seconds remaining when Twyman pulled down a Screamin’ Eagle missed free throw, and then was fouled on the put-back.

Two ensuing free throws would ice the game at 61-57.

“Thinking about it, it crushed my dreams,” Twyman said on not making his junior varsity team as freshman. “I mean, I couldn’t even make the win-less JV team, but (Coach Humphrey) pushed me. He made me better.”

Seneca Valley led by as many as 15 points at the six minute mark in the second quarter. For the next 10:20, Tuscarora would put together a 26-11 run due in large part to Demetrius Anderson, Jaylen Washington, John Chaney and Rhashad Johnson to knot the game up at 37-37.

When momentum was swaying away, Humphrey, Twyman and Seneca Valley did not panic.

“We talked about staying in the present, staying in the moment,” Humphrey said. “We knew they were going to make a run, they’re a good team. The next play is the most important.”

The Screamin’ Eagles would then flash a wrinkle on defense, changing to a 1-3-1 zone that distorted numerous of Tuscarora offensive possessions.

Tuscarora’s Myles Belton would knock down a 3-pointer off a slick feed from Johnson to give Tuscarora their second lead of the game, 55-53, with 2:22 to go.

The Titans would nurse a one point lead with under a minute remaining, until Johnson appeared to hit a slick spot in the open court, causing him to tumble and lose control of the ball. That would set up two free throws from Triston Price (11 points).

Tuscarora had another opportunity, but that ended with a turnover as well.

A year ago, Seneca Valley squandered a halftime lead to Linganore in a game they lost, 58-52. They watched a ceremony that could have been there’s. It imprinted a vision that would lead to now — a date at the Xfinity Center in College Park next Thursday at 5:00 pm (winner of Centennial and Stephen Decatur).

“Coach made us watch Linganore’s ceremony last year,” Twyman said. “It set a vision. Ever since then, all we wanted to do was cut down those nets. I’m so happy I could be apart of this, it’s surreal.”

Brandon Simpson added 11 points and eight rebounds for Seneca Valley. Johnson finished with 18 points and Isaiah Tillman registered a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, both respectively for Tuscarora.

“I just wish (dad) was here,” Humphrey said. “That’s why I put the picture (up on the backboard), in his honor, his memory. It just feels great.”