1. Baseball team won state championship after walk off comeback:
This year, JR baseball reached the state finals for the fifth consecutive year after upsetting Gonzaga in the semifinals for the second year in a row. Their opponents, the Maret Frogs, were the underdogs in the game, but looked strong after their upset of first seeded St. Albans. The Tigers started the game rough, letting up three runs in the first two innings, with many defensive errors and walks. With Maret’s University of Richmond commit pitching, it was looking grim for the Tigers. Following multiple base hits, the Tigers had runners on second and third, setting up senior Jack Jannsen to score a two-run RBI, bringing the Tigers to a one run deficit. In the top of the seventh and final inning, things quickly went south, with the deficit increasing back to one. With the need to dig deep, JR quickly loaded the bases on their final three outs in the seventh. The Tigers were now level at four and only needed one run to win the game. The very next at-bat, Rosario, hit a dagger into shallow center field, bringing Leckszas home for a walkoff RBI, and winning the first state championship for varsity baseball since 2018.
2. Boys soccer won city title on penalties:
In the DCIAA soccer championship, a thriller is always expected. The boys varsity soccer team took on the Bell Griffins. Bell took a 1-0 lead with just over 20 minutes to play in the second half. But with five minutes remaining, senior Daniel Serrano Mancia scored a solo goal. The Tigers forced extra time, but as no goals were scored, penalty kicks decided the nail-biting match. Junior Jackson Loomis missed the first penalty, but was given another chance after the referee deemed that Bell’s goalie was off his line and subsequently scored. Following penalties were scored by freshman Paxton Sand and junior Luther Sand. Captain Lucas Wendel scored as well, but junior captain Quinn McInerney’s shot was saved. It looked like the Tigers were about to let the title slip from their grasp, as Bell just needed one goal to win it. However, their next penalty hit the crossbar and captain Nico Anagnostopoulous scored to get the advantage. Bell’s next penalty would fly over the crossbar, to give the Tigers a 5-4 penalty shootout win and their second DCIAA conference title in a row.
3. Scottie Hubbard nailed last second shot at Gonzaga DC Classic:
The varsity boys basketball team went into the Gonzaga DC Classic with a chip on their shoulder after losing to Gonzaga in the finals the previous year. However, the task wasn’t easy, as they would have to face the then #28 MaxPreps ranked team in the country, Archbishop Ryan from Philadelphia. The Tigers had the lead in the first half, with 36-16 at the break. However, in the third quarter, they were outscored 21-2, holding on to a one point lead. The fourth quarter was scrappy, and the Tigers found themselves down 47-44 with one minute left on the clock. With 44 seconds to go, senior guard Lucas Sekasi fired off a fade away three-pointer to tie the game. Archbishop Ryan lost their possession on a travel with exactly 30 seconds left, allowing the Tigers to hold for the last shot. After senior guard Joe McRae drained the clock with possession, he passed it over to Sekasi to take it down the left lane, and senior forward Scottie Hubbard found himself with the ball with three seconds remaining, shooting a deep three to claim the Tigers’ first marquee win of the season.
