Three time defending WCAC Champion DeMatha will take on DCIAA Champion Theodore Roosevelt in the City Title game tonight at 7:30 at the Verizon Center.
On paper, this is a mismatch, just like it is every year. The WCAC is traditionally leaps and bounds above the public schools in the area, and DeMatha is the premier team in that conference. DeMatha is 25-7 on the season, which is a few more wins than they are used to in Hyattsville. But they played their basketball at the right time, and beat Gonzaga last week at American for the WCAC Title.
Theodore Roosevelt is 25-5, and needed some late game magic in their last two contests to win the DCIAA Championship. Ezell Starks hit a layup as time expired to hit to beat Eastern in the Championship game last weekend.
The big advantage that DeMatha will have over Roosevelt will be their size. Even their point guard James Robinson is built like a linebacker. But up front they have Jerami Grant, Mikael Hopkins and Beejay Anya, three players that will likely tower over anyone on their opposition. If they win this game today, and I fully expect them to, it will be with their size.
The Girl's Title game features WCAC Champion St. John's against DCIAA Champion H.D. Woodson. This is Woodson's sixth straight appearance in the Title game. The Girl's side of the draw is typically much more evenly balanced than the boy's side so this figures to be a much closer battle. But St. John's has a lot of talent, particularly on the wings, so I still expect them to be victorious.