After best game of season, Blazers can't pull it out

FEB. 27, GAITHERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL-

The 2003-2004 season came to a sad end tonight in a gut-wrenching 63-62 loss to the Gaithersburg Trojans in the first round of the playoffs. "[The Blazers] left it all out there on the court," said Assistant Coach Wendell Hall. "It just wasn't enough."

After playing its most complete game of the season, Blair's fortunes all came down to a single controversial call. With three seconds left and Blair up by one, a Gaithersburg player drove into the lane and was stuffed by senior Doojy Pierre-Louis. The block looked clean, but one of the referees blew his whistle. The Trojan sank both of his shots and that was that. A desperation shot by senior Mike Smith clanged off the rim.

"It's sad that the first time we put together a complete game it came down to a questionable call," said Hall.

Smith led the Blazers with 18 points, but the game was really the greatest team effort of the season. Nearly everyone played, and everyone who did played well.

So ended a disappointing campaign, which saw players lost to ineligibility and a lack of team play from the beginning. Blair showcased its talent on rare occasions and won some of the games it was supposed to, but on the whole couldn't put together the kind of year-long effort that was expected after a 3-1 start in December. A three-game stretch against -ranked teams dropped the Blazers below .500 and they were never able to recover.

For the seniors, tonight's loss capped an underachieving couple of years on varsity. For everyone else, there's always next year.