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Basketball power rankings: Top 4 Bayside South boys and girls teams as playoffs near

alec branch, salisbury daily times
·4 min read

The basketball postseason is just around the corner for MPSSAA schools, as the final regular season matchups are set to unfold over the next week. And for Bayside South teams, that means preparing for regional playoffs, while the top Bayside North and South teams will battle for the conference title at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Feb. 20.

It's been another entertaining year of basketball in the Bayside South, with high stakes, exciting games, rivalry matchups and a lot of competition at the top of the standings. And with the regular season coming to a close, it seems fitting to look back on the season by looking at who have been the top teams so far this season.

Here is a power ranking of the top four Bayside South teams this regular season in both girls and boys basketball:

Boys basketball

1. Stephen Decatur

Decatur's Brycen Coleman (23) puts in the layup against Bennett Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Clippers 69-63.
Decatur's Brycen Coleman (23) puts in the layup against Bennett Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Clippers 69-63.

After losing their first game of the season to Snow Hill in mid-January, the Decatur Seahawks have gotten right back to their winning ways, reeling off seven straight wins, including victories over the same Snow Hill team and James M. Bennett in huge matchups between the top teams in the Bayside South. With just one loss on the season and a handful of games left before the postseason, Decatur is in the driver seat for the Bayside South Championship, and one of the top seeds in Class 3A. Senior big man Brycen Coleman also reached the 1,000 career point mark during their win over Wi-Hi this week, and the Seahawks' backcourt duo of Careen Bolden and Davin Chandler have been immense on both ends of the court for Decatur.

2. James M. Bennett

Bennett's Zakai Smullen (1) shoots from behing the three-point line against Decatur Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Clippers 69-63.
Bennett's Zakai Smullen (1) shoots from behing the three-point line against Decatur Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Clippers 69-63.

After an up and down start to the season against stiff competition, the Bennett Clippers have hit their stride, losing just one game since the new year began. Junior guard duo Zakai Smullen and Jace Hudson both recently reached the 1,000 career point mark, and alongside key contributors like Darion Collins and Wes Moss, the Clippers look poised to make some noise in the Class 3A playoffs.

3. Snow Hill

Snow Hill's Jayden Hudson (0) dribbles in the game against Bennett Tuesday, 30, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. The Clippers defeated the Eagles 73-64.
Snow Hill's Jayden Hudson (0) dribbles in the game against Bennett Tuesday, 30, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. The Clippers defeated the Eagles 73-64.

After their biggest win of the season over the Decatur in January, the Snow Hill Eagles suffered some close losses to Decatur and Bennett on the road. They are still one of the Bayside's two top teams in Class 1A, and with regionals just around the corner, a potential playoff rematch with a dominant Cambridge-South Dorchester Squad could decide just how far this impressive Snow Hill season continues to go.

4. Wicomico

Wi-Hi's Takai Hugee (30) dribbles in the game against Bennett Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, at the Waller Dome in Salisbury Maryland. Bennett defeated Wi-Hi 79-59.
Wi-Hi's Takai Hugee (30) dribbles in the game against Bennett Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, at the Waller Dome in Salisbury Maryland. Bennett defeated Wi-Hi 79-59.

While Wi-Hi's streak of five straight Bayside Championships will come to an end this season, it's still been an impressive season for a young team that graduated all of its key players from a squad that went to back-to-back state semifinals. Battling with Queen Anne's and Easton in Class 2A regionals will be tough, but it wouldn't be smart to count out a Wi-Hi team coached by the legendary Butch Waller.

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Girls basketball

1. Wicomico

Wi-Hi's Gabrielle Corbin (14) dribbles in the game against Decatur Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. Wi-Hi defeated Decatur 67-24.
Wi-Hi's Gabrielle Corbin (14) dribbles in the game against Decatur Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. Wi-Hi defeated Decatur 67-24.

The Wi-Hi girls basketball team has been undoubtedly the top team in the Bayside South this year, dominating opponents night in and night out, with their only loss of the season coming in the Governor's Challenge in December. Undefeated in Bayside games, they recently picked up another big win, defeating Bayside North leaders Queen Anne's 81-39 Wednesday afternoon in what could be a preview of the Bayside title game. This Wi-Hi team, led by players like Gabrielle Corbin and Se'Lah Foreman, looks to close out what's been a dominant Bayside season with a Bayside Championship.

2. Parkside

Parkside's Zion Oge (10) shoots by Decatur's Makenzee Purnell (24) Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. Parkside defeated Decatur 62-32.
Parkside's Zion Oge (10) shoots by Decatur's Makenzee Purnell (24) Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. Parkside defeated Decatur 62-32.

Parkside has similarly dominated their Bayside schedule, with star center Zion Oge leading the way for the Rams with plenty of great performances throughout the season. Their two losses to Wi-Hi this season have put them behind their city rivals in the race for the Bayside South crown and the right to compete for a Bayside title. But the Class 2A playoffs could provide an opportunity to bring home some hardware.

3. Stephen Decatur

Decatur's Allison Swift (3) dribbles in the game against Wi-Hi Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. Wi-Hi defeated Decatur 67-24.
Decatur's Allison Swift (3) dribbles in the game against Wi-Hi Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Berlin, Maryland. Wi-Hi defeated Decatur 67-24.

After back-to-back Bayside South titles the last two years, its been an up and down season for the Seahawks, winning games but falling to some of the tougher competition they've faced, including Parkside and Wi-Hi. They'll be competing in the Class 3A playoffs, hoping to make it past teams like South River and Severna Park in their region when the postseason starts in a couple weeks.

4. Snow Hill

Snow Hill's Marrah Milbourne (23) drives in the game against Cambridge Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Snow Hill, Maryland. The Eagles defeated the Vikings 47-38 to head to the 1A state quarterfinals.
Snow Hill's Marrah Milbourne (23) drives in the game against Cambridge Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Snow Hill, Maryland. The Eagles defeated the Vikings 47-38 to head to the 1A state quarterfinals.

After winning a regional title last year in Class 1A, Snow Hill has continued to look like one of the Bayside's top 1A teams, losing only to Cambridge on the road in their first game of the season. They'll look to defend their regional crown in the coming weeks, hoping to make it through a crowded field of Bayside 1A teams.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Basketball power rankings: Top 4 Bayside South boys and girls teams