Short-handed Carver Vo-Tech reaches MPSSA 2A state championship despite suspensions

With their head coach and all but five players serving a one game suspension, the Bears top Middletown to earn their first appearance in a state final; Largo defeats C. Milton Wright to return to the 2A state final

Teams that win championships often talk about the adversity they had to overcome during their journey. With one more win, the Carver Vo-Tech boys basketball team may have volumes to say on the subject.

The Bears took to the floor, Tuesday evening, for their MPSSAA Class 2A state semifinal playoff game against Middletown with their head coach and all but five varsity players serving a one-game suspension, as a result of an incident at the end of their state quarterfinal game at Queen Anne's on Saturday.

Augmented by four call-ups from the junior varsity and led by assistant coach Darius Brown, the Bears' five remaining varsity players went nearly the entire way as the team defeated the Knights, 64-56, at Thomas Johnson High School.

Four of the five remaining varsity players scored in double-figures for the Bears (20-5), led by 15 each from Kalial Colclough and David Ross. Dorrian Sands scored 14 and Desmond Handon netted 13. The fifth player, Anthony Ross, chipped in with six points.

David Ross (left) and Dorrian Sands were two of only five eligible varsity players on the floor for Carver Vo-Tech in its MPSSAA Class 2A state semifinal win over Middletown, Tuesday night. The Bears, with their full roster, will now face Largo for the Class 2A state championship this weekend at the University of Maryland's Xfinity Center / Photo by Derek Toney

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2024 MPSSAA BOYS 2A STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

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Carver head coach Anthony Parker and his remaining players were all suspended for the game for leaving the bench in the team's quarterfinal victory at Queen Anne's, as tempers flared following a hard foul on Sands that sent him crashing to the floor, early in the third quarter, with Carver holding a commanding 47-15 lead.

Watch: Altercation ends Maryland basketball playoff game

No punches appeared to be thrown as Parker and several spectators were able to separate the players and order was restored. The game officials then huddled for several minutes and decided to call the contest at that point, declaring Carver the winner.

MPSSAA rules mandate a one-game suspension for any players or coaches who leave the bench area and enter the floor. The school appealed the suspensions to the state association, but the appeal was denied. Thus, the Bears took the floor on Tuesday with only the five players who were in the game at the time of Saturday's incident eligible to play.

Those five went nearly the entire way. David Ross left the contest briefly, late in the first quarter, with an injury and Anthony Ross fouled in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Junior varsity call-up Charles Modge came on and got on the score sheet with a free throw.

Carver came out with a lot of emotion in the first half and built a 29-21 lead, which it extended to 42-27 early in the third quarter. The Bears, however, were not yet finished facing adversity.

Middletown (25-3) caught fire late in the third quarter and closed the period on a 13-0 run to get back within three. The Knights continued their surge early in the fourth and forged in front, 45-42, in the first minute of the final quarter.

From there, the lead changed hands several times before Carver was able to mount an 11-0 run, fueled by a three-pointer and five points from Colclough, to regain control.

Carver Vo-Tech will now meet Largo, a 61-46 winner over C. Milton Wright in Tuesday's other 2A state semifinal. The dates and times of all of the MPSSAA state championship games, to be played at the University of Maryland's Xfinity Center, will be announced at the conclusion of Wednesday's remaining boys and girls state quarterfinal contests.

Largo (24-2) reached its second consecutive 2A state championship game appearance. The Lions were led by their 6-foot-8 star Cam Ward, who holds more than 25 Division I scholarship offers. He scored a game-high 25 points while Jalen Johnson also reached double figures with 14.

Dylan Sander and Cayne Woodland each scored 11 to lead C. Milton Wright (20-5).