Winters Mill Boys Basketball Off to Strong Start Under First Year Head Coach

Winters Mill boys basketball head coach Billy Mays is enjoying his first season at the helm of the Falcons' program. Mays, who served as an assistant at Winters Mill for 13 years before getting the head coach position, has a talented and experienced squad at his disposal.

The team has played well for their new head coach, starting the season 7-3, with victories over Carroll County rivals Century, South Carroll and FSK being the marquee wins.

"Based on the returning experience and leadership, quite honestly, I expected the team to play well and compete at a high level," Mays said. "I'm just glad that they responded well to the strategies of the coaching staff and lived up to the high expectations thus far."

The coaching staff's strategies have been focused primarily on the defensive end of the court. Mays says a lot of what the Falcons like to do revolves around playing quick on defense, pressuring the ball to create turnovers for the opposition. Off those turnovers, Winters Mill is able to get quick points on fast breaks.

It's a strategy that gets the best out of the talent pool that Winters Mill has.

"With the quickness of our guards and the versatility of our forwards, that kind of pace suits us," Mays said. "At the same time, we have guards that can attack the basket and shoot from the perimeter as well in our half court sets which makes us, at times, hard to match up with."

Keon Claiborne has been the team's leading scorer this season with 20.4 points per game. Claiborne has proven he isn't just a scorer though, adding 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.3 assists per game.

Braedon Dorsey has also put together a strong season for the Falcons. Dorsey is averaging 16.6 points per game, shooting an impressive 82% from the free throw line, and 39% from 3-point range.

Tre Woodyard has been another big contributor for Winters Mill. Woodyard has averaged 11.8 points per game, as well as 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 assists. Much like Dorsey, Woodyard has been effective from beyond the arc, hitting 35% of his 3-point attempts.

Looking ahead, that trio will lead Winters Mill into the back end of their season with high expectations. The team has a lot of tough opponents to play, including Linganore, Williamsport and Randallstown, as well as a rematch with Century. Despite the difficult slate of games, Mays still has high hopes for where this team can end their season.

"We want to win the county championship and get a high seed in the region for the playoffs," Mays said. "At that point, we want to strive to play consistent and win the region title. From there, we want to win a state championship."