26x24 I watched Johnny Fierstein grow into his feet, literally. When he was young one of the leagues he played was I-270, the same as my boys. He played for Darnestown, the feeder teams to Quince Orchard High School and my sons played for Redland. Darnestown has always been a well-organized, program that teaches the fundamentals of the game. His team was well-coached, and the players seem to grow up knowing how to double-team on defense, and run the basic offense plays that help them mix well on any team. When Johnny reached high school I remember hearing he was training with Brad Pincback, and I thought, "Wow, he must be serious!" By the time he reached Coach Foringer at Quince Orchard, Johnny could shoot, leap, dribble and defend, better then most any player in the county. He is currently in his third year as a student and playing basketball at Salisbury University. In this image he's laying it in during the 2017 4A semi-final game at the Xfinity Center. Photographer: Jacqui South
12x36 Michael Jordan is one of my all time heroes. When I was asked to re-create MJ's 'Wings' poster for Justin Witmer, I was more than excited. I got to know Justin during Magruder's 2011/12 4A state championship season. I followed the team that year, covering almost every game. A bunch of the kids on the team had been playing together since they were in elementary or middle school. The team had chemistry, the players knew each other, and they had fun on the court. The team wore their "Who Datt / We Datt" shirts in honor of Spencer Datt, a teammate who had died the previous year, and they "Believed that Unbelieveable Things Can Sometimes be Possible", the Tim Tebow quote that Justin chose for this poster. Justin played basketball at Salisbury Univeristy, where he was 1st team all conference in his sophomore and senior year. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in Marketing and is now working for Cruise Line International. Photographer: Jacqui South
16x24 Each year during The Sentinel football preview assignment, I enjoyed going back to Springbrook to catch up with Coach Lomax or Coach Wendell and meet the current seniors. One of the things that really stood out was how polite the players were towards me. I think the coaches actually met with his senior players before I arrived, and helped to prepare them to know how to behave during an interview. The boys all shook my hand, said "Please" and "Thank You" and looked me in the eye when we spoke. Wow, right? These kids were learning more than just football over on Valleybrook Drive. Maybe I got special treatment because I'm a Springbrook alum? As a Blue Devil I remember the rivalry between Springbrook and Paint Branch. So when the teams played in 2017, it was a game I wanted to cover. The game was played at Paint Branch, so the home team got to run on the field carrying the American flag, through a tunnel of poms and cheerleaders holding a painted banner while the band played. Over on the visitors sideline, the Blue Devils were huddled up. I happened to be low to the ground in front of them as they broke apart. They saw me and started creeping towards me. I was half laying down, half crab-walking backward trying to keep them in my view. This image is the result, one that shows their spontaneous optimism before a big game. The Blue Devils played tough that night and the score was close throughout, but the Panthers came out on top 28-25. Photographer: Jacqui South
