Three nights later, in the Maryland Class 4A state championship game at the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center, the Vikings fell just short of their ultimate goal as they lost to Frederick, 74-49.
“Our season was unbelievable. That’s what we just focused on in the locker room,” Whitman Coach Chris Lun said. “[Frederick] definitely earned their championship tonight — they were by far the better team — but that does not take away from what we experienced as a group from our season-opener to here.”
Riding the high of sophomore Will Shapiro’s game-winner, Whitman (21-6) came out firing in the first quarter. The Vikings opened the game on a 10-3 run to the delight of a strong contingent of students and fans.
Quickly, that buzz died out as Frederick (24-4) woke up from its early slumber. The Cadets went on a 29-4 rampage in the second quarter to go into halftime leading by 18.
Frederick guard Ivan Quijada hit four three-pointers in the first two quarters, while senior guard Elwyne Wordlaw poured in 13 points.
Whitman senior guard Thomas Farrell — the Vikings’ most dangerous offensive weapon — tried to give his team a jolt coming out of the break, but the Cadets’ offensive barrage proved too much to overcome. Titian DeRosa (20 points) and Farrell (13 points) led the Whitman charge, but their efforts proved futile against a Frederick team that made 12 of its 21 three-pointers.
“They shot lights out; I mean, nobody was beating them tonight,” Lun said.
With less than two minutes left in the game, Lun pulled Farrell, who received a standing ovation and chants of his name from the Whitman student section. Farrell gave a hug to each person standing on the bench, putting an end to what he called “the best season of my life.”
“I knew coming into this game that it was going to be my last, win or lose,” Farrell said. “Just to take it in one last time, it’s pretty good, and I love all those guys on the bench, so it just hits different when you’re saying goodbye to them all for the last time.”