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FEDERALSBURG – While the longtime rivalry between Caroline’s two high schools played out on the basketball court Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, the teams had a single purpose: to raise awareness of opioid misuse and overdose.
Sporting Caroline Goes Purple warm-up shirts were North Caroline and Colonel Richardson high schools’ varsity and junior varsity boys basketball teams, who competed in late afternoon games before a crowd of over 200 spectators in Merrill Morgan Gymnasium at Colonel Richardson High School.
“They really like the shirts, and we talked yesterday at practice about what it's about,” said Brad Plutschak, CRHS boys basketball coach and school counselor at Caroline Career and Technology Center. said. “So that's the whole point, right? We're having the conversations.”
Shelly Niehaus, alcohol and drug prevention coordinator for Caroline County Behavioral Health, greeted spectators with pins, pens and flyers about the Mid Shore Opioid Misuse Prevention Program.
Niehaus said the purpose of the games was just more effort “to bring overdose awareness to the schools. The effort in both high schools “is actually going very well,” she said, with programs that bring counselors and students together once a week in both schools.
The basketball players were “pretty excited” about the games, Plutschak said.
“Both schools have the kind of fans (who) love their team, but they appreciate a good play by one of the other players. And both teams had a lot of good plays,” Plutschak said. “It was a good night – one team won the JV game, and one team won the varsity game.”
The Varsity Colonels bested the Bulldogs 82-58. Top Colonel scorers were Jazir Dickerson, 38 points, Leshaun Allen, 14 points, Makiah Batson, 14 points, and Robbie Cunningham, 13 points. Top Bulldogs were Brayden Lindsey, 20 points, Myles Adams, 14 points, and Quinneil Gross, 10 points.
North Caroline’s JV team beat Colonel Richardson 64-41.
For more information about opioid problems and solutions, including the dangers of fentanyl, visit www.midshoreompp.org.
