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EASTON - The Colonel Richardson High School Boys Basketball Team played in the first ever Bayside Championship game in 1972, but lost to Washington High School. They had a second chance against Washington High at the Baysides again in 1975, but couldn’t pull it off. Thus began an over fifty year drought of boys basketball Bayside Championship appearances for the Colonels.
But on Thursday, February 26, 2026, the team finally found themselves back at the Baysides, battling Wicomico County High for the title in the Easton High School gymnasium. With a regular season record of 15-1, Colonel Richardson had outdone all other upper-Shore boys basketball teams and was therefore crowned the North Bayside Champion. Tickets to the match went on sale the day prior at noon, and by dinnertime, the around 700 capacity event had completely sold out.
The South Bayside Champions, Wicomico, were winning by 15 points at halftime. But as Colonel’s head coach of 18 years, Brad Plutschak, said, “There’s just something a little bit different about this team, they come from behind a lot, they handle adversity probably the best of any group I’ve had.” In the end, the Colonels were celebrating a 77-72 clinch.
Plutschak said that there was an “impromptu parade” as the team received a police escort by the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office and fans gathered outside to wave as they passed through on their way home. A banner will be hung from the rafters of Colonel High’s gym to mark their historic win. “They will always be champions,” Plutschak said.
The 2025-2026 Colonel Richardson boys basketball team is comprised of Savion Dukes, LeShaun Allen, Ja'Zir Dickerson, Ma'Kiah Batson, Robert Cunningham III, Jakiah Jones, Jayden Butler-Taylor, Brendan Groce, Gavin Good, Bradley Thomas, Jacklin Novembre, and Maximiliano Zapata Otalvaro. Plutchask’s assistant coaches are James Jackson and Vernon Murray.
