Community rallies around Blake High boys basketball team, aims to fund championship rings

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April 2, 2026 4:56 p.m.

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The James Hubert Blake High School boys basketball team won the Class 4A state championship in March – the school’s first-ever state title — and now the community wants to show their support by financing rings for their players. 

As of Thursday, the GoFundMe has raised $3,650 toward its $4,000 goal to purchase 21 rings for the 15 players and six coaches from the Silver Spring school. Since the fundraiser started on March 23, it has received 46 donations. Each ring costs $189.  

“It’s a memory that lasts forever, it doesn’t ever go away,” Blake Head Coach Brandon Howell said of winning the championship in an over the phone interview with Bethesda Magazine last week. “It’s something these kids will be able to cherish. They built a brotherhood by just being together.” 

The Bengals beat the Walt Whitman High School Vikings 60-44 in the championship played at University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on March 14. It was the first state title for the school in any sport since the school opened in 1998. 

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After the game, coach Howell said he knew what he wanted to do next. 

“The next step was to make sure we put forth the effort to make sure the kids were able to receive championship rings,” he said. “The way to celebrate is to make sure these kids have something that’s going to be a long-lasting memory.” 

The ring will feature the blue tiger logo surrounded by layers of jewels and blue stones. The sides will say “Blake Bengals” next to a 25–1 record and the inside will say “1st ever championship in Blake history.” Each one will be customized with the player’s name.  

 When Anna Konkler-Hardy, mother of senior guard Eli Konkler, heard the cost of the rings, she put together a GoFundMe for the movement. “If one kid has [a ring], … I want everyone to have one,” she told Bethesda Today in a phone call Tuesday. 

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The Bengals’ most high-profile player was senior five-star recruit and Maryland commit Baba Oladotun, who was recovering from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for most of the season. The 6-foot-10 wing entered the title game almost halfway through the first quarter and quickly got out on a fast break, slamming down a dunk with two hands. 

While Oladotun made key contributions on both ends of the floor, it was the Bengals’ back court of senior guards Christian Kennard and Tahj Martin who led the team to the victory. 

For complete as-they-happen scores, visit bethesdamagazine.com/high-school-sports-zone.  

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine