Greer and Henderson watched Washington score a game-high 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting for Margaretta High School in a 58-55 loss to Northridge at the Beacon Orthopaedics Flyin’ To The Hoop. Head coach Anthony Grant joined his assistant coaches in the stands during the game.
Dayton will add to its 2026 class at some point, perhaps with another incoming freshman and certainly with transfers in the spring, but for now, Washington is the only newcomer committed to the 2026-27 roster. The Flyers will have at least three more open roster spots.
The opportunity to play 4.6 miles south of UD Arena, his future home, for the second straight season in the Flyin’ to the Hoop was something Washington looked forward to.
“I’m glad to be in Dayton, where I’m going to be soon in a couple months,” Washington said. “I was definitely excited.”
Washington, a 6-foot-5 guard, helped Margaretta (13-2) rally from a double-digit deficit in the second half to take the lead in the fourth quarter. He made back-to-back 3s during the comeback and later brought the Margaretta bench to its feet with a fast-break dunk.
Washington fouled out late in the fourth quarter, but his team still had a chance to win the game. Then one of the game’s other future Division I players, Northridge sophomore Keonte Smith, the No. 1 Ohio recruit in the 2020 class, made a go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds to play. Smith, a 6-5 guard averaging 18.4 points per game, scored 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting.
Margaretta’s Kale Bailey answered with a jump shot with five seconds remaining but was called for a charge. The go-ahead basket didn’t count. Northridge (13-1) celebrated its 11th straight victory.
Washington didn’t have his best shooting game. He made 5 of 11 2-point field goals and is shooting 77.7% from inside the arc this season. He made 2 of 5 shots from 3-point range, where he’s shooting 45.2%.
Washington’s scoring average stands at 26.3 points per game. He leads the Sandusky Bay Conference.
“He’s had a great year,” Margaretta coach Steve Keller said. “He’s an elite talent. He wasn’t overly efficient today, but he’s extremely efficient most of the time. Some of that had to do with what they did and just trying to take him away. He’s just a great kid. (Dayton is) getting a heck of a young man, No. 1, and I think he’s going to be a very good basketball player as well.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Washington committed to Dayton in October and signed with the Flyers in November. He’s the first Division I recruit for Keller, who has led the program since 2012.
Washington is Margaretta’s all-time leading scorer and a major focal point for the team’s offense, but he also makes the players around him better, Keller said.
“He’s had games of 11 assists,” Keller said. “Today he was in foul trouble, and I was very pleased with our ability to compete through adversity.”
Keller said Washington needs to get stronger at the next level.
“He’ll get (to Dayton) and work on that,” Keller said. “He’s an elite shot-maker. If he gets 15 more pounds, it’s really going to show.”
Washington said he focused on taking what the Northridge defense gave him on Monday.
“Obviously, you don’t want to rush into shots or force anything in a game like that,” he said. “I’m just staying aggressive and playing through my teammates.”
Washington has worked on improving his ball-handling and his shooting as a senior.
“My freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t think I was the greatest shooter,” he said. “I’m just staying in the gym, getting reps and getting a trainer to shoot a lot of shots.”
Margaretta won 24 games and back-to-back district championships the last two seasons. It beat Valley View 86-51 at the Flyin’ to the Hoop in 2025. Washington scored 35 points in that game.
“We had a big win here last year,“ Washington said. ”We wanted to come down here and get the W again. It didn’t happen. Hopefully, this is going to fuel us for the next couple games."
Washington has not been able to find time to see the Flyers play at UD Arena this season but hopes to find a date that works for his schedule. He has watched his future team closely whenever the game is available on YouTubeTv.com.
Dayton (14-4, 5-0) returns to action Tuesday at La Salle.
“They’re undefeated in the league right now, I’m pretty sure,” Washington said. “I’m not sure of their record, but I know they’ve lost four games. I’m keeping up with them. I really like Javon (Bennett) and Bryce (Heard). Those are my guys that I like to watch.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
About the Author
