Wooten vs. Wooten: All in the Family

By Colleen Kennedy
Special to the HERALD
(From the issue of 1/31/02)

The pressure was on and the players and audience alike felt the excitement at an O’Connell basketball game in early January. The Bishop O’Connell Knights faced the DeMatha Stags, a D.C. high school basketball powerhouse, but this game featured a special match-up, extending beyond the players.

DeMatha’s head coach is the legendary Morgan Wooten. O’Connell’s head coach is his son, Joe Wooten.

Throughout the hard-fought game the lead changed frequently. The high anxiety already felt among players and fans increased when O’Connell senior Ahmad Smith was fouled near the end of regulation play. He managed to sink two of the three critical free throw shots, tying the game 55-55 and sending it into overtime. Smith was at the foul line again at the end of overtime and made two more free throws to win for O’Connell 62-61.

This was the first O’Connell win over the DeMatha stags in the school’s over 40-year history. Smith said the key to this victory was "maintaining our composure and not getting overwhelmed. This year we had a lot more team unity. Last year we were a team of little cliques." According to Smith, the team’s goals are to "win the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and the City Title." He adds, "I think we can do it."

After the game, Rene Knott, sportscaster from ABC Channel 7 in D.C., interviewed Smith. Knott chose him as high school athlete of the week. "Even though I was completely surprised by being chosen for the interview," Smith said, "I was already prepared because it is mandatory that we wear a shirt and tie to the game."

Other local media also covered the special coaching match-up and after the game Joe Wooten shook his father’s hand in a gesture of goodwill. Later, the younger Wooten said, "the media makes us out to be against each other, but I’m happy for the kids because they deserved the win." The elder Wooten also felt it was "a wonderful win, but of course I’m disappointed for my kids."

Joe Wooten said he feels his team is "very capable of beating the best teams, but [the] team also has to remember that this was only one game. Our team goal from here on out is to compete for the regular season title." O’Connell has a 13-2 overall record and is ranked 1st in the Northern Virginia area and 5th in the entire metro area by the Washington Post.

Morgan Wooten is known for his incredibly competitive teams and he is the only high school coach to be inducted in the NBA Hall of Fame. He has won over 1250 games and has been at DeMatha for 45 years. Joe Wooten played for him and was also his coaching assistant before leaving for O’Connell. There is a mutual feeling of admiration between the two Wootens. Morgan Wooten is very proud of his son, saying, "Joe is an excellent teacher. He is very loyal and he really does care. He doesn’t just coach, he also prepares the seniors for college. He goes for total development."

However, Morgan Wooten says that playing against his son is a "no-win situation. If he wins, then good for him, but then I’m disappointed for my team. If my team wins, great, but then I’m disappointed for him."

Answering speculation about his future, Joe Wooten says that when the head-coaching job at DeMatha becomes available, he’s not interested. "I want to build the best program here at O’Connell. Besides, if I were to leave O’Connell for DeMatha, I’d be going from the best to the second best.

"We are both having great seasons,"  he said.

In the Jan. 29 rematch, DeMatha beat the Knights at O'Connell. Will there be a round three?

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