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The truth is that most of the spectators at Saturday's Class 4A West Region boys basketball final wanted Springbrook to lose. It just never seems to happen.

The Blue Devils extended their in-county winning streak to 54 games with their 64-54 victory over Richard Montgomery at Blair High, with Walker playing the key role. The senior guard scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half, including the backbreaking 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter.

"We needed someone to step up," said Walker, "and I wanted to carry them on my back."

As part of a completely revamped starting five, Walker has led Springbrook (23-1) in scoring this season (15.5 points per game). But it took his finest all-around game of the year to put his team into the 4A state semifinals for the third straight year.

The game stayed close until the senior guard got going late in the third quarter. He scored eight points in the final two minutes, including a top-of-the-key three just before the buzzer.

Richard Montgomery (21-3) fought back several times, and Shawn Stephens' over-the-shoulder layup cut the deficit to five midway through the fourth quarter. But on the next possession, Walker froze a defender with a behind-the-back dribble and drained a trey from the right wing.

"He's the backbone, the rock, everything of our team," said Springbrook head coach Tom Crowell. "He's a great kid, works hard in practice. He's a pleasure to coach."

Looking for its first region title since 1967, the Rockets opened the game with early theatrics. Stephens sliced in for a layup on their first possession, while fellow senior T.J. Fitzgerald (team-high 14 points) banged home two jumpers.

Almost immediately, the Rockets had a 6-0 lead. And led by their four three-year starters, seniors Stephens, Fitzgerald, point guard Nick Brown (13 points) and swingman Dominique Hansberry, they appeared poised for their 15th victory in a row.

"I think that says it all," said Richard Montgomery head coach Scott Spear. "I love these guys. It was a great run."

But the Blue Devils have spotted quick leads before. Blake had them by 13 points back in December, and Whitman led 26-9 in their Feb. 18 matchup.

They always have the answer.

This one was immediate, in the form of a 7-0 run in retaliation. It was punctuated by junior Devon Pestano's steal and shocking fast-break jam while being fouled by Stephens.

The 6-foot point guard wasn't done, finishing with 12 points and six steals.

"You know he has that toughness because he's a football player," said Crowell. "Every practice, he's like ‘Coach, let me guard this guy', and I tell him, you know, ‘Let me be the coach here.' But that's usually who he ends up guarding and he usually does a pretty good job on them."

With ample support from long bodies Myles Jackson, Samin Ogunjobi and Demetrius Austin (21 points combined), the Blue Devils earned a date at University of Maryland-College Park's Comcast Center, where they will vie for their third straight 4A state title.

No school has ever done that in Maryland's highest classification.