Washington
HS Basketball: Cory McKinney taking over Washington girls program
South Bend Washington High School has turned to one of its own to lead its girl’s basketball program.
Cory McKinney, a former standout player at Washington, is the new leader of the Panthers.
McKinney, a 2018 Washington graduate, replaces Steve Reynolds. Reynolds resigned in March and then accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Texas at Arlington in April. Reynolds was 189-89 in 11 seasons at Washington.
McKinney, who served as an assistant coach for the Washington boys hoops program during the 2024-25 campaign, is ready to take on his first head coaching position.
“This is a blessing and surreal to me,” said McKinney. “I grew up down the street from Washington. I want to be on the West Side and make a difference here. This is where I’m from.”
McKinney averaged a team-high 13.3 ppg. his senior season in 2017-18 as the Panthers finished 15-9 under Ryan Varga. Varga left as Washington’s boys coach in May to become the new boys coach at Jimtown High School. Maurice Scott, who coached the Washington girls team prior to Reynolds, is the new boys coach at Washington.
McKinney takes over a program in a rebuilding phase after a stellar six-year run. The Panthers went 138-25 the past six seasons with five sectionals, three regionals, two semi-states and the Class 3A state title in 2022. That 2021-22 squad that finished 27-3 had six Division I players on it, led by Mila, Amiyah and Kira Reynolds, three daughters of coach Reynolds.
Washington posted a 24-2 mark a season ago with a 53-43 loss to Warsaw in a Class 4A regional game. The Panthers lost six seniors from a roster of 12, including stars Kira Reynolds, Ryiah Wilson and Monique Mitchell. Mitchell was an Indiana All-Star, while all three are slated to play Division I college hoops this upcoming season. The Panthers did not have a junior varsity team last season.
“We have to get to work and start from the ground up,” McKinney said. “Our numbers in the program are to be determined, but it’s very important to have a feeder system. We plan to have a camp later in July for both the boys and girls, so we will see how that goes.”
Washington Athletic Director Garland Hudson feels confident that McKinney is the man for the job.
“Cory is a home grown guy and this is something he wanted,” Hudson said. “I just feel this is how it was supposed to be. He has a passion for it.
“It’s definitely a transition time for sure for our girls basketball program. It’s going to take a group effort to support him, but that’s nothing new at Washington. That’s what we do here. Everyone supports everyone in our athletics. We’re a family here.”
McKinney went on to have an outstanding college career playing at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne. He was a three-time Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the program’s all-time leader in assists and minutes played and helped the Warriors finish as NAIA national runner-up in 2023. The 25-year-old teaches at Washington and his wife Le Anna is expecting their first child in September.
“I’m pretty confident in my ability and I’m looking forward to molding the program into what I want it to be,” McKinney stated.
“The main things I plan for people to see this season from our team is communication and a very defensive minded and fast-paced team.”
McKinney pointed to several men who have played a part in his desire to coach.
“The people who have had the biggest influence on me to coach would be Coach Ted Albert from Indiana Tech, Coach Varga and Pat Magley, who is the founder of Heroes Camp in South Bend,” McKinney said. “Also, Scott Francoeur (the girls basketball coach at South Bend Saint Joseph), who I coach boys high school travel basketball with.”
Hudson says that it will take time for the program to grow.
“We’re building a program at all levels,” Hudson remarked. “Success under Cory is not something that is going to be determined in just one year. It’s going to be looked at in like four years. That will be a better measure of how it looks then.”
4 things to know about the weather:
- Nice Mother’s Day morning
- Shower chance late Sunday
- Morning showers on Monday
- Temperature drop to start the new workweek
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! Mother Nature will give us nice conditions for most of the day on Sunday. Expect sunshine and mild conditions for the first half of the day, then a chance of showers near dinner time.
Monday includes a chance of rain, mainly in the morning, then cooler air settles into the area. Highs go from near 80°on Sund ay to the mid 60s Monday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
MOTHER’S DAY:
Mostly sunny
Showers late
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Low 80s
MONDAY:
Shower chance early
Partly cloudy afternoon
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Mid 60s
TUESDAY:
Sunny
Wind: N 5-10 mph
HIGH: Upper 60s
SUNRISE: 6:00 a.m. SUNSET: 8:09 p.m.
AVERAGE HIGH: 75° AVERAGE LOW: 56°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.
Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.
Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.
Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.
An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
Washington
Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education
Updated:
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.
“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”
The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.
Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”
Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.
The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.
Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.
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