Ten regions are in play on Thursday with semifinals for all, except in Region 4C where Tuscarora and John Handley collide for a regional crown, both having qualified for the State Tournament.
Wednesday night didn’t produce nearly the amount of late-game drama with overtimes and buzzer-beaters as Tuesday, primarily because there were fewer games and teams involved – just 22 matchups on the docket. As for the closest and dare we say most exciting game of the night, look no further than what transpired in Region 5D, where Potomac Falls erased a six-point half-time deficit to edge Albemarle, 55-54 in a matchup of two teams with veteran coaches worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
In the end, the Panthers under the direction of Jeff Hawes got the better of Greg Maynard’s Patriots, using the home-court advantage to their favor in crunch time. It was junior Joshua Prince who scored the go-ahead basket with less than a second to go to put the Panthers ahead after 6’4” junior guard Ben Wesson made a pair of free-throw to puts Albemarle in front. That came moments after junior James Delaney gave Potomac Falls a lead by a point on a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
The lone overtime game of the night came in Region 3A, where Lafayette was able to outlast Phoebus in Williamsburg, 62-55, as they also used the benefit of their home-court to extend their winning streak to 16 under Head Coach George Piggott. A deep three-pointer with five seconds to go in regulation by Carmelo Jefferson tied the score at 52-apiece and sent the home fans into a frenzy. The Rams next test, with a State Tourney spot on the line, will be a towering Lake Taylor bunch at the Norfolk Scope on Saturday in the regional semis.
There was no drama in Class 6, where Landstown, Oscar Smith, Forest Park and Patriot all cruised to punch their tickets to the State Playoffs. Of note, it is the seventh State Playoff berth in 19 seasons for Landstown Head Coach Dwight Robinson, now 16 wins away from 400 in his decorated career and doing one of his best jobs considering they graduated top scorer in Donald Hand Jr. to Boston College and start two freshmen. They ended the terrific season of reigning Region 6C Champ Manchester, who finished 22-2 overall, with an emphatic 66-47 beating.
A Cinderella if you will that’s moving on to State Playoff action out of Class 4 is Heritage of Newport News, led by first-year Head Coach Dimitri Batten, who starred at Kecoughtan and played College Hoops at both Old Dominion and Boston College. Batten’s Canes began the regionals at 11-11, but three straight wins over Deep Creek, Smithfield and Hampton puts them in the Region 4A Finals vs. King’s Fork – widely considered one of the favorites to win the State Championship – at Manor High in Portsmouth.
Graham, Gate City, Ridgeview and Virginia High all prevailed by double-figures in the Region 2D quarterfinals. Region 1A also produced double-digit winners in Lancaster, who topped Essex by 30, and Middlesex, a 72-61 victor over Northampton. Those two get to move on to the State Playoffs, but first will square off in Friday’s Region 1A title game. While Middlesex is riding an impressive 19-game winning streak under first-year Head Coach Curtis Williamson, the unbeaten Red Devils won both regular season matchups by a combined 83 points.
... Let's Recap how the Picks did on Wednesday 2/22/23 below...
6A = 1-1 (missed on Landstown/Manchester)
6B = 2-0
5D = 1-3 (missed on Brooke Point/Riverside, Potomac Falls/Albemarle & Stone Bridge/Massaponax)
4A = 1-1 (missed on Heritage/Hampton)
3A = 3-1 (missed on Lafayette/Phoebus)
2D = 4-0
1A = 1-1 (missed on Middlesex/Northampton)
1B = 2-0
Region Picks for Wed. 2/22/23: 15-7 (68.2%)
Hatfield's Region Playoff Picks for 2023: 106-30 (77.9%)
Region 6C: Semifinals
Patriot #2 Alexandria City (19-5) at National #1 Hayfield (25-1)
Hat’s Pick – Hayfield by 19
National #2 Thomas Edison (20-6) at Patriot #1 West Potomac (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Edison by 5
Revised Region Tourney Final Pick: Hayfield over Edison
Region 6D: Semifinals
Concorde #2 James Madison (18-7) at Liberty #1 George Marshall (22-3)
Hat’s Pick – Madison by 3 in OT
Liberty #2 Washington-Liberty (18-8) at Concorde #1 South Lakes (22-3)
Hat’s Pick – South Lakes by 6
Region Tourney Final Pick: South Lakes over Madison
Region 5A: Semifinals at Norfolk Scope
#4 Kempsville (12-11) vs. #1 Princess Anne (18-5)
Hat’s Pick – Princess Anne by 1
#7 Salem-VB (9-14) vs. #6 Green Run (10-13)
Hat’s Pick – Green Run by 5
Region Tourney Final Pick: Princess Anne over Green Run
Region 4C: Finals
Northwestern #1 Handley (17-10) at Dulles #1 Tuscarora (22-4)
Hat’s Pick – Tuscarora by 7
Region 3C: Semifinals
#5 Rustburg (14-9) at #1 Spotswood (22-2)
Hat’s Pick – Spotswood by 11
#6 Charlottesville (13-10) at #2 Staunton (19-4)
Hat’s Pick – Staunton by 5
Region Tourney Final Pick: Spotswood over Staunton
Region 3D: Semifinals
#4 Abingdon (20-5) at #1 Northside (25-0)
Hat’s Pick – Northside by 8
#3 Cave Spring (20-5) at #2 Tunstall (23-3)
Hat’s Pick – Cave Spring by 6
Region Tourney Final Pick: Cave Spring over Northside
Region 2A: Semifinals
#5 Thomas Jefferson-Richmond (12-11) at #1 John Marshall (23-0)
Hat’s Pick – John Marshall by 46
#6 Greensville (16-7) at #2 Brunswick (18-5)
Hat’s Pick – Brunswick by 4 in OT
Region Tourney Final Pick: John Marshall over Brunswick
Region 2B: Semifinals
#4 Strasburg (18-7) at #1 Clarke County (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Strasburg by 1
#6 Central-Woodstock (9-15) at #2 Madison County (20-6)
Hat’s Pick – Madison County by 10
Region Tourney Final Pick: Strasburg over Madison County
Region 1C: Semifinals at Pulaski County
Mountain Empire #4 Bland County (16-9) vs. #Mountain Empire #2 Auburn (20-6)
Hat’s Pick – Auburn by 20
Pioneer #2 Parry McCluer (17-9) vs. Mountain Empire #1 George Wythe (23-2)
Hat’s Pick – George Wythe by 16
Region 1D: Semifinals at Riverview Elementary
Cumberland #2 Eastside (15-10) vs. Black Diamond #1 Honaker (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Eastside by 4
Black Diamond #2 Grundy (16-9) vs. Cumberland #1 Twin Springs (18-7)
Hat’s Pick – Twin Springs by 17
Region Tourney Final Pick: Twin Springs over Eastside
Wednesday night didn’t produce nearly the amount of late-game drama with overtimes and buzzer-beaters as Tuesday, primarily because there were fewer games and teams involved – just 22 matchups on the docket. As for the closest and dare we say most exciting game of the night, look no further than what transpired in Region 5D, where Potomac Falls erased a six-point half-time deficit to edge Albemarle, 55-54 in a matchup of two teams with veteran coaches worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
In the end, the Panthers under the direction of Jeff Hawes got the better of Greg Maynard’s Patriots, using the home-court advantage to their favor in crunch time. It was junior Joshua Prince who scored the go-ahead basket with less than a second to go to put the Panthers ahead after 6’4” junior guard Ben Wesson made a pair of free-throw to puts Albemarle in front. That came moments after junior James Delaney gave Potomac Falls a lead by a point on a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
The lone overtime game of the night came in Region 3A, where Lafayette was able to outlast Phoebus in Williamsburg, 62-55, as they also used the benefit of their home-court to extend their winning streak to 16 under Head Coach George Piggott. A deep three-pointer with five seconds to go in regulation by Carmelo Jefferson tied the score at 52-apiece and sent the home fans into a frenzy. The Rams next test, with a State Tourney spot on the line, will be a towering Lake Taylor bunch at the Norfolk Scope on Saturday in the regional semis.
There was no drama in Class 6, where Landstown, Oscar Smith, Forest Park and Patriot all cruised to punch their tickets to the State Playoffs. Of note, it is the seventh State Playoff berth in 19 seasons for Landstown Head Coach Dwight Robinson, now 16 wins away from 400 in his decorated career and doing one of his best jobs considering they graduated top scorer in Donald Hand Jr. to Boston College and start two freshmen. They ended the terrific season of reigning Region 6C Champ Manchester, who finished 22-2 overall, with an emphatic 66-47 beating.
A Cinderella if you will that’s moving on to State Playoff action out of Class 4 is Heritage of Newport News, led by first-year Head Coach Dimitri Batten, who starred at Kecoughtan and played College Hoops at both Old Dominion and Boston College. Batten’s Canes began the regionals at 11-11, but three straight wins over Deep Creek, Smithfield and Hampton puts them in the Region 4A Finals vs. King’s Fork – widely considered one of the favorites to win the State Championship – at Manor High in Portsmouth.
Graham, Gate City, Ridgeview and Virginia High all prevailed by double-figures in the Region 2D quarterfinals. Region 1A also produced double-digit winners in Lancaster, who topped Essex by 30, and Middlesex, a 72-61 victor over Northampton. Those two get to move on to the State Playoffs, but first will square off in Friday’s Region 1A title game. While Middlesex is riding an impressive 19-game winning streak under first-year Head Coach Curtis Williamson, the unbeaten Red Devils won both regular season matchups by a combined 83 points.
... Let's Recap how the Picks did on Wednesday 2/22/23 below...
6A = 1-1 (missed on Landstown/Manchester)
6B = 2-0
5D = 1-3 (missed on Brooke Point/Riverside, Potomac Falls/Albemarle & Stone Bridge/Massaponax)
4A = 1-1 (missed on Heritage/Hampton)
3A = 3-1 (missed on Lafayette/Phoebus)
2D = 4-0
1A = 1-1 (missed on Middlesex/Northampton)
1B = 2-0
Region Picks for Wed. 2/22/23: 15-7 (68.2%)
Hatfield's Region Playoff Picks for 2023: 106-30 (77.9%)
Region 6C: Semifinals
Patriot #2 Alexandria City (19-5) at National #1 Hayfield (25-1)
Hat’s Pick – Hayfield by 19
National #2 Thomas Edison (20-6) at Patriot #1 West Potomac (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Edison by 5
Revised Region Tourney Final Pick: Hayfield over Edison
Region 6D: Semifinals
Concorde #2 James Madison (18-7) at Liberty #1 George Marshall (22-3)
Hat’s Pick – Madison by 3 in OT
Liberty #2 Washington-Liberty (18-8) at Concorde #1 South Lakes (22-3)
Hat’s Pick – South Lakes by 6
Region Tourney Final Pick: South Lakes over Madison
Region 5A: Semifinals at Norfolk Scope
#4 Kempsville (12-11) vs. #1 Princess Anne (18-5)
Hat’s Pick – Princess Anne by 1
#7 Salem-VB (9-14) vs. #6 Green Run (10-13)
Hat’s Pick – Green Run by 5
Region Tourney Final Pick: Princess Anne over Green Run
Region 4C: Finals
Northwestern #1 Handley (17-10) at Dulles #1 Tuscarora (22-4)
Hat’s Pick – Tuscarora by 7
Region 3C: Semifinals
#5 Rustburg (14-9) at #1 Spotswood (22-2)
Hat’s Pick – Spotswood by 11
#6 Charlottesville (13-10) at #2 Staunton (19-4)
Hat’s Pick – Staunton by 5
Region Tourney Final Pick: Spotswood over Staunton
Region 3D: Semifinals
#4 Abingdon (20-5) at #1 Northside (25-0)
Hat’s Pick – Northside by 8
#3 Cave Spring (20-5) at #2 Tunstall (23-3)
Hat’s Pick – Cave Spring by 6
Region Tourney Final Pick: Cave Spring over Northside
Region 2A: Semifinals
#5 Thomas Jefferson-Richmond (12-11) at #1 John Marshall (23-0)
Hat’s Pick – John Marshall by 46
#6 Greensville (16-7) at #2 Brunswick (18-5)
Hat’s Pick – Brunswick by 4 in OT
Region Tourney Final Pick: John Marshall over Brunswick
Region 2B: Semifinals
#4 Strasburg (18-7) at #1 Clarke County (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Strasburg by 1
#6 Central-Woodstock (9-15) at #2 Madison County (20-6)
Hat’s Pick – Madison County by 10
Region Tourney Final Pick: Strasburg over Madison County
Region 1C: Semifinals at Pulaski County
Mountain Empire #4 Bland County (16-9) vs. #Mountain Empire #2 Auburn (20-6)
Hat’s Pick – Auburn by 20
Pioneer #2 Parry McCluer (17-9) vs. Mountain Empire #1 George Wythe (23-2)
Hat’s Pick – George Wythe by 16
Region 1D: Semifinals at Riverview Elementary
Cumberland #2 Eastside (15-10) vs. Black Diamond #1 Honaker (17-8)
Hat’s Pick – Eastside by 4
Black Diamond #2 Grundy (16-9) vs. Cumberland #1 Twin Springs (18-7)
Hat’s Pick – Twin Springs by 17
Region Tourney Final Pick: Twin Springs over Eastside
