#8 Sherando @ #1 Millbrook
#5 Fauquier @ #4 Liberty
#7 Culpeper @ #2 Handley
#6 Kettle Run @ #3 James Wood
#5 Fauquier @ #4 Liberty
#7 Culpeper @ #2 Handley
#6 Kettle Run @ #3 James Wood
Kettle Run @ Millbrook, NWD Tourney Title, Thurs - Feb. 20th
- Thread starter VerizonSportsFan
- Start date
Sherando boys excited for tournament
Sherando’s Keli Lawson dishes off a pass inside.
STEPHENS CITY -- Sherando’s boys basketball teams play in the Class 4 Northwestern District tournament quarterfinals today and have a reason to be optimistic.
Sherando’s boys team is the eighth seed in the tournament, but they are no ordinary eighth seed. Sherando is 5-17 overall and finished 3-11. However, 12 of their 17 losses were by 10 points or less.
The Sherando boys team is playing at top-seeded Millbrook (16-6, 12-2 Class 4 Northwestern) in tonight’s quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors lost to Millbrook twice this season, but both games were close (54-48 and 55-50).
“I’m expecting a fast-paced game,” Sherando junior Keli Lawson said. “They love running. I think our game plan going into that is to slow them down and we’ll be able to work from there.”
Millbrook is already guaranteed a Region 4C berth, but only one other team will make it to regionals. Region 4C only takes two teams each from the Class 4 Northwestern and the Dulles District. If Millbrook wins the tournament, the runner-up advances to regionals. If Millbrook doesn’t win the tournament, then the tourney champion will advance to regionals.
Sherando is coming off an impressive 41-38 win over second-seeded Handley last week and the Warriors have won two of their last four games.
“Just getting a win was big,” Sherando assistant boys basketball coach Brad Symons said. “It was great to see our one senior Darius (Lane) go out on a win on senior night. Seeing him after the game, his elation of being so happy -- it was awesome.”
The Warriors have been led this season by 6-foot-5 center Lawson and 6-foot-2 forward/guard Jonathan Armel. The pair are each averaging 13.5 points per game. Lawson leads the team and area, averaging 9.2 rebounds per contest, while Armel is averaging 6.4 rebounds.
Sherando has a young squad with only one senior, six sophomores and five juniors. They have also battled injuries and have had to deal with the flu going through the team. Armel said he feels like the team is finally playing its best.
“We’re coming together and we’re finally healthy,” Armel said. “We’ve been fighting the flu for a few weeks and a lot of kids are finally starting to get healthy. We’ve had a few injuries and concussions. We’re starting to finally become the team that we wanted to be at the beginning of the season.”
- By Tommy Keeler Jr. The Northern Virginia Daily
Sherando’s Keli Lawson dishes off a pass inside.
- Rich Cooley/Daily
STEPHENS CITY -- Sherando’s boys basketball teams play in the Class 4 Northwestern District tournament quarterfinals today and have a reason to be optimistic.
Sherando’s boys team is the eighth seed in the tournament, but they are no ordinary eighth seed. Sherando is 5-17 overall and finished 3-11. However, 12 of their 17 losses were by 10 points or less.
The Sherando boys team is playing at top-seeded Millbrook (16-6, 12-2 Class 4 Northwestern) in tonight’s quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors lost to Millbrook twice this season, but both games were close (54-48 and 55-50).
“I’m expecting a fast-paced game,” Sherando junior Keli Lawson said. “They love running. I think our game plan going into that is to slow them down and we’ll be able to work from there.”
Millbrook is already guaranteed a Region 4C berth, but only one other team will make it to regionals. Region 4C only takes two teams each from the Class 4 Northwestern and the Dulles District. If Millbrook wins the tournament, the runner-up advances to regionals. If Millbrook doesn’t win the tournament, then the tourney champion will advance to regionals.
Sherando is coming off an impressive 41-38 win over second-seeded Handley last week and the Warriors have won two of their last four games.
“Just getting a win was big,” Sherando assistant boys basketball coach Brad Symons said. “It was great to see our one senior Darius (Lane) go out on a win on senior night. Seeing him after the game, his elation of being so happy -- it was awesome.”
The Warriors have been led this season by 6-foot-5 center Lawson and 6-foot-2 forward/guard Jonathan Armel. The pair are each averaging 13.5 points per game. Lawson leads the team and area, averaging 9.2 rebounds per contest, while Armel is averaging 6.4 rebounds.
Sherando has a young squad with only one senior, six sophomores and five juniors. They have also battled injuries and have had to deal with the flu going through the team. Armel said he feels like the team is finally playing its best.
“We’re coming together and we’re finally healthy,” Armel said. “We’ve been fighting the flu for a few weeks and a lot of kids are finally starting to get healthy. We’ve had a few injuries and concussions. We’re starting to finally become the team that we wanted to be at the beginning of the season.”
Final results:
Fauquier 67 to 42 over Liberty
Handley 74 to 43 over Culpeper
1/2 time scores:
Sherando 26 to 24 over Millbrook
Kettle Run 30 to 23 over James Wood
Fauquier 67 to 42 over Liberty
Handley 74 to 43 over Culpeper
1/2 time scores:
Sherando 26 to 24 over Millbrook
Kettle Run 30 to 23 over James Wood
End of 3rd qtr scores:
Millbrook 35 to 31 over Sherando
Kettle Run 37 to 29 over James Wood
Millbrook 35 to 31 over Sherando
Kettle Run 37 to 29 over James Wood
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Final scores:
Millbrook 53-47 over Sherando ... Millbrook had 17-0 run in 2nd half to overcome the Warriors.
Kettle Run 49 to 45 over James Wood
Millbrook 53-47 over Sherando ... Millbrook had 17-0 run in 2nd half to overcome the Warriors.
Kettle Run 49 to 45 over James Wood
Millbrook 55, Sherando 47
WINCHESTER — Eighth seeded Sherando gave No. 1 Millbrook a scare, but the Pioneers survived in the Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinals at Casey Gymnasium on Thursday.
The Warriors, thanks to 13 points from Darius Lane, led 26-24 at the half. They increased the lead to 31-24 in the third quarter before the Pioneers closed the period on an 11-0 run behind seven points from Jordan Jackson. The Pioneers then scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and held on from there.
Millbrook (17-6) will host Fauquier (13-8) on Tuesday in the semifinals. Sherando finishes its season 5-18.
Millbrook leaders: Tarelle Hayden 14 points; Julien Hagerman 12 points; Jordan Jackson 10 points; Ben Oates 8 points.
Kettle Run 49, James Wood 45
WINCHESTER — Sixth-seeded Kettle Run held off James Wood’s fourth-quarter comeback to upset the third-seeded Colonels in the quarterfinals of the Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament on Thursday at Shirley Gymnasium.
The Cougars led 14-7 after one quarter, 30-23 at the half and 37-29 entering the final period before the Colonels rallied. James Wood closed to within 45-44 with just under a minute remaining, but could get no closer.
Kettle Run (9-10) will travel to Handley (12-11), a 74-43 winner over Culpeper County, on Tuesday.
James Wood finishes its season 13-10.
WINCHESTER — Eighth seeded Sherando gave No. 1 Millbrook a scare, but the Pioneers survived in the Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinals at Casey Gymnasium on Thursday.
The Warriors, thanks to 13 points from Darius Lane, led 26-24 at the half. They increased the lead to 31-24 in the third quarter before the Pioneers closed the period on an 11-0 run behind seven points from Jordan Jackson. The Pioneers then scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and held on from there.
Millbrook (17-6) will host Fauquier (13-8) on Tuesday in the semifinals. Sherando finishes its season 5-18.
Millbrook leaders: Tarelle Hayden 14 points; Julien Hagerman 12 points; Jordan Jackson 10 points; Ben Oates 8 points.
Kettle Run 49, James Wood 45
WINCHESTER — Sixth-seeded Kettle Run held off James Wood’s fourth-quarter comeback to upset the third-seeded Colonels in the quarterfinals of the Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament on Thursday at Shirley Gymnasium.
The Cougars led 14-7 after one quarter, 30-23 at the half and 37-29 entering the final period before the Colonels rallied. James Wood closed to within 45-44 with just under a minute remaining, but could get no closer.
Kettle Run (9-10) will travel to Handley (12-11), a 74-43 winner over Culpeper County, on Tuesday.
James Wood finishes its season 13-10.
Second quarter defense fuels Handley's romp against Culpeper
Handley's Demitri Gardner dribbles upcourt as Culpeper County's Jordan Murphy (2) and JoJo Crenshaw (10) defend in the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
Handley’s Chaz Lattimore drives against Culpeper County’s Eli Williams in the first quarter on Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges cruised to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday’s semifinals.
Handley's Demitri Gardner dribbles against Culpeper County's Eli Williams in the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
Handley's Demitri Gardner looks to pass over Culpeper County's Jaiden Penn during the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
Handley’s Nick Hott defends against Culpeper County’s Jordan Murphy (2) while tryimh to avoid the screen set by the Blue Devils’ JoJo Crenshaw during the first quarter on Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday’s semifinals.
WINCHESTER — Culpeper 6-foot-5 forward Quinton Butler did his best to give the Blue Devils boys’ basketball team a little bit of momentum just before halftime, but Demitri Gardner wasn’t having it.
Butler took the ball from the right side of the floor toward the basket, only to have the 6-foot-5 Gardner rise up and reject the ball with his right hand and give the Judges’ fans even more to scream about as the buzzer sounded.
Handley outscored Culpeper 17-4 over the last five minutes of the first half to take a 17-point halftime lead, and the second-seeded Judges controlled the game from there to defeat the No. 7 Blue Devils 74-43 in the Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinals on Thursday night at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium.
The Judges (12-11) who ended a three-game losing streak, will take on No. 6 Kettle Run (9-10) at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the semifinals. The Cougars beat No. 3 James Wood on Thursday 49-45.
Over the last five minutes of the second quarter, Handley held the Blue Devils to 0-for-8 shooting — blocking four of the shots — and took two charges, part of a quarter in which the Judges forced seven turnovers from Culpeper (5-16), which only scored on four free throws in Handley’s decisive run.
The Blue Devils were without two starting guards for the entire second quarter because of foul trouble, including DeJour McCray (12 points, seven in the first half), who went to the bench with his third foul with 1:05 left in the first quarter. Handley coach Jason Toton wanted to see his team pick up its play and take advantage of McCray’s absence.
“At the beginning of the game, they were kind of driving to the basket at will,” Toton said. “We were letting people get in the paint, and we told them they needed to stop letting them do that. I thought we did a better job of that midway through the second quarter.”
Handley led 20-16 before its 17-4 run put the Judges up 37-20 at the half. Matthew Peete and Ethan Schwantes had a couple blocks 30 seconds into the run, and Gardner (team-high 17 points) would add a couple more.
“The last three games we’ve been playing lazy,” Gardner said. “We wanted to come out and make a statement. I like how we were getting after it [in the second quarter].”
The Judges extended their lead to 59-34 after three quarters.
Toton thought the Judges could have been quicker rotating on defensive traps, but he liked the hustle and effort that the Judges displayed to get rebounds. Handley gave itself several second-chance opportunities, and the Judges didn’t let Culpeper have many at all. The Blue Devils made barely a quarter of their shots (14 of 55) and were a woeful 3 of 24 on 3-pointers. Culpeper had 19 turnovers.
“Our main focus tonight was boxing out and being aggressive,” said Toton, who felt his team struggled with those things in its losing streak.
A well-rounded offensive attack also keyed the Judges in the first half, as five players had at least five points. Isaac Menefee provided the biggest boost, hitting two 3-pointers in the final minute. He let a defender fly by after a pump-fake before calmly hitting a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the half from the left corner.
Gardner was followed in the scoring by Kemani Curry (16), Nick Hott (9), Menefee (8), Emerson Ferguson (7), Chaz Lattimore (6) and Schwantes (6). The Judges made 24 of 48 shots through three quarters.
“Some guys are stepping up and executing and making shots when we need them to,” Toton said. “Hopefully that continues.”
Handley won the previous two meetings with Culpeper 80-35 and 69-45, with Gardner scoring 35 and 26 points, respectively, in those victories.
The Blue Devils were led Thursday by Chase Smith, who had a game-high 21 points.
Handley's Demitri Gardner dribbles upcourt as Culpeper County's Jordan Murphy (2) and JoJo Crenshaw (10) defend in the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Handley’s Chaz Lattimore drives against Culpeper County’s Eli Williams in the first quarter on Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges cruised to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday’s semifinals.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Handley's Demitri Gardner dribbles against Culpeper County's Eli Williams in the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Handley's Demitri Gardner looks to pass over Culpeper County's Jaiden Penn during the first quarter on Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Handley’s Nick Hott defends against Culpeper County’s Jordan Murphy (2) while tryimh to avoid the screen set by the Blue Devils’ JoJo Crenshaw during the first quarter on Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinal game at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium. The Judges rolled to a 74-43 win to advance to Tuesday’s semifinals.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — Culpeper 6-foot-5 forward Quinton Butler did his best to give the Blue Devils boys’ basketball team a little bit of momentum just before halftime, but Demitri Gardner wasn’t having it.
Butler took the ball from the right side of the floor toward the basket, only to have the 6-foot-5 Gardner rise up and reject the ball with his right hand and give the Judges’ fans even more to scream about as the buzzer sounded.
Handley outscored Culpeper 17-4 over the last five minutes of the first half to take a 17-point halftime lead, and the second-seeded Judges controlled the game from there to defeat the No. 7 Blue Devils 74-43 in the Class 4 Northwestern District quarterfinals on Thursday night at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium.
The Judges (12-11) who ended a three-game losing streak, will take on No. 6 Kettle Run (9-10) at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the semifinals. The Cougars beat No. 3 James Wood on Thursday 49-45.
Over the last five minutes of the second quarter, Handley held the Blue Devils to 0-for-8 shooting — blocking four of the shots — and took two charges, part of a quarter in which the Judges forced seven turnovers from Culpeper (5-16), which only scored on four free throws in Handley’s decisive run.
The Blue Devils were without two starting guards for the entire second quarter because of foul trouble, including DeJour McCray (12 points, seven in the first half), who went to the bench with his third foul with 1:05 left in the first quarter. Handley coach Jason Toton wanted to see his team pick up its play and take advantage of McCray’s absence.
“At the beginning of the game, they were kind of driving to the basket at will,” Toton said. “We were letting people get in the paint, and we told them they needed to stop letting them do that. I thought we did a better job of that midway through the second quarter.”
Handley led 20-16 before its 17-4 run put the Judges up 37-20 at the half. Matthew Peete and Ethan Schwantes had a couple blocks 30 seconds into the run, and Gardner (team-high 17 points) would add a couple more.
“The last three games we’ve been playing lazy,” Gardner said. “We wanted to come out and make a statement. I like how we were getting after it [in the second quarter].”
The Judges extended their lead to 59-34 after three quarters.
Toton thought the Judges could have been quicker rotating on defensive traps, but he liked the hustle and effort that the Judges displayed to get rebounds. Handley gave itself several second-chance opportunities, and the Judges didn’t let Culpeper have many at all. The Blue Devils made barely a quarter of their shots (14 of 55) and were a woeful 3 of 24 on 3-pointers. Culpeper had 19 turnovers.
“Our main focus tonight was boxing out and being aggressive,” said Toton, who felt his team struggled with those things in its losing streak.
A well-rounded offensive attack also keyed the Judges in the first half, as five players had at least five points. Isaac Menefee provided the biggest boost, hitting two 3-pointers in the final minute. He let a defender fly by after a pump-fake before calmly hitting a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the half from the left corner.
Gardner was followed in the scoring by Kemani Curry (16), Nick Hott (9), Menefee (8), Emerson Ferguson (7), Chaz Lattimore (6) and Schwantes (6). The Judges made 24 of 48 shots through three quarters.
“Some guys are stepping up and executing and making shots when we need them to,” Toton said. “Hopefully that continues.”
Handley won the previous two meetings with Culpeper 80-35 and 69-45, with Gardner scoring 35 and 26 points, respectively, in those victories.
The Blue Devils were led Thursday by Chase Smith, who had a game-high 21 points.
It would be nice for kids to show off their strengths and get up and down the floor. This half-court micro-managing crap is awful.
(And ultimately caught up with James Wood)
(And ultimately caught up with James Wood)
JW - 1 Win Last Year
JW - 13 Wins This Year
I hear what you are saying, but much better than last year lol.
Kettle Run holds off comeback by James Wood boys
WINCHESTER — Heading into the Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament, the James Wood boys’ basketball team had high hopes of a deep run and a possible berth in the upcoming Region 4C Tournament.
Kettle Run had other ideas on Thursday in a quarterfinal game at Shirley Gymnasium.
Twice in the first half the Cougars built leads of 11 points, and they held a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
A furious James Wood rally brought the home crowd to life and put the outcome in doubt, but No. 6 seed Kettle Run made five out of eight free throws in the last two minutes of the game and were able to just hold off the No. 3 Colonels 49-45.
Three Cougars scored in double figures led by Drew Tapscott’s game-high 17 points. Garrett Trimble added 11 and Jordan Tapscott 10 for Kettle Run (9-10), which advances to play at No. 2 Handley (12-11) in the semifinals on Tuesday.
The 13-10 Colonels had defeated every other team in the eight-team district at least once this year, so there was plenty of reason to believe they could make a deep district tournament run.
“The kids fought hard and they executed the game plan well,” James Wood coach Tim Wygant said. “I feel like when we play Kettle Run they make a lot of shots. They hit a lot of tough shots at the beginning of the game to jump out to that lead and we just couldn’t crawl all the way back.
“They made one or two more shots then we did, one or two more free throws and had one or two less turnovers then we did and that was the story of the game. It was a tough one but I’m proud of our guys. They fought like crazy. They’re resilient.”
Mere seconds into the fourth quarter Drew Tapscott’s layup gave Kettle Run (9-10) a 39-29 lead.
With its season on the line James Wood began to battle back. Senior Jerome McCarthy (eight points) started a five-point Colonels run with a short jumper.
Next time down the floor junior Connor Ballentine’s three-point play pulled Wood to within five. His free throw made it 39-34 with 6:59 left in the game.
Down 41-34, McCarthy hit one of two free throws to start a 6-0 run.
Playing in his first game after sitting out all season due to injuries junior Ben Smith (seven points) hit a pair of free throws and senior Ethan Russell made one of two making it 41-38 with 4:46 left in the game.
Nearly one minute later the Colonels forced a turnover in the Cougars backcourt and Ballentine (team-high 14 points) brought the home crowd to their feet when his layup made it 41-40 with 3:47 remaining, forcing another Kettle Run timeout.
That’s as close as the Colonels would get. Following the timeout Drew Tapscott got free in the middle of the lane scored and was fouled. His free throw made it 44-40.
With less than a minute left in the game Wood again pulled to within one on Ballentine’s offensive putback and a layup by Lavaughan Freeman which made it 45-44 with 55 seconds left, but Kettle Run knocked down four free throws to secure the victory.
Things didn’t start well for the Colonels. Just 30 seconds into the game junior Jacob Medina went down with what appeared to be a leg injury. He was helped from the court and didn’t return to the contest.
Kettle Run never trailed in the game and jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and held a 14-7 advantage after one period of play thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Jordan Tapscott and four points by brother Drew.
With 3:52 left in the half Kettle Run built its second 11-point lead (23-12) on a fast break layup by Drew Tapscott.
In the last two minutes of the half Ballentine hit two 3-pointers to help Wood battle back into the game and trim the deficit back to seven (30-23) at the break.
The Cougars outscored Wood 7-6 in the third quarter and held a 37-29 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
A year ago, James Wood didn’t beat anyone in the regular season during a one-win campaign, so Wygant said the Colonels had a lot to be proud of.
“Our guys started out the season and no one gave them a chance,” Wygant said. “No one thought they were going to be any good.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end [Thursday] and that’s kind of what we said at the beginning of the year we wanted to do in every game. And for the most part that’s what we did in every game.”
Russell added seven points for James Wood.
WINCHESTER — Heading into the Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament, the James Wood boys’ basketball team had high hopes of a deep run and a possible berth in the upcoming Region 4C Tournament.
Kettle Run had other ideas on Thursday in a quarterfinal game at Shirley Gymnasium.
Twice in the first half the Cougars built leads of 11 points, and they held a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
A furious James Wood rally brought the home crowd to life and put the outcome in doubt, but No. 6 seed Kettle Run made five out of eight free throws in the last two minutes of the game and were able to just hold off the No. 3 Colonels 49-45.
Three Cougars scored in double figures led by Drew Tapscott’s game-high 17 points. Garrett Trimble added 11 and Jordan Tapscott 10 for Kettle Run (9-10), which advances to play at No. 2 Handley (12-11) in the semifinals on Tuesday.
The 13-10 Colonels had defeated every other team in the eight-team district at least once this year, so there was plenty of reason to believe they could make a deep district tournament run.
“The kids fought hard and they executed the game plan well,” James Wood coach Tim Wygant said. “I feel like when we play Kettle Run they make a lot of shots. They hit a lot of tough shots at the beginning of the game to jump out to that lead and we just couldn’t crawl all the way back.
“They made one or two more shots then we did, one or two more free throws and had one or two less turnovers then we did and that was the story of the game. It was a tough one but I’m proud of our guys. They fought like crazy. They’re resilient.”
Mere seconds into the fourth quarter Drew Tapscott’s layup gave Kettle Run (9-10) a 39-29 lead.
With its season on the line James Wood began to battle back. Senior Jerome McCarthy (eight points) started a five-point Colonels run with a short jumper.
Next time down the floor junior Connor Ballentine’s three-point play pulled Wood to within five. His free throw made it 39-34 with 6:59 left in the game.
Down 41-34, McCarthy hit one of two free throws to start a 6-0 run.
Playing in his first game after sitting out all season due to injuries junior Ben Smith (seven points) hit a pair of free throws and senior Ethan Russell made one of two making it 41-38 with 4:46 left in the game.
Nearly one minute later the Colonels forced a turnover in the Cougars backcourt and Ballentine (team-high 14 points) brought the home crowd to their feet when his layup made it 41-40 with 3:47 remaining, forcing another Kettle Run timeout.
That’s as close as the Colonels would get. Following the timeout Drew Tapscott got free in the middle of the lane scored and was fouled. His free throw made it 44-40.
With less than a minute left in the game Wood again pulled to within one on Ballentine’s offensive putback and a layup by Lavaughan Freeman which made it 45-44 with 55 seconds left, but Kettle Run knocked down four free throws to secure the victory.
Things didn’t start well for the Colonels. Just 30 seconds into the game junior Jacob Medina went down with what appeared to be a leg injury. He was helped from the court and didn’t return to the contest.
Kettle Run never trailed in the game and jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and held a 14-7 advantage after one period of play thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Jordan Tapscott and four points by brother Drew.
With 3:52 left in the half Kettle Run built its second 11-point lead (23-12) on a fast break layup by Drew Tapscott.
In the last two minutes of the half Ballentine hit two 3-pointers to help Wood battle back into the game and trim the deficit back to seven (30-23) at the break.
The Cougars outscored Wood 7-6 in the third quarter and held a 37-29 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
A year ago, James Wood didn’t beat anyone in the regular season during a one-win campaign, so Wygant said the Colonels had a lot to be proud of.
“Our guys started out the season and no one gave them a chance,” Wygant said. “No one thought they were going to be any good.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end [Thursday] and that’s kind of what we said at the beginning of the year we wanted to do in every game. And for the most part that’s what we did in every game.”
Russell added seven points for James Wood.
Kettle Run 47-45 over Handley
Millbrook 81-77 over Fauquier
Kettle Run at Millbrook, Thursday, Feb. 20th
Kettle Run and Millbrook both advancing to Region 4C.
Millbrook 81-77 over Fauquier
Kettle Run at Millbrook, Thursday, Feb. 20th
Kettle Run and Millbrook both advancing to Region 4C.
Kettle Run stuns Handley in district semifinals
WINCHESTER — If you looked at the two regular-season scores, Handley was supposed to have an easy time against Kettle Run in the Class 4 Northwestern District semifinals on Tuesday at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium.
The Judges (12-12) had pounded the Cougars by 30 points in their last meeting (75-45) and had rolled by 24 (68-44) in the first matchup.
But after terrible first and last quarters, the two-time defending tournament champion Judges find their season finished.
Handley fell behind 12-4 after one quarter and sputtered down the stretch as the sixth-seeded Cougars stunned the No. 2 Judges 47-45. Kettle Run’s Drew Tapscott scored 17 points and nailed 7 of 8 free throws in the final 47 seconds to turn back the Judges, who finished the season 12-12.
“I told all of the kids tonight that we’ve had 12 losses and they’ve all kind of been by our mistakes,” Handley coach Jason Toton said. “Give Kettle Run all the credit in the world. They came in here to beat our tail and they didn’t care what the other two scores were.
“They had a chip on their shoulders and came out and played aggressive. At times, I thought that we did and at times we didn’t. They made more plays than we did at the end.”
Kettle Run (10-10) advances to the district finals against top-seeded Millbrook, an 81-77 winner over Fauquier, at Casey Gymnasium on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. game.
Despite falling behind multiple times by eight points in the first half, Handley had fought back to take a 33-31 lead into the final period.
But Kettle Run, as it had for much of the game, got free against the Judges’ halfcourt trap and scored three quick baskets. Garrett Trimble had two hoops in a 7-0 run that put the Cougars up 38-33 with 4:45 remaining.
Like they had in the first eight minutes, the Judges sputtered offensively, going scoreless for the first four minutes with three missed shots and four turnovers.
The Judges’ defense finally began to force some turnovers and slowly they clawed back into the contest. Chaz Lattimore made 1 of 2 free throws with 57 seconds remaining to square the score at 40.
But Tapscott took over from there and capitalized as the Judges made a key mistake. First Tapscott made the first of two free throws with 46.5 seconds left, but missed the second. The Cougars snared the rebound and got it back to Tapscott, who made two free throws with 36 seconds left to make it 43-40.
“We’ve been known to give up free throw box-outs all season long,” Toton said. “That was one of the goals tonight to not give up a free throw box-out and we did at a crucial time.”
After a timeout with 26.7 left, the Judges inbounded to leading scorer Demitri Gardner, who was briefly open for a 3-pointer from the right corner. But Tapscott soared out to block the shot and got the ball back with 19.7 left and nailed two more free throws to put the Cougars ahead 45-40.
Gardner’s layup pulled the Judges within 45-42, but Tapscott sank two more free throws with 12.3 left to push the lead back to five. Kemani Curry sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead back to two, but since the Judges had no more timeouts left Kettle Run did not have to inbound the ball before the clock ran out.
The final period and the first period were eerily similar for the Judges. Handley went 1 for 7 with seven turnovers in the first period in falling behind.
Gardner had nine of his team-high 19 points in the second quarter as the Judges heated up, going 7 of 8 from the floor to square the game at 25-25 at the half.
Both teams struggled in the third period, but a pair of free throws by Stephen Daley gave Handley its biggest lead of the game at 33-29 with 2:51 left in the period.
Tapscott and his teammates did an excellent job defending Gardner in the halfcourt and forced 20 turnovers from the Judges. Trimble finished with 11 points.
Lattimore added nine for the Judges, who were 16 of 26 from the foul line. The Cougars were 12 of 15 from the line.
Handley graduates just one senior, starting forward Nick Hott.
“I hope that we learned from our mistakes,” said Toton, whose team dropped four of its last five. “Hopefully, we learned this year we’ve got to do the little things right to be successful at a high level. Hopefully if they take anything away from that is that we’ve got to come in and practice hard. You practice the way you play.
“Hopefully, we understand that. We learn that and we can build upon it for next year.”
WINCHESTER — If you looked at the two regular-season scores, Handley was supposed to have an easy time against Kettle Run in the Class 4 Northwestern District semifinals on Tuesday at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium.
The Judges (12-12) had pounded the Cougars by 30 points in their last meeting (75-45) and had rolled by 24 (68-44) in the first matchup.
But after terrible first and last quarters, the two-time defending tournament champion Judges find their season finished.
Handley fell behind 12-4 after one quarter and sputtered down the stretch as the sixth-seeded Cougars stunned the No. 2 Judges 47-45. Kettle Run’s Drew Tapscott scored 17 points and nailed 7 of 8 free throws in the final 47 seconds to turn back the Judges, who finished the season 12-12.
“I told all of the kids tonight that we’ve had 12 losses and they’ve all kind of been by our mistakes,” Handley coach Jason Toton said. “Give Kettle Run all the credit in the world. They came in here to beat our tail and they didn’t care what the other two scores were.
“They had a chip on their shoulders and came out and played aggressive. At times, I thought that we did and at times we didn’t. They made more plays than we did at the end.”
Kettle Run (10-10) advances to the district finals against top-seeded Millbrook, an 81-77 winner over Fauquier, at Casey Gymnasium on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. game.
Despite falling behind multiple times by eight points in the first half, Handley had fought back to take a 33-31 lead into the final period.
But Kettle Run, as it had for much of the game, got free against the Judges’ halfcourt trap and scored three quick baskets. Garrett Trimble had two hoops in a 7-0 run that put the Cougars up 38-33 with 4:45 remaining.
Like they had in the first eight minutes, the Judges sputtered offensively, going scoreless for the first four minutes with three missed shots and four turnovers.
The Judges’ defense finally began to force some turnovers and slowly they clawed back into the contest. Chaz Lattimore made 1 of 2 free throws with 57 seconds remaining to square the score at 40.
But Tapscott took over from there and capitalized as the Judges made a key mistake. First Tapscott made the first of two free throws with 46.5 seconds left, but missed the second. The Cougars snared the rebound and got it back to Tapscott, who made two free throws with 36 seconds left to make it 43-40.
“We’ve been known to give up free throw box-outs all season long,” Toton said. “That was one of the goals tonight to not give up a free throw box-out and we did at a crucial time.”
After a timeout with 26.7 left, the Judges inbounded to leading scorer Demitri Gardner, who was briefly open for a 3-pointer from the right corner. But Tapscott soared out to block the shot and got the ball back with 19.7 left and nailed two more free throws to put the Cougars ahead 45-40.
Gardner’s layup pulled the Judges within 45-42, but Tapscott sank two more free throws with 12.3 left to push the lead back to five. Kemani Curry sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead back to two, but since the Judges had no more timeouts left Kettle Run did not have to inbound the ball before the clock ran out.
The final period and the first period were eerily similar for the Judges. Handley went 1 for 7 with seven turnovers in the first period in falling behind.
Gardner had nine of his team-high 19 points in the second quarter as the Judges heated up, going 7 of 8 from the floor to square the game at 25-25 at the half.
Both teams struggled in the third period, but a pair of free throws by Stephen Daley gave Handley its biggest lead of the game at 33-29 with 2:51 left in the period.
Tapscott and his teammates did an excellent job defending Gardner in the halfcourt and forced 20 turnovers from the Judges. Trimble finished with 11 points.
Lattimore added nine for the Judges, who were 16 of 26 from the foul line. The Cougars were 12 of 15 from the line.
Handley graduates just one senior, starting forward Nick Hott.
“I hope that we learned from our mistakes,” said Toton, whose team dropped four of its last five. “Hopefully, we learned this year we’ve got to do the little things right to be successful at a high level. Hopefully if they take anything away from that is that we’ve got to come in and practice hard. You practice the way you play.
“Hopefully, we understand that. We learn that and we can build upon it for next year.”
Millbrook turns back Fauquier in semifinals
WINCHESTER — Regardless of the outcome of its Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament semifinal matchup with fifth seeded Fauquier on Tuesday night, the Millbrook boys’ basketball team knew it would be playing next week.
Based on the strength of their regular season title, the top-seeded Pioneers had already earned a spot in the Region 4C Tournament, but don’t tell them Tuesday’s game had no meaning.
The Pioneers built several double-digit leads and were up 14 points early in the second half. But with its season on the line, Fauquier battled back again and again, twice getting within two points.
Millbrook made 6 of 8 free throws in the final minute and just held off a furious comeback for an 81-77 triumph. The Pioneers (18-6) host sixth-seeded Kettle Run (10-10) in tonight’s title game at 7:30 p.m. at Casey Gymnasium.
Led by 24 points from Tarelle Hayden, Millbrook secured its 16th win in its last 18 games and now faces a Kettle Run team it swept during the regular season.
“I told our kids all week they [the Falcons] have a fantastic coach. He has my utmost respect and he has his kids ready to play,” Millbrook coach Steve Grubbs said. “We talked all week about they’re not gonna stop. They just keep coming at you wave after wave.
“We’re getting the best of the best right now,” Grubbs added. “We finished No. 1 and just like in any playoff situation the teams are coming after you. On our end we beat them twice during the regular season and it’s very difficult to win three times.”
Both teams were excellent from the line, combining to miss just five free throws in 47 attempts. Millbrook made 23 of 26, including 13 of 16 in the fourth quarter, while Fauquier was a perfect 9 for 9 in the final period and 19 for 21 in the game.
Through three periods, Millbrook held a 54-48 lead and quickly pushed that to 56-48 on a short jumper by Hayden.
Fauquier (13-9) stormed right back. Thurman Smith’s baseline jumper and Devin Lewis’ 3-pointer made it 56-53 with just under six minutes left.
Leading 63-59 with just under four minutes left, the Pioneers appeared to take control for good with a quick 6-0 run thanks in large part to two technical fouls against the Falcons. Julien Hagerman stepped to the line and buried all four free throws giving the Pioneers a 69-59 lead with 3:29 left.
The Falcons refused to quit and again stormed back, this time with a 10-2 run to get as close as they had been since early in the first quarter.
Trailing 71-65, Fauquier forced a pair of turnovers basically right under the basket that led to two easy and quick layups to slice the lead to 71-69 with 1:37 left.
Millbrook followed that up with an 8-0 run behind a pair of baskets by Hayden and two free throws each from Ben Oates and Tyson Stewart. Again, it appeared the Pioneers had the game wrapped up with a 79-69 lead and just 42 seconds left.
But, Lewis was fouled attempting a 3-point shot and he made all three free throws to make it 79-72.
After the Pioneers missed two free throws, Samuel Matthews raced down and scored a quick hoop to make it 79-74 with 14 seconds left. Another Pioneers turnover led to Lewis’ 3-pointer to make it 79-77 with just 1.8 seconds remaining. Hagerman then was fouled and made two free throws to secure the victory.
Hagerman (17), Oates (13) and Stewart (12) gave Millbrook four players scoring in double figures.
“It doesn’t really matter to us who scores, we’re just looking for people to step up and make shots when they’re called upon,” Grubbs said. “All of them, they came out ready to play. We’re just trying to get better each and every game. All the credit goes to the kids. They’ve worked their tails off this year to put them in this position.”
Millbrook never trailed in the contest and led 23-13 after one quarter. Fauquier would battle back to within five points (31-26) with just under three minutes in the half, but a 6-2 run gave the Pioneers a 37-28 halftime lead.
The Pioneers started to second half on a 5-0 run on a layup by Oates and a long 3-pointer by Hagerman for their largest lead of the night at 42-28. The Falcons would finish the period on a 20-12 run and close the gap to 54-48.
Lewis led all scorers 29 points. Smith and Matthews added 21 and 14 points, respectively.
Millbrook defeated Kettle Run 67-55 and 63-57 during the regular season.
“Kettle Run’s done a great job and we’re excited for an opportunity to play them for a third time,” Grubbs said. “They’ve had a heck of a season, they’ve had a heck of a run. They beat James Wood [49-45] a couple nights ago. They beat Handley [47-45 Tuesday]. We’re just looking forward to [tonight].”
“Come Monday we’re in the regional tournament,” Grubbs added. “We’re hoping to continue to move forward.”
WINCHESTER — Regardless of the outcome of its Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament semifinal matchup with fifth seeded Fauquier on Tuesday night, the Millbrook boys’ basketball team knew it would be playing next week.
Based on the strength of their regular season title, the top-seeded Pioneers had already earned a spot in the Region 4C Tournament, but don’t tell them Tuesday’s game had no meaning.
The Pioneers built several double-digit leads and were up 14 points early in the second half. But with its season on the line, Fauquier battled back again and again, twice getting within two points.
Millbrook made 6 of 8 free throws in the final minute and just held off a furious comeback for an 81-77 triumph. The Pioneers (18-6) host sixth-seeded Kettle Run (10-10) in tonight’s title game at 7:30 p.m. at Casey Gymnasium.
Led by 24 points from Tarelle Hayden, Millbrook secured its 16th win in its last 18 games and now faces a Kettle Run team it swept during the regular season.
“I told our kids all week they [the Falcons] have a fantastic coach. He has my utmost respect and he has his kids ready to play,” Millbrook coach Steve Grubbs said. “We talked all week about they’re not gonna stop. They just keep coming at you wave after wave.
“We’re getting the best of the best right now,” Grubbs added. “We finished No. 1 and just like in any playoff situation the teams are coming after you. On our end we beat them twice during the regular season and it’s very difficult to win three times.”
Both teams were excellent from the line, combining to miss just five free throws in 47 attempts. Millbrook made 23 of 26, including 13 of 16 in the fourth quarter, while Fauquier was a perfect 9 for 9 in the final period and 19 for 21 in the game.
Through three periods, Millbrook held a 54-48 lead and quickly pushed that to 56-48 on a short jumper by Hayden.
Fauquier (13-9) stormed right back. Thurman Smith’s baseline jumper and Devin Lewis’ 3-pointer made it 56-53 with just under six minutes left.
Leading 63-59 with just under four minutes left, the Pioneers appeared to take control for good with a quick 6-0 run thanks in large part to two technical fouls against the Falcons. Julien Hagerman stepped to the line and buried all four free throws giving the Pioneers a 69-59 lead with 3:29 left.
The Falcons refused to quit and again stormed back, this time with a 10-2 run to get as close as they had been since early in the first quarter.
Trailing 71-65, Fauquier forced a pair of turnovers basically right under the basket that led to two easy and quick layups to slice the lead to 71-69 with 1:37 left.
Millbrook followed that up with an 8-0 run behind a pair of baskets by Hayden and two free throws each from Ben Oates and Tyson Stewart. Again, it appeared the Pioneers had the game wrapped up with a 79-69 lead and just 42 seconds left.
But, Lewis was fouled attempting a 3-point shot and he made all three free throws to make it 79-72.
After the Pioneers missed two free throws, Samuel Matthews raced down and scored a quick hoop to make it 79-74 with 14 seconds left. Another Pioneers turnover led to Lewis’ 3-pointer to make it 79-77 with just 1.8 seconds remaining. Hagerman then was fouled and made two free throws to secure the victory.
Hagerman (17), Oates (13) and Stewart (12) gave Millbrook four players scoring in double figures.
“It doesn’t really matter to us who scores, we’re just looking for people to step up and make shots when they’re called upon,” Grubbs said. “All of them, they came out ready to play. We’re just trying to get better each and every game. All the credit goes to the kids. They’ve worked their tails off this year to put them in this position.”
Millbrook never trailed in the contest and led 23-13 after one quarter. Fauquier would battle back to within five points (31-26) with just under three minutes in the half, but a 6-2 run gave the Pioneers a 37-28 halftime lead.
The Pioneers started to second half on a 5-0 run on a layup by Oates and a long 3-pointer by Hagerman for their largest lead of the night at 42-28. The Falcons would finish the period on a 20-12 run and close the gap to 54-48.
Lewis led all scorers 29 points. Smith and Matthews added 21 and 14 points, respectively.
Millbrook defeated Kettle Run 67-55 and 63-57 during the regular season.
“Kettle Run’s done a great job and we’re excited for an opportunity to play them for a third time,” Grubbs said. “They’ve had a heck of a season, they’ve had a heck of a run. They beat James Wood [49-45] a couple nights ago. They beat Handley [47-45 Tuesday]. We’re just looking forward to [tonight].”
“Come Monday we’re in the regional tournament,” Grubbs added. “We’re hoping to continue to move forward.”
Millbrook adds tournament title to regular-season crown
Millbrook’s Julien Hagerman (24) drives to the basket against Kettle Run’s Johnathan Keen during the second quarter of Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District boys’ basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. Hagerman had a team-high 12 points in the Pioneers’ 47-34 victory.
Millbrook's Tyson Stewart (11) keeps a close watch on Kettle Run's Drew Tapscott during the first half of Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District boys' basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. The Pioneers defeated the Cougars 47-34.
Millbrook’s Jordan Jackson shoots over Kettle Run’s Trevor Yergey during the second quarter of Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District boys’ basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. Jackson scored eight points in the Pioneers’ 47-34 victory.
WINCHESTER — Jordan Jackson and the rest of his teammates are in uncharted territory.
Thanks to Handley’s three-year basketball dominance in the Northwestern District, the Pioneers seniors entered this season without a district regular season or tournament title to their names.
Not anymore.
Millbrook capped off the outstanding district portion of its schedule by adding the tournament title to its regular-season crown with a 47-34 triumph against Kettle Run on Thursday at Casey Gymnasium.
The Pioneers (19-6), who never trailed in the contest, celebrated with their fans at halfcourt and in a loud locker room after the game after winning their first postseason tournament title since winning the Conference 21A crown in 2016.
“I’ve never done this, so this was great to do my senior year,” said Jackson, who had eight points and four rebounds on Thursday. “I’m proud of all of the guys in the locker room, all of the coaches and everything.”
“It’s everything,” added Julien Hagerman, who led a balanced scoring effort with 12 points against the Cougars. “This was our goal at the beginning of the year. It’s great to accomplish it.”
“We started out the year and we set up some goals,” Millbrook coach Steve Grubbs said. “Our first one was to be the regular season champions, so we could punch our ticket to regions. Our second goal was the district tournament title. It’s great to check off those boxes because it means you’re having success on the court.”
The Pioneers were able to negotiate their way through this district tournament in a variety of ways. They rallied past Sherando 55-47 in the opener. They won a shootout against Fauquier 81-77 in the semifinals and took a defensive clash against the sixth-seeded Cougars (10-11), who had upset James Wood and Handley.
“It all comes back to make sure we’re getting better each game,” Grubbs said. “We’ve won these games differently every time. Fauquier was just up-and-down. It was frantic and it was fast. You have teams hitting threes all over the place. Tonight, we just won a game without hitting a single three.
“We’re finding ways to win at the right time. The whole mantra of playoff basketball is to survive and advance and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The big key for the Pioneers on Thursday was to slow down Kettle Run guard Drew Tapscott, who had torched them twice during the regular season. The Pioneers mainly used a combination of three defenders — Tyson Stewart, Tarelle Hayden and Jackson — to make Tapscott’s life difficult for four quarters.
Tapscott did finish with a game-high 16 points, but those came on a boat-load of shots, with few of them being wide-open looks.
“He killed us the first two times,” Grubbs said. “I think he had 32 and 31 the first two times he played us. Our assistant coaches set up a great game plan. He’s going to take shots and he’s going to shoot the ball. If they’re outside of the paint, everything has to be contested. There has to be a hand in his face. It has to be pull-up jumper and not catch-and-release.
“If he goes to the hole, you’re just throwing bodies at him and make sure every finish has to be difficult. For the most part I thought we did that. … Like I said the first two times he tore us up — 16, man I’ll take it.”
Both teams struggled to score early. Millbrook led 3-0 five minutes into the game. Leading 9-4 after one quarter, the Pioneers opened up in the second quarter. Hagerman scored eight points in the period, including a layup just before the buzzer to give Millbrook a 23-14 lead at the half.
But like they had throughout the postseason, the Cougars would not go away. Kettle Run opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run. Tapscott’s second basket in the surge cut the Millbrook lead to 25-23 with 4:44 left.
“It’s a game of runs and we knew they were eventually going to hit one,” Grubbs said. “… The kids were ready to roll in the third quarter for Kettle Run. I give the kids credit for maintaining their composure and continuing to go back after them.”
Millbrook allowed just one more basket the rest of the period. Hayden (10 points total) scored six points over the final 2:42 as the Pioneers pushed the margin back to 32-25.
Asked if the Cougars had the ability to make opponents play ugly, Hagerman agreed.
“In the third quarter, they did a little bit,” the senior said. “Once we started to get back into our groove, it’s hard to get us back out.”
The Pioneers stayed in that groove in the fourth. Kettle Run never got closer than seven in the period. Millbrook slowed the pace and took advantage as the Cougars gambled on defense. The Pioneers’ final three baskets came on layups.
Grubbs said his players executed on what he told them before the period. “We have the lead. It’s our game. Make them play defense. Make them extend those possessions and have to gamble.”
“We just kept our composure,” Jackson said of the win. “We played defense and played within our game. We didn’t rush any shots, boxed out and did what we were supposed to do.”
Now the Pioneers turn their attention to Loudoun Valley (16-6), who faced regular-season champion Loudoun County for the Dulles District Tournament title on Friday. The Pioneers will host the Vikings in the Region 4C semifinals in a must-win game to keep their season alive at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“I know they’ve got one heck of a coach,” Grubbs said of the Vikings’ Chad Dawson. “They have a bunch of guards who are very good and they’ve got size. There’s a reason why they are playing in their championship game as well.”
The Pioneers feel they are ready for the challenge.
“I think that we’ve found our groove,” Hagerman said. “I think that come Tuesday we will be good.”
“I’m very excited. I can’t wait,” added Jackson. “I’m already ready for Tuesday.”
Millbrook’s Julien Hagerman (24) drives to the basket against Kettle Run’s Johnathan Keen during the second quarter of Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District boys’ basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. Hagerman had a team-high 12 points in the Pioneers’ 47-34 victory.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Millbrook's Tyson Stewart (11) keeps a close watch on Kettle Run's Drew Tapscott during the first half of Thursday's Class 4 Northwestern District boys' basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. The Pioneers defeated the Cougars 47-34.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
Millbrook’s Jordan Jackson shoots over Kettle Run’s Trevor Yergey during the second quarter of Thursday’s Class 4 Northwestern District boys’ basketball championship game at Casey Gymnasium. Jackson scored eight points in the Pioneers’ 47-34 victory.
- WALT MOODY/The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — Jordan Jackson and the rest of his teammates are in uncharted territory.
Thanks to Handley’s three-year basketball dominance in the Northwestern District, the Pioneers seniors entered this season without a district regular season or tournament title to their names.
Not anymore.
Millbrook capped off the outstanding district portion of its schedule by adding the tournament title to its regular-season crown with a 47-34 triumph against Kettle Run on Thursday at Casey Gymnasium.
The Pioneers (19-6), who never trailed in the contest, celebrated with their fans at halfcourt and in a loud locker room after the game after winning their first postseason tournament title since winning the Conference 21A crown in 2016.
“I’ve never done this, so this was great to do my senior year,” said Jackson, who had eight points and four rebounds on Thursday. “I’m proud of all of the guys in the locker room, all of the coaches and everything.”
“It’s everything,” added Julien Hagerman, who led a balanced scoring effort with 12 points against the Cougars. “This was our goal at the beginning of the year. It’s great to accomplish it.”
“We started out the year and we set up some goals,” Millbrook coach Steve Grubbs said. “Our first one was to be the regular season champions, so we could punch our ticket to regions. Our second goal was the district tournament title. It’s great to check off those boxes because it means you’re having success on the court.”
The Pioneers were able to negotiate their way through this district tournament in a variety of ways. They rallied past Sherando 55-47 in the opener. They won a shootout against Fauquier 81-77 in the semifinals and took a defensive clash against the sixth-seeded Cougars (10-11), who had upset James Wood and Handley.
“It all comes back to make sure we’re getting better each game,” Grubbs said. “We’ve won these games differently every time. Fauquier was just up-and-down. It was frantic and it was fast. You have teams hitting threes all over the place. Tonight, we just won a game without hitting a single three.
“We’re finding ways to win at the right time. The whole mantra of playoff basketball is to survive and advance and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The big key for the Pioneers on Thursday was to slow down Kettle Run guard Drew Tapscott, who had torched them twice during the regular season. The Pioneers mainly used a combination of three defenders — Tyson Stewart, Tarelle Hayden and Jackson — to make Tapscott’s life difficult for four quarters.
Tapscott did finish with a game-high 16 points, but those came on a boat-load of shots, with few of them being wide-open looks.
“He killed us the first two times,” Grubbs said. “I think he had 32 and 31 the first two times he played us. Our assistant coaches set up a great game plan. He’s going to take shots and he’s going to shoot the ball. If they’re outside of the paint, everything has to be contested. There has to be a hand in his face. It has to be pull-up jumper and not catch-and-release.
“If he goes to the hole, you’re just throwing bodies at him and make sure every finish has to be difficult. For the most part I thought we did that. … Like I said the first two times he tore us up — 16, man I’ll take it.”
Both teams struggled to score early. Millbrook led 3-0 five minutes into the game. Leading 9-4 after one quarter, the Pioneers opened up in the second quarter. Hagerman scored eight points in the period, including a layup just before the buzzer to give Millbrook a 23-14 lead at the half.
But like they had throughout the postseason, the Cougars would not go away. Kettle Run opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run. Tapscott’s second basket in the surge cut the Millbrook lead to 25-23 with 4:44 left.
“It’s a game of runs and we knew they were eventually going to hit one,” Grubbs said. “… The kids were ready to roll in the third quarter for Kettle Run. I give the kids credit for maintaining their composure and continuing to go back after them.”
Millbrook allowed just one more basket the rest of the period. Hayden (10 points total) scored six points over the final 2:42 as the Pioneers pushed the margin back to 32-25.
Asked if the Cougars had the ability to make opponents play ugly, Hagerman agreed.
“In the third quarter, they did a little bit,” the senior said. “Once we started to get back into our groove, it’s hard to get us back out.”
The Pioneers stayed in that groove in the fourth. Kettle Run never got closer than seven in the period. Millbrook slowed the pace and took advantage as the Cougars gambled on defense. The Pioneers’ final three baskets came on layups.
Grubbs said his players executed on what he told them before the period. “We have the lead. It’s our game. Make them play defense. Make them extend those possessions and have to gamble.”
“We just kept our composure,” Jackson said of the win. “We played defense and played within our game. We didn’t rush any shots, boxed out and did what we were supposed to do.”
Now the Pioneers turn their attention to Loudoun Valley (16-6), who faced regular-season champion Loudoun County for the Dulles District Tournament title on Friday. The Pioneers will host the Vikings in the Region 4C semifinals in a must-win game to keep their season alive at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“I know they’ve got one heck of a coach,” Grubbs said of the Vikings’ Chad Dawson. “They have a bunch of guards who are very good and they’ve got size. There’s a reason why they are playing in their championship game as well.”
The Pioneers feel they are ready for the challenge.
“I think that we’ve found our groove,” Hagerman said. “I think that come Tuesday we will be good.”
“I’m very excited. I can’t wait,” added Jackson. “I’m already ready for Tuesday.”
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