Takeaways: 5A State Championships
This past week was chock full of elite basketball, close games, legendary individual performances, jubilation and despair as the best public schools in the state met at VCU’s Siegel Center to duke it out for the state championship. One of…
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Continue ReadingThis past week was chock full of elite basketball, close games, legendary individual performances, jubilation and despair as the best public schools in the state met at VCU’s Siegel Center to duke it out for the state championship. One of the most intense group of games happened in the 5A state semifinals and finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s what we saw, and you should know about the 5A State Championships.
Potomac Makes it Two for the Last Three
Since the VHSL switched to the 6A system three years ago, the Potomac Panthers have been a staple in the state championship. With their win over LC Bird on Wednesday, they have now won two of the last three 5A State Championships, and lost a close one in the state semifinals to Norview last season.
After breezing by Albemarle for the second time in three weeks in the state semifinals, Potomac looked like they were on the way to an easy double digit victory with just under three minutes left. However, the Skyhawks fought back with a fury, cutting a 13 point deficit to as little as four before Potomac was able to hit their free throws and hang on to the state championship. That’s just how head coach Keith Honore expected it to be, however.
“It’s kind of fitting what happened in this game, because it’s been our M.O. the last 14 or so games where we get up by a lead and all of a sudden, other teams start coming to life,” Honore said. “But our kids showed their resilience, they showed their toughness down the stretch. We were able to make free throws when it counted and get out of there with a victory.”
While the Panthers were doing everything they could in the last three minutes to try and contain LC Bird senior Charles Falden, who’s memorable performance we’ll get to next, there was one player who stepped up big down the stretch for them, and Honore wasn’t even sure if he’d play to start the game.
“This kid right here,” Honore said looking over at junior point guard Elyjah Camp, “Five minutes before warm ups I said ‘You aren’t playing.’ He looked over at me and said ‘Let me warm up and see how I feel.'”
Camp, who had severely sprained his ankle in the semifinals against Albemarle, warmed up and looked good enough for Honore to give him the nod, and it paid off. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, in the midst of everything falling apart as LC Bird clawed their way back, Camp calmly sank free throw after free throw for the Panthers. He finished with 16 points, and was 11-for-14 from the line.
“I understand the importance of the basketball game for him, and I’ve been a head coach for 10 years here, and he has to be the toughest kid I’ve ever coached,” Honore said. “I don’t know who the MVP is, but my vote would be our trainer for getting him ready to play today.”
Behind Camp’s gutsy effort down the stretch, Potomac was able to hold on for their second state title in the last three years, winning 67-61. It’s a little early to start talking dynasty, especially in the strongest classification in the VHSL, but Potomac does return five of their top eight guys next season, making them an early favorite to repeat.
Charles Falden with Performance for the Ages
LC Bird may have only lost to Potomac by 6, but the biggest part of that was available senior Charles Falden. The 6’3” wing, who we’ve featured in our best available articles, had one of the most memorable performances in state championship history, scoring 35 points, 17 of which came in the final 2:35.
The Falden showing was the talk of the tournament for the first four days, but his story is what makes it so special. He was on JV just two years ago as a sophomore, and emerged as a big scoring threat in the sixth man role last season.
“Charles is an example of a kid that makes you proud to be a coach,” head coach Troy Manns said after the game. “For the first couple of years, he didn’t want to buy in. But when he did buy in, he worked so hard to improve his game. He’ll be missed by everyone in this organization, and will be successful wherever he goes.”
Falden’s performance was one that will be remembered for the ages in Virginia High School state tournament history. Of his 18 straight points that he scored in the last 2:35, 12 of them came in just 57 seconds of play, as he single handedly willed the Skyhawks back from a double digit deficit to cut it to just three points at one point. He picked up an offer from Mount Olive, a powerhouse division two school in North Carolina, and we wouldn’t be surprised if more were to come in soon.
Other Unsigned Seniors Show Up Big
It wasn’t just Falden that showed out in the 5A State Semifinals and Finals, as a group of seniors that were playing in their last games of their career made it count. Here’s just a few.
- Jeffrey Gordon; Potomac
Gordon was big in the first quarter to give Potomac a lot of energy coming out of the gates. He had 9 points in the opening quarter, including 7 straight for the Panthers. His leadership could be seen throughout the game, as he finished tied for the team high 16 points on 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-6 from the stripe.
- Deng Nhial; Wakefield
All season long, the 6’5″ forward has been the go-to guy for Wakefield, who lost a heartbreaker to LC Bird in the state semifinals. Despite him not being the typical “ra-ra” type of leader, Nhial led by example, playing with energy on both ends of the floor. He shot it well, rebounded and anchored the paint, and his ability to run the floor and guard multiple positions was on display throughout the game.
- Myles Adams-Yates; Albemarle
Throughout the playoffs, the senior guard was the go-to perimeter scorer for the Patriots who surprised some by making it to the 5A semifinals before losing to Potomac 66-57. With the Panther’s focused on stopping the two junior bigs Austin Katstra and Jake Hahn of Albemarle, Adams-Yates took advantage of his opportunity to get open looks and knocked them down. He finished with a team high 15 points, including three deep balls.
NOVA Juniors Show Bright Future
There were two northern Virginia teams in the 5A state championships at the Siegel Center, and while only Potomac walked away with a ring, both showed promising futures, and with these juniors they should be able to fight for a chance next season to make it back to VCU. Here’s four juniors who impressed.
- Jamal Washington; Potomac
Against one of the most heralded backcourts in the state, Washington not only held his own, but had is way in Potomac’s win over LC Bird. The 6’2″ combo guard finished with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field, and pulled in five rebounds despite fouling out midway through the fourth quarter. He also was guarding Charles Falden for the majority of the game before he went on that legendary spurt. It’s safe to say that it will be his team next season, but some would argue that it was already his team this year too.
- Nana Opoku; Potomac
One of the most intriguing prospects at the Siegel Center was 6’7″ Nana Opoku, who set a school record for most blocks in a season at Potomac this year. The lengthy big altered shots throughout the semifinals and finals, but he also showed the ability to run the floor, finish at the rim and showed nice touch in the paint. His room to grow as a player is also intriguing, but we think he’s already a division one player with his ability to impact the game in so many ways.
- Alan Treakle; Wakefield
The 5’10” point guard embodies Wakefield’s mascot of the Warriors as much as anyone we saw last week. He’s usually a distributor, but with Wakefield’s season winding down he stepped up in a big way to provide much needed scoring for the Warriors. Treakle showed a variety of floaters and crafty finishes around the basket, and finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
- Halil Parks; Wakefield
The 6’2″ shooter was one of the reasons Wakefield was able to stay in it with LC Bird, because he provided something the Skyhawks struggled with, outside shooting. Bird was 0-for-9 from deep, an unusual stat for them, while Parks connected on four of Wakefield’s six three-pointers and shot 50% from deep. With their top two post players leaving next season, Wakefield will lean on Parks and Treakle even more moving forward.