07 WESTERN DEFENSE FUELS RUN
scr覺mmageplay THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA SPORTS AUTHORITY
VOL 6. ISSUE 7 :: NOVEMBER 29, 2014
Crossing over As basketball begins, one senior standout embarks on her final chapter PAGE 13
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x’s and o’s 05
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CHANGING OF THE GUARD Two 4-year contributors wrap up in football
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COLLEGE UPDATE WAHS alums accelerate
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SENIOR PAGE Barbour gears up for senior year
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BLUE COLLAR Western defense paves historic path
MAKING SENSE OF IT To foul or not to foul
vol 6. issue 7 :: november 29, 2014
Crossing over VOL 6 . ISSUE 7 :: NOVEMBER 29, 2014
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07 Western Defense fuels run
As hoops season begins, one senior standout embarks on finishing strong page 13
S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R Albemarle’s KK Barbour M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers. CO N TAC T U S [ e ] info@scrimmageplay.com [ p ] 434-249-2032
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PREGAME
One last sprint Goochland’s Jordan Jefferson breaks off a run in the Bulldogs’ playoff opener with Buffalo Gap. Goochland rolled to a 56-14 win with Jefferson piling up 251 yards on just 10 touches and another 50 yards receiving. The Bulldogs fell the following week to Brunswick with Jefferson suffering an injury that kept him out of most of the contest. It was an unfortunate ending to an amazing high school football career. To read more about it flip over to page 5. ✖ (Photo by Nick Bajis)
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Orthopedics
First Quarter
Changing of the guard
Two of the best 4-year contributors in CVa finish football By Bart Isley
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Jordan Jefferson played for four playoff teams, two of which played for state titles. (Ron Londen)
{ PROOF } WINS LOSSES
WINS LOSSES
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K AR A ELD ER
KOONCE
JEFFERSON
Wins and losses for the teams Jefferson and Koonce played for in their four years.
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laying a major role for a high school football team for four years is no easy task. Even getting on the field as a freshman, much less impacting the game in a big-time way is just hard to pull off.
But Monticello’s Kyree Koonce and Goochland’s Jordan Jefferson found a way to do just that back in 2011 and neither slowed down much since then, making a huge impact on Central Virginia football over the last four years. Jefferson was a human Swiss Army knife on the football field. In his illustrious career at Goochland where he’ll likely finish as the first three-time all-state honoree for the Bulldogs, Jefferson has had an impact in nearly every aspect of the game. He threw for more than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns as a passer, rushed for 2,166 yards and 34 touchdowns including 993 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, and hauled in 644 receiving yards, including 424 this season highlighted by seven touchdowns on just 17 catches. And we haven’t even talked about defense yet, which is where he’s earned his all-state honors. He picked off 15 passes, including five as a sophomore during the Bulldogs run to a Division 2 state title. This year, few teams tested him, preferring instead to try their luck anywhere else against the Bulldogs. “I still can’t fathom what it will be like to not have Jordan on the team next year, it seems like he has been here forever,” said Goochland coach Joe Fowler. “I told someone a few weeks ago that he does everything but drive the bus, and that is only because we haven’t asked him to yet.” Jefferson’s career started in 2011 when he was forced into the lineup as a freshman after a spate of injuries, and he came up with a huge tackle on a two-point conversion attempt against Buckingham, a feat he eerily repeated against both Amelia and then King William in the Region B playoffs. He was the starting quarterback as a sophomore and helped lead the Bulldogs to a state title before moving back to defense as a junior while filling in for new starter Reid Chenault whenever he was injured. A leg injury knocked
him out of the Bulldogs’ second round playoff game this year and the impact was apparent as Goochland fell to Brunswick and surrendered more points than it had all year. Koonce’s career started as a blur in 2011 as he rushed for 693 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while also scoring on a pair of returns. After a 1,442-yard, 19-touchdown sophomore year for the Knights, Koonce transferred to Monticello. Over two years, one of them cut short by a lower leg injury, he piled up 2,360 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Mustangs at running back to wrap up a spectacular four years. “He’s one of those type of ball players that’s in that upper tier and I’ll give you some examples — (Gretna/UVa standout) Vic Hall, (Brookville/Virginia Tech product) Logan Thomas, (Rustburg star) Danny Davis,” said Monticello coach Jeff Woody. “Kyree Koonce is one of those guys that every time he touches the football he can make something happen.” Koonce is 11th all time in the area in rushing yards with 4,495 yards in his four years. He finished fifth in scoring all-time at Monticello in just two years, and seventh in Central Virginia history in career touchdown responsibility, fourth among running backs. He broke Monticello’s single game record with his 350-yard explosion against Tunstall in the first round of this year’s playoffs, and he wrapped up his career with 158 yards on the ground, a 65-yard punt return and a 53-yard interception return. Simply said neither Koonce nor Jefferson’s amazing production these last four years will soon be forgotten. ✖
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College Update
We’ve gone digital
WAHS girls soccer alumni off to great start to college careers
But you can have it in print too!
By Bart Isley Back in the spring of 2013, Marina Clark, Rachel Cooke and Christine Domecq led the Western Albemarle girls soccer squad to a Jefferson District title and a berth in the Region II playoffs. Now all three are headed to Kansas City, Missouri for the NCAA Division III Final Four as part of the Lynchburg College squad that advanced to the national semifinals with a penalty kick victory over Messiah College November 23. Clark, a sophomore, started 25 of the 27 games in midfield and scored six goals and seven assists, ranking her fifth in goals, assists and total points on a team that is third in the country in scoring offense. Cooke, a freshman, played in 15 of the squad’s 27 games and scored two goals for the Hornets. Christine Domecq, a redshirt freshman, played in 22 of the 27 games and has started twice for a defensive group that is ranked first in the nation having only given up four goals in 27 games. All three players were members of the Western squad that won two consecutive regular season Jefferson District titles in 2012 and 2013 as well as the Jefferson District Tournament in 2013. Clark was the Jefferson District player of
the year in 2013 for girls soccer while Domecq earned first team All-Scrimmage play honors. Cooke missed her senior year of soccer after suffering a ligament tear during basketball season during the last school year, but was one of the Warriors’ most technically sound players during her tenure with the squad. Clark has built extensively on her freshman season in 2013 where she scored eight goals including a game-winner against Randolph-Macon. She also managed four assists that year. Lynchburg is currently 26-0-1 and recently won its fifth-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) regular season and tournament championship. The Hornets were ranked number one in the country in the last regular season NSCAA Coaches Poll and are making only the second trip to the NCAA Final Four in school history. If the Hornets are successful against Illinois Wesleyan in the semifinals on December 5 at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri, they will play the winner of the Johns Hopkins/Williams match on Saturday, December 6 for the national title. ✖
BELOW »WAHS’ Marina Clarke stars at unbeaten Lynchurg. (Lynchburg Sports Information)
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THREE WEEKS BEFORE the basketball season begins, KK Barbour is
in Albemarle’s old gym, front and center. She’s surrounded by family, friends, coaches, media. It’s arguably the healthiest crowd you’ll ever see when a high school athlete signs a national letter of intent to play in college. What’s interesting is that some of the coaches that step up to speak about Barbour and her accomplishment in signing her NLI to play with Liberty University is that some of them are working or have worked for other schools in the area. This isn’t an Albemarle jamboree for Barbour. It’s a community gathering that stretches across the district, across the public and private school ranks. Each coach, whether it’s Albemarle coach Rachel Proudfoot, St. Anne’s-Belfield coach Phil Stinnie or any of the other various assistants — the message is the same. They talk about Barbour’s work ethic, that her signing is no accident, that she’s an example for everyone who wants to chase that dream. There’s no denying Barbour’s size matters, but at the high school level she’s supposed to be a post presence. At the collegiate level she translates to playing on the wing or at guard. She did everything in her power to juggle that dichotomy last year. She plowed through it and now she has a full ride to play collegiate basketball. And now that the signing, the business end of basketball is over, Barbour can focus on what matters most to her — the product on the court in her senior year. www.scrimmageplay.com ::
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"She knows what's best for us. We know that." - Barbour 09 :: @scrimmageplay
“I’m treating this season just like my freshman and sophomore year,” Barbour said. “It’s different because we are such a young team now and I have to take more of a leadership role. I’ve been a leader on this team but it’s different now because the players are younger.” It’s the story of an elite athlete watching things come full circle. Barbour, who checks in at 6-feet even, was the young talent when she started out as a freshman three years ago. The two years that followed when coach Rachel Proudfoot first took over in 2012 saw the Patriots rise from a team that struggled in the Commonwealth District to one that thrived, and then continued to do so when they moved into the Jefferson Distict last year. The Patriots lost the bulk of their talent minus Barbour, but Proudfoot and her staff have put two years and change into developing this new crop of talent that the Liberty-bound senior will lead, meaning that this new group understands the system, the rules and the philosophy of this program. “The key is to listen to Coach Proudfoot,” Barbour said. “If we get our conditioning in and listen to her we’re fine. She knows what’s best for us. We know that. We trust her.” Two weeks after Barbour’s signing on a snowy Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving, the Patriots were in the gym trying to prepare for the regular season which begins this week. At the end of practice, they’re working on their conditioning and breaking it up with free throw shooting in between sprints. The fatigue starts to show at the foul line, but not in the running. It’s an example of how this young group is buying into Proudfoot’s plan the same way Barbour did as a sophomore and now, as a senior, the team’s captain is pleased with the progress. “Things are coming along pretty fast and these young girls are great,” Barbour said. “They’re just great to talk to, to mentor. They’re hard workers and they like to play hard defense. That’s great because we stress that, to play hard on defense. In particular Anne Ridenhour and Brooke McAllister have really stepped up which is what we need.” Those two guards are going to be critical for Albemarle as that’s where this team needs help the most. The loss of Samaria Hussaini is going to be felt. But those two along with Kendra Hairston should help give the Patriots the kind of depth to keep Barbour from having to worry about constantly being swarmed. But as she saw lat year, the Patriots’ star player is going to have to work through opposing teams looking to do whatever they can to diminish her double-double potential. “Every year I work on something particular to be better at,” Barbour said. “This year its been handling the ball. I want to be a better guard, shooter, so that’s one thing. But you always have to be working on something.” As far as dealing with the double teams over the last few years, Barbour continues to polish her game because she and pretty much everyone in the JD know that’s going to continue. Luckily for her, she has a bit a of a physical cheat sheet for that test.
ACADEMIC EDGE
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WILLIAM MONROE’S JOSH KING
For a William Monroe linebacking corps that was the heart of the Dragons’ defense this season, Josh King was the squad’s most dynamic presence. The squad’s senior captain known as Crazy Legs, helped power Monroe to a 6-5 record this fall while earning All-Conference 28 honors, one of six Dragons on that side of the ball to pick up All-Conference recognition. It was King’s second straight year as an All-Conference honoree. A three-year starter, King is a big reason that Monroe took incredible steps over the last three years from 1-9 in 2012 to 3-8 in 2013 and then the winning campaign this fall. King also gets the job done in the classroom, posting a GPA north of 4.0, making him a standout member of a tremendous senior class for William Monroe.
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“I’m tall and I can see over people so that’s how I get out of the double teams,” Barbour said. “When I’m working on drills or one-onone’s we work on that, getting out of that double team.” Her height, comfort with handling the ball and overall basketball I.Q. also make her a nightmare for teams looking to press. She can see over the top of the defense, has the ability to dribble through it, pass through it and in all honesty, go coast-to-coast and pull up and shoot through it. “Teams are going to see her handle the ball more,” Proudfoot said. “She see’s so well over the top, knows how to break a press and we need that.” Despite a significant roster turnover, the Patriots aren’t looking to get away from what’s made them so successful these last two seasons. They want to continue to be aggressive defensively, press, force turnovers and play as much on the fly as they can. That said, offensively, working the ball to Barbour will be key. She’s as good a shooter now as any. She’s a dominant force in the paint. She’s a multi-tool talent as she can draw in defenses and pass out of them. So the focus coming into the year is making minor adjustments. “We’ve just touched up our press a bit, worked on quicker feet as far as defense is concerned,” Proudfoot said. “We want to set screens a little bit more than just have the normal open look in the middle. We want double screens, stagger screens to get our shooters open.” As much as Proudfoot wants to lean on Barbour for offense, she
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" T e am s are g o i ng t o s e e h e r h and l e t h e bal l m o re ." - Pr o ud fo o t knows that her marquee talent is likely going to have to give up the ball to her younger counterparts, to take what defenses give her. Much in the same way turning her into a shooting threat was last year, making her a distributor should only round her skills as she heads to Liberty. “For her that’s really going to help at the next level,” Proudfoot said. “At the next level there isn’t just a KK on the team. Everyone is where she is. Everyone is the best high school player. So you get humbled. So for her to be so humble now, that’s going to really show as she moves on.”
With Albemarle being so young overall, the Patriots will face an uphill challenge in trying to replicate their success from the previous two years. But Barbour’s not a stranger to the top talent in the Jefferson, as she’s played with top players at Monticello, Fluvanna etc. “We all started out in seventh grade together,” Barbour said. “We played together, grew together and now we all get a chance to play against each other in the same district and that’s a lot of fun. Playing with Kianna Chidress (from Fluvanna County) or Molly Shephard (from Monticello), you get to know how they play so it helps when you have to go up against them. We all feed off each other though. When you grow up together in AAU it just happens, you develop that connection.” At the end of the day, Albemarle’s success this season won’t necessarily be about its win-loss record but rather just how much this group absorbs from one of the area’s most successful, dynamic and versatile players in recent years. She’s collected, unselfish and clever. “The void she’s going to leave, it’s going to be so hard to fill, so our girls are just constantly looking at her,” Proudfoot said. “It’s a team that’s a sponge with a lot of leadership showing them how to do things the right way and that’s so nice.” You could argue in some ways that Barbour’s senior season will be judged a success with how the Patriots play next year without her. But that’s looking too far ahead as the senior still has a mark she wants to leave. “I’m going to go out there and play as if I haven’t signed yet,” Barbour said. “That’s the type of player I am and want to continue to be.” ✖
TEAM SPOTLIGHT C H A R L OT T E S V I L L E FIELD HOCKEY Congratulations to the Charlottesville field hockey team for making it to the state semifinals for the second time in three years. The Black Knights won the Jefferson District and Region titles this season. Great work girls on a hard fought season!
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COLLAR STO RY BY B A RT I S L EY PHOTOS BY ASHLEY THORNTON
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STERN ALBEMARLE’S SEASON WAS ON THE LINE WHEN CHRISTIANSBURG DROVE INSIDE THE 5-YARD LINE TRAILING BY A
TOUCHDOWN WITH UNDER A MINUTE TO PLAY IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE REGION
3A WEST PLAYOFFS. THE DEFENSE NEEDED A STOP. THEY NEEDED TO MAKE A PLAY. THEY NEEDED TO COME UP BIG.
They did, stuffing Christiansburg to preserve the win with a stop near the goal line, an Osiris Crutchfield sack, and a Derek Domecq pass breakup during the critical stretch that wrapped up a 28-21 win. “You have a lot of guys that have a lot of heart and they’re not out there just because they want to be on a football team but they’re out there because they want to be out there and they want to win,” said Western senior Michael Mullin. “When you bring that defensively, that’s what you get.” That moment might not have played out that way just a few years ago. In high school football, quality defense often gets overlooked in favor of piling up points. That’s particularly true at Western Albemarle where for more than a half decade, the Warriors have developed an identity built around an explosive, high-scoring offense. But behind a now experienced group of defenders, particularly in the front seven, Western has started stopping people and it has ignited an historic playoff run, the first multi-win trip to the postseason for the Warriors since 1979.
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A lot of teams would’ve been thrilled with the highscoring, high-octane identity Western developed in the years where Stephen Schuler and Abbott Wallenborn played quarterback from 2007 to 2010. Some in the local football world referred to it as a “lacrosse offense.” The spread attack took advantage of exactly the kind of athletes Western has in abundance, shifty, quick, often tall skill position type players. But there was a flip side to that high-flying attack, a flip side that could make loftier goals harder to attain as opponents got tougher and the stakes got higher. “We can’t drop back 50 times and throw it, we don’t think that’s a key to success,” said head coach Ed Redmond. “It lengthens games, it puts more pressure on your defense and sometimes even when you score quickly it can be a negative for you because you’ve got to run your defense right back out there.” For years that explosive offense put pressure on the Western defense and often ran their counterparts into the ground as they faced a lot of plays and had to be on the field for long stretches. When Redmond took over before the 2012 season, there were some notable adjustments and tweaks to the defensive philosophy including moving the defensive end/outside linebacker type role from outside the tight end to inside the end to strengthen Western’s ability to control the C gap. They also changed the kind of player who played that role to a larger, more traditional defensive end type build and started moving around a lot more within the system while still maintaining the man-control approach that requires players up front to read the play rather than blindly attacking a particular gap. “Coming into this season the focus was on man control for the defensive linemen,” Mullin said. “It allows us to really get into those positions to make plays and we’re trying to read it.” The defense is also working with a lot of information now, with scouting reports “We have a lot guys who are going to put in that effort,” Mullin said. “Every week we have to do our scouts form. It’s specified for your position and it’s about the opponent. Like if it’s a tight end and he slants more and how he hooks -their techniques and stuff. We spend a lot of time preparing for the games.” But re-molding the offense a little to be able to control the clock more and give the defense a rest has been just as important. The emergence this year of 1,000-yard rusher Oliver Herndon gave Western its first reliable, consistent threat at running back since Marcus Washington and Bryan Lescanec back in the early 2000s. That allowed the defense to attack a little more as players were usually better rested as Herndon and the offensive line kept moving the sticks. A spate of injuries tested Western’s depth midway through the year, but the Warriors remained resilient, including a win over rival Monticello where they had to duct tape some
Above, Osiris Crutchfield’s sack against Christiansburg
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can’t drop back 50 times and thow it, we don’t think that’s a key to success. It lengethens games, it puts more pressure on your defense. — REDMOND
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SUPPORTING THE FUTURE SPORTS STARS OF TOMORROW Best of luck to our 2013 student athletes as they embark on their college careers. Maiah Bartlett Miles Davis Blissie DuBose Will Eppard Tyler Gimple Will Grossman Allie Nicholson Lloyd Smith Stewart Staunton Aaron Stinnie Catherine Towers
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things together with a ton of players going both ways. As the year has worn on, Western has healed up, including the return of Josh Meeks late in the year. Meeks made six tackles against Charlottesville in his return. “It’s unbelievable how frustrating (being out) was but the only thing that made it easier was knowing I could trust these guys to do their job while I was gone and that we’d be all set,” Meeks said. “It was frustrating for me but I wasn’t worried at all about the team.” He’s bolstered the defense and given the linebacking corps some significant depth as they’ve come along nicely. Logan Sprouse, Sam Leseman, Matthew Mullin, Jarrett Smith and Stephen Kuzjak have all stepped up at linebacker along with Meeks making that a versatile, formidable group. “We feel like our inside linebackers (in particular) have gotten progressively better, there’s no question about it,” Redmond said. Those linebackers get the privilege of playing behind a formidable defensive line as well that boasts Mullin, Crutchfield and Matthew Wozneak. That trio holds the top three spots in tackling on the team with Crutchfield’s 63.5 total tackles leading the way, and they’ve earned that success with a commitment to the weight room and hard work according to Redmond. They’re quick for their size too and can be almost unblockable when they need to be. They’re smart, intelligent football players and makes it easier for the Warriors to adjust scheme on the fly. “We’ve got a lot of gritty guys on this team who like hitting people, who know their positions and know what they’ve got to do,” Meeks said. “That line is phenomenal and the defense wouldn’t be half of what it is if they were any different guys in the district. I love those defensive linemen.” The secondary, which hasn’t been suspect in years because the Warriors’ spread wideouts would usually just step across the line of scrimmage to play defense, has also been a pleasant surprise. Oliver Herndon, Garland Carter, Henry Kreienbaum, and Domecq as well as quarterback Sam Hearn at safety have all stepped in at one time or another to make a big play. With all three position groups well-stocked with solid football players, it’s clear why the Western defense can rise up and make a critical stand like it did against Christiansburg. It’s a well-oiled unit that’s built for success. That’s no accident. Redmond made it a priority when he arrived in 2012 and wanted to make it clear. So he didn’t talk about offense that first year. For days. “We didn’t talk about offense for a couple of weeks,” Redmond said. “Kids were wondering... ‘we’re going to get the ball, what are we going to do?’ I said let’s concentrate on stopping these people. I think they got the message three years ago.”
Above, Sam Hearn’s play at quarterback and defensive back has been crucial.
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didn’t talk about offense for a couple of weeks. Kids were wondering... ‘we’re going to get the ball, what are we going to do.’ — REDMOND
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See a photograph you like? Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen
At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering the best possible graphics Two years ago the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine as well as at our website at brunt of the work load. The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season. After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that. Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod
Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie. But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself. The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖
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Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)
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talk about controlling the controllable and that we only have today. We don’t even worry about tomorrow. — REDMOND
Still, there have been lapses this year. Physical rushing attacks by Louisa County and Powhatan combined to hang more than 100 points on the Warriors. Those two defeats drove up the Warriors average points surrendered on the year from 14.6 per game to 21.25, which is actually largely on par for the last four years, but is still a significant improvement over last year’s 24.4 points allowed per game. “A couple of our coaches have a saying, ‘take out the trash, it’s over’,” Redmond said. “You can’t control it and we talk about controlling the
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Western prepares for its goal line stand against Christiansburg.
controllables and that we only have today. We don’t even worry about tomorrow.” Obviously with Powhatan’s Logan Allen rushing for 2,000 yards and Louisa’s Trey Cherry going for more than 1,400 this year, Western was far from the only squad that struggled against the Indians and Lions. But it’s how the Warriors’ defensive unit responded to those struggles that may be most telling about the defense’s improvement. Quite simply, they didn’t let either loss snowball, bouncing back with strong performances after each defeat. “We really sort of found our identity and then we ran into some teams that executed very well and we’ve had some nights where we just didn’t get it done for whatever reason,” Redmond said. “But what’s different about these guys is that they’ve been resilient enough to overcome Powhatan and Louisa and get back on their feet.” They’ve more than just gotten back on their feet. The Warriors’ defense is now powering an incredible playoff run, one those high octane offenses didn’t manage. Now they’re making stops. They’re making plays. They’re coming up big. Not since 1979 has this team been so big, and a renewed focus and an adjustment in identity has clearly paid off. ✖
At Blue Ridge School you can choose both. ALL BOYS • ALL BOARDING • ALL COLLEGE BOUND
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Blue Ridge School’s Baron Scholarship Program offers substantial scholarships to boys applying for the 9th grade who exemplify character and leadership potential. www.BlueRidgeSchool.com/scholarship 434-985-2811
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Provide corrective exercise to improve movement/performance
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Overtime
Making sense of it
The ‘13-14 season saw more fouls, less offense... how?
L
ast year I went into the high school hoops season thinking that the new officiating rules would dampen defensive play. I was convinced that with fundamental defense, i.e. using your hands, being all but outlawed, that offensive teams would simply flourish and the game would become what I hate most — NBA basketball. What I saw by the end of February was the opposite and for the life of me I could not figure out why. How is that possible? More fouls yet less offense, defensive teams thriving? Well I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and go figure, I’m fairly certain it comes back to the thing that irks/delights me the most about the game — those free throws. A high school basketball game is just 32 minutes long. Getting three, four and even five fouls took more effort in years past than it did last year, but based on what I saw two factors favored teams that play fundamental or better yet, truly aggressive defense. Let’s start with the free throws, my pet peeve. It’s been a little while since I ranted about them here (two years to be exact) but they are more important now than ever given that teams are simply shooting a greater volume of them, getting their offense from that source. If teams — particularly at the public school level, and even more especially on the girls end of the spectrum — are not devoting massive efforts to improve at the charity stripe, they are truly crazy. If I was a coach I’d target my offense to run at the opposing teams best offensive player and I’d be sure that everyone on my team was money at the line. It’s a talent equalizer. It allows teams with depth and not necessarily the best overall talent to even up that talent — as far as I’m concerned it’s basically cheating, but completely legal. It’s like stealing signs in baseball. If your offense is coming at the foul line when the clock is stopped, you’re in heaven, especially since there is no shot clock in high school and possessions last all too long when the game isn’t in transition. If you’re a defensive team, the game slowing down helps you even further. On the boys side with Charlottesville or on the girls side with Albemarle, team that press like crazy but are always dealing with foul trouble are reaping the benefits. They’re trying to score in transition, on layups or high percentage shots off of turnovers. They aren’t being punished either because so many teams, so many good players are lousy free throw shooters. A player that shoots 65 to 70 percent from the line in my book right now is a phenomenal free throw shooter. That number should by 80 or 85 by most standards, but hey, we are where we are. Defending a good 3-point shooting team is one thing, but simply hacking in the post or hand-checking when you’re in trouble off the dribble is a smart move at this point, especially if you have depth. For the boys, teams like Charlottesville can afford to lose playing time because of foul trouble because the bench is strong. Albemarle can’t afford to lose its workhorse in KK Barbour for long, but her fouls aren’t going to come at the top of the key. Conversely, there are teams that simply devote an incredible amount of effort into being strong teams from the line. No program has been better in that department than the Western Albemarle boys, and I’m talking about since I’ve been covering basketball in this area. I don’t know what coach Darren Maynard does aside from teach fundamentals, but I do know that the proof is always in the pudding — his teams get to the line all the time and
22 :: @scrimmageplay
“How is that possible? More fouls yet less offense, defensive teams thriving?” make opponents pay. And as such, Western doesn’t have down years. They technically should this year without leading scorer Chase Stokes in the mix. But I’ll lay a solid wager that they are right where they left off last year, fighting at the top of the standings with Charlottesville, Albemarle and Fluvanna. Now think about that for a second. In Charlottesville we have a team that believes in pressure defense, hustles and has depth. Western is known for its fundamental defense, shoots well, and owns the free throw line. What would happen if a team did both? They’d run the table as far as I’m concerned. I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m just saying that I’d like to see a team be a little bit of both. I really just want to see an aggressive defensive team that also shoots free throws well and see what happens. It seems simple in concept, and I know it’s easier said than done. But a team like that would be so hard not to love, and so hard to Ryan Yemen stop. ✖
CRE ATIVE EDITOR
back talk »
Am I wrong? Is it 3-pointers that matter, all about shooting? Email: ryan@scrimmageplay.com
Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Kevin Laue Kevin Laue’s journey is the stuff movies are made of — quite literally. Born with just one arm, Laue became one of the top stories in the country back in 2007 when Sports Illustrated labeled him as “the most exciting player in basketball.” However, in a both a sad and ironic twist, a broken leg dashed his recruiting prospects as a high school senior. So Laue did what so many in the country do, they come to Fork Union. In 2008 the San Jose, California native switched coasts and suited up for legendary coach Fletcher Arritt. Laue’s efforts as a post graduate player did not go unnoticed. His goal the entire time was to draw interest from Division 1 collegiate programs. After intially garnering Division 3 offers, Laue worked his way to a change to realize him dream and play at the highest level. When Laue was offered a scholarship to play for Manhattan College, he
became the first player ever with one arm to acquire a Division 1 offer. In 59 games over three years with the Jaspers, Laue was able to contribute off the bench, playing his best as a sophomore. During his travels from a high school standout in California to a promising recruit at Fork Union and finally a Division 1 athlete at Manhattan, a film crew followed Laue around, chronicling his journey. Last fall Franklin Martin, the man who documented Laue’s story, released the film “Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story.” New York Times critic Daniel Gold called the film “a memorable account of an inspiring struggle to finish on top.” NBA legend Bill Walton said, “Kevin’s remarkable and perfectly told story will make you laugh, cry and think.” It’s an amazing tale and one that unfolded here at Fork Union.
Fork Union Military Academy is the leading Christian military boarding school for boys in grades 6 - 12 and PG. www.forkunion.com — 1-800-GO-2-FUMA