VHSL Group 5A State Semifinals
Albemarle (24-6) versus Potomac (25-2), 10 a.m. at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center
The basics: For the first time in three years (Monticello’s girls and William Monroe’s boys in 2013), a Central Virginia squad is playing in the VHSL final four. Albemarle’s boys went on the road to get the job done, clearly understanding that moments and chances like this don’t come around all that often. In fact, in Albemarle’s case under Greg Maynard, the chance had never come around. So the Patriots played for themselves, for all those other squads who didn’t get a shot and for their school, getting the job done in convincing fashion with a 65-54 victory over Hampton in the Crabbers’ backyard in Norfolk. The reward is another shot at Potomac, the only school that has upended the Patriots so far in this magical postseason. Albemarle fell to the Panthers in the Region 5A North semifinals, with Potomac going on to win the region title. Potomac then knocked off Norview late last week to set up the rematch with the Patriots. One key for Albemarle is avoiding a major slip up and then letting mistakes snowball like they did in the second quarter against Potomac in the last meeting. Beyond that single 23-8 frame? Albemarle actually outscored Potomac, including a 31-25 advantage in the second half. In a season of firsts, Albemarle gets another shot at another first, a first berth in a state championship game. This should be interesting.
Key Matchup: Albemarle’s defense looks to clamp down on Jeffrey Gordon and Jamal Washington. This is sort of a situation where the Patriots have to pick their poison against Potomac’s All-Region 5A North first teamers. They managed to hold Gordon, who averages 12.4 points per game, to nine in the previous meeting, but Washington finished with 16. Albemarle’s Myles Adams-Yates gives the Patriots a good chance to neutralize one of them, but someone else has to step up defensively to handle the other threat. Of course, on the other end, Potomac is going to be contending with two major scoring threats from Albemarle in Austin Katstra and Jake Hahn with a dash of the well-rounded Adams-Yates throw in on that end too, leaving the Panthers facing a similar dilemma. With a previous meeting under their belts, there’s going to be a lot of chess match involved in this one.
Who to watch: Can this be anyone else but Katstra? It probably shouldn’t be, not after an 11-for-14, 26-point, 14-rebound performance at Old Dominion University against Hampton. The Patriots stopped Hampton cold in their tracks because of the matchup problem that Katstra becomes if he’s on. The question then becomes, what’s in store for the encore. Katstra has been extremely consistent and reliable for most of the season. Night in and night out he’s given the Patriots the kind of threat they need underneath to either pour it in or open things up for everyone else. Katstra is the kind of big man that even if someone else is filling up the stat sheet, he more than likely had a hand in it, his impact is that large for Albemarle.
The line: Albemarle by 1. Obviously Potomac is the logical favorite here after a 10-point win over the Patriots and a region title, but going against Albemarle after Friday’s incredible stunner? Not happening.
