It’s rematches from here on out – we’ve hit that part of the schedule where the district race is more than halfway over. In the Jefferson District, Fluvanna County, Charlottesville and Orange all sit atop each with one loss which puts a lot of pressure on teams like Monticello and William Monroe to keep up. Fittingly enough, the Mustangs and Greene Dragons have a date on Friday night in Charlottesville.
So far, we know that both teams have the talent to keep up with anyone in the district. Monroe played Fluvanna to within a point last week and Monticello is the only team to top the Flucos so far. But consistency has been an issue for both squads. Some call it playing down to the opponent, however, we prefer to chalk it up to the nature of high school basketball – no team is on every night, and certainly not against familiar opponents.
The first battle between Monticello and Monroe was won by the Mustangs’ speedy guard tandem of Jhalil Mosley and Denzel Terry. The two gave the Dragons fits on both ends of the court as they forced turnovers and capitalized in transition, or were able to catch Monroe’s defenders napping which drew a slew of fouls.
That said, Monroe also had a rough night from the field, and now that the Dragons know that can’t sleep on Mosley and Terry despite their sophomore statuses. This is going to be a different game if Markel Faulkner can establish himself in the paint and sharp shooters Jordan Gentry and Austin Batten are closer to 40 percent from beyond the arc rather than 10.
There’s a good deal at stake in this game. The winner likely is on the fast track to get a home game in the first round of the district team, while the loser, barring a collapse at the top of the standings, is going to have a long hard road in front of them.
The good news for either squad is that they are capable of running with anyone in this district. The bad news is that too often this year, these two teams have come up short in games they should have won.
Albemarle in same boat
The Patriots have had their way with their out of district opponents, topping Western Albemarle twice and edging Charlottesville, but as per usual, the Commonwealth District is living up to its reputation as one of the toughest leagues to play in.
Albemarle currently sits right in the middle of the 8-squad district and gets a chance to further plant itself amongst the top-4 should it best Mountain View at home on Friday. So far only one CD team has beaten the Patriots on their home court and that’s top-ranked Brooke Point who’s lost just one game in the district.
Post players Andrew Mann and Jake Hendrix have done much of the heavy lifting with help from Kendall Hawkins on the wing all year, and look for that to continue. Albemarle has lots of faith in its front court, but could use help from its guards and 3-point shooters in getting past what’s always been a tough Mountain View team.
The Wildcats come into town vulnerable. After starting 8-0 they have since dropped four of their last five contests, but all by five points or less. They need this game as much or more as the Patriots do, so Albemarle can expect to get a good fight here. The Patriots got one in the first week of the season in a loss at Mountain View, but this team’s depth has grown significantly since then.
One last test for Western?
Given that none of the teams fourth through eighth in the JD have been gotten within striking distance of Western Albemarle so far, it’s not unrealistic to think that the only team standing in the Warriors way from a perfect district slate is Charlottesville. By virtue of beating second place William Monroe last Friday, the Warriors have a two game lead on both the Dragons and the Black Knights. Charlottesville, Monroe and Western are the only teams in the JD with winning records, which has made it a top heavy race with a lot of drubbings.
To give the Warriors a run for the money, the Black Knights are going to need to match Western’s depth. Charlottesville has the size and strength to deny the Warriors inside if they want, but Western has an edge with its shooters as they have no qualms about knocking down 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers. The Black Knights don’t want to turn this into a shootout.
While Kelsey Swanson and Ellie Von Storch should be an interesting matchup at the point guard spot, how Charlottesville’s London Todd and Sydney Calloway fare against Ellen Shaffrey and Raven Ward could be the difference.
Boys Top Five
1. Blue Ridge (10-0) — The Barons passed their biggest local test so far by holding off Miller, but will find out just how truly deep this team is as they play without their dominant center, Isaiah Battle, who’s off for his official visit to Clemson.
2. Fluvanna County (12-1) — Fluvanna’s matchup with Orange Monday was postponed, but the Flucos could still get in a pair of games, one against Cumberland, the other against Louisa County. They’ll need the prep — next Tuesday they have to try and sweep Charlottesville.
3. Albemarle (10-5) — Albemarle fell to North Stafford over the weekend and then again to Brooke Point, but considering how the Patriots have played locally and at home, it’s hard to bump them down. Expect to bounce back Friday against Mountain View at home.
4. Charlottesville (9-4) — The Black Knights re-enter the top five after impressive wins over Louisa and Monticello by big margins. Charlottesville is rounding into form, but a matchup early next week with Fluvanna looms and will play a huge part in determining the district race. The Flucos are the lone blemish on CHS’s JD record.
5. Buckingham (6-3) — The Knights fell in overtime to Amherst County 73-70 but Buckingham’s balance should get things back on track quick. All three losses have been by a small margin, the wins, not so much.
Lurking — Fork Union (5-3), William Monroe (10-6), Miller (5-7)
Girls Top Five
1. St. Anne’s-Belfield (8-1) — As usual, Sarah Imovbioh went big against Liberty Christian with 41 points and 30 rebounds, but her supporting cast continues to develop including Lexi Peck, who had eight against LCA.
2. Western Albemarle (12-3) — The Warriors get a chance later this week to take a commanding lead on the district race when they take on Charlottesville. The 15-point win over William Monroe last week proved that the Warriors are in control right now.
3. Miller (8-3) — The Mavericks knocked off Norfolk Christian Monday 53-46. Carlisle and North Stafford finish out a busy week for Miller.
4. William Monroe (13-3) — The Dragons failed to knock off the Warriors at home, but Monroe has a lot to play for down the stretch, they’re clearly a playoff team, particularly when they play together and in sync. They’ll face Monticello late in the week.
5. Charlottesville (11-3) — The Black Knights face district-leading Western Friday, having won all their games stretching back to the holiday tournament second round, are they ready to shake up the JD?
Lurking — Covenant (5-5)
