At Scrimmage Play we saw a ridiculous number of games in 2011-2012. We saw hundreds of them, chronicling anything and everything in the high school sports world.
So when the school year wrapped up we started putting together a top five list of the best games of the year. That quickly turned into a top 10 list. We just didn’t have a choice, there were too many good battles.
So here we are. Our top 10 games of the 2011-2012 season, rolled out one by one.
No. 1 Monroe’s walkoff state title – baseball – Monroe wins 5-4 over Chilhowie
When you’re considered by many to be the odds on favorite to win a state title before the season starts, it can be extremely difficult to close the deal in the championship game. Monroe had to dig deep to get it done in this classic, with Keegan Woolford coming up with a tremendous hit in the bottom of the eighth inning after a late rally by Chilhowie evened the game at 4-4. The freshman’s hit brought in sophomore Austin Batten for a 5-4 win to put a bow on a remarkable season.
The game had everything, including fantastic pitching from Jordan Gentry who threw an incredible 7.2 innings for the Dragons on short rest, Woolford’s clutch hit and Logan Forloines’ tagout at the plate that set the table for Woolford’s win. There was also a three-run blast from Ryan Leake off the scoreboard at Kiwanis Park and the resolution of the emotional turmoil that Monore underwent with the death of Gentry’s mother, Brenda Gentry. This was a fitting ending to a wild season that ended in the school’s first ever baseball state title.
Monroe saw every player step up into key roles and deliver at key times during this run. Ryan Morris hit six homeruns during the playoffs. Senior Spencer Breeden provided timely hitting in every single game. Lamar Nelson was literally the curveball reliever that nobody could figure out. Jack Morris’ quality start in the state semifinals saved Gentry for the finals.
Everything fell into place for Monroe and in the end it was a freshman driving in a sophomore that was the difference. In extra innings, you never know where the spark is going to come from, but that it was the youth on this senior-laden squad seemed only fitting. Depth was this team’s strength. A walkoff state title is a rare deal, and it was wild that on the last day of the athletic calendar, the Dragons rallied to put together this kind of performance. And that the seniors enjoyed their official graduation on the field was the kind of storybook ending that won’t ever be forgotten in Greene County.
No. 2 Monticello and Goochland rise to the occasion in November – football – Mustangs top Western in the Region II quarterfinals, Bulldogs defeat King William in the East Sectional finals
On the one hand you have a special teams play, a defensive stop and a running back just grinding away the clock . On the other you’ve got a defense coming up with an old fashioned goal line stand to preserve its win. These two performances stood out during football season as Monticello held serve against Western in the Group AA Region II quarterfinals while Goochland hung tough against King William in the Group A East Sectional finals.
Monticello bested Western in a shootout for the right to move on to the Region II semifinals and thanks to a 276-yard game on the ground from Isaac Robinson, a block on special teams from T.J. Tillery on a PAT and the Mustangs defense stopping the Warriors from tying the game on a 2-point conversion. It was the highlight for a Monticello team that had to endure a couple of really tough close losses (one to Goochland early in the year, another in overtime to Powhatan in week 9) before it got its season’s signature win.
After a strong first half, Goochland watched King William rally back and get to within inches of taking the lead in the final minute of play. But when freshman Jordan Jefferson made a tackle on a sweep play on fourth and goal, the Bulldogs’ season continued as they were able to run out the clock with one knee. It was arguably the biggest series for a Goochland team that advanced all the way to a state final showing in Salem in December.
No. 3 The Blue Ridge/Miller saga – boys basketball – The Barons win four 1-possesion games
We’ll argue that there is no bigger stage on the Central Virginia hoops scene than when Blue Ridge and Miller clash. Over the last three years these two teams have met 11 times. During the 2011-2012 campaign, there were four meetings (two-regular season, two postseason) that were decided by a combined seven points. While the final game of the year was the most intense with the most on the line, it would be unfair to pick just one game from this series between the two this season – because it’s really a package deal.
Game one saw the Barons’ Andre Roberts rise to the occasion in the last minutes of the fourth quarter to lead the way for a 2-point win. In round two Miller fell into an early hole, but clawed back behind Andrew White. However Blue Ridge held on to win by one. The third meeting came in the VIC championship in Lynchburg on a neutral court. There junior Darryl Smith put together a huge night to lead the Barons to a three point win.
And then there were the VISAA Division 1 quarterfinal. It was a game so good it needed an extra quarter of play to determine a winner. Miller controlled this contest for the first three quarters, but Blue Ridge raced back to tie the game behind Ahmad Fields late in the fourth. In the first overtime Miller had to fight back with a game tying shot in the final seconds from White. The second overtime made Barons center Corbyn Jackson the big man when he hit what was the game winning shot underneath the basket with just moments remaining.
All four contests went Blue Ridge’s way, but in each game the outcome was in question in the last minute, making this already intense rivalry something of a wonder. Four great games and just seven points between them. That’s a true rivalry.
No. 4 Albemarle survives the final four – boys soccer – Albemarle 1, Lake Braddock 1, (3-1 PK’s.)
When Albemarle’s Alex Bohn put his team up 1-0 against Lake Braddock in the Group AAA semifinals, it looked like the Patriots had their ticket to the state championship punched. But up until Albemarle’s last dance with Colonial Forge final, nothing came easy, and getting out of the final four proved no exception. When Braddock answered the Patriots held serve for the rest of the second half to force overtime. After nothing changed there, Albemarle went to penalty kicks where the Patriotscame up huge.
Matt Natale set the tone for the Patriots with the pressure on as he made the first save to give his team confidence before their first kick, which Shane Rose converted. A wide shot for Braddock followed by a Luc Fatton convert made it 2-0. After both squads missed their third chance, Braddock got on board, but Jesus Duran shut the door with his PK to seal it 3-1 and send his team to the finals.
The momentum carried over the next day. Albemarle took an early lead in the first half against Forge, padded it early in the second and then wrapped up its program’s first state championship with one more goal under the 20-minute mark. The Patriots faced a lot of life and death scenarios in their playoff run, but none were as intense and meaningful as their showdown in the semifinals.
No. 5 Monticello’s extra inning triple play – baseball – Monitcello slips by Woodgrove 4-3
Triple plays are insanely uncommon on any level. To turn one in an extra-inning elimination game? Pretty much unheard of at the high school scale. But when Monticello reliever Brandon Beasley caught a liner with no-outs and runners on first and second in the top of the eighth, he turned to Kyle Jacobson at first base to double up Woodgrove. Catcher Connor Lilley then when crazy behind home plate trying to get Jacobson’s attention as the runner at second was over at third. It worked and Jacobson whipped the ball over to Max Mann at second to complete the rare event.
Just like that, the Mustangs got out of the eighth with a 1-3-6 triple play before getting a walk off single from Josh Malm to drive in Jhalil Mosley in the 10th inning to send Monticello to the Region II semifinals. The momentum from that win carried over into the next round where the Mustangs bounced Sherando to earn a Group AA bid.
Last year this program made huge strides to climb out of Jefferson District play and earn an region berth. This year under first year coach Corey Hunt, Monticello took the next step to earn a trip to the state tournament. But in a situation where Woodgrove was one single away from taking the lead in the eighth, the Mustangs made the biggest play of their season, thanks in large part to their cerebral catcher’s attention to detail.
No. 6 Anderson’s regional put-back – boys basketball – Fluvanna County edges Charlottesville 47-46
Watch the video and try and make sense of it. How does YaYa Anderson get his own rebound? Forget about that he put it back in to give his team the lead with 44 seconds left against Charlottesville in the Region II semifinals for just a moment. The rebound stands as arguably the most important of its kind in Central Virginia over the last few years. But the finish and the Flucos’ defense had to endure one last Black Knights possession. When the shot didn’t fall for Charlottesville, Fluvanna earned its second straight trip to the Group AA tournament.
One year before that, Anderson was the star of a senior-laden squad that went to the final four of the state tournament. This time the Radford-bound senior paired with a two overachieving freshmen in Jalen Harrison and Vinny Agee, the Flucos managed to match that performance, but the biggest win of the year for this team came in the regional semifinals against a team that was rolling. Fluvanna entered the Jefferson District tournament as the odds on favorites, but ran into a buzzsaw that was this February Charlottesville team. The Black Knights faced major adversity to start the month and rallied to bounce the Flucos in the JD semis before winning the tournament.
While Fluvanna held a 2-1 season edge against a deep and talented Charlottesville team, and was playing in its own gym where it was standing room only, the question was could this squad find a way to stop CHS’ momentum? This defensive battle didn’t provide an answer until the last minute.
And after that Fluvanna rolled on to make it back to Richmond again in the state final four. It was an amazing year considering the turnover this team had, but without the late Anderson rebound and put back, this season would not be remembered nearly the same way.
No. 7 Murray’s double OT game winner – girls lacrosse – Albemarle bests Western Albemarel 15-14
Three times Western Albemarle and Albemarle girls lacrosse battled to 1-goal battles.
But the two stalwarts saved their best for last when the Patriots and Warriors went toe-to-toe in the West Central Division tournament championship and battled to double overtime.
That’s when Ryann Murray broke the tie with a goal at the 2:10 mark in the second overtime for her second goal of the game. This tally put Albemarle up 15-14 on their archrivals and after the Patriots’ defense stood tall, over the final couple of minutes, Murray’s goal gave Albemarle a sweep of the regular season and tournament titles in the West Central Division.
Rebecca Mendelsohn and Connor Carson notched four-goal efforts for Albemarle in the win and the Warriors were nearly equally explosive with Peyton Brandt scoring four goals while Bridget Shaffrey and Mady Baker put together hat tricks.
It was a critical step for an Albemarle program that completely resurrected itself over the past few years, with the 15-14 win serving as the top highlight of an incredible season. It was also one of the highlights of the school year in Central Virginia athletics, a clash that featured two top-tier teams playing big-time lacrosse.
No. 8 Seale’s no-hitter in the region semis – softball – Madison takes down Lunenburg 1-0
When the playoffs come in softball, it’s always up to the pitcher to put the team on her back. Lauren Seale did that and then some in the Region B semifinals to lead Madison County to a second straight Group A Division 1 bid. Just a sophomore and in her first postseason as a starter, Seale only needed one run to make hay – an RBI triple from Reagan Clatterbaugh in the top of the fifth. The Mountaineers ace faced just 22 Central Lunenburg batters. She retired all but one of them en route to a complete game no-hitter thanks to a 15-strikeout performance.
The victory catapulted Madison further into the playoffs with lots of momentum. The Mountaineers moved on to the Region B title game where they shutout East Rockingham on the road and then rolling to a home win in the state quarterfinals against Chincoteague to earn a trip to the final four in Radford. While Madison fell there in the state semifinals, Seale’s remarkable performance in May and early June has the Mountaineers awfully curious about what rests ahead for a program that’s been one of the best in Group A over the last three years.
No. 9 The Barons’ fourth quarter semifinal surge – boys lacrosse – BRS tops STAB 7-5
Down 4-2 with just one quarter left to play to archrival St. Anne’s-Belfield, Blue Ridge’s boys lacrosse team knew it wasn’t out of the game yet — not by a long shot.
Not with a state final berth on the line.
But the Barons had never beaten the Saints in boys lacrosse including a regular season loss at home, so they were battling a two-goal deficit and a lot of history. Oh, and STAB was hosting the state semifinal.
The Barons overcame that history and that narrow advantage May 18, rallying with a huge, 5-1 run in the fourth quarter that gave the Barons their first Division I state final berth in just their second year at the highest level of Virginia private school lacrosse.
Tanner Fisher ignited the rally and registered a hat trick on the day while Tyler Pace notched two crucial goals in the fourth quarter that allowed Blue Ridge to win 7-5.
It was an historic victory for the Barons, a frustrating loss for the Saints. But it was a simply fantastic boys lacrosse game because it had two seasons on the line and the rivalry factor. There just isn’t any more that local lacrosse fans could’ve asked for, even if Blue Ridge went on to fall in the final. That semifinal was one of the highlights of the entire year.
No. 10 Holleran’s Buzzer Beater – girls basketball – Monticello beats Charlottesville 50-48
There were three meetings between the Monticello and Charlottesville girls basketball team. The second meeting on February 7 was by far the most exciting meeting between the two with the Mustangs trailing by two possessions with 10 seconds to go.
A Molly Shepherd 3-pointer made it a 1-point contest. After the Monticello defense forced a turnover, freshman Megan Comer launched a 3-pointer that missed, but the ball was ruled tipped by CHS. With 1.3 seconds, the Mustangs inbounded the ball and gave it to Bridget Holleran who barely got a look at the basket before unleashing a shot from beyond the arc. It was a last ditch effort that banked off the glass to go in for the win.
The win was part of a string of Jefferson District wins for Monticello under first year coach Josh McElheny’s watch. The Mustangs pushed forward after the Holleran gamewinner to earn a second seed in the JD tournament before beating CHS one last time for the programs first ever tournament title and Region II berth.
