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Top 10 Individual Performances

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We celebrate teams all the time at Scrimmage Play. That’s our style. In high school, the team still is the most important thing–or should be at least.

But sometimes there are individual performances that are so sublime they deserve special recognition. Be it a statistical marvel or a ridiculous individual performance with a state title on the line, these were 10 of the best individual performances of 2011-2012.

No. 1 Burruss’ day in Harrisonburg – girls track and field – Three first places showings, one third place finish

In her first two years she won three state titles. Come next May, Javanique Burruss will be up against something truly unique, becoming the most successful track and field athlete in VHSL history. All she has to do to tie the record is find a way to do what she did her junior year. That’s not going to be easy as the Louisa County standout won Group AA championships this time around in the triple jump, long jump and 100 meter hurdles. In all, Burruss helped the Lions account for three gold medals and a bronze by chipping in for the 4×100 relay squad. By VHSL rule, an athlete can only participate in four events. It was the kind of performance you rarely see, much less from an athlete who’s got another year to try and match it or do better.

After facing a weather delay on the first day that would have given her more rest between her four events, Burrus went off in Harrisonburg on a long day where she won the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.59, which missed the state record 1.5 seconds. After challenging for the triple jump in years past, Burrus put that feather in her cap by leaping 38-1.75. In her strongest event where she already holds the state record, the long jump, Burruss beat the rest of the field by just short of a foot and a half. Her leg in the 4×100 was just icing on the cake as three of the four members will return next season.

Burruss’ three state titles put her at six on the year and just three away from tying the VHSL record and four away from owning it outright. It took a remarkable showing to get her in the position. The question everyone has is can she do it again. That would be fairytale stuff for a high school senior. But for now, she just have to settle for triple what most of the elite athletes would settle for, a hat trick of gold medals.

No. 2 Rule’s record breaking twin state title – girls swimming and diving – Freestyle domination

For a few seconds, forget how insanely young Remedy Rule is. Before the 2012 Group AA swimming and diving championship, no Western Ablemarle swimmer had ever won an individual state championship coming into the event. Afterwards, Rule and Natalie Cronk became the first. And between the two of them and the depth of their team, the Warriors managed to win a second straight team state title. While Cronk won her title in the 100 butterfly Rule found a way to win in both the 100 and 200 freestyle.

So now back to the part about her age. Rule is a freshman. You’re not supposed to win state titles in individual events as a freshman, much less set a record, but that’s what the Western phenom did in the 200 free preliminary race the night before her big day. The next day, she did better with a 1:49:16 time that is the new record. In the 100, she missed setting the record by three hundredths of a second. That of course was good enough for a second gold medal.

In a sport where fractions of a second separate first from second, especially for sprinters like Rule, the fact that she was able to win two titles on her own, much less set one record and just miss on another is unprecedented. But where it gets crazy is that she’s got three more chances to rise to the occasion in the state meet. Her winter and overall ability got her to the 2012 Olympic Trials in Nebraska this summer. As good as this year was for Rule, it looks like it was just the beginning for her.

No. 3 White’s massive 1st quarter – boys basketball – All 21 of his team’s points vs. VES

Andrew White was a marked man in his two seasons with the Miller basketball team. Every game he went up against the opposition’s best defender, even in zone schemes. A rare talent who’s ability to score is as good in transition and under the hoop as it is 15 feet away or in 3-point territory, the Mavericks senior had the kind of burst that makes college scouts and coaches drool. Of course, when White did this, he was already signed to play for Kansas for the 2012-2013 season. So suffice to say, he serves a prime of example of whatever the exact opposite of senioritis is.

Against one of the best teams in the state, Virginia Episcopal, White came in ready to lead and only needed eight minutes to put up the kind of game that any high school player would take for an entire game. He finished with 33 points, but in the first quarter White poured in 21 points. That’s remarkable on its own, but that it accounted for all of Miller’s 21 first quarter points en route to a 75-63 win over the Bishops made it even more unique.

And so as he heads to play for the NCAA runnerup Jayhawks, the game film that every Big 12 coach is going to want to watch came on a night in late January in Crozet. Playing VISAA Division 1 basketball at the top end is like play college basketball in so many ways, but if White finds a way to take his game to the next level in Lawrence like he did against VES, he won’t skip a beat at Kansas.

No. 4 Visokay’s national silver medal – boys track and field – Second place in the two-mile run in the country

Recently, Albemarle has produced one impressive runner after another. The 4×800 team in 2009 broke a national record. Both Zach Vrhovac and one year later, another member of that storied relay team, Anthony Kostelac earned chances to run for the University of Virginia.

Adam Visokay came from a soccer background and then had a true all-around breakout season in 2010-2011 in cross county and indoor and outdoor track and field with the culmination coming in his Group AAA title in the 3200 meter run.

Regrouped, he started his senior year by running out in front for the Patriots cross country team en route to a Group AAA second place showing. In the winter, he did something on his own so few can ever claim. When it comes to individual performances, there are few sports that sit more true to that term that track and field. In the New Balance National’s Visokay took his long distance expertise to a truly elite level.

Visokay went to the national meet and didn’t run the 3200 or the mile. He ran the two mile event and finished it in nine minutes and six one-hundredths of a second. Visokay ran two miles in the time that more people would be happy with in just a solo mile. It was good enough to finish second.

As such, it’s no surprise that he’s headed to UVa, just like Vrhovac and Kostelac. But after finishing second in the country as an individual and considering how relatively new he is to track and field, one has to wonder where his ceiling is. There’s no question he showed what he can do this year, and little doubt that the Cavaliers believe there’s a lot more to come.

No. 5 Scot’s three days in Blacksburg – tennis – One team state title, one individual

Western Albemarle’s tennis team and state titles have been somewhat synonymous for quite some time. The Warriors always have depth, and always a guy at the top of the ladder to lead the way. In his time with the program, Cam Scot’s been through it all. He’s played behind the Alex Preve’s and Joey Manilla’s and he’s followed in their footsteps to be the team’s number one player. But it’s not often that the number one seed on a team gets to help lead his team to a Group AA Championship, and win an individual state title on his own.

Just a day before his team headed to Blacksburg for its state semifinal showing, Scot participated in the singles tournament and became the first athlete to take the Group AA title after a 4-year reign of Patrick O’Keefe. Scot had to beat E.C. Glass’ Scottie Taylor to start and then top Blacksburg’s Will Coffey in the finals, but that’s exactly what he did. He took down Taylor in three sets, and then swept Coffey in two to become Western’s first individual state champion since 1990.

And then the very next day he was back to being at the top of ladder as the Warriors took down Blacksburg in the semifinals and finally E.C. Glass in the championship match Saturday.

Two different state titles in three days doesn’t come around often, especially in a sport like tennis, but Scot’s stay in Blacksburg between that Thursday through Saturday will be remembered for a long time in Western school history.

No. 6 Carneal’s 2-way game – football – Two passing TDs, two rushing TDs, fumble rec, INT

Facing Massaponax at home, he saved his best for last, for every facet of the game. There are a lot of players throughout Central Virginia who see a lot of time on both sides of the ball. But very few managed to impact two phases of the game in such a significant way like Lee Carneal did back in early November.

Carneal didn’t seem to come off the field, lining up at quarterback and in the secondary and he came up huge in both spots. At quarterback he threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns and plunged in for two more touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. He also led the game-winning 80-yard drive. What separated the performance though was the havoc he created for Massaponax’s offense while playing defense.

Carneal recovered a fumble and picked off a pass at free safety in a top-to-bottom incredible performance that led the Patriots past the Panthers and finished off Carneal’s high school career in fine fashion. Not only did it send Carneal off the gridiron with a unique performance, it left the program with a healthy mindset going into the offseason as the team continues to make strides under coach Mike Alley.

No. 7 Irvin’s playoff run – girls soccer – Eight goals in three days, four in title game

Tandem’s girls soccer team was uniquely situated to generate offense with a pair of top-tier forwards in Bri Carel and Leci Irvin. Few teams possessed the defenders to mark up both, much less answer on the either side of the field. Throughout the regular season the team could always count on one or the other to break through. But as the Badgers began their quest for a third straight state title, Irvin took her game to another level.

Irvin started the VISAA Division 2 playoffs by putting together a hatrick and leading Tandem to an 8-0 drubbing of Norfolk Christian in a game where inclement weather cut the contest significantly short. Just a few days later in the semifinals Irvine scored another goal as the Badgers topped North Cross 2-0. The next day against Eastern Mennonite the senior went off again, scoring all four of her team’s goals in a 4-0 win for the program’s third consecutive state championship.

When it was all said and done Irvin’s week sat at three games, eight goals and a trio of assists. And she executed her 4-goal performance in the state title game with a swelling knee. From a wider perspective Tandem outscored its opponents 13-0. The William and Mary bound product had little trouble winning over opposing coaches as she earned player of the year honors.

No. 8 Burris’ monster week – baseball – Five doubles and a 2-hit CG shutout in three CD wins

It was a good spring for Joe Burris as he thrived on the mound and at the plate for an Albemarle baseball team that came just short of earning a Group AAA bid. Just a few weeks after his junior year ended, Burris found out where his next home will be after graduation as he verbally agreed to play for Virginia Tech.

As a starting pitcher whose ERA hovered around a impressive 1.00 all year, Burris’ value was immeasurable on the mound. But he made great strides at the plate between his sophomore and junior year to combine with teammate Timmy Aker as arguably the most dynamic 3-4 combination in all of Central Virginia. As a polished all-around talent, Burris didn’t have an off-week or slump, but there was one week where he stood out in particular.

During the last week of March, Burris was a crucial part of three straight Albemarle wins against Commonwealth District opponents. Against Riverbend Burris hit a trio of doubles. He had an RBI double against North Stafford. But he finished out the week by throwing a 2-hit complete game shutout win over Massasponax and also provided the game’s lone run with another RBI double.

Not many players hit five doubles in a 3-game stretch, much less muster up a 2-hit shuout win on the mound. And it’s just an example why he already knows where he’ll be playing baseball in college.

No. 9 Robertson’s grabs STAB school record – boys lacrosse – 13 points, eight goals, five assists

There were a lot of big games this year for St. Anne’s-Belfield’s Ian Robertson. The senior attackman’s presence drew a lot of attention from defenses that helped to open the doors for some other offensive weapons the Saints had this year. It’s not like Norfolk Academy didn’t get the memo about Robertson’s abilities in front of the net. It was that the Bulldogs were helpless to do anything about it. When he shot, the Saints scored, when he passed, they scored some more as Robertson led the way for a 16-9 win over the Bulldogs.

A seemingly endless supply of lacrosse talent has played at St. Anne’s as the school sends players to Division 1 colleges on an annual basis, and has done so going an awfully long way back. At its very heart, STAB is percieved as a lacrosse school by both many insiders and outsiders. But nobody’s ever put together an 8-goal 5-assist performance in the lacrosse program’s history until Roberston did it against NA.

Robertson’s 13-point game stands as the best ever for the Saints. While all records are supposedly said “meant to be broken” this one is going to stand for a while and it’s going to take one incredible effort to get close, much less tie or break it.

No. 10 Patterson’s huge haul against Turner Ashby – football – 224 yards, two touchdowns

Sam Patterson’s season on the football field was defined by his big play ability. He never had more than five catches in a game but managed to finish with 872 yards and average 30.1 yards per reception. The one game he did haul in five passes? It was the kind of performance you rarely see from a wide receiver at the high school level, much less one that played a significant part of his season with a cast on his arm because of an early season injury.

Against a middling Turner Ashby squad in week seven for Monticello, Patterson went off. Not only did he have a 76-yard catch, he kept going, piling up 224 yards and two TDs to lead the Mustangs to a 49-16 win. Monticello’s offense had a big year as it put up 40 or more points in eight of their 12 contests and Patterson was a huge part of that, but the Mustangs were a run first team behind bruising back Isaac Robinson. So with that in mind, Patterson’s Friday night against TAHS stands out as one of the finest games a receiver’s had in the last few years.

 

 

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