Sonny Dearth
02-27-2008, 08:25 PM
Four area teams vie for state berths
Bethel’s boys and three teams of girls will advance if they win regional semis Thursday night.
By JASON JORDAN and DAVID TEEL
jjordan@dailypress.com | 247-4648
dteel@dailypress.com | 247-4636
Two local basketball programs familiar with the state high school tournament and two long absent attempt to return Thursday night.
Bethel’s boys, and the girls from Heritage, Poquoson and Bruton, play regional tournament semifinals, with the winners advancing to the Virginia High School League quarterfinals, regardless of how they fare in their regional championship games.
The last two Peninsula District teams standing in the Eastern Region won the PD regular-season and tournament titles.
Heritage’s girls (25-2) tip off against Wilson (23-4) at 6 p.m. at Churchland, followed by Bethel’s boys (26-1) against Norcom (17-10).
The Bruins last advanced to state in 1993, when Allen Iverson and Tony Rutland led them to the championship. To return, they must slow Darius Theus.
Theus has upped his per-game average from 16 points during the regular season to 28 in postseason. In a 69-58 quarterfinal victory over Kecoughtan on Tuesday, he dropped 32 points, eight rebounds, three assists and six steals.
Don’t let Norcom’s 10 losses fool you. The Greyhounds have won eight of their last nine games, including the Eastern District tournament final over Booker T. Washington, the regular-season champ.
The Bethel-Norcom winner faces the Deep Creek-King’s Fork survivor in Monday’s final.
Heritage’s girls are seeking their second consecutive state appearance — they fell to Edison in a semifinal last year. Tonight they encounter Eastern District player of the year JoNiquia Guilford, an Old Dominion signee.
The Wilson-Heritage winner plays the Lake Taylor-Princess Anne winner in Monday’s final.
Bruton’s girls (20-5) arguably face the most daunting challenge, a Region I semifinal at James Monroe (22-1) in Fredericksburg. The Yellow Jackets have lost only to private-school power Highland School and dominated the Battlefield District, winning the regular-season and tournament titles.
Junior wing Bilnita Armstead, the district player of the year, leads a young James Monroe squad that scores nearly 80 points per game. She’ll encounter another player of the year in Bruton’s Jen Falin, who received the Bay Rivers District’s honor and scored 28 points in Tuesday’s quarterfinal victory over Prince Edward.
Bruton is seeking its third state tournament appearance in five years. The Panthers advanced to the championship game in 2004.
In the other Region I girls semi, Poquoson travels to Greensville County. The teams met in last season’s quarterfinals, with Kelly Halverson and Page Turner combining for 41 points in the Islanders’ 53-38 victory. That pair scored 25 points Tuesday in the Islanders’ improbable 36-35 come-from-behind victory over Courtland.
Poquoson has not advanced to state since 1992, when it fell to Osbourn in a quarterfinal.
Led by junior Quaneva Avent, Greensville won the Southside District regular season and tournament. The Eagles have no seniors on the roster.
The Poquoson-Greensville and Bruton-James Monroe winners play Saturday for the Region I title.
Bethel’s boys and three teams of girls will advance if they win regional semis Thursday night.
By JASON JORDAN and DAVID TEEL
jjordan@dailypress.com | 247-4648
dteel@dailypress.com | 247-4636
Two local basketball programs familiar with the state high school tournament and two long absent attempt to return Thursday night.
Bethel’s boys, and the girls from Heritage, Poquoson and Bruton, play regional tournament semifinals, with the winners advancing to the Virginia High School League quarterfinals, regardless of how they fare in their regional championship games.
The last two Peninsula District teams standing in the Eastern Region won the PD regular-season and tournament titles.
Heritage’s girls (25-2) tip off against Wilson (23-4) at 6 p.m. at Churchland, followed by Bethel’s boys (26-1) against Norcom (17-10).
The Bruins last advanced to state in 1993, when Allen Iverson and Tony Rutland led them to the championship. To return, they must slow Darius Theus.
Theus has upped his per-game average from 16 points during the regular season to 28 in postseason. In a 69-58 quarterfinal victory over Kecoughtan on Tuesday, he dropped 32 points, eight rebounds, three assists and six steals.
Don’t let Norcom’s 10 losses fool you. The Greyhounds have won eight of their last nine games, including the Eastern District tournament final over Booker T. Washington, the regular-season champ.
The Bethel-Norcom winner faces the Deep Creek-King’s Fork survivor in Monday’s final.
Heritage’s girls are seeking their second consecutive state appearance — they fell to Edison in a semifinal last year. Tonight they encounter Eastern District player of the year JoNiquia Guilford, an Old Dominion signee.
The Wilson-Heritage winner plays the Lake Taylor-Princess Anne winner in Monday’s final.
Bruton’s girls (20-5) arguably face the most daunting challenge, a Region I semifinal at James Monroe (22-1) in Fredericksburg. The Yellow Jackets have lost only to private-school power Highland School and dominated the Battlefield District, winning the regular-season and tournament titles.
Junior wing Bilnita Armstead, the district player of the year, leads a young James Monroe squad that scores nearly 80 points per game. She’ll encounter another player of the year in Bruton’s Jen Falin, who received the Bay Rivers District’s honor and scored 28 points in Tuesday’s quarterfinal victory over Prince Edward.
Bruton is seeking its third state tournament appearance in five years. The Panthers advanced to the championship game in 2004.
In the other Region I girls semi, Poquoson travels to Greensville County. The teams met in last season’s quarterfinals, with Kelly Halverson and Page Turner combining for 41 points in the Islanders’ 53-38 victory. That pair scored 25 points Tuesday in the Islanders’ improbable 36-35 come-from-behind victory over Courtland.
Poquoson has not advanced to state since 1992, when it fell to Osbourn in a quarterfinal.
Led by junior Quaneva Avent, Greensville won the Southside District regular season and tournament. The Eagles have no seniors on the roster.
The Poquoson-Greensville and Bruton-James Monroe winners play Saturday for the Region I title.