jeffpatterson
03-06-2008, 10:16 PM
Improved depth boosts Middlesex girls to state berth
By LYNN BURKE | lburke@dailypress.com | 247-4961
The difference is the depth.
Coach William Griffin said that’s what separates this year’s Middlesex girls basketball team from his teams in the past.
“Our teams in the past have had one or two go-to girls,” he said. “With this team, I can feel comfortable going to seven or eight girls.”
Middlesex is one of four area teams who have qualified for the Group A state quarterfinals Saturday.
The Chargers (22-5) play George Mason of Falls Church in a Division 2 quarterfinal at Robinson Secondary School at 4 p.m.
All quarterfinal winners move on to the semifinals at the Siegel Center in Richmond next week.
“We’re eight deep, and the starters vary between those eight,” said Griffin, whose top eight includes only one senior, Sherita Burse.
Ashae Burnett averages a team-best 18 points a game. Katrina Reed runs the offense, and Griffin is high on sophomore center Micah Reed, who has matured in the playoffs.
Keirsten Baylor usually starts, while the others in the top eight are Tanicka Kimble, Amanda Brown and Kimberly Ammons.
Middlesex normally plays a 2-3 zone on defense, but Griffin said the Chargers are playing more man-to-man lately.
“On offense, we play up-tempo, crash the board and try to get a lot of rebounds,” he said. “We try to penetrate and drive and shoot.”
SURRY BOYS
It took a while for Surry County (13-12) to come together. Of the five starters, only John Newman didn’t play on the football team that reached the Region A championship game. Surry plays Page County (18-9) in a Division 1 quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Saturday at Smithfield.
“Almost everybody at this school plays every sport,” first-year coach Landon Pittman said. “The kids were a little beat up after football season, so it took time to get their legs back under them and they were learning to play with each other.”
Newman, a junior, scored 41 points in the Region A championship game against Chesterfield Community and was second-team all-region.
“He hit a few big 3s early,” Pittman said. “He stepped his game up.”
The football players are seniors Trent Porter and Jermaine Minerve. Vincent Batten is a junior and Montel White a sophomore.
Porter scored 26 points in Surry’s quarterfinal victory over Rappahannock, and Batten had 27 in the semifinal victory over Colonial Beach.
FRANKLIN GIRLS
Reaching the state tournament is no surprise for veteran coach Mona Sumblin. The Broncos perennially are strong, and this year is no exception.
Franklin graduated four seniors last year, including two starters. But Sumblin said she had replacements ready to step in.
Janice Holeman is a four-year starter. She’s surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career and has more than 1,300 rebounds.
“She didn’t have her best year,” said Sumblin, “but she gave us good help.”
Holeman made the Region A second team. Point guard Timia Hobbs, a junior, was on the all-region first team.
Eboney Joyner, Keshara Bradley and Kiara Lee round out the starting five.
Franklin faces Luray (18-8) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Southampton in a Division 1 girls quarterfinal.
KING WILLIAM BOYS
Like Surry, King William had to wait on football players. The Chargers reached the state semifinals, and the basketball team opened its season before football season ended.
After a 4-5 start, King William has run off 15 straight victories.
King William plays Region B champion Appomattox (16-12) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hanover High in a Division 2 quarterfinal.
Isaiah Hill, a 6-foot-9 senior, is the Region A player of the year. He averages 27 points, 15 rebounds and almost 10 blocks a game.
Jeff Clark is a 6-3 guard, though coach Joe Harper said because of Clark’s long arms, he plays like he’s 6-5.
“At the beginning of the year, we thought we would be pretty good, but we didn’t think we would be this good,” Harper said. “But we have played a tough schedule, and once we got everybody healthy, they started believing in themselves and saw they could compete.”
Michael Williams is a defensive specialist, while Dustin Beahr is one of the football players who had to make the transition.
By LYNN BURKE | lburke@dailypress.com | 247-4961
The difference is the depth.
Coach William Griffin said that’s what separates this year’s Middlesex girls basketball team from his teams in the past.
“Our teams in the past have had one or two go-to girls,” he said. “With this team, I can feel comfortable going to seven or eight girls.”
Middlesex is one of four area teams who have qualified for the Group A state quarterfinals Saturday.
The Chargers (22-5) play George Mason of Falls Church in a Division 2 quarterfinal at Robinson Secondary School at 4 p.m.
All quarterfinal winners move on to the semifinals at the Siegel Center in Richmond next week.
“We’re eight deep, and the starters vary between those eight,” said Griffin, whose top eight includes only one senior, Sherita Burse.
Ashae Burnett averages a team-best 18 points a game. Katrina Reed runs the offense, and Griffin is high on sophomore center Micah Reed, who has matured in the playoffs.
Keirsten Baylor usually starts, while the others in the top eight are Tanicka Kimble, Amanda Brown and Kimberly Ammons.
Middlesex normally plays a 2-3 zone on defense, but Griffin said the Chargers are playing more man-to-man lately.
“On offense, we play up-tempo, crash the board and try to get a lot of rebounds,” he said. “We try to penetrate and drive and shoot.”
SURRY BOYS
It took a while for Surry County (13-12) to come together. Of the five starters, only John Newman didn’t play on the football team that reached the Region A championship game. Surry plays Page County (18-9) in a Division 1 quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Saturday at Smithfield.
“Almost everybody at this school plays every sport,” first-year coach Landon Pittman said. “The kids were a little beat up after football season, so it took time to get their legs back under them and they were learning to play with each other.”
Newman, a junior, scored 41 points in the Region A championship game against Chesterfield Community and was second-team all-region.
“He hit a few big 3s early,” Pittman said. “He stepped his game up.”
The football players are seniors Trent Porter and Jermaine Minerve. Vincent Batten is a junior and Montel White a sophomore.
Porter scored 26 points in Surry’s quarterfinal victory over Rappahannock, and Batten had 27 in the semifinal victory over Colonial Beach.
FRANKLIN GIRLS
Reaching the state tournament is no surprise for veteran coach Mona Sumblin. The Broncos perennially are strong, and this year is no exception.
Franklin graduated four seniors last year, including two starters. But Sumblin said she had replacements ready to step in.
Janice Holeman is a four-year starter. She’s surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career and has more than 1,300 rebounds.
“She didn’t have her best year,” said Sumblin, “but she gave us good help.”
Holeman made the Region A second team. Point guard Timia Hobbs, a junior, was on the all-region first team.
Eboney Joyner, Keshara Bradley and Kiara Lee round out the starting five.
Franklin faces Luray (18-8) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Southampton in a Division 1 girls quarterfinal.
KING WILLIAM BOYS
Like Surry, King William had to wait on football players. The Chargers reached the state semifinals, and the basketball team opened its season before football season ended.
After a 4-5 start, King William has run off 15 straight victories.
King William plays Region B champion Appomattox (16-12) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hanover High in a Division 2 quarterfinal.
Isaiah Hill, a 6-foot-9 senior, is the Region A player of the year. He averages 27 points, 15 rebounds and almost 10 blocks a game.
Jeff Clark is a 6-3 guard, though coach Joe Harper said because of Clark’s long arms, he plays like he’s 6-5.
“At the beginning of the year, we thought we would be pretty good, but we didn’t think we would be this good,” Harper said. “But we have played a tough schedule, and once we got everybody healthy, they started believing in themselves and saw they could compete.”
Michael Williams is a defensive specialist, while Dustin Beahr is one of the football players who had to make the transition.