Harris Scores 35; Hampton Girls Win Class 4 B-Ball

Heading into the intermission at last Thursday’s VHSL Class 4 girls’ state basketball championship game, the Hampton team appeared to be supremely confident.

And for good reason. A 28-point second quarter had boosted their lead over Pulaski County from six to 20 points. The Crabbers held a 25-12 rebounding advantage over their physically taller opponent, led by Jaiden Hunter’s nine boards.

Proving they could dominate from the outside as well as inside, Hampton shot 58 percent (7 of 12) from three-point range. And adding the icing to the team’s cake, Region 4B Player of the Year Kennedy Harris had scored 22 points, including three on an ankle breaking crossover move, followed by a dribble between the legs, completed with a step back behind the trey line before firing off a perfectly arched ball that hit nothing but the bottom of the net 20 feet away.

For Crabber coach Shanda Bailey, whose team walked into the Siegel Center locker room holding a 45-25 lead and all the momentum, all that seemed to be left was the championship presentation.

The only problem was – nobody bothered to tell the Pulaski squad that their season was over.

Keslyn Secrist of the Cougars had scored 16 points in the first half. Now joined by Hannah Keefer, who would add nine in the third quarter, Pulaski made their run, outscoring Hampton 21-12 in the third stanza, and eventually whittling the lead all the way down to five points in the game’s final four minutes.

But Pulaski would get no closer than 63-58, and the Crabbers, behind perfect free throw shooting (14 of 14) for the game, managed to keep the ball away from the Cougars, drain their foul shots and hold on for the program’s fourth ever state title, with a 75-63 win at VCU’s “Stu.”

At the post-game presser, Pulaski coach Scott Ratliff could only express pride for his team.

“We played great for three quarters. The second quarter got us in a huge hole, but our girls didn’t quit. They showed a lot of heart and a lot of pride.”

Keefer, who led the Cougars with 23 points, seconded her coach’s sentiment.

“We were not scared (of Hampton) and did what we needed to do.”

Secrist, who finished the game with 22 points and 12 rebounds, was more emotional, realizing that Thursday marked the end of a long run for her team.

“I’ve known these girls all my life. Some of us have been playing together since the fourth grade.”

Hampton’s Harris led all scorers with 35 points. The George Mason commit converted 11 of 21 shots, including 5 of 9 three-pointers.

Hunter added 12 rebounds, while Coryan Tynes and sophomore Kaliya Perry combined for 15 boards. Speaking of the team’s success with rebounding, Perry, who scored 10 points, said that the “coaches put pressure on us.”

Bailey, who has been with three of the four championship teams (two as head coach, one as assistant to Coach David Six) admitted concern but knew that her team could hold on in the clutch.

“When they came out and scored those points to start the second half (8-0 run), I thought – whew! Are we trying to give this back?” But our girls remained poised. They didn’t get rattled.”

Pulaski     11, 14, 21, 17 – 63

Hampton  17, 28, 12, 18 -- 75

PULASKI (26-4) Huff 3, Lawson 8, Secrist 22, Keefer 23, Vest 7. Totals 25 8-11 63.

HAMPTON (25-3) A. Johnson 7, Foster 6, Harris 35, Tynes 6, Perry 10, Stratton 7. Hunter 4. Totals 26 14-14 75.

Three-pointers – Pulaski 5 (Lawson 2, Huff, Secrist, Vest). Hampton 9 (Harris 5, Foster 2, A. Johnson, Stratton). Rebounds – Pulaski 29 (Secrist 12), Hampton 38 (Hunter 12). Assists – Pulaski 14 (Huff 5), Hampton 11 (Harris 3).

Kecoughtan's Anderson Wins Class 5 Shot

As a 6-4 and 280 pound lineman, and playing in the rough-and-tumble Peninsula District, David Anderson has received many opportunities to transcend his football career from Kecoughtan High in Hampton to the next level.

He took a good one. Anderson will be heading to Duke.

A visit to Durham, NC sealed the deal.

Anderson loved Duke from the get-go. “They had offered me in January last year. Coach Zohn (line coach) came up to my school and offered me.” On the visit, “It was beautiful. The facilities were very nice as well as the school and the area. I had a lot of fun. I feel like the coaches understand me and we get along well.” 

As Anderson waits to continue his football career, there is still some business to handle in his other sport --- track. Last weekend, the Warrior thrower won his third consecutive Class 5 shotput state championship. His toss of  59-2 was over eight feet longer than the runner-up.

Ironically, it was Jeff Super, the head football coach at Kecoughtan, that gave Anderson the idea to start throwing the shot and discus.

Super approached his young lineman in 2021 as COVID was still showing its presence. Knowing that the prospect of fall football was still sketchy, Coach Super presented Anderson with an idea. He should stay involved in athletics, and perhaps try something different. Why not throw the shot and discus for the track team?

“He’s always pushing me to do better,” said Anderson, of Super. “He’s never satisfied.”

Tossing the eight-pound ball for the outdoor track team did not come naturally for the young thrower; however, he did win three district meets with a best throw of 43-11.

Nine months later, he had improved by almost ten feet and claimed his first state championship at 53-6.5. A week later, he would tack on another foot at the Adidas Nationals.

An outdoor title would follow, as would a new best of 57-11.5. And now, Anderson has added on a third crown, and at 59-2, another foot and change. For the record, he won by over eight feet.

And as Anderson prepares for this season’s indoor Adidas Nationals,  the new goal is predictable.

“I’d like to get 60 (feet),” said Anderson, who has also added almost 50 feet to his discus (best of 150-10) in less than two years. “If I get there, I’ll aim to keep improving.”

Now, the future Blue Devil has a choice to make. Unlike some other Division I schools, and many larger ones, Duke is willing to let their recruit play football and throw for the track team.

The thought of pulling double duty is being taken into consideration.

Said Anderson, “I’m still thinking about it. My schedule will probably be a lot different in college. But I did talk to the throws coach and the football coaches, and they said I would be able to do both.”

Jackson Sets CNU Lacrosse Record With 10 Goals in 22-8 Win Over Catholic

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Rewriting the record books with a historic assault, Brett Jackson set a new school standard with 10 goals while carrying the second-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a commanding 22-8 victory over Catholic on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Tormenting the opposition throughout the contest, Jackson was nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball. The sophomore sensation landed 10 goals, which broke the previous record of nine set only seven days ago by Andrew Cook at No. 20 Stevenson. He also added an assist on Saturday while finishing with 11 total points. That set a new program standard as well, topping the previous mark of 10 held by Cook and former All-American Dylan Rice.

Rounding out his historic appearance, Jackson collected three man-up goals during the game. That equaled the school record set by Ryan Merrell against Fontbonne on March 10, 2007 and matched by John Thompson against Coast Guard on March 13, 2015.

Not to be outdone, Coby Auslander added some history of his own. The senior star handed out seven assists, matching Thompson's record set against FDU-Florham on March 11, 2013. He also finished with nine total points, equaling the sixth-most by a Captain in program lore.

In addition to the offensive heroes, Ryan Young forced five turnovers, while Burke Widhelm and Brett Kropinski added three apiece. Overall, the Captains finished with 23 takeaways, equaling the 10th-most in school history.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 4-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Catholic to 1-3.

Although the Cardinals stole an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter, the Captains immediately fired back. Fittingly, Jackson was at the forefront of the resurgence. In the fifth minute, Drew Miller pushed around the left pipe and drew a slide along the crease. With some space in the middle, Jackson grabbed a feed, stormed down the alley, and added a low-to-low laser for his first tally.

Just over a minute later, the hosts came back with the equalizer. Alex Brendes dropped a defender with a devastating screen. Taking advantage, Cook rolled over the top and buried a blast to knot the score at two.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport capitalized on outstanding defensive work. First, Young de-sticked an attacker on the back end before Jackson whipped a screamer under the crossbar to snatch a lead. Thirty seconds later, after Ryan Cammarata came through with a diving takeaway along the right sideline, Campbell Pozin connected with Kropinski, who stormed up the turf and landed a rocket on the run.

From there, Jackson took over. With six minutes left, he converted his first man-up tally off a feed from Auslander. Later, he used a quick dodge to free up space on the way to his fourth strike before elevating along the crease and dunking on the doorstep to push the lead to 7-2 at the end of the period.

At the start of the second stanza, the Captains stepped up on the defensive end again. First, Zac Hanway came through with a huge man-down save before Widhelm jumped on the loose ball. Moments later, Young chipped in with a stick-lift to end another threat, while Brendes added a takeaway to force Shenandoah into a failed clear.

Meanwhile, the offense never lost its rhythm. Will Mercado joined the party after shaking a defender with a slick swim move before landing a downhill dagger. Then, Jackson came back for more while piecing together another three-goal spurt of his own.

Kicking off his rally, he fired a high blast after beating a defender who was late to close out on the right side of the field. Moments later, after an initial save by the visitors, the ball hit the turf on a failed clear. Scavenging for every opportunity, Jackson scooped up the roller, burst through the zone, and hammered from close range.

Continuing his assault in the 24th minute, he ran a perfect pick-and-roll with Auslander. Setting an initial screen, Jackson disrupted the defense just enough to let Auslander slip free. After rolling underneath, he collected the return feed and sniped from the center of the zone for an 11-2 advantage.

Pushing the lead to double-digits, Miller flashed his skills in the waning moments of the second period. First, he netted a goal after corralling a skip pass from Auslander. Shortly thereafter, he came back with a highlight-reel assist. Snatching the ball behind the crease, he sliced a no-look feed through the defense to Carson Hoffman, who shook the goalie with a pair of shot-fakes before depositing on the doorstep.

With time ticking down in the first half, Miller came back with one more tally. Young forced a turnover, grabbed the roller, and rumbled down the field on a quick clear. Looking to set up the attack, the senior defenseman shuffled the ball over to Miller, who whistled a worm-burner into the cage for a 14-2 halftime lead.

After the break, Auslander capped off a 15-goal run by the Captains with a man-up missile. Although Catholic finally found an opening just a few moments later, Christopher Newport kept its foot on the gas.

Adding an assist to his portfolio, Jackson drew the attention of the defense before dishing to Hoffman, who landed a lefty laser from the right side of the field. Later, Jackson snapped off a step-down screamer for his ninth tally before Easton Lanclos used a speed-dodge to cruise past the defense on the way to the team's 18th goal of the game.

Holding an 18-8 lead entering the final period, Christopher Newport put the finishing touches on a commanding victory. On the defensive end, Cook came through with a diving takeaway to stymie a midfielder in the early moments of the quarter. Ryan Almassian also bottled up an attacker, while Zack Sands came through with his second strip of the contest later in the stanza.

While the defense was silencing the Cardinals, the offense continued to shine. Auslander broke out a split-dodge to shake a defender on the way to his final tally. Just over a minute later, he came back with his record-tying seventh assist after dishing down low to Miller, who punctuated his night with a dip and dunk along the left pipe.

With little left to prove, Jackson came back for history with just under two minutes left in regulation. After Catholic was hit with a penalty, Christopher Newport made them pay again. At the top of the zone, Cook slipped a skip pass over to Jackson, who was planted on the right side of the field. Looking for the record-breaker, he buried a blast just inside the left pipe for his 10th tally of the contest.

Rolling towards the victory, the Captains added one last strike with a freshman connection. With less than 30 seconds remaining, two longtime teammates joined forces. Turning back the clock to their days at Great Valley High School, Daniel Siaton found Brady Mitchell along the crease for the final punctuation mark.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 66-27 advantage in shots and a 43-31 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 18 of the game's 33 faceoffs. Cole Evans and Warner Cabaniss both won eight battles, while Dallas Pulliam added a pair of victories. Meanwhile, Hanway finished with eight saves, and Mason Bellinger came through with two stops in the fourth quarter.

Christopher Newport will return to action today when the team hosts No. 12 St. John Fisher at 4 p.m.