By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
Girls’ Championship Game
No. 5 Oakton 53, Herndon 52
**Re-live the girls final in 13 min, 49 sec!! See the video player below the story.**
This was not the Herndon team of years – or even weeks – past. It was an undoubtedly more productive unit than that which lost eight of its final 10 regular-season games, finishing sixth out of the seven teams in the Concorde District.
But it was the same, old Oakton.
The Cougars, trailing by points two with 3 minutes, 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter, were spurred on by junior Brianna Johnson (team-high 14 points). She scored eight points and had a critical steal in the waning moments to drive Oakton past Herndon, 53-52.
“It was just determination,” said Johnson, in her first year as a member of the Cougar varsity team. “I didn’t play a very good first half of the game, but it came to the last seconds and someone had to do it.”
The win wraps up No. 5 Oakton’s 10th district title in 14 seasons and their fourth in a row.
Unlike the previous three seasons, however, this Concorde championship was not the double-digit decision played merely as a matter of formality. Herndon led 15-9 after the first quarter and had possession with a chance to win three times in the final three minutes.
The Hornets came into Saturday’s title game having defeated No. 7 Westfield (17-6) and No. 6 Centreville (19-4) to reach the championship round.
“Our team works well under pressure,” said Oakton’s Mandy Johnston, named tournament MVP after scoring 10 of her 12 points in the second quarter. “Coach [Fred] Priester always drives us. He’s like, ‘Pressure is a gift, not a responsibility.’ So the pressure probably helped us get back in the game and work hard.”
Cougars’ junior Erin McGartland added 13 points in the victory and senior Jackie Shewmaker tallied eight. The duo also combined to go 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Oakton (22-2), the 2005 Northern Region champion and 2007 Region runners-up, opens next week’s county-wide tournament versus Lake Braddock (7-13) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
For über-clutch Johnson, the recipe for continued success is simple.
“Bring excitement and determination,” she said. “If we keep it up, we’re good.”
Herndon (8-15) will also host No. 4 Lee (21-3) on Monday night.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Herndon 15 8 14 15 — 52
No. 5 Oakton 9 22 10 12 — 53
Herndon — Lewis 4 7-9 15; Martin 5 0-0 10; Baumgartner 2 3-3 8; Chambers 2 3-4 7;
Buckingham 3 0-0 6; Parker 1 0-0 2; Strother 1 0-0 2; Johnson 1 0-0 2. Team totals: 19 13-16 52. Oakton — Johnson 6 1-1 14; McGartland 4 5-5 13; Johnston 5 0-2 12; Shewmaker 1 6-6 8; Peters 2 2-2 6.
Team totals: 18 14-16 53. Three-pointers Herndon — 1 (Baumgartner); Oakton — 3 (Johnston 2, Johnson).
Boys’ Championship Game
No. 2 Westfield 68, No. 4 Chantilly 56
**Re-live Saturday’s game, including extensive post-game coverage, in 15 min, 37 sec with the video player below the story. Interviews coming soon!!**
The Concorde District boys’ championship game between No. 4 Chantilly and top-seeded, No. 2 Westfield at Robinson began much like their second regular season match-up on Feb. 12.
A piping hot start by one side was met with a strong following-quarter response by the opposition.
However, in Saturday’s contest, the comeback was quelled prior to half time. There was no bench-player-turned-superstar with an easily-punned name to provide a knockout blow. And the Bulldogs were crowned Concorde District champs with a 68-56 victory over the Chargers.
“At the end of the first quarter, I made them look up at the score,” said fourth-year Westfield coach Doug Ewell. “I said, ‘Do you remember something?’ And they remembered.
“They didn’t want that to happen.”
The Bulldogs led 16-3 after that first period. And just as Westfield junior Will Snow — the Snowman — had scorched the Chargers after falling behind 14-3 in the pre-Valentines Day meeting, Chantilly scored 10 of the first 14 points of the second quarter to cut the Bulldog lead to single digits.
But this time, a jaw-dropping jam by Ball-State bound Bulldog senior Mo Hubbard violently swung the impetus back in Westfield’s favor.
“I always try to change the momentum,” said Hubbard, who finished with 12 points. “He tried to go up with me and I just went up higher.”
With Hubbard providing the thunder, it was up to senior guard Jamie Richardson to bring the lightning. Richardson, known for his explosiveness, scored a team-high 21 points, eight of which came on transition baskets.
“That’s just something that me, Mo and all the seniors have been doing since back when we were kids,” said Richardson, named the Tournament MVP. “We all grew up together. It’s just something that we do.”
Chantilly (21-3) hopes to rebound for the rubber-match defeat in their Regional opener Monday at home against No. 10 Annandale (13-10), which had its entire team in attendance.
Westfield (21-2) will host Lake Braddock (15-8), which beat the Bulldogs, 68-64, on Dec. 14.
“I’m a nervous wreck,” Ewell said. “I’m still figuring out how in the world we’re going to beat Lake Braddock.
“We’re probably going to play one of the best, sound basketball teams and probably one of the smartest basketball teams in the region.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
No. 4 Chantilly 3 16 11 26 — 56
No. 2 Westfield 16 13 14 25 — 68
Chantilly — May 9 1-1 24; Fridy 3 0-0 9; Athearn 3 0-0 7; Manning 2 3-4 7;
Ballam 1 2-2 4; Decker 1 1-1 3; Nolan 1 0-0 2. Team totals: 20 7-8 56. Westfield — Richardson 7 7-11 21; Hubbard 6 0-3 12; Scanlon 5 1-2 11; Kennedy 4 0-2 8; Snow 3 2-4 8; Kearney 1 2-2 4; Jackson 1 0-0 2; Gaston 1 0-0 2.
Team totals: 28 12-24 68. Three-pointers Chantilly — 9 (May 5, Fridy 3, Athearn); Westfield — 0.
Processing your request, Please wait....
