J.E.B. Stuart Boys
The J.E.B. Stuart boys varsity basketball team won its third consecutive game on Thursday, opening its National District schedule with a 65-52 win over Wakefield.
Sophomore Antonio Harris led Stuart (4-2, 1-0) with 24 points, one of three Raiders to finish the game in double figures. Senior forward Mahamed Ibrahim and junior forward Domininique Kosh added 12 and 10 points respectively. Junior guard William Ford scored nine.
The victory follows up a pair of victories over local foes, as the Raiders bested both George Mason and George Marshall in the last two weeks. The win over Wakefield (2-5, 0-1) provides Stuart with a solid start to its district schedule, which the Radiers resume after a holiday tournament starting Thursday at McLean High School. In their first match back following the holiday break, Stuart squares off against rival Falls Church High School on January 24 in a the first of two varsity double headers — along with the schools' girls varsity teams — scheduled for this season.
J.E.B. Stuart Girls
The Lady Raiders claimed their first win of the 2007-08 season with a 40-36 victory over Wakefield last Thursday evening. Senior Bianca Cesaratto accounted for a quarter of her teams points, leading Stuart with 10 points. Seniors Monique Hall and Jayme Harris each scored nine points for the Raiders.
The victory improves the Raiders' record to 1-5 on the year, and 1-0 in the National District. Stuart takes a break from district play to compete at the Stafford Holiday Tournament running Thursday, Dec. 27 – 29. The Raiders then travel with the boys varsity team to face Falls Church as the first game of a double header at 6 p.m. on January 4.
Things will get considerably tougher for the Raiders after that, as Stuart returns home only to face a high flying Edison program on January 8.
Marshall Boys
As local schools break for the holidays, the Marshall High School boys varsity basketball team continues to make its way through the early season schedule. However, the Statesmen's offense seems to be on vacation.
Following four consecutive games with ever-increasing point totals, including an 82-point performance in a win over Fairfax, the Statesmen failed to break 40 points for the second game in a row, succumbing to rival Madison, 50-31, in the first game of Liberty District schedule.
The undefeated Warhawks (5-0, 1-0) took an 11 point lead into the halftime break with them and then pulled further away after the intermission, handing the Statesmen (4-2, 0-1) their second loss in as many games.
Nate Whittington led Marshall with 11 points, while Daniel McLean added six. Sophomore Stanley Watts, who scored 25 points in the win over Fairfax, was held to four against the Warhawks. Scott LeDuc led the Madison with 10 points, while Collin Flaherty contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.
After winning their first four games, the Statesmen have now lost two straight going into this week's holiday tournament at McLean High School that begins this Thursday, Dec. 27. J.E.B. Stuart, the other school holding a win over Marshall this season, will join the Statesmen in that field. The tournament also includes another familiar foe for Marshall — Fairfax. While the Statesmen scored 82 points on the Rebels earlier this season, it took all of them to defeat the persistent Fairfax squad, 82-80.
Marshall Girls
The George Marshall High School girls varsity basketball team hit the first speed bump on its thus-far impressive season, losing to Madison in lopsided fashion 59-33 in the first Liberty District contest of the season.
Senior guard Leah Steigler led the Warhawks with 13 points, all from the field, while senior forward Marygrace Jay poured in 12, a total equaled by senior Katie Wimmer.
Sophomore Carlie Zirkle led the Statesmen with nine points, while sophomore Theresa Hackett and senior Ali Johnson each added eight. Johnson, Marshall's major scoring threat this season, made just one field goal in the game, scoring six of her eight points from the free throw line. The 33-point effort is the lowest scoring total of the season for the Statesmen (4-1, 0-1) who averaged 52 points per game entering the contest. The Warhawks improve to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Liberty District, for which Madison perennially contends for top honors with Marshall.
The Statesmen look to improve their fortunes over the holidays on their home court, when they host the Book Jammin' Tournament that tipped off Wednesday. In the opener, Marshall faced a talented Yorktown team coming off a 42-point victory over Falls Church High School. Results of the game were not available at press time.
The tournament continues on December 27 and 28 before Marshall takes time off for the holidays. The Statesmen resume play after the new year on January 4 at home against W.T. Woodson.