Wakefield to Play for a State Title
by DAVE FACINOLI, Staff Writer
(Story Update: Wakefield lost by four points in the championship game. Read the full story here.)
For the first time in 57 years, the Wakefield Warriors will play for a boys state basketball championship. Wakefield reached the state final with an 82-66 tournament-semifinal victory over the Edison Eagles March 6 at Lake Braddock Secondary School. It was the team’s fifth victory in a row.
The Virginia High School League’s Class 5 tournament title game is Thursday, March 8 at 4 p.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond. Wakefield (24-6) faces the Varina Blue Devils (25-2) of Henrico. Wakefield’s only state title and only appearance in a state-championship game came in 1961 with a 58-36 victory over E.C. Glass of Lynchburg.
“This is so exciting. I don’t know how to put it into words right now,” Wakefield senior forward A’Mari Cooper said. “1961? Wow that’s a real long time ago.”
Hot-shooting Wakefield led the entire semifinal contest, taking a quick 14-2 lead. Edison cut that advantage to 14-12, the Warriors responded with a 9-0 run, led 25-14 at the end of the first quarter, 46-35 at halftime and 60-53 after three periods. The Warriors shot 62 percent from the floor and got a balance of scoring from inside and out. “We played good defense and we moved the ball around a lot on offense,” said Cooper, who scored 18 points and had five rebounds and four assists.
Senior guard Ben Horsford had 19 points, four rebounds and two steals for Wakefield; junior center Robbie Starkey had 13 points; and senior point guard Lukas Hatcher had 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. “It’s a good night when all us are scoring like that,” Starkey said. “We were able to get to the basket. We knew what we had to do and we played our game.”
Also for Wakefield, starting junior forward Chris Warner had eight points. Off the bench, junior guard Jared Watkins had five points and six rebounds, junior forward Brody Karton had six points and three assists, and junior forward Gabe Tham had four rebounds.
“We came out focused, hit some shots early and played good defense,” Wakefield coach Tony Bentley said. “I really think the key for us was defense. We wore them down a little, I thought. On offense, Robbie came to play and sparked us and Ben was strong on both ends.”
Wakefield faces a Varina team that has won 21 games in a row and will be playing for its first state title. “It’s a one-game tournament now,” Bentley said.
The Washington-Lee Generals in 1966 were the last boys public-school team from Arlington to win a VHSL state basketball title.
(Story Update: Wakefield lost by four points in the championship game. Read the full story here.)
For the first time in 57 years, the Wakefield Warriors will play for a boys state basketball championship. Wakefield reached the state final with an 82-66 tournament-semifinal victory over the Edison Eagles March 6 at Lake Braddock Secondary School. It was the team’s fifth victory in a row.
The Virginia High School League’s Class 5 tournament title game is Thursday, March 8 at 4 p.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond. Wakefield (24-6) faces the Varina Blue Devils (25-2) of Henrico. Wakefield’s only state title and only appearance in a state-championship game came in 1961 with a 58-36 victory over E.C. Glass of Lynchburg.
“This is so exciting. I don’t know how to put it into words right now,” Wakefield senior forward A’Mari Cooper said. “1961? Wow that’s a real long time ago.”
Hot-shooting Wakefield led the entire semifinal contest, taking a quick 14-2 lead. Edison cut that advantage to 14-12, the Warriors responded with a 9-0 run, led 25-14 at the end of the first quarter, 46-35 at halftime and 60-53 after three periods. The Warriors shot 62 percent from the floor and got a balance of scoring from inside and out. “We played good defense and we moved the ball around a lot on offense,” said Cooper, who scored 18 points and had five rebounds and four assists.
Senior guard Ben Horsford had 19 points, four rebounds and two steals for Wakefield; junior center Robbie Starkey had 13 points; and senior point guard Lukas Hatcher had 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. “It’s a good night when all us are scoring like that,” Starkey said. “We were able to get to the basket. We knew what we had to do and we played our game.”
Also for Wakefield, starting junior forward Chris Warner had eight points. Off the bench, junior guard Jared Watkins had five points and six rebounds, junior forward Brody Karton had six points and three assists, and junior forward Gabe Tham had four rebounds.
“We came out focused, hit some shots early and played good defense,” Wakefield coach Tony Bentley said. “I really think the key for us was defense. We wore them down a little, I thought. On offense, Robbie came to play and sparked us and Ben was strong on both ends.”
Wakefield faces a Varina team that has won 21 games in a row and will be playing for its first state title. “It’s a one-game tournament now,” Bentley said.
The Washington-Lee Generals in 1966 were the last boys public-school team from Arlington to win a VHSL state basketball title.
