Richmond Metro Area high schools compete at the Stu
John Marshall third-year forward Latrell Almond dunks the ball. Photo by Kyler Gilliam. Edited by Arrick Wilson.
Kyler Gilliam, Staff Writer
Six teams from the Richmond Metro Area competed in the Siegel Center for the right to be crowned state champion for their respective classes on March 13-15.
Class 2 Girls:
The John Marshall High School Justices women’s team played against the Wise County Central High School Warriors for the Class 2 Girls State Championship on March 13. Central dominated in the first quarter, building a 21-6 lead after the first buzzer. The Justices clawed back and cut the lead to eight going into halftime, 31-23. Second-year guard Tiara Herron had 13 in the first half for the Justices, on her way to a 30-point output, according to the VHSL. Central dominated the second half and won 75-45, securing back-to-back state championships for the Warriors.
Class 2 Boys:
John Marshall’s boy’s team secured their fourth-straight state championship with a win over the Graham High School G-Men 107-81 on March 13. The Justices got out early and stayed ahead all game. John Marshall shot 80% from the field in the first half, only missing five total shots, according to the VHSL. Top-100-ranked third-year Latrell Almond scored 17 points in the first half, helping lead John Marshall to a 56-31 lead going into halftime. The Justices continued scoring, leading to the most points scored ever in a state final. The Justices also had four players score over 20 points in the contest.
Class 4 Boys:
The Class 4 Boys State Championship Final consisted of two Richmond Metro Area Teams. The Atlee High School Raiders faced off against Varina High School Blue Devils in a Class 4 Region B final rematch on March 14, where Atlee won 66-59. The Capital District foes started the game off tightly, with Atlee jumping to a 16-5 lead and Varina returning to bring Atlee’s lead to two at the end of the first quarter. The Raiders’ shooting from behind the arc helped them clinch their first state title in school history, winning 66-44. The Raiders shot 47% from behind the arc during the game, according to the VHSL. Varina third-year Caleb Slaughter led the Blue Devils in points with 16 on 54% shooting. Atlee second-year Conner Wilcox hit four threes on his way to 18 points, the highest point total in the game.
Class 3 Boys:
Hopewell High School Blue Devils matched up with the Class 3 Region C Champions in the Spotswood High School Trailblazers on March 15. A tight matchup throughout saw the Blue Devils fall just short of their second state championship in three years. Hopwell outscored Spotswood 8-0 on points off turnovers in the first half, securing a 26-22 lead going into halftime. The Trailblazers did all the little things to secure victory over Hopewell, committing fewer turnovers and shooting better from behind the arc. Spotswood won the game 57-50 over the Blue Devils. Hopewell second-year Stephon Cherry led the Blue Devils in points with 22 points and tied the team-high with six rebounds in the loss, according to the VHSL.
Class 6 Girls:
The Manchester High School Lancers competed for the Class 6 State Championship against the Osbourn Park High School Yellow Jackets, out of Manassas, Virginia, a rematch of an earlier non-district matchup during the season on March 15. Osbourn Park won that matchup 64-41 in their home gym. Manchester was led by future University of Richmond Spider Rayne Wright and third-year Finley Weaver. Weaver led Manchester in points with 15 and Wright scored nine and grabbed eight rebounds during the contest, according to the VHSL. A back-and-forth game in the first half had the Yellow Jackets up 24-21 in the first half. Detrimental shooting from behind the arc in the third quarter doomed the Lancers, shooting 0-7. Osbourn Park took advantage and clinched their first state championship over Manchester, winning 60-48.
