Gameday Notebook: February 7, 2007
Herndon has its relacement for Tommy Meier.
Cougars' Thomas Climbing Scoring Chart
Oakton senior guard Jasmine Thomas continues to move up the Virginia High School League's (VHSL) career scoring charts. The Duke University recruit scored 29 points and had 11 rebounds, 11 steals and six assists in recording her fourth career triple-double in a 64-35 win over Chantilly last week.
Thomas enters the Cougars' regular season finale at Centreville on Friday with 2,363 career points, which is seventh all-time among boys and girls players in state history. She trails former Madison standout Katie Smrcka-Duffy by 100 points for third all-time among girls players.
This winter, Thomas is averaging 27.2 points per game as Oakton (20-1 overall, 11-0 Concorde District) appear primed for another run to the Group AAA state tournament. Thomas, who had led the Cougars to a 94-9 mark in her four varsity seasons, has increased her scoring average each season, from 20.2 as a freshman to 21.6 as a sophomore to 25.0 as a junior last year.
Hornets Stay In House For Meier's Replacement
The Herndon football program will remain in familiar hands as the school announced last week that defensive coordinator Joe Shaeffer will replace the departed Tommy Meier as its head varsity football coach.
Shaeffer, who has served as an assistant at the school for 20 years - the last seven as defensive coordinator - was one of 17 applicants for the job. He will be replacing a fixture at the school in Meier, who compiled a 104-70 record and led the Hornets to five playoff appearances and just two losing seasons during his 17-year tenure.
Shaeffer, who previously worked as an assistant at Edison and Falls Church, becomes the third new coach at a Concorde District school. Last month, Gerry Pannoni was named as Mike Skinner's replacement at Centreville, and Chris Haddock was picked to replace Mat Shannon at Fairfax.
Big Performances in Dulles District
A number of clutch performances dominated the news out of the Dulles District this past week as the league wraps up what has been an exciting regular season.
On Tuesday night, Park View junior forward Thomas Mulabah had 23 points and senior forward Amechi Anyaugo added 21 as the Patriots defeated Potomac Falls, 88-78. The win by Park View (17-4 overall, 10-3 district) created a three-way tie in the district standings with the Panthers (15-6, 10-3) and Heritage (14-7, 10-3), which defeated Freedom, 77-69.
Speaking of Freedom, junior guard Henry Brisbe has been on fire over the past three games. Brisbe, who scored a game-high 27 points in Tuesday's loss, had 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Eagles' 65-63 upset over Broad Run on Jan. 30, and had 20 points and 10 rebounds in an 82-56 loss to Jefferson (W.V.) last Friday.
The most clutch performance of the week, however, came from Stone Bridge senior guard Devon "Y'Lou" Brown, who took a full-court pass from senior guard Terence Glenn and laid in the game-winning basket as time expired in a 51-50 victory in Ashburn on Jan. 26.
The Bulldogs (11-8 overall, 6-6 Liberty District) have taken the momentum from that shot and won three of their last four games entering their game against Jefferson, which has won just one of 19 games this season, on Wednesday night.
Hornets Complete Westfield Sweep, Clinch Concorde
The Herndon boys basketball team completed a regular season sweep of Westfield with a 70-61 win at their Concorde District rival on Tuesday night.
The Hornets, who were paced by senior forward Danny Jones' 21 points and eight rebounds, improved to 17-2 overall and 11-0 in the district and clinched the regular season league title. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 15-5, 9-2.
Westfield star junior forward Maurice Hubbard was ejected in the third quarter after elbowing Herndon's Chris Drahozal and finished with just six points and one rebound. Hubbard, who averages over 19 points per game, has totaled just 15 in the two losses to the Hornets this season.
