Gameday Q&A: Potomac Falls coach Jeff Hawes
Ben Biber is on Hawes' all-time team
Jeff Hawes is in his 10th season as the head boys basketball coach at Potomac Falls, where he is the only coach in the school's history. Hawes has led the Panthers to a 145-100 (.592) record and four Group AA Dulles District championships entering Tuesday night's Region II quarterfinal against Handley (22-2 overall), including a 138-63 (.687) mark since dropping a classification from Group AAA to AA for the 1999-2000 school year. Potomac Falls (18-7) lost in the district semifinals to eventual champion Broad Run last week, but clinched the fifth regional tournament berth in school history by virtue of its regular season district title. Last week, Hawes was named the district's coach of the year, and his point guard, senior Ben Biber, was named the league's player of the year.
Gameday Magazine: You've been coaching in Loudoun County for awhile now. How has the basketball landscape changed with all of the county's new schools opening?
Jeff Hawes: It thinned things out for a while, but now the talent is back on the rise I think. It also is a little strange to not have Stone Bridge and [Loudoun] Valley in our league. We had some pretty healthy rivalries going with both of them when they left our league.
GM: In your decade at the school, what has been your most fondest memory?
JH: My fondest competitive memory is probably playing at [James Madison University] against R.E. Lee and coming within a rebound or two of breaking their 54-game winning streak. The best memory of our program was our 10th anniversary that we had this year and close to 40 of my former players attended. We had a real nice dinner and 10 [televisions] with a highlight reel from each year playing on every TV. The memories of all the relationships with Panther basketball players, coaches, managers and parents were countless that night.
GM: This year, the district was as competitive from top to bottom as it's been in awhile. Does that make winning the regular season
district championship that more rewarding?
JH: It was no doubt a very gratifying championship this year. We have won or shared four out of the last five championships and this one was very special. A lot of people in the media had us picked as low as fourth this year. So to come together and win the championship was very special, not to mention the manner in which we accomplished it.
GM: What is the one thing you have not accomplished as the coach at Potomac Falls that you'd like to do before you retire?
JH: Obviously on the court I would like to some day win a regional and/or state title. Our region is without question the toughest in the state of Virginia. This is our fifth trip to regionals in eight years and four of those five years we have faced the No. 1-ranked team in the state in Group AA.
GM: You teach elementary school physical education, then coach 16-, 17- and 18-year-old players afterwards. How difficult is it to transition from communicating to young children during the day to working with young men that night?
JH: My transition from Elementary is no problem at all. I love my kids at Meadowland and I love my kids at Potomac Falls. It actually is a very nice transition every day - kind of a change of pace - I am excited as can be every day to get down to the high school and see my kids there!
GM: Who is the toughest player and coach you have knocked heads with since you became a head coach?
JH: have gone against a lot of great coaches. Chad Dawson (Loudoun Valley) and I have had some battles. I would say a great respect for each other, but both of us are very fiery and intense and our kids tend to play that way. As far as players go - I have seen a lot of great players give us fits, but most recently I will be happy to see {Broad Run's Mark] McGlone and [Adrian] Mines walking across the graduation platform.
GM: If you had to name an all-time Potomac Falls starting five, how would it look? Go ahead an toss a sixth man in there as well.
JH: Ben Biber, Alex Acosta, Mike Williams, Wes Jackson, Adrian Tracy and sixth man Demario McCleary.
GM: The Region II Tournament begins tonight. Who are the favorites within in the region as the postseason heats up?
JH: Millbrook and Handley are ranked #1 and #2 in the state so obviously they are the tops in our region. We have prepared hard and hope to give Handley our best shot!
