Nolan, May lead Chargers Past Westfield 65-52
CHANTILLY, VA - If the Chantilly and Westfield rivalry wasn't already heated enough, it certainly got a few degrees hotter Friday night. Thanks to multiple technical fouls, a player ejection, and even some jawing back and forth between the coaching staffs, the Chantilly and Westfield rivalry might have just reached an all-time high. Yet through all the emotion, it was Chantilly emerging victorious as they dethroned their rival, and Gameday's #1 team in the Power Poll, by a score of 65-52, at Chantilly High School, which was broadcast live, worldwide, on the Gameday Radio Network.
The victory now pushes Chantilly's record to 13-1 and first-place overall in the Concorde District, at 5-1. Leading the way for the Chargers was their backcourt combination of Jake Nolan, Justin May, and Robbie Athearn who combined for 45 points. The trio was instrumental in leading the transition game and defensive effort, which ended up becoming the keys to Chantilly's success on the night.
The game in the early going couldn't have been more entertaining to the capacity crowd, as the back and forth action helped set the tone for the rest of the game. An intense and feverish pitch from both sides of the stands ensued and it was clear no love was lost between these two.
Athearn managed to grab the spotlight early, as he was the beneficiary of a transition game that was effective in beating Westfield down the court all night. For the Bulldogs, their big men of Mo Hubbard and Jon Gaston combined to keep their team on pace with Chantilly in the first half, thanks in part to their solid rebounding and post play. Turnovers, however, doomed Westfield at the onset, as Chantilly quickly converted those turnovers to points.
Yet, at the break, the Chargers only managed to hold a 30-27 lead, but after riding a huge wave of momentum, that would all change. In fact, it was Westfield who came out swinging in the second half, as they raced out to 31-30 lead in the third quarter, but from then on, it was all Chantilly.
Making good on several more Bulldog turnovers, the Chargers, towards the fourth quarter, were able to gain a double-digit lead for the first time on the night. Factor in Chantilly's rabid student section, and the Chargers got the boost they needed to seal the deal on Westfield. Unfortunately, the game had managed to take a bit of a sour note from that point on.
Gaston would later get ejected following his second technical foul while guard, and defensive stand-out, Brian Kennedy also managed to foul out of the game, mid-way through the period. Much to the chagrin of Chantilly head coach Jim Smith, the two coaching staffs had words for each other in between. Understandably, and noticeably frustrated, Westfield would later collapse, falling behind by as much as 15 with five minutes left in the fourth.
Bulldog guard, Jamie Richardson, made a valiant effort at the end to bring Westfield back, but Chantilly's May would have none of that. Scoring 11 of his 18 points in the second half, May took over the half as he was able to help secure a win over his deeply hated rivals. He put the exclamation point on the game, late in the 4th, on a fast break slam dunk, started by a perfect down-court pass from teammate Austin Decker (sound familiar?), sending the Chantilly stands into a frenzy, and put a damper on the spirits of the Bulldog faithful. Any hopes of a Westfield comeback was also squashed by the timely, and perfect, free-throw shooting of Athearn, who was 6-6 from the charity line in the final few minutes. Conversely, the Bulldogs had their chances on the line, but a combined 3-14 in the last 5 minutes was yet another chapter in the story of the night, where few things seemed to go right for the visitors.
The Bulldogs, following the loss, slip to 12-2 and are now tied for second in the Concorde with Herndon, after the Hornets downed the Robinson Rams, at home. Westfield will go toe-to-toe with Herndon this Tuesday, where the winner will lay claim to sole possession of that spot.
Chick-fil-A Players of the Game:
Robbie Athearn - Senior Forward; Chantilly Chargers
Leading all scorers from both teams with 21 points, Athearn gets the nod as Chantilly's player of the game. While teammates Justin May and Jake Nolan were also key to Chantilly's success, it was Athearn's overall play, up and down the court which gives him the edge.
Jamie Richardson - Senior Guard; Westfield Bulldogs
Richardson helped keep it close for Westfield early in the final quarter. When other teammates ran into foul trouble, Richardson was able to pick up the slack and collect 15 points on the night as a result.
You can re-live this exciting broadcast by clicking onto Gameday Radio, on the front page. Click onto the game, and listen in as the Gameday Radio team of Tom Whipple and Derek LeComte relays all the exciting action of this heated Concorde district rivalry.
