Potomac Falls' Alex Hogue
Just five weeks ago, the Potomac Falls boy's basketball team stood at (3-5) and were coming off 3 straight losses. They looked to be only a mere memory of the dominating district champions that they were in the previous seasons. After the Holiday break, the Panthers returned home to take on current district hotshot Park View, who at the time were riding a 4 game win streak. In order to stay competitive in the Dulles District, a win was a must for Potomac Falls.
As the game began, it started out much of the same for the Panthers. They were missing key shots and Park View was dominating the rebound battle. Potomac Falls was also failing to get points from their key players. The Patriots clearly looked to be the better team, as they cruised to a 33-19 lead behind the strong play of Danny Foley. However, unrenowned to the rest of the Dulles District, Potomac Falls would receive a stunning second half change in fortune, behind the hot hand of senior Alex Hogue. After being held scoreless in the first half, Hogue played with a sense of urgency hitting six clutch three pointers to spark a 64-60 come back win over the Patriots.
"The change for us came during halftime during the Park View game on January 4th," Hogue said. "One of our assistant coaches came in while Coach Hawes was waiting outside and basically told us that the game he had been watching was pathetic. He himself was getting bored of watching us. He told us that we should be having fun out there and he could tell we were just going through the motions. That, I think, sparked us a little bit. After that speech, we came out ready to play, even though we knew it was going to be a hard task to accomplish being down 14 points."
Since the Park View game, the Panthers have gone on a five game win streak, and have moved back into contention for the district title, with a record of 8-5. Hogue has played a key role in the win streak as a consistent high scorer, alongside (junior Guard) Kevin Bartnick.
Being a leader is not unfamiliar to Hogue. Last season, he helped to propel his team to a district championship as the Panther's 3rd leading scorer. This season, Hogue knew he would have to have an even bigger impact on his team in order for them to have another successful year. He found his transition to be pretty smooth from junior to senior year.
"I knew coming into this season, I had to provide something for my team," said Hogue. The first couple of games, I guess you could say I was unable to provide the sense of urgency that I should have been. Now we're in the middle of our season and I feel comfortable. My teammates know they can come to me with any questions or feelings. I think that the way I have been playing lately has helped my teammates start to pick up their pace too."
As a 3rd year member of the Varsity squad, Hogue has emerged as a leader for his team, both on and off the court. Many people have had influences in his success, but there are two people who he claims have extremely influenced his positive attitude and determination; "My major influences are my mother and my coach. Both of them are constantly encouraging me to do better not just in basketball and school, but in life as well. Coach Hawes isn't someone who will just stay in touch with you while you're at Potomac Falls. He is a person who wants to become involved in your life. He teaches us so many things about what to expect further up the road. He is a sensitive and compassionate man that loves the game and loves all aspects of life."
Only time will tell what the future holds for Potomac Falls, but Hogue and the Panthers have their sights set big. They look to repeat as district champions and once again go deep into the post season. Hogue also has his sights set on the school record for the most three pointers in a single season. If he continues to play with the same intensity as in the last five games, then he could conceivably achieve that goal as well.
After high school, Hogue will, without a doubt, go on to become a huge success in life. "I plan on going to college to either study physical education, or study athletic training. I [also] hope I can play at the next level. If it happens that no coaches know about me, or they don't contact me about playing for them, I will try to go to a junior college for a year or two, then try to transfer into a Division 3 or Division 2 school.
With Alex Hogue playing with ice water in his veins from three point range, the road to the post season looks brighter then ever for the Panthers. There is no question that Hogue will be remembered as one of the greatest players to play for the Potomac Falls Panthers.
