Hungry For Hoops: Tipoff Tournament
WHERE: Potomac Falls High School
WHEN: Friday, December 5, 2008
TIP-OFF: 6 PM & 8PM
PREGAME: 5:45 PM
MEDIA COVERAGE:
Gameday Radio Dulles District Basketball Broadcast Live
Worldwide Online at www.GamedayMagazine.com
BROADCAST TEAM:
Richard Colven (Play By Play)
Lou Tessier (Color Commentary)
STERLING, VA - On the eve of the Football state championship games downstate, hoops action heats up in Northern Virginia with a number of pre-season tournaments. Gameday will cover the Friday night action from the Potomac Falls/Park View Tip-Off Tournament from Sterling.
Our doubleheader begins at 6 pm when the Stone Bridge Bulldogs face the Park View Patriots. The Bulldogs won their season opener at Thomas Jefferson 70-56, overcoming a 4 point deficit at the half. The Bulldogs got their offense going in the third period, outscoring the Colonials 23-6, and held on for the victory. Coach Sonny Green's team is young with only 2 seniors on the roster. Sophomore guard Nik Brown is showing early promise, however, scoring 27 in the opener.
Park View kicks off their season in the tournament, where they are the co-sponsor. Coach Michael Koscinski's squad will work to overcome the departure of eight seniors, including forwards Thomas Mulabah and Danny Foley, who led the Patriots in scoring last season. They look to build on a 16-7 campaign last year, including a 10-4 district record. Their nemesis last year was Potomac Falls, to whom they lost 3, including the district tournament semi-final.
In the second game, the Potomac Falls Panthers welcome the Knights of Turner-Ashby as coach Jamie Eberly seeks to build on an improbable end to last season. The Knights went just 3-22 but reached the postseason by beating Spotswood in the Massanutten District tournament, claiming the third of the district's four Region III playoff berths. Graduation also depleted the Knight's top three scorers from 2007-08, but junior forward Kyle Linn looks to push up his scoring while 6'5" senior forward Brad Wilfong will patrol the lane.
Panther coach Jeff Hawes is looking to build off of last year's Dulles district title, his 5th in the last 6 years. This year's squad is off to a 1-2 start with a win at Central and losses at Broadway and Skyline, but his teams are known to start a little slow and get better as the season progresses, harassing opponents with defensive intensity and motion offense sets. The Panthers will rely on the leadership of returning senior guard Greg Woodlief and junior forward Tarrell Owens, both of whom were key contributors on the Potomac Falls 10-2 football campaign this fall. Owens hopes to go Friday night after missing action due to an ankle sprain.
On Saturday night, the action will switch venues to Park View, where the Patriots will take on the Knights and the Panthers will play the Bulldogs. These games will be key early tests prior to the start of district play on December 12, when the Panthers will play at the Heritage Pride and the Patriots will face Loudoun County.
Be sure to follow Dulles district basketball all season long on Gameday Radio at www.gamedaymagazine.com.
