Basketball Preview: Potomac Falls Boys Varsity
Jeff Hawes and the Potomac Falls Panthers are ready to make some noise in the Dulles District this upcoming basketball season. Hawes has three returning starters from last year's team and boasts about the closeness of the players, some who have been playing together since the 4th and 5th grade...
Photo By: Marc Gold / Gameday Magazine
Gregory Graves is the youngest player on the team, but he started on varsity last year when he was a freshmen...
Photo By: Chuck Moore / GamedayMagazine
Panther Mickey Wagenhoffer is excited about the upcoming season. Wagenhoffer states, "I think we're going to do a lot better because the guys that we have on the team have been playing with each other since 5th grade and we got a lot of team unity."
Photo By: Chuck Moore / GamedayMagazine
STORY BY: MICHAEL MARZZACCO / GAMEDAYMAGAZINE COLUMNIST
POTOMAC FALLS, VA - Four months ago the Panthers Basketball team left summer camp wearing the logo: "We're Proud, But Not Satisfied!!" After watching practice last week, and talking to Coach Hawes and a few of the players, my impression is they're proud, ready and looking to get some satisfaction.
This season should be a huge one for Potomac Falls. They have great players returning from last year's team. They also have new varsity players who have had success on the JV team last year, which only lost once.
I recently went to a practice and caught up with Head Coach Jeff Hawes and some returning players: Lukas Mihailovich, Zack Curran, Mickey Wagenhoffer and Gregory Graves to talk about the upcoming season.
"We're all very excited about this year. We've got some returning players, three that are starting. We've got ten juniors on this team, they're a very close group of kids that have come through our program since Panther camp in 4th and 5th grade and we're real excited about this group," said Coach Hawes about how he feels about the team this year.
Zack Curran added, "I think this team's very close, we work hard and we play for each other and it's really going to help."
"We've got more people that can shoot and get to the rack and pass the ball better," Gregory Graves said about the offense. Gregory is the youngest player on the team, but he started on varsity last year when he was a freshmen.
Lukas Mihailovich added, "The offense looks good, everyone can score on the team, so it will be fun and on defense we got a lot of athleticism so it's all about making the commitment, if we commit to defense we should be good."
Mickey Wagenhoffer added, "I think we're going to do a lot better because the guys that we have on the team have been playing with each other since 5th grade and we got a lot of team unity."
The Panther Pit is one of the best student sections in the county. The fans will be there to get behind the team this season.
"Last year we started to give them a lot to cheer about, then we had some injuries and the schedule got tougher and we had some things go against us... so I'm gonna challenge the whole student body right now to get out there and get that Pit back, and have the #1 student section again," Coach Hawes said.
Panther fans, you heard Coach Hawes so come out there and make him proud. Fill the gym, stand up and be loud.
The first game is at Broadway High School in the Tip-Off tournament on December 4th and 5th. The next is at Fauquier on December 8th. After that the Panthers will play Stone Bridge at Park View on Friday, December 11th. Then on Saturday December 12th, it's the Panthers home opener as they take on the Loudoun Valley Vikings.
Pit Crew - make some noise!
