Chargers Put Their Energy On Display
In the semifinal round on Friday at Westfield, one of the oldest rivalries in the Concorde will renew with more than bragging rights at stake. The Chargers will clash with the Centreville Wildcats for the right to advance to the Concorde championship game -- and the automatic Northern Region berth that comes with it.
Photo By: Mike Kurec / GamedayMagazine
CHANTILLY, VA - If upset was on the minds of the sixth-seeded Robinson Rams on a chilly Wednesday night in Chantilly, the host Chargers quickly dissuaded the visitors from any such thoughts.
The third-seeded Chargers won handily, 70-53, to open the Concorde District boys' basketball tournament and to show Concorde contenders like Herndon and Centreville that Chantilly -- with uber athlete Kethan Savage and 7-footer John Manning -- will be a big factor in this tourney.
Early on, the Rams were resilient in the face of the taller, more athletic Chargers. C.J. Cleaves, one of the very few big men Robinson could get down low against Manning, comported himself well by moving around Big John for scores and stepping outside for long twos.
Despite a rash of turnovers caused by Chantilly's quick hands, the Rams down just eight at the half. But the home team held the visitors runless throughout, never giving them offensive confidence as the lead inflated to 10, 12 points and stayed there for the duration of the second half. A series of free-throws provided the final margin of 17.
Ultimately the Chargers were too strong and quick for the Rams, wearing down their counterparts from Fairfax with the long arms of Manning (seven blocks), aided by the fancy footwork down low of forwards Matt DeWitt, Adam Fridy and Matt Howerton.
Too often the Chargers were able to get the ball low on the block to a big man, causing the fouls to mount against Robinson and the points to pile up for Chantilly.
Not to mention the lightning-quick, extraordinarily agile dribble penetration of first-team All-Concorde selection Kethan Savage.
The 6'2" junior's immense athleticism was no better on display than late in the second quarter, when he picked the pocket of the Robinson ballhandler around the midcourt baseline, drove the floor with long graceful strides, and elevated for an emphatic right-handed thunderdunk over an oncoming defender, drawing a foul to boot.
The Rams needed a timeout after that one.
The Chargers were not just playing for the opening-round win. They were playing to let the upcoming Concorde District foes know that this squad -- of whom four of its six losses are by fewer than five points -- will not be an easy out.
Kethan and Big John just won't let 'em.
UP NEXT
In the semifinal round on Friday at Westfield, one of the oldest rivalries in the Concorde will renew with more than bragging rights at stake.
The Chargers will clash with the second-seeded Centreville Wildcats for the right to advance to the Concorde championship game -- and the automatic Northern Region berth that comes with it.
The Cats upended the Bolts in Chantilly Jan. 15, 66-62.
It'll be Savage against the Wildcats own highly athletic, defensively tenacious, jump-out-of-the-gym guard Warren Denny. And it'll be a good one.
The winner gets the glory, the shot at the district title and the region berth. The loser goes home.
We'll have live audio and video of the Chantilly/Centreville matchup from Westfield High School on Friday night, only on the Gameday Broadcast Network. Be part of it.
