Hawes' Panthers Book Trip To VCU!
Lukas Mihailovich and the Potomac Falls Panthers rolled to a 58-51 win over Tabb to secure a spot in the state semifinals on Tuesday night.....Mihailovich scored 24 points in the victory.
Photo By: Yvette Gagnon / Gameday
Head Coach Jeff Hawes and Center Greg Graves Talk Strategy In Friday's Win Over Tabb. Pete Simoneau (Shown Below) also provided a big spark for the Panthers in their 58-51 win.
Photo By: Yvette Gagnon / Gameday
Junior Brendon Chesson gives Potomac Falls an advantage whenever he's on the court with his quickness and athletic ability. He's an explosive player that can change the game in a matter of minutes.
Photo By: Yvette Gagnon / Gameday
FAIRFAX, VA - One of the first coaches I got to know back in 2002 when I began covering high school athletics in Loudoun County, was Potomac Falls head coach Jeff Hawes. Always approachable, and one of the nicest human beings you will ever meet, Hawes wears his passion and his heart on his sleeve.
He demands a ton from his kids, but loves them even more. And they love him back too. Over the years, it has been tough to watch as the Panthers have come ever so close to putting it all together.
But after 14 seasons, Jeff Hawes and the Potomac Falls Panthers are finally experiencing the very success many believe they truly deserve. The Panthers beat Tabb in Friday's state quarterfinals 58-51, which means Potomac Falls is two wins away from their first state championship in school history.
While the road to glory will be an uphill battle, this Panther team led by junior Lukas Mihailovich, is playing their best basketball at the right time.
The Panthers have evolved into a formidable championship contender, and they can cause nightmares for their opponents in multiple ways. Hawes has watched with a close eye the development that 6'5 sophomore Greg Graves has undergone. Last year, Graves was green behind the ears, and not battle tested.
However, just one season later, Graves is a force in the paint. He blocks shots, and exudes confidence with the basketball in his hands. On Friday, Graves scored 10 points, but 9 of them came in the second half when the game was still close. Afterward, there was no happier player than the sophomore center for the Panthers.
"I'm very excited, it was a great experience to be here," said Graves. "We are very excited to be moving on to the semifinals. We just came out and played hard in the second half, and everything was flowing to help us get the win."
The Panthers closed out the win in impressive fashion, but Hawes said what he took pride in was his team's mental toughness.
"We have been playing so well, but we didn't play great tonight," Hawes said. "I'm almost more proud of tonight, because the kids just showed a lot of guts, a lot of heart to hang in there when we weren't our smoothest. We really kept fighting, and we made some adjustments at the half that really paid off."
Hawes has a unique luxury on this team that may be different than other Panther teams of the past. He can interchange up to 10 players on the floor at any given time, and rarely does a mass substitution cause a lead to disappear.
Most coaches have to hope that when they give their starters a breather, their reserves just hold onto a lead. But if you watch Hawes when his second five comes in, he fully expects them to play as well as the guys they replaced.
The truth is, they normally do, and Pete Simoneau's play against Tabb was the perfect example of that on Friday night. Simoneau entered the game, and Tabb immediately showed him a lack of respect. In fact, they left him completely unguarded, which led to Simoneau making an easy basket from two feet away.
On the next series down, the 5'6 junior, again unguarded, stepped back and nailed a three point shot. Two possessions, and 5 points from someone the Tigers probably never thought they had to worry about.
That's the difference with this Potomac Falls basketball team, and that's why they should concern any team left on their schedule.
Of course, most conversations about the Panthers start and end with Mihailovich, and for good reason. The junior guard was on his game from the start of Friday's quarterfinal, and he finished with 24 points in the win. His leadership is what drives this team, and his competitiveness separates him from everyone else on the floor.
"It's not just this year, we've been playing with each other since the 3rd grade. I don't think it is a coincidence that we play so well together," said Mihailovich. "It's a great feeling, and it's something we have worked hard for this whole season. I feel like we have put in the work to do this, but we can't stop now. We need to go get two more wins down in Richmond."
Mihailovich has the entire game. He's deadly lethal from the perimeter, and one of the best at driving to the basket and challenging the big men, and still coming away with points. With Graves making big strides, and Mihailovich on his game, the Panthers have a dynamic duo to rely on. However, the X-factor in the entire equation might be Brendon Chesson.
Chesson, just a junior, is one of the best athletes that has ever donned the Panther uniform. His quick first step is nearly unstoppable, and his ability to get the Panthers into the transition game cannot be undervalued.
When you get to this stage of the tournament, most high school basketball teams have two guys that can flat out play. But with Chesson, the Panthers have three. Zach Curran and Mickey Wagenhoffer are no slouches either. Both players added 6 points a piece in Friday's win.
There is one other factor that should also be considered as well as to why Potomac Falls is where they are. Hawes is not just a coach that is trying to win games. He truly is one of the best at building a program that involves the entire community.
When Hawes realized the game was in hand, he turned around to the bleachers directly behind him and raised his fists in the air. It immediately got everyone to their feet. The roar of the crowd was tremendous, and it was long overdue.
Friday's win was not just about Hawes' 2010 team. It was also about the entire Potomac Falls program that has been built from scratch.
Go to a Potomac Falls basketball game, and you will see plenty of 4th and 5th graders running around with Panther jerseys on. Hawes has made playing for Potomac Falls a dream for those kids, and on Friday, the veteran coach said sharing the win with his community is what it is all about.
"You can't put it in words. We probably had 1,600 to 1,800 people here, and just former players, and parents. Parents of kids I cut were here, coming out to support us. The whole community is standing on their head right now with what we are doing," Hawes said. "I have always dreamt of that. Not just winning ballgames, but enveloping a whole community. It's been a long time since any boys' basketball team has done this in Loudoun."
And just like it should be, Hawes and the Panthers are the ones to do it.
WATCH TUESDAY'S GAME LIVE RIGHT HERE!
The Panthers will now await the winner of Saturday's Salem and Spotswood game, and begin preparations for a trip to the Siegel Center on Tuesday night. The tip for the state semifinals is set for 9:15pm.
GamedayMagazine.com will be your exclusive source for live video coverage of the VHSL State Tournament online. Check back on later this weekend for a complete breakdown of our Tournament packages and coverage schedule.
