girls finish strong February 29, 2008
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the girls contended well for all four quarters but fell 41-30 in the state semis. Great effort. Had chance to win late. More later…
OK… It’s morning now and I think these girls did a fantastic job this year. Truth be told, we played the best team remaining in the tournament yesterday and we could have beaten them. Consider this: our opponent scored 92 points on Thursday and we held them to 41 points yesterday. We beat them on the boards; our defense did an excellent job of keeping them out of any rhythm.
And we came storming back in the fourth quarter. Our strong contingent of SBS fans made quite a racket which (perhaps!) helped induce turnovers by our opponent on three successive possessions — okay, the girls get 99% of the credit! We cut it to four or five with about 2:30 remaining and had the ball. A break here or there and we’re playing today in the finals.
What a great bunch of girls, and the prospects for next year are very, very strong.
Thanks Ryan and Julius! February 29, 2008
Posted by Steve Elliott in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Hey, let’s use this thread to offer some words of thanks to Ryan and Julius for representing SBS so well in their excellent play and tremendous character this basketball season! Just click on “comment.”
Va-Pilot Story February 29, 2008
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Here’s the Va-Pilot’s story, online.
Girls boxscore:
Intro to the story:
By DAN COOLEY Special to The Virginian-Pilot For the first time, StoneBridge played host for both the boys and girls quarterfinals in the state private school basketball tournament as the higher seeds.
Girls Win, Boys Are Winners! February 28, 2008
Posted by Steve Elliott in basketball, boys, girls.Tags: basketball, boys
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I suppose we all left the gym tonight with mixed emotions. Our Lady Cavs managed a strong win over their opponent. Can’t recall the score but we were +20 or so. Our girls seem to be getting a step faster as the season progresses. They are working well as a unit. Their press is getting tougher. Ashlea and Sarah seem to be even more dominant.
Audio from tonite’s game here. Click on “girls basketball.”
Seems the girls got their nerves out of the way in this game, specifically the first half. After halftime, we turned up the pressure. Caitlyn Walsh nailed some threes along the way. Caitlyn Unsworth played her normal great game. We got some great bench play from Anna and Rachel. Sometimes — maybe especially in the playoffs — it can be tougher to play at home. Away games get the team, well, away. It’s “us against them” on the road. Tomorrow, the girls go on the road — Reston I believe. I think they’ll come out charging. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. Go for it, girls!
Victors in Defeat
The boys had a heartbreaking loss to a very determined Tidewater Academy. Tidewater was out-sized certainly, but they played a disciplined game, got some good bounces, made their free throws and hit a few real clutch shots at the end. But we’re not confused — the Cavaliers boys are winners. They won every time they stepped on the court. They worked and worked and worked. They took on several much larger schools and always contended, always kept their composure, always showed respect for the game, the coaches, the refs.
It happens. Anyone who has played any organized game knows that sometimes the shots don’t seem to fall. And this crew also learned another life lesson — the burden of success. After the game, Coach Cal said to me that a few years ago, we wouldn’t have all felt this much heartbreak for a loss in boys basketball. But last year changed everything, and this team and their coaches did a tremendous job carrying the mantle of “State Champions.”
Let’s hear it for the fans!
Wow– what a scene tonight! Great fun. Great intensity. Great cheerleading. Great homemade shakers. Great concessions. And Cavaliers Club members even got some free popcorn and drinks!
I hope others will use this space to extend their thoughts and appreciation to the team, to the coaches and to the administration for creating this environment for SBS to come together and unite… like a small town… like a family of friends… always keeping things in perspective. There are bigger fish to fry for these boys. And the lessons they’ve learned are invaluable. Thanks, Coach Cal. Thanks guys. For a great season!
Feel free to “comment” to this post — open to all without registering. Even better… comment and then click on “wanna blog” above and become a contributor and write some articles!
remote post February 28, 2008
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testing a remote post from the iPhone. This is cool (not as cool as the iPhone, but still cool).
Game Time! February 28, 2008
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First round of the state tournament takes place today at the SBS gym — home of the best lighting on the southside, the most energized fans and the cool second tier with the snazzy snack bar!
Girls play Wakefield at 5:30 — note the early starting time
Boys play Tidewater Academy at 7:00.
Boys and Girls Host Hoops Playoffs February 27, 2008
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SBS fans will be treated to two home playoff games this Thursday. First the girls will play at 5:30 followed by the boys game. OUr girls are ranked second in the state after we rolled through the Metro Conference tournament. The boys are ranked fourth and as defending state champions are surely one of the teams to beat.
Big possibilities for exciting games on Friday and Saturday, but first things first — we need two big wins on Thursday and lots of fan support!
Thrill of victory, thrill of competition February 27, 2008
Posted by Steve Elliott in Uncategorized.2 comments
If you missed Saturday’s spectacular Metro Conference finals games, here’s a rundown. What a thrill to be in the packed PCS gym with StoneBridge fans certainly comprising the largest contingent.
Our girls were awesome. They basically dominated from start to finish over Broadwater and turned what was expected to be a close contest into a 30-point blowout. We were quicker, smarter, more disciplined, more aggressive and just plain better. Coach Rowe and the team seem to be peaking at just the right time. Congrats, girls! A good primer for the state tournament.
I think I can speak for our entire section of StoneBridge fans in saying we are all very thrilled to see our boys play so hard and so well against Atlantic Shores. When we went from down 12 to within 3 in the course of about 2 minutes in the fourth quarter, it looked like we were going to pull of a tremendous upset against a team that is one of the favorites to win Division II states. The difference came down to a no-call on a drive by Ryan Barbosa — it sure looked like he got fouled. A whistle there would have changed the game — AS’s star player would have fouled out and Ryan would have sunk two freebies to make it a one-point game with all the pressure on Shores.
Kudos to Coach Cal and the staff. What a difference from the first time we faced Shores. I loved it that we played straight-up man-to-man just about the entire game. Despite being sick all week, Julius was spectacular. Wes hit some big shots and played his usual tough D. Brian really stepped up and had the toughest defensive assignment. Our big guys all played big. And as always Ryan made big shot after big shot to keep us close. It’s really quite a treat to watch Ryan.
