Princess Anne goes for 8th straight title
Editor’s note: The Peninsula District schools and Chesapeake schools canceled winter sports this week. Information on those schools’ girls basketball teams is included in this report to recognize the players.
Princess Anne goes for 8th state title in a row
The numbers are becoming staggering. The Cavaliers have been to the Class 5-level state final 12 consecutive seasons and won nine championships. Their seventh consecutive title was shared with Highland Springs — a team the Cavaliers had beaten in three of the previous four finals — because of the COVID-related cancelation of the championship game. But PA won its two state tournament games by 43 and 62 points, and with Division I signees Aziaha James (N.C. State) and Michelle Ojo (George Washington) returning and several talented freshmen joining the fold, another state title appears likely.
The season outlook is still unclear
Bay Rivers District play has begun, but with just six or seven of the 10 schools, after Williamsburg-James City County opted out of winter sports because of COVID-19 concerns. Many private schools are already in action, while the Beach District announced this past week it is back on board to play and is expected to announce its schedule of about eight regular-season games soon. Chesapeake Public Schools canceled winter sports on Monday. The status of Peninsula District, Eastern District and Suffolk schools — all on a pause in activities — is
The Eastern District is loaded
With Division I recruits in Ja’Naiya Quinerly (West Virginia) and Ashanti Barnes (Old Dominion), 2019 Class 4 state champ Lake Taylor takes aim at a fifth state title in 11 years. Norview returns all of its key players from a team that beat Lake Taylor once last year to forge a tie for the district title on its way to a Class 5 state tournament berth. Booker T. Washington has added to a cast that returns mostly intact from its Class 3 state quarterfinalists. Wilson, led by high-scoring Jada Johnson (19.5 ppg), is improved.
Menchville, Hampton are class of PD again
They split their regular-season meetings last year, the only loss for either in district play, before Hampton stole all the thunder in the postseason with its run to a Class 4 state co-championship. Menchville
has four starters back, led by All-Tidewater pick Kiara Beal (16.1 ppg), and Hampton counters with a lineup featuring three Division I recruits, including All-Tidewater first-team selection Jayla Hearp (16 ppg). Either is good enough to give Lake Taylor a run for what is, this season, only one Class 4 Region A berth to the state tournament.
Lakeland has state title aspirations
The Cavaliers’ ride last year to a regional championship and Class 3 state quarterfinal victory with a roster of all freshmen and sophomores was as unexpected as it was fun. “The great thing about having a team so young is they don’t know a lot and they listen and you can build how you wanna build a basketball team,” Lakeland coach Daryl Rountree said after the 45-35 win over Brentsville District in the state quarters. With everyone back, the Cavaliers will look to build toward a state final appearance.