By Morgan Widdifield
LoCoSports Journalist

Purcellville (Jan. 19, 2015) – Rival high schools Loudoun Valley and Woodgrove took to the hardwood for round one of the Battle of P‘Ville on Jan. 15.

They would Play for a Cure selling t-shirts and raffle tickets to raise awareness and money to help the fight against breast cancer. Woodgrove girls head coach Kevin Copley said his players fronted the event and added that several other student organizations including the Woodgrove boys team helped along the way.

The games were tight and the need for a win was massive as all but the Lady Vikings – who sat at 11-2 before the tip – had records near .500.

The Vikings came through victorious, sweeping their rivals, with the girls winning 45-37 and the boys earning their sixth win of the season with a 66-55 performance.

Lady Vikes second quarter momentum springs them over the Lady Wolverines

The Lady Vikings (12-2) started the night off by taking on the Woodgrove Lady Wolverines (7-5) at an early 6 p.m. meeting. The Lady Wolverines jumped on top in the first quarter, with an early 13-8 advantage, but the “anxious” Vikings came out confident in the second quarter, after a few words from their head coach Kenyamo McFarlane and posted a 15-4 run to end the first half.

“Coaches McFarlane, Wilcox and Greene told us that we needed to settle down and take care of the ball,” Loudoun Valley junior guard Lindsey Sweet said. “It was important for us to focus on our team and our strengths rather than letting the fact that we were playing our crosstown rivals get in our head.”

The momentum switched shortly into the second quarter, according to McFarlane.

“In the first quarter, Woodgrove had really good defense, and we were very anxious,” McFarlane said. “As soon as we calmed down, the momentum shifted, and we had a 15-4 second quarter. We carried the confidence throughout the rest of the game and ended up with a win.”

The rivalry game between these two schools was not the only showdown in the game: it was also between two of the best point guards in Loudoun County, Loudoun Valley’s Lindsey Sweet and Woodgrove’s Camryn Fagan.

“Lindsey is the best dribbler I have seen on the boys and girls sides in a very long time,” McFarlane said.

I cannot deny McFarlane’s word, since Sweet cut through the Woodgrove defense like a hot knife on butter.

But Fagan was also on-point in the game only scoring four points, but contributing with a lot of assists.

“Camryn is a really good point guard and is a good leader. She [distributes]the ball well and [plays]good defense. She is the engine that drives our team,” Woodgrove head coach Kevin Copley said.

Clutch performances by Loudoun Valley senior Rachel Bowyer – who had a six-point first quarter; junior Lindsey Sweet – who went 3-for-5 from the three-point line; senior Kailey Liverman – who had 8 points and 9 rebounds; and senior Kirsten Graves – who went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the second half – helped the Lady Vikes to victory.

“The biggest difference was that Valley had more intensity and played with a sense of urgency,” Copley said. “They were the better team tonight, [but]I think you will see a different Woodgrove team next time around.”

24-point third quarter catapults Vikings over Wolverines

The boys varsity game featured two teams that absolutely needed a win. Unlike their counterparts, the Vikings had a 5-7 record coming into the game, the Wolverines posting a 6-5 record, with the loss dropping them down to .500.

Woodgrove posted only 13 points in the first quarter and 14 in the next, which brought them into the lead just before halftime. However, the Vikings responded with 24 third-quarter-points, the exact amount they had in the first half, which helped them seal the deal to victory.

The impressive trio of Loudoun Valley junior Trey McDyre, sophomore Nick Ball and freshman Jalen Williams combined for 41 points of the 66 points in the game. Ball scored all 16 of his points in the third quarter.

“Nick has always been instrumental in influencing how our team plays this season,” Loudoun Valley head coach Chad Dawson said. “He was able to attack the rim and finish big shots. He also has great vision, often too good, as sometimes we aren’t ready to receive his passes.”

The win was a team effort though.

“Jason Yoxthimer and Jamir Degree were really active in the paint, and they were leading us on the defensive boards,” Dawson said. “McDyre is such a leader both on and off the court and he was so aggressive tonight. It [helped us]to defend like we wanted to.”

The Wolverines had solid performances as well led by senior Matt Gilson – who had a 16-point, 7-rebound night; senior Davie Wick and senior Jameson Copeland.

The two schools will meet again in round two of the Battle of P‘Ville on Jan. 31 at Loudoun Valley High School.

“Because we are so young, we are now starting to manage game situations better and tonight we took another step forward,” Dawson said. “[This win] is a stepping stone toward a strong second half of the season and hopefully a long playoff run.”

Morgan Widdifield is a junior at Loudoun Valley High School in Purcellville. Follow LoCoSports on Twitter (@LoCoSports) for up-to-date news and scores from around Loudoun County.

Loudoun Valley Lady Vikings Stats
Rachel Bowyer 12 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 blocked shots, 3 steals, 2-for-4 free throws
Kirsten Graves 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots, 4 steals, 6-for-6 free throws
Lindsey Sweet 9 points, 4 assists
Kailey Liverman 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal, 2-for-2 free throws
Celine Fink 2 points, 10 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 3 steals
Mar Keane 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0-for-3 free throws
Caroline McDonald 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Alex Van Zandt 1 rebound

LVHS Totals
45 points, 37 rebounds, 28 turnovers, 10 assists, 9 blocked shots, 12 steals, 10-for-15 free throws

Woodgrove Lady Wolverines Stats
Jess Hornyack 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3-for-3 free throws
Brooke Basinger 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2-for-6 free throws
Jordan Wick 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 0-for-2 free throws
Hallie Daughtry 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2-for-2 free throws
Kylee Miller 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 2 steals
Camryn Fagan 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot, 4 steals, 0-for-2 free throws
Sarah Root 3 points, 10 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 2 steals, 1-for-2 free throws
Puneet Kaur 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Madi White 1 rebound, 1 blocked shot

WGHS Totals
37 points, 37 rebounds, 18 turnovers, 6 assists, 4 blocked shots, 16 steals, 8-for-17 free throws

Loudoun Valley Vikings Stats
Nick Ball 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1-for-5 free throws
Jalen Williams 15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 8-for-9 free throws
Trey McDyre 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 4-for-4 free throws
Jason Yoxthimer 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 5-for-6 free throws
Jamir Degree 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2-for-2 free throws
Ryan Fox 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Michael Irving 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Matt Eberhart 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal

LVHS Totals
66 points, 23 rebounds, 11 turnovers, 8 assists, 2 blocked shots, 14 steals, 20-for-26 free throws

Woodgrove Wolverines Stats
Matt Gilson 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2-for-2 free throws
Davie Wick 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2-for-2 free throws
Jameson Copleand 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2-for-2 free throws
Prakash Ellis 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal, 1-for-4 free throws
Ryan Vacca 4 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-1 free throw
Zach Lockhart 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1-for-2 free throws
Brendan Whitfield 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2-for-2 free throws
Carl Huber 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Drew Washington 3 rebounds
Conor James 1 rebound, 1 assist
Kevin Hernandez 1 rebound

WGHS Totals
55 points, 26 rebounds, 17 turnovers, 7 assists, 2 blocked shots, 5 steals, 10-for-15 free throws