Meadowbrook High School | Archive | January, 2008

Girl’s High
Jump
5-5, Corinna Brown (Prince George, Sr.)
5-4, Briana Hudson (Deep
Run, Jr.)
5-2, Marlena Daly (Deep Run, Jr.)

Girl’s Long
Jump
18-4, Nikki Nunn (Manchester, So.)
17-7 1/4, Ashley Orr (Deep
Run, Sr.)
17-4, Corinna Brown (Prince George, Sr.)

Girl’s Pole
Vault
12-0, Emma Dejarnette (Atlee, Jr.)
11-6, Rachael Hawks (Atlee,
Sr.)
10-9, Hillary Parsons (Douglas Freeman, Sr.)

Girl’s Shot
Put
36-1, Kristen Greene
(Thomas Dale, So.)
34-11, Sachet Wormley (Midlothian, Sr.)
32-9, Jasmine Van Story (Matoaca, Sr.)

Girl’s
Triple Jump
38-8, Jasia Richardson (J.R. Tucker, Jr.)
37-1, Ashley
Orr (Deep Run, Sr.)
36-7, Briana Hudson (Deep Run, Jr.)

Girl’s 4 x 800 M Relay
9:30.72, Midlothian
9:45.02, Maggie Walker     
9:51.08,
Douglas Freeman     

Girl’s 55 M
Hurdles
8.79, Erica Caldwell (Manchester, So.)
8.79, Regina Davis
(Lee-Davis, Sr.)
8.94, Cecily Young (Armstrong, Sr.)

Girl’s 55 M
Dash
7.27, Dionna Daniels
(Clover Hill, So.)
7.33, Shae Wilbon (Colonial Heights, Sr.)
7.38, Desiree Russell (Manchester, So.)

Girl’s 4 x 200 M
Relay
1:46.06, Manchester
1:47.08, Deep Run
1:49.40, Maggie Walker

Girl’s 1600 M Run
5:02.70, Kathleen Lautzenheiser (Midlothian, So.)
5:12.76, Barbara Strehler (Trinity, Jr.)
5:14.51, Amy Witt (Midlothian, So.)

Girl’s 500 M Run
1:17.46, Kacen
Delphin (Manchester, Sr.)
1:19.65, Paige Johnston (Midlothian,
Jr.)
1:21.71, Megan Sinclair (Colonial Heights, Jr.)

Girl’s 1000 M
Run
3:00.27, Paige Johnston (Midlothian, Jr.)
3:04.51, Sammy Dow
(Midlothian, Sr.)
3:05.24, Casey Fowler (Douglas Freeman, Sr.)

Girl’s 300 M Dash
41.54, Jayvonne Bowman (Deep
Run)
41.54, Shae Wilbon (Colonial Heights, Sr.)
41.81, Cecily Young (Armstrong,
Sr.)

Girl’s 3200 M Run
11:00.86, Kathleen Lautzenheiser
(Midlothian, So.)
11:07.50, Leia Lautzenheiser (Midlothian, So.)
11:17.77, Barbara Strehler (Trinity, Jr.)

Girl’s 4 x 400 M
Relay
4:06.38, Manchester      
4:10.03,
Colonial Heights
4:11.07, Midlothian

* Maggie Walker coach Jim Holdren compiles these
rankings. For adjustments, email him at jimholdren@aol.com.

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Performance: Registerd 18 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocked shots to lead Meadowbrook over Thomas Dale 65-63.

Position: Center   Height: 6-4

On 15-1 record: We thought we were going to keep it going. We had to take that one. We’ll go far.”

Want to see Atlee?: “I saw them for a half against Highland Springs. They’re a pretty decent team but we’re a good team, too. Whenever we meet them it will be a good game.”

Best trait: “My rebounding and changing shots. Defense I would say.”

Invite three to dinner: “My mom [Dana] Andrews, my uncle Victor Andrews and Pop-Pop, rest in peace.”

On commitment to Radford: “They really focus on their post players. They have a good post coach. I spoke with her. It just felt like a family there, so I liked it when I visited.”

On offseason improvement: “I played with [Meadowbrook] coach [Mike] Knight during the offseason (AAU). He taught me some new moves. He taught me a lot. He got me in the weight room. It just worked out.”

Something most wouldn’t know: “I guess that I can sing. I don’t think people know that.” Middleton won first-place at a statewide talent show for Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA).

Funniest teammate: “Courtney [Coleman] and Crystal [Smith]. Crystal is always dancing and Courtney dances, too. Courtney makes jokes. It’s all of us together.

Describe one-two punch with Crystal Smith in one word: “Problems.”

– Stephen M. Lewis

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by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond

There is no better way to get your toughest week of the season started off than with a huge win over your rival.

Especially when it could be your coach’s last time on the sidelines for the contest.

Meadowbrook defeated L.C. Bird 66-62 Monday night in a matchup of teams less then four miles apart.

Monarchs coach John B. Gordon III is stepping down after the season after six years at the helm of Meadowbrook. He will be looking to become a principal somewhere in the Central Region.

“This one was for the coach,” Gordon said. “The rivalry continues. We have basically split our games over the past four years. We got a big game from Paul Finn down the stretch, he really helped us.”

Finn scored a team-high 17 points, grabbed a crucial rebound and hit two free throws to seal the victory with 5.3 seconds remaining.

The Monarchs (11-5), ranked seventh in the DigitalSports Top 10, ended the No. 4 Skyhawks’ nine-game winning streak. The next four days won’t get any easier for Meadowbrook as the team travels to No. 2 Petersburg on Tuesday and No. 5 Prince George on Friday.

“If we are serious about winning the district we have to win both,” Gordon, whose team is two games back of the Crimson Wave in the Central, said. “Petersburg is king of the hill right now but I want it back in my last season.”

Even an outsider with no knowledge of the Meadowbrook-L.C. Bird rivalry would have sensed the passion in the teams and fans Monday night.

With the score knotted at four in the first quarter Rico Ferguson (game-high 21 points) helped L.C. Bird grab a 12-8 lead by scoring eight straight. Finn responded with his own 7-0 run that was followed by Meadowbrook’s Andrew Simmons scoring eight in a row.

That gave the Monarchs a 23-14 advantage early in the second quarter and the lead was extended to 12 by the half behind guard Ahmad Bizzell‘s seven second period points.

Meadowbrook’s full-court pressure also had a hand in helping them control the first half.

“Most of the time when you press you are trying to get turnovers,” Gordon said. “We try to make teams take quick shots. We play accelerated basketball.”

In the third quarter, L.C. Bird (14-3) cut the lead to four then Meadowbrook got it back to 12 but by the end of the period the Skyhawks had chopped it down to only five.

A 12-6 streak over the first seven minutes of the final quarter put the Monarchs comfortably ahead by nine with a minute remaining.

That is when things got interesting and maybe a little complicated to follow.

After a Ferguson free throw the Skyhawks put on their own full-court pressure and Everette Jasper (13 points) stole the inbounds and scored a layup while being fouled with 51.7 seconds left.

He converted the free throw and again the L.C. Bird pressure forced a Meadowbrook turnover under their own basket. That led to a Kendrick McClary (10 points) layup and suddenly the lead was only three.

The Monarchs finally got the ball in cleanly and the Skyhawks were forced to foul Bizzell. He hit both of his free throws but Ferguson came right back down the floor, was fouled and hit both of his foul shots with 36.5 on the clock.

Another L.C. Bird foul led to another Meadowbrook charity-stripe trip but this time only one shot was converted and the lead was four. Travis Keels was able to cut the lead to two with a layup and then L.C. Bird fouled Bizzell with 7.9 left.

This is where Finn’s heroics came into play. Bizzell missed both free throws but Finn crashed the boards and grabbed the rebound. He was fouled and hit both free throws to ice the game.

“Last year I had two free throws and I missed them and we lost by two,” Finn said. “So this year I was saying, ‘don’t be the goat, be the hero.’ “

L.C. Bird coach Chuck Tester was proud of his team’s effort but would have preferred the win.

“We did a good job of coming back but we waited too long to do it,” Tester said.

Quinton Doggett had 14 points, Bizzell finished with 11 and Simmons had 10 for Meadowbrook.

L.C. Bird          14 10 20 18 – 62
Meadowbrook 19 17 13 17 – 66
L.C. Bird (14-3): Ferguson 21, Woodley 0, Harris 0, Martin 6, Palimore 4, Jasper 13, McClary 8, Keels 10. Totals: 23 16-21 62.
Meadowbrook (11-5): Doggett 14, Martin 0, Aiken 3, Bizzell 11, Brewer 7, Williams 2, Finn 17, Simmons 10, Jackson-Davis 2. Totals: 21 18-26 66. 3-point goals: Finn, Simmons.

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by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond

Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde.

When she’s not playing basketball, Ruthanne Doherty is soft-spoken, shy and nice. Basically just a cool, laid-back person.

When L.C. Bird’s star is on the hardwood, it’s a whole different story. Monday night’s bedtime story was read by Doherty, as she put Meadowbrook to sleep in a 64-51 victory, the Monarchs’ first loss of the season.

Doherty snatched 23 rebounds – a career high – and scored 19 points to lead the No. 4 Skyhawks over the No. 2 Monarchs, as ranked in the DigitalSports Top 10.

“I don’t know how many points she had,” Bird coach Chevette Waller said. “But I think she did a pretty good job on the boards. The big thing is she came up with 23 rebounds. I don’t know how she got open that often.”

One explanation is effort. One is ridiculous athleticism. One is heart.

Put the trio together and you have the 5-10 Doherty more than holding her own in the paint versus Medadowbrook’s 6-4 Deja Middleton, who also had a stellar night with 16 points and 17 rebounds.

“I wasn’t scared,” Doherty said. “I just played my hardest. I played like I was her size. Height doesn’t mean everything, but you have to have the heart.”

Doherty and her teammates did in the first half, especially fellow team leaders Bianca Vaughan and Barbara Sitton.

Sitton sliced Meadowbrook’s lane with a Magic Johnson fake and a nifty layup for a 7-2 lead early. Then Doherty hit Vaughan who hit a 3-pointer from the corner, her first of four bonus shots on her way to 17 points.

“She hasn’t shot the ball like that all season,” said Meadowbrook coach Mike Knight of Vaughan, his AAU player.

It gave Bird a 15-9 lead going into the second quarter that quickly ballooned to 15 points on Doherty’s fifth field goal of the second quarter. Bird went into the break ahead 36-22 as Meadowbrook was stunned.

“Basically I told the girls that this is a stress-free game,” Waller said. “We really didn’t have anything to lose.”

Meadowbrook didn’t either, except for their unblemished mark.

The Monarchs came out the second half like they wanted to keep it that way, going on a 12-0 run to cut the deficit to 39-34 with 4:26 left in the third quarter.

Meadowbrook PG Crystal Smith (18 points, six assists) had five points and an assist in the run.

“I think Crystal Smith,” Waller said, “hands down, is a very talented young lady.”

Bird (12-4) found their scoring touch once again after a Waller timeout, but the Monarchs (14-1) were still within seven heading into the final period.

Doherty started that stanza with an old-fashioned three-point play, giving Bird a 52-42 lead.

Meadowbrook would decrease the lead to seven numerous times, but couldn’t get any closer as missed free throws (8 for 21), layups and turnovers plagued Knight’s ladies.

“Just one of those games,” Knight quipped. “Monday’s are our worst days of practice and I knew one of these Monday games would catch up to us. I want to credit L.C. Bird tonight, they came to play.

“All I can say is we played bad, and we picked the wrong game to play bad.”

Meadowbrook  9 13 20   9 – 51
L.C. Bird         15 21 13 15 – 64
Meadowbrook (14-1): Smith 18, Arnold 2, Forrest 0, Cunningham 3, Kat. Marks 4, Coleman 6, Middleton 16, Holmes 2. Totals: 20 8-21 51. 3-point goals: Smith, Cunningham, Coleman.
L.C. Bird (12-4): Vaughan 17, Robinson 2, Reynolds 8, Doherty 19, Sitton 12, Smith 6, Coles 0, Harris 0. Totals: 21 17-26 64. 3-point goals: Vaughan 4, Reynolds.

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Records as of Sunday, Jan. 27
Previous ranking in parenthesis
 
1. Atlee 13-2    (1)

2. Meadowbrook 14-0   (2)

3. Cosby 12-4   (5)

4. L.C. Bird 11-4   (4)

5. Monacan 13-5  (3)

6. Thomas Dale 11-3   (7)

7. Mills Godwin 14-3   (6)

8. Midlothian 10-6   (10)

9. Deep Run 12-3   (8)

10. Highland Springs 10-3   (9)

Others receiving votes:

Manchester (7-8)

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Records as of Sunday, Jan. 27
Previous
ranking in parenthesis

1.
Highland Springs, 15-1   (1)

2.
Petersburg, 14-2   (2)

3.
John Marshall, 11-2   (3)

4.
L.C. Bird, 14-2   (4)

5.
Prince George, 13-3   (5)

6.
Huguenot, 10-6   (7)

7.
Meadowbrook, 10-5   (8)

8.
Cosby, 13-3   (9)

9. Henrico,
11-5   (NR)

10. Douglas Freeman, 11-5   (NR)

Others receiving votes:

Deep Run, 12-3 (6)

Mills Godwin, 11-6

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by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond

Before Thursday night, no one on Meadowbrook’s docket had come within double digits, other than Central District foe Thomas Dale.

The Knights did it again, putting up another excellent fight before the Monarchs walked away with a 65-63 decision to put themselves in great position to take the district’s regular-season crown.

Meadowbrook point guard Crystal Smith nailed four clutch free throws late to keep it a two possession contest. She finished with 15 points and four assists.

So what was going through her mind at the charity stripe?

“Take my time and we’ll be No. 1 in the district.”

The Monarchs are, sitting at 8-0 in the Central, 14-0 overall. Dale dropped to 6-2, 11-3.

“They just give us a good game,” Meadowbrook coach Mike Knight said of the Knights. “Whenever we play against a good team we have to keep executing.”

Both offenses looked good early until Dale point guard Kalia Johnson picked up her second foul with 3:38 left in the first quarter.

With the freshman phenom missing, the Knights’ offense struggled to get going as Jessica Arnold (12 points) handcuffed Dale ballhandlers, helping to force six TD turnovers the rest of the quarter.

It helped Meadowbrook to a 19-10 lead as Smith got loose for seven of her 15 points. When she wasn’t scoring she was finding Deja Middleton for two of her team-high 18 points.

Dale rallied in the second quarter behind Johnson and Alyssa Frye. Johnson (nine rebounds, three assists) put in 10 of her 18 points in the quarter, while Frye hit seven of her game-high 25 points.

Meadowbrook’s lead shrunk to two, 33-31, at halftime.

“She was hard-nosed today,” Dale coach Kevin Coffey said of Frye. “She ran herself ragged today. She was trying to do it all.”

The lead played hot potato in the third quarter, changing hands 12 times before Meadowbrook claimed it for good on Courtney Coleman‘s score from a Smith assist for a 47-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Meadowbrook maintained the advantaged though Dale stayed on its bumper, until the Monarchs put up a 6-0 run, four coming from Middleton (15 rebounds, eight blocks). But a minute after Middleton fouled out.

Dale took advantage scoring five points in one possession to slice Meadowbrook’s lead to 59-57 with 1:40 left in the contest.

With the Monarchs’ main scorer on the bench, Smith took control running Knight’s set to a tee, finding Melissa Holmes with a nifty feed for a 61-57 advantage.

“We started going one-on-one,” Knight said of Meadowbrook’s offense. “Those last four minutes we executed our offense. Even with Deja on the bench, we were able to get good shots.”

Frye raced the ball back up and scored off the glass, cutting the lead two two. Dale fouled and put Coleman on the line.

She missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Holmes grabbed the rebound to set the table for Smith.

“We know we’re in contention,” Coffey said. “Our Achilles heel was rebounding. We just didn’t box out.”

Dale can’t do anything about the district crown now, as Meadowbrook has it all but locked up.

“Last year we tied with Prince George,” Knight said. “We ended up losing the No. 1 seed on a halfcourt shot. We didn’t want that to happen this time.”

Meadowbrook 19 14 14 18 – 65
Thomas Dale    10 21 15 17 – 63
Meadowbrook (8-0 Central, 14-0): Smith 15, Arnold 12, Forrest 2, Cunningham 2, Marks 4, Middleton 18, Holmes 6, Coleman 6. Totals: 26 12-16 65. 3-point goal: Smith.
Thomas Dale (6-2, 11-3): Frye 25, Johnson 18, Bradley 4, Key 0, An. Hobbs 10, Scott 4, Al. Hobbs 0, Jones 2. Totals: 25 11-19 63. 3-point goals: Frye 2.

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by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond

Girls basketball is the sport where freshmen seem to make an impact on the varsity level more than any other high-school sport.

It is no different in the Central Region this year as several ninth graders are more than holding their own against females three or four years older.

It all starts in Chester with Thomas Dale’s Kalia Johnson.

“Her brother Jay played on the team about two years,” Johnson said. “Word going around was that there was going to be a freshman coming that was going to be pretty good.”

Word was right. At 5-9, Johnson is a Magic Johnson-type of player on this circuit.

She leads the Knights (5-1 Central, 10-2), ranked seventh in the DigitalSports Top 10, in rebounds and frequently pushes the caroms up, starting fastbreaks and registering assists with talented runners like Alyssa Frye, Taylor Bradley, sisters Andrea and Alexis Hobbs and Monique Key.

Run too deep into the paint in transition and any of the aforementioned Knights can nail 3-pointers, including Johnson (14.4 points per game).

She’s a rare breed already being watched by major college universities – heavily.

“It’s actually fun,” Johnson said of playing against older players. “They think, ‘Oh, she’s a freshman. She’s all talk.’ Then when we get out there and play, it’s not about the grade level.”

Johnson holds the ability to be a top-flight scorer, but her vision and Thomas Dale coach Kevin Coffey‘s desire to have Johnson fully develop her game has her at the point guard position and doing well.

“When I first got here this program wasn’t that strong,” said Coffey, a former University of Virginia wide receiver (1996-00) who played with former Henrico star Billy McMullen. He’s in his second season as the varsity head coach after five on the freshman and JV level. “Now we’ve gone through that valley. It’s been a world of difference.”

Kiera Gaines, Lee-Davis

As terrific as Johnson is, Gaines may be the northside version at Lee-Davis. At 5-8, she’s one of the team’s tallest players, athletic, a point guard and able to score.

Gaines has stepped right in and helped the Confederates (0-5, 4-8) turn from a perennial doormat to tough out along with senior Kierra Gardner.

L-D has only four wins, but lost by two points to Patrick Henry and James River, by four to Varina and eight to Henrico. In seasons past those games would have gone into the loss column by big double digits.

“I pretty much knew from day one that she would be on varsity and our starting point guard,” first-year coach Russell Williams said. “I think she’s going to be one heck of a basketball player. Definitely a Division-I talent.”

Gaines scores 14.4 points, the same as Johnson, grabs six rebounds, dishes three assists, blocks two shots and grabs four steals per game. She shoots over 50 percent from the field and is working on raising her 25 percent 3-point shot and her free-throw shooting.

“My confidence goes down,” Gaines said. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it or miss it.”

That block isn’t anywhere else on the floor and Gaines hopes to keep it that way.

“I’m not intimidated by anybody,” Gaines said. “I just play.”

Emma Newins, Deep Run

Sharpshooter. In two games DigitalSports has covered, Newins hasn’t missed a 3-point shot (5 of 5) or a free throw. Deep Run coach Shawna Duda calls Newins one of the smartest people in the school.

“I didn’t think so,” said the soft-spoken Newins when asked if she thought she would play varsity. She switches between the sixth-man role and starter. “But it’s exciting, I guess.”

She’s a big key to eighth-ranked Deep Run’s success.

Henrico Trio

Remember Henrico’s 1996 freshman class led by Natasha Starkes and Michelle Atkins? Well, Bria Harris, Ashle’ Freeman and Chelsea Tyler have a long way to go to match them, but they are on their way.

A great shooter from outside and a nice slasher, Freeman leads Henrico in scoring with 14 a game. She’ll nab about three steals for coach Jean Adkins‘ squad as well.

Harris is putting in nine points a game and dominating the boards for Henrico. She’ll be even better once Elaine Derricott returns. Tyler is a bonus. She’s been playing very well of late, according to Adkins.

Raneka Dunaway, Varina & Meadowbrook Twins

Dunaway is a key guard for the 6-9 Blue Devils. She throws in eight points per game on a veteran squad.

Meadowbrook’s unbeaten. A lot of credit needs to go to PG Crystal Smith, center Deja Middleton and guard Jessica Arnold.

Doing a lot of the dirty work are forwards Katrina and Kiara Marks. They put in eight points combined. Look for that total to double if not triple next season with improvement and more playing time once Middleton graduates.

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Defensive – Saturday, February 2: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at U-Turn Sports Performance Academy, 2013 Maywill Street, Richmond, VA 23230 (the old Circuit City building off of Staples Mill Road)

Offensive – Saturday, February 9: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at U-Turn Sports Performance Academy, 2013
Maywill Street, Richmond, VA 23230 (the old Circuit City building off
of Staples Mill Road)

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