Gametime Henrico: Feb. 6-12, 2023

The Wildcats had an impressive showing at the Region 5C wrestling championships this past weekend. Despite some unfortunate injuries, they still managed to take home third place in the team standings. Brothers Jerry Simon (126 pounds) and David Simon (132) both took home the regional title in their respective weight classes, and Cameron McKay won the regional title in the 150-pound weight class. Dylan Liberczuk finished as the regional runner-up in the 113-pound weight class. Ajay Pai (106) and Michael Guidice (144) finished third, Nicholas Gagliardi (HWT) finished fifth, while Drayton Moore (120), Mustafa Safi (138), and Asadbek Komiljonov (175) each finished sixth overall.

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The Wildcats’ girls basketball squad has been making a statement as of late. Last week, the Cats defeated Tucker 67-36, Varina 53-42 and Freeman 36-25 to improve to 13-8 on the season and extend their winning streak to four games. They will have the opportunity to secure the fourth seed in the playoffs with a road victory over Atlee and if Hermitage loses one of its last two games. This is the same team that started off the season 5-6, but it has managed to pull things back together, winning nine of its last eleven games. Deep Run could be a scary team to play in the postseason.

Freeman High School

The Mavericks’ wrestling squad had a strong performance at the Region 5C championships this past weekend, led by Luke Liberatore, who earned a first-place finish to become regional champion. Reid Garnett and Brey Loving finished as regional runners-up in their weight classes. Darian Llorens and Jackson Rogish took home the bronze medal, while Ben Fendley, Butter Stephenson, and Braden Sweeney finished in fourth place to help the Mavs finish fourth place in the team standings.

Glen Allen High School

The Glen Allen basketball programs both are entering the postseason on positive notes. The boys’ program was dealt a shocking loss to Thomas Jefferson (10-12) last Tuesday by a score of 61-57 but handled that adversity well as they improved to 16-5 on the season with a 62-52 victory over a strong Godwin Eagles team. Kris Tiller led his squad in scoring yet again with an impressive 23 points on the night. Faron Friend and Jordan Brown each put together 13 points, while Kam Tiller scored seven points to help Glen Allen clinch the No. 1 seed in Region 5C. The Jaguars’ final game of the regular season will be against Tucker (0-21) on Tuesday.

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Speaking of No. 1 seeds, the girls’ program finds itself in the exact same position, except there is more on the line heading into its final two games of the year. The Jags are 19-0 and are currently ranked as the fifth-best basketball program in all of Virginia after their 77-8 victory against Thomas Jefferson and their 47-28 victory over Godwin. The stage is set Tuesday for a huge showdown versus Thomas Dale (19-1), which is currently on a 12-game winning streak and is ranked 12th among all girls’ basketball programs in Virginia. With a victory over the Knights, a perfect season will be well within their reach.

Godwin High School

The Eagles’ baseball program had itself a big day recently, with five different players signing their national letters of intent to take their games to the next level. Connor Smith signed to Richard Bland College of William and Mary, Jake Harris signed to Bridgewater College, Juice Tobin signed to Longwood University, Cole Powers signed to the University of Mary Washington, and Garret Mason will take his talents to the ACC with his commitment to Virginia Tech.

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The basketball programs at Godwin both have finished their regular season games and are currently sitting within the top five of Region 5C. The boys finished with a record of 16-6. Last week, they defeated Deep Run 51-29 and Maggie Walker 54-28 but missed out on the opportunity for the No. 1 seed with a 62-52 loss to Glen Allen. Now, the Eagles sit at No. 3 in the region and will have to wait for the result of the Highland Springs-Hopewell game to know what their final playoff positioning is. Regardless, they will be a tough team to play come playoff time.

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The girls’ team finished the regular season with a 14-8 record after a 56-39 loss to Deep Run, a 49-18 victory over Maggie Walker, and a 47-28 loss to the undefeated Glen Allen Jaguars. The girls squad find themselves in a similar situation regarding playoff positioning. Currently, they sit fifth in the region, but with a Deep Run victory over Atlee in their season finale, the Eagles could drop to the sixth seed.

Henrico High School

Last Tuesday, the Warriors’ girls basketball program defeated Atlee 66-32. They were led by four-year starter Alicia Powers, who put up 21 points on the Raiders on senior night. Later in the week, the Warriors fell 66-32 to a strong Highland Springs team. The girls’ squad finishes the regular season with a 14-8 record and will advance to the postseason. On the boys side, the Warriors finished the season 11-11 after defeating Atlee 63-54 and falling to Highland Springs 82-62.

Hermitage High School

The Panthers’ wrestling squad finished eighth in the Region 5C Championships this past weekend, thanks to several athletes placing within the top four. They were led by Tristan Tinsley, who took home the Regional crown in the 144-pound class. John Lipscomb and Davion Clarke each took home the silver medal in their respective weight classes, and Branden Battle finished fourth overall in the 150-pound weight class.

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The Panthers’ basketball programs are both currently sitting within the top five of the Region 5C playoff picture and will have the opportunity to improve their seed as the end of the regular season approaches. The boys lost their third straight game, 87-36 to an undefeated, nationally ranked John Marshall program last week. But they will have the opportunity to clinch the region's No. 4 seed with the right scenario. They will face Mechanicsville (1-20) and Thomas Jefferson (10-12) on the road on back-to-back days. With two wins for Hermitage, and an L.C Bird loss to Wythe, the Panthers could rise in the Region 5C standings.

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The girls currently sit at fourth in the Region 5C standings after a 56-43 loss to John Marshall and a 65-50 loss to Highland Springs last week. In a playoff picture that is very tight at this point in the season, the Panthers will decide their own fate. They will face Mechanicsville (16-6) on the road, then travel to Thomas Jefferson (0-17) the very next day. With a win over one of their two remaining opponents, they will clinch the region’s fourth seed. But with two losses and a Deep Run win over Atlee, they will find themselves sitting at the fifth seed heading into the postseason.

Highland Springs High School

The Highland Springs basketball programs find themselves in a very strong position as they prepare to finish up regular season play. The boys currently sit at second in the Region 5C standings after their 81-40 win over Prince George (3-19) and their 82-62 victory over Henrico (11-11) to improve to 15-6. This week, the Springers’ regular season finale will decide their playoff positioning, due to Godwin sitting right behind them with a record of 16-6. The defending state champions will be tested though, as they will go on the road to face the Hopewell Blue Devils (19-2).

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The girls clinched the No. 3 seed in Region 5C after defeating Prince George 89-27, Hermitage 65-50 and Henrico 66-32 last week. They have now won five straight games and will also prepare for a Hopewell team with just two losses in their final game of the regular season this week.

Varina High School

Five members of the Blue Devils’ wrestling squad qualified for the state championship meet after a strong showing at the Region 5C Championships this past weekend. Leading the way was junior Curtis Johnson, who finished second overall in the 120-pound weight class. Jayon Moore finished second in the 106-pound weight class, while Jeremiah Adkins (132) and Adams Turpin (285) finished third overall, and Deshaun Clarke (175) finished in fourth place.

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The Blue Devils’ basketball programs are all set for their postseason runs after finishing up the regular season on a strong note. On the boys’ side, the defending state champions finished the season with a record of 17-4 with a 103-50 win over Mechanicsville (1-20) and a 75-44 win over Armstrong (2-19). Their victory over Armstrong was their ninth straight win in a row, which clinched the No. 2 seed in Region 4B. The girls’ squad finished the regular season with an 11-11 record, winning two of their three games played this past week. Their record was enough to clinch the eighth seed in the Region 4B playoffs.