Gametime Henrico: Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2023

The Wildcats’ girls’ basketball squad improved to 10-8 and now has won six of its last eight games after defeating Godwin (13-7) 56-39 in convincing fashion. With this win, the Wildcats have now surpassed their 9-11 record from last season and have earned their first 10-win season since 2019. Their last games of the regular season will be against Tucker (2-18) and Varina (9-11) this week.

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The Wildcats’ track and field program saw many personal best performances at the East Coast invitational in Virginia Beach. Leading the way was junior thrower Jahleel Miller, who broke the 50-foot barrier in the shot put with a distance of 51 feet, 10 inches, good enough for second overall. Miller’s throw was the top mark in Region 5C, the second best mark in Class 5, and the eighth best mark in Virginia this winter. Senior sprinter Tyler Messinger set a lifetime best in the 200-meter dash and placed seventh overall in the meet with a time of 23.20, which now leads all of Region 5C. Junior Helen Hahn also set a new personal best in the 200-meter dash, running a time of 26.51 to finish fourth overall and improve to second in Region 5C.

Freeman High School

The Freeman basketball programs showed significant improvement this week, including some upsets and solid performances for both the boys and girls. On the girls’ side, the Mavericks improved to 9-11 with a 46-20 victory over Tucker last Friday, their third win in their last five games. With this momentum, the Mavs will have the chance to finish the regular season over .500 but will be challenged by their last two opponents (10-8 Deep Run on Friday and 14-6 John Marshall next Tuesday).

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The boys’ team finds itself at 8-13 on the year. After a four-game losing streak that lasted throughout the second half of January, the Mavericks have won two games in a row with a 50-48 victory over a 12-7 Hermitage team and a 68-56 victory over Tucker. Their last game of the season will be against Deep Run (4-15), a team that the Mavs have defeated twice this season in two close contests.

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The Mavericks’ wrestling squad had a tremendous showing at the Colonial District Championships this past weekend. Overall, the team finished as runners-up with 13 athletes finishing within the top five in the individual rankings. Seniors Luke Liberatore and Brey Loving each took home the district title for their respective weight classes. Bridger Giddings, Warrick Stephenson and Braden Sweeney each finished in second place. Darian Llorens, Jackson Rogish and Carter Gerczak finished in third place, while Will Fendley, Ethan Tlusty, Colton Jacoby, Trey Richardson, and Edward Cruz all finished fourth in the individual rankings. Perhaps even more impressive for the Mavericks is the fact that eight of the 13 wrestlers will return next season, giving the team multiple chances throughout the next three seasons to contend for district, regional, and even state championships. But first, this year’s squad will continue its season with the regional championship meet next week.

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The Mavericks’ gymnastics squad finished as the regional runners-up at the Region 5C championships this past weekend. The Mavs were led by Emma Crone, who will move on to compete at the state championship next week.

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The Freeman track and field squad recorded multiple top performances at the STC Meet No. 6 last week. Sophomore Aidan Cassidy set a new personal best time of 4:30.15 in the one-mile run to place fifth overall, which now puts him at No. 3 in Region 5C. Sydney Miller had a lifetime best of 10 feet in the pole vault to win the meet. Miller’s jump is the fourth-best performance in the region this winter. Junior standout Elizabeth Robinson won the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:17.68, which is currently the second best time in Region 5C. Junior Merrill Mock finished seventh in the 1000-meter run, with a time of 3:03.95.

Glen Allen High School

The Jaguars’ basketball programs have been on fire this season, both improving upon their records from last week and making statements about seriously they should be taken in the postseason. The girls remain undefeated, as they defeated Henrico 63-53 and Hermitage 64-48. In their most recent victory over the Panthers, Cierra McGinlay put on a show, finishing with 26 points on the night with a perfect performance from behind the three-point line. With four games remaining in the regular season, the 17-0 Jags are on the hunt for a perfect season. They will host Thomas Jefferson (0-16) in their next game this Tuesday and will face Godwin (13-7) on the road this Friday.

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The boys’ squad improved to 15-4 this week after defeating Clover Hill 66-48 and Hermitage 51-46. Against Clover Hill, Kris Tiller and Faron Friend led the team in scoring with 13 points apiece. Chris Dopp had 10 points on the night and an impressive total of eight blocks, while Tyson Granderson managed to put up nine points. Glen Allen will face Thomas Jefferson (8-11) and Godwin (15-5) this week.

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The Jaguars’ gymnastics squad had a solid performance overall at the Region 5C championships, finishing third as a team. The Jags were led by Morgan Pietruszkiewicz, Maddie Walsh, and Laina Hawthorne. Pietruszkiewicz and Walsh qualified for the state championships in the vault, while Hawthorne qualified for the state championships for the floor.

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Glen Allen’s track and field program produced some solid results at the East Coast Invitational in Virginia Beach. Senior sprinter Xavier Moss set a new personal best and Region 5C lead in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.08 to place fifth overall. Marquise Belle, the Region 5C leader in the 300-meter dash, posted a time of 35.11, good enough for third place. In the 3200-meter run, Carson Rackley set a new personal best time of 9:19.15 to place second overall, and Eric Fagan set a season's best time of 9:42.78 to finish fifth overall. Rackley and Fagan are both now ranked second and third in the 3200-meter Region 5C standings, respectively. On the girls side, Elly Velasquez set a new Region 5C lead in the 3200-meter run with a personal best time of 11:17.66, while her teammate Avery Beike produced a lifetime best of 11:39.05, which is good enough for the fourth best time in the region this winter. Velasquez’s time is also the top result in Class 5, and Beike currently sits at fifth in the event.

Godwin High School

The Eagles’ boys’ basketball squad has had a strong five-game stretch and clearly made some adjustments after their 93-61 loss to the nation’s second best squad in John Marshall (20-0), bouncing back to defeat Louisa County and Tucker in dominant fashion before squeaking out a victory over an improving Freeman squad. The Eagles followed that up with a 68-55 win over Thomas Jefferson and a dominant 51-39 victory over Deep Run. The Eagles appear to be a classic example of a team bringing it all together at the right time, and they take their momentum on the road Tuesday to face an 8-11 Maggie Walker squad before their season finale against 15-4 Godwin Friday night. In that game, the team will look to avenge a heartbreaking 54-53 loss three weeks ago.

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The girls’ program has faced some adversity after starting the season 11-3. Since then, the ladies have faced some of the strongest programs in Class 5 and have multiple close losses. After winning three straight games over Tucker, Freeman and Thomas Jefferson, the Eagles suffered a 56-39 loss to Deep Run. With a little fortune, the team could be 18-2 but despite the close losses, it’s still 13-7 and has the potential to make a solid playoff run. It will conclude the regular season with games against Maggie Walker (10-8) and Glen Allen (17-0).

Henrico High School

The Warriors’ girls’ basketball team improved to 13-7 after their 58-46 win over Mechanicsville (15-4) and a dominant 66-31 win over Varina (9-11) last week. The team has shown promise for a solid playoff run and an even more promising future. Sophomore guard Sanaa Moore and sophomore center Shayla Wyatt arguably have become the most impressive young duo in the the region, both demonstrating chemistry that typically would be found in senior players. Whether it’s this year, or two years from now, the Henrico girls’ program appears to be heading in the right direction, with the tools necessary to contend for regional and state titles in the near future. Henrico faces the Atlee Raiders (6-13) and the Highland Springs Springers (14-4) in its final games of the regular season this week.

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Three members of the Warriors’ football team recently signed their national letters of intent to compete at the next level. All-metro and all-region selections Adrian Mosley and William Noel will continue to be teammates at West Virginia State University, while the all-metro defensive line selection Josh Gooding will continue his career at Emory & Henry College. Their teammate Darren Williams, who was selected as a NXGN All-American last year at linebacker, received his fifth college offer from the University of Mississippi, an SEC program.

Hermitage High School

With the regular season coming to an end, the Panthers’ basketball programs both sit at 12 wins with just four games remaining. The boys’ squad has won five of its past eight games, but will face its toughest challenge of the season in its next game against the top program in Virginia, John Marshall (20-0). The girls have won five of their last seven games and will face Meadowbrook (2-15), John Marshall (14-6) and Highland Springs (14-4) this week.

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Standout wrestler Davion Clarke has been consistently competing at a high level all season, placing second yet again in a close call championship final this past weekend at districts. Clarke has finished second in his last three competitions in the 215-pound class. Will the junior take home gold at the regional championships? We will find out this weekend.

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The Panthers’ track and field team had two athletes post some incredible times last week. Senior Quinn Green won the 1000-meter run at the East Coast Invitational in Virginia Beach with a new personal best time of 2:32.85. Green's time is currently second in Region 5C, third in Class 5, and tenth in all of Virginia. Eden Ramirez showcased her talents at the Hanover Polar Bear meet, showing great versatility as she has done all winter long. Ramirez finished first in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.74, second in the 300-meter dash with a time of 45.84, and second in the shot put with a mark of 30 feet, 8 inches. The senior is all over the Region 5C rankings, currently third in the shot put, 200-meter dash, and the 55-meter dash. She is also in the top 10 in each of those events in Class 5 this winter.

Highland Springs High School

The defending Class 5 state boys’ basketball champions have been on a roll lately, having won three straight games and 11 of their past 13 to improve to 13-6 on the season. Their most recent victory was this last Friday, when they defeated Armstrong 77-53 on senior night. In that game Armstrong, sophomore Danzelle Bullock-Coles put on a show, scoring an impressive 38 points. Coles has been playing lights-out all winter, averaging 26.2 points per game through 19 games. The Springers will face Prince George (1-17) and Henrico (10-10) this week.

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The Springers’ track and field program had an outstanding showing at the East Coast Invitational this past weekend. Sophomore sensation Kendric Curry won the pole vault, tying his personal best height with a mark of 14 feet, 6 inches. Curry still leads Region 5C, Class 5, and is tied for fourth in Virginia for the event. Junior jumper Dewan Green snagged a victory in the high jump, finishing with a personal best of 6 feet to climb up to second in the regional standings. Freshman Jordan Franisco had a breakthrough day, jumping a massive personal best of 20 feet, 7.5 inches on the long jump to finish third overall. Desmond Smith also finished third place in the 60-meter hurdles, running a time of 8.26. Smith’s time is currently the top performance in the region this winter. Madison Greene placed fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 34 feet, 9 inches. Greene also finished seventh in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.99. Junior Brianna Ricketts set a new Region 5C lead in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.85 to finish sixth overall at the meet.

Varina High School

The Varina boys’ basketball squad improved to 15-4 after its 62-46 victory over the Atlee Raiders and a 74-62 victory over the Henrico Warriors. Against Atlee, Kennard Wyche Jr. led the way with 19 points. Multi-sport athlete Myles Derricott, who is a recent Virginia Union University commit at quarterback, was right behind Wyche with 17 points on the night. Fellow Varina football player and junior guard Malachi Cosby was third in scoring with 14 points. The Blue Devils now have won five straight games, with just two games remaining in the regular season, getting hot at the right time heading into the postseason. They will look to finish strong with their games against Mechanicsville (1-18) and Armstrong (2-17) this week.