The Massaponax High School boys basketball team seems to be hitting on all cylinders right now, and it produced a history-making moment Tuesday night.
Collin Bowles led four players in double-figure scoring with 17 points, and the host Panthers overwhelmed visiting James River-Midlothian from the start in a 68-38 Virginia High School League Class 5 state quarterfinal victory.
The win sends Massaponax to the state semifinals for the first time in program history. The Panthers (22-6) will travel to Norfolk State University to play Norview (23-2) on Friday at 8 p.m. The Pilots overwhelmed Kempsville 83-51 in their quarterfinal matchup Tuesday night.
“It’s nice to be able to reap the rewards of playing so well during the regular season and into the regionals,” Massaponax head coach Aaron McFarland said. “It was big to start the state tournament at home, and our guys were locked into the scouting report right from the start.”
Part of that scouting report was outside shooting. The Panthers sank five of their nine 3-pointers on the night in the first quarter, racing to a 22-4 lead. Tre’ Bowler connected on a pair of those on his way to 11 points in the contest.
Bowles, the program’s all-time leading scorer, was steady. He scored five points in each of the first three periods, with a trey in each of them as well.
Jaydon Brock and Lamont Blagmon tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively, through three quarters as Massaponax extended its advantage to 58-32.
McFarland praised the play of Bowles, Bowler, Brock and Blagmon, who are the only four seniors on Massaponax’s roster.
“This group of guys is just outstanding,” he said. “They’ve bought into what we’re doing from the start, and they’re just as dedicated as our coaching staff is.”
Bodi Corley was a lone bright spot for the Rapids (19-4), scoring 14 points.
McFarland, a Massaponax alum who played at Christopher Newport University, talked about how the Panthers’ difficult nondistrict schedule prepared them for this state tourney run. That schedule included games with Richmond-area powers Varina and Highland Springs and Tidewater-region stalwarts Woodside and Hampton.
“Playing those teams did two things for us,” he said. “First, it showed our guys that they can play in those types of games with electric environments. Second, it helped us get calloused in terms of the toughness we needed to develop in order to win those games.”
Massaponax’s toughness will be put to the test against Norview. The Pilots dropped an 89-84 decision to Class 6 power Patriot in their second contest of the season and have lost just once since then: a 76-74 setback to Denbigh on Jan. 19.
Cousins Keon and Zymareon Mitchell lead the way for Norview. Both were first-team all-Eastern District selections, with Keon being named player of the year.
“We played them in fall league, and Keon Mitchell is one of the best guards in the state, no ifs ands or buts about it,” McFarland said. “Zymareon is also a hell of a player.
“As coaches and players, you just want the opportunity to pay in these games,” he continued. “It’s what you live for. So we’re going to go down there, have fun and compete.”
In other state quarterfinal action involving local teams Tuesday, the James Monroe girls were unable to repeat its performance of a year ago when it advanced to the Class 3 state championship game before falling to Lord Botetourt. Hopewell defeated the Yellow Jackets 56-49 in a hard-fought quarterfinal Tuesday night. Hopewell will face Abingdon in the semifinals on Friday.
The Massaponax girls saw their season come to an end with a 54-30 loss to William Fleming on the road in the Class 5 quarterfinals. The Colonels move on to the semifinals where they will face powerhouse Princess Anne, winners of 11 of the past 12 state championships.
Courtland’s boys fell to Hampton 68-46 in the Class 4 quarterfinals at Heritage High School in Newport News. Hampton will take on Heritage-Lynchburg in the state semifinals on Friday.
