10 Best: 3A Championship Game
In a “David vs. Goliath” kind of matchup, four time defending state champion Norcom of Portsmouth took on Northside of Roanoke who had lost in the state semifinals the past three seasons. Northside was riding a wave of momentum after upsetting John Marshall in the quarterfinals and Phoebus in the semifinals, a team that had beat Norcom just a week ago.
However, it was evident who was accustomed to being in that situation. Norcom came out with intensity, especially on the defensive end where they made it hard for Northside to find any kind of rhythm early. They held the Vikings to just 11 field goal attempts and forced six turnovers in the first half, and Northside sophomore Julien Wooden was held to just one field goal in seven minutes after picking up his third foul.
Northside didn’t go without a fight however. After star junior Nick Price converted a three-point play to go into halftime trailing 22-11, the Vikings scored the first five points of the half, making it a six point game all of a sudden. Behind the play of Wooden and Price, Northside fought back, but it simply wasn’t enough.
Powered by two division one players, a coach with seven state championships and the experience of a team who was made for this situations, Norcom continued to make plays on both sides of the ball to keep Northside at bay. The Vikings continually got the deficit to eight or 10 points, then the Greyhounds would answer to stop momentum. They ended up winning convincingly 51-41, etching their names in history as one of the top VHSL dynasties of all time. Here’s more from the game.
MVP | Travis Ingram | Norcom ’17
The Towson commit was the most consistent player offensively, and he also set the tone with tough on ball defense throughout the game. The athletic 6’3” combo guard was a mismatch problem for the smaller Northside team, and he took advantage throughout the game to score 19 points and grab 7 rebounds. He became the first player in Virginia history to win four state titles with the same team.
Play of the Game
They say that most comebacks happen in the third quarter, and Northside was banking on that as they had cut the lead from 11 to six with less than 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Norcom senior guard Quivon Crittendon had different plans however, and it was to gain momentum going into the fourth. With around 15 seconds left, Crittendon turned a broken play off a deflection into a contested finish at the basket with just under 10 seconds left. That put the Greyhounds up 8, and they were never truly threatened after that.
Best Offensive Performer | Travis Ingram | Norcom ’17
Ingram’s 19 points becomes even more impressive when you find out that ECU commit KJ Davis struggled with foul trouble and an off shooting night for much of the game. It’s also impressive to see how much Ingram has improved over the past three years as well. He worked well out of isolation situations, shot it well from all three levels and didn’t force the issue. He was efficient shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the line, and he made the right plays down the stretch to help his team hold on to the lead and win yet another ring.
Best Defensive Performer | Norcom Team
Holding a team to just 11 points in the first half of the state championship game isn’t a one player job. The entire Norcom team came out focused defensively, and they made things very difficult for Northside to get into a rhythm offensively. Their length and athleticism forced contested shots throughout the game, and their defensive mindset as a team offset their tough shooting night and was the main reason that they were able to control the game early.
Best Guy off the Bench | Carlith Hamlin | Norcom ’18
Norcom is a deep team that usually plays a nine or ten man rotation, and players like Hamlin are often overlooked but they play an important role. He played just under 15 minutes, important minutes throughout the game nonetheless because of foul trouble, and all of his impact was positive. He finished with just five points, but they included a big three in the first half and two free throws to help seal the game late. The 5’8” guard also pulled in five rebounds and provided tough defense throughout the game.
Best Intangibles | Nick Price | Northside ’18
While some will say that Northside came out a little intimidated, Price kept his cool and got them back into the game with a couple of big plays. With the Vikings trailing 22-8 with just under a minute left in the first half, Price attacked and finished a three-point play to gain momentum going into halftime, and he came out of the locker room and executed on the exact same set for a quick bucket. He then found sophomore Devon Russell in the corner for a three, cutting the deficit to six in under two minutes of game play. He finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists while being a leader as well.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Shey Webb | Northside ‘18
Webb was the only one who made plays offensively in the first half for Northside, finding his way to the line four times. The utility player was forced to guard both bigger and quicker players on the defensive end, and he had to show his versatility by doing a little bit of everything for the Vikings, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Best Underclassman | Julien Wooden | Northside ’19
Wooden picked up three fouls in the first half, two of which were very questionable, forcing him to miss almost the entire second quarter. That changed the course of the game, but that didn’t stop him from coming out in the second half and getting it done in a big way. After scoring just two points on one shot in the first half, he came out aggressive and showed his tremendous skill set offensively scoring it from all three levels. He finished the game with 15 points on just seven shots, and if he didn’t get in early foul trouble things could have been different for the Vikings.
Best Step Up Performer | Quivon Crittendon | Norcom ’17
Crittendon transferred in from cross town rival Wilson HS, and has played a very underrated role in Norcom’s run to another state title game. Crittendon only finished with six points and four rebounds, but four of those points were on crucial possessions that if Northside got a stop, they would have had a chance to cut the deficit to a two possession game. It’s not always the biggest name that comes through in the biggest moments of the season.
Best Aspect of the Environment | Witnessing History
So let’s get this straight: Norcom has won a state championship four straight years (2014-15 in 4A, 2016-17 in 3A), six in the past eight seasons, and it’s Head Coach Leon Goolsby’s eight state championship if you include in the two he won as an assistant coach at Woodside before he took over at Norcom. Travis Ingram becomes the first player that I know of to win four VHSL state championships with one team, and the run comes amidst a mass exit of public school basketball players to private schools. Goolsby and his Norcom team have shown resiliency, toughness and the ability to adapt, all things that great teams have. Whoever said there isn’t good coaching or basketball in public school can talk to Goolsby’s hands if you aren’t blinded by the eight rings he has.