10 Best: VHSL 2A State Title Game
It was a packed house at the Siegel Center on VCU’s campus as a cinderella team in Amelia County took on one of the 2A preseason favorites in Robert E. Lee of Staunton. The first half was a dogfight, as the undersized Amelia team fought off the bigger Leemen and hung with them neck and neck. Lee looked like they were about to pull away with just under four minutes in the second quarter, after a 10-0 run had them up 14, but the Raiders fought back and headed into halftime trailing by just six, 36-30.
The second half wouldn’t be so kind to the Raiders however, as the Leemen made a concerted effort to go inside and bully them. Despite Amelia’s valiant efforts and never say die attitude, Lee was able to pull away, and ended up winning 84-71. Here’s some more from the game.
MVP | Jarvis Vaughan | Robert E. Lee ’18
Vaughan, part of the two headed post attack that Lee has used all year, stepped up in a big way when Marshall commit Darius George left the third quarter with foul trouble. With Amelia electing to go man with no one over 6’3”, the 6’8” Vaughan took advantage and scored 15 of his 31 points in the third to open the game up. He showed touch from the midrange, solid back to the basket moves and made his free throws. His huge outing was much needed for Lee down the stretch was a main factor in the win.
Play of the Game
With the game in hand and less than 2 minutes left, Marshall commit and Robert E. Lee Darius George intercepted a pass and was left all alone in transition. With the crowd ready to explode, George gave them exactly what they wanted with a huge one handed cock-back dunk, and the Leemen faithful went nuts. The perfect exclamation point!
Best Offensive Performer | Jarvis Vaughan | Robert E, Lee ’18
We talked about Vaughan’s big performance, but he put himself on the map as a recruit with his versatility as well. He was efficient, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 13-for-16 from the line, and he wanted the ball down the stretch, scoring 21 of his 31 points in the second half. He played with energy, made big shots and free throws down the stretch and never wavered under pressure.
Best Defensive Performer | Darius George | Robert E. Lee ’17
The Marshall commit battled with foul trouble for a little bit, but his defensive presence was huge. The lengthy 6’7” forward hit the glass hard on both ends, finishing with 15 rebounds, nine of which were defensive. He also played the passing lanes, finishing with five steals, and while he only recorded one block his length altered a number of shots. His all out kind of play was big for them, as he finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Best Guy off the Bench | Blaize Velvin | Robert E. Lee ’18
Can you ask for anything more out of your sixth man in the state championship game than 15 points, four rebounds and three steals? The 5’9” junior brought a spark immediately hitting a three in the first half, and he consistently attacked the paint and got into the teeth of the defense to make plays. It’s hard to game plan for energy guys off the bench like Velvin.
Best Intangibles | Jared Baker | Amelia County
Baker, standing at 6’2”, drew the tall task of defending the 6’7” and 6’8” front line of Lee, but he caused problems as well. He took George and Vaughan outside the paint, negating their shot blocking presence, and he was one of the main reasons that George was in foul trouble. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four steals on the night.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer | Jayden Williams | Robert E. Lee ’18
While Vaughan and George had the most impressive stat lines, Williams made huge plays down the stretch including two tough three point plays to keep Amelia at bay. He showed great body control when attacking down hill, and he made shots from all three levels when they needed him to. On top of that, despite being a traditional shooting guard he took on much of the ball handling responsibilities in the fourth quarter. He finished with 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor and 6-for-8 from the line.
Best Catch and Shoot Guy | Eric Medley | Amelia County
With Amelia struggling early on, Medley was the spark they needed when he hit two big three-pointers in the first half. He finished 3-for-6 from deep, the only player in the game to hit more than two three’s, and he attacked closeouts well throughout the game. He also wasn’t a liability defensively as the shooter. He finished with 17 points, shooting 50% from the field, and he pitched in four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Best Glue Guy | Brendan Stanford | Amelia County
Stanford did everything that you wanted him to despite a slow start shooting the ball. A strong wing player that guarded every position on the floor, he used his strength and quickness to force turnovers, ending up with six steals total. He was one of five Amelia players in double figures with 11 points, and he pitched in seven rebounds, six steals and a block as well.
Best Aspect of the Environment | The Crowd
2A may not have the biggest schools, but their fan bases showed tremendous passion as both traveled to Richmond in droves! The place was as loud as I’ve ever heard it for a high school game as green and blue filled the arena, and they didn’t stop for the entire game. The way that both communities came to support their teams is one of the reasons that high school basketball is so special.