10 Best: VHSL 5A State Championship
In the most competitive, and arguably talented, classification in the VHSL, the 5A state championship was not easy to get at, with teams having to go through a gauntlet at Hampton University two weeks ago. However, two of the top teams all season emerged with the Bethel Bruins of Hampton beating Potomac, and the LC Bird Skyhawks of Chesterfield winning a come from behind thriller over Albemarle in the semifinals.
The Bruins and Skyhawks had met twice already this season, with Bird coming away victorious in both. Two of the best coached and most talented teams in the state squared off, and while many were excited, the result was essentially the same.
After their scare in the semifinals, Bird came out poised and ran like a well oiled machine throughout the game. They had a commanding 16-8 lead after the first quarter, and after weathering a run by Bethel, they regained momentum before the half and led 34-23 heading into the locker rooms.
The third quarter was a stalemate, with Bird keeping Bethel at bay while they tried to get physical with them to no advantage. The senior leadership and experience of a Bird group that had been together the last three years eventually showed down the stretch, and the Skyhawks finally won a state title 65-52 in their fourth trip to VCU in five years.
MVP | Mario Haskett | LC Bird ’17
Haskett (left) with backcourt mate Pinky Wiley (right).Haskett, who I’ve personally seen at least 50 times since his sophomore season, had perhaps the best overall game I’ve seen him have, and what a time for him to do it! The Harvard commit impacted the game in a number of different ways, and he rose to the occasion after a subpar performance in last season’s state championship loss against Potomac. Haskett took a big jump this year with his game, especially offensively, and his leadership and love for big situations was huge in this one.
Play of the Game
Despite the loss, Providence commit Dajour Dickens (see below) had a number of highlight reel plays worthy of mention. The one that stood out was his block in the third quarter that many believed was goaltending, but was really just an athletic play that shouldn’t be possible to make. Dickens came help side across the lane as an LC Bird player was attacking the rim. Seeing Dickens, he slowed up to shoot a floater, and Dickens went ABOVE the top of the square and caught it with two hands at it’s highest point. It was one of those plays that simply doesn’t seem possible, and that’s why I can’t even remember which Skyhawk shot the ball.
Best Offensive Performer | Mario Haskett | LC Bird ’17
Haskett, who is known primarily for his on-ball defensive prowess, played both guard positions and scored efficiently throughout the game. He got it going early and didn’t slow up, finishing the first half with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor. While Bethel tried to force others to beat them down the stretch, Haskett made some great plays for Bird on both ends, and he helped seal the game from the free throw line down the stretch. He finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, three assists and three steals on the day.
Best Defensive Performer | Dajour Dickens | Bethel ’17
The Providence commit may be one of the best rim protectors on the east coast, and six blocks in a state championship game is one way to prove it. At 6’11”, Dickens is already a presence in the paint, but he also has tremendous length, athleticism and timing at that size, making it very difficult for players to get shots over him even when they’re anticipating him coming. He also chipped in 10 points and 14 rebounds, not bad for a guy who only got seven shot attempts because of double teams.
Best Guy off the Bench | Jyles Webster | LC Bird ’17
Webster started last season after an injury kept 6’7” junior Tyrek Williams sidelined for the season, and with his return he was forced into a sixth man role. That didn’t slow the 6’6” Concord commit down however, as he was possibly the most productive bench player in the state this season. While he didn’t have his best game of the season finishing with just four points and three rebounds, his energy and leadership, along with his physical play on Dickens, gave the Skyhawks a huge boost off the bench.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Cam Bacote | Bethel ’17
How can the PenSouth Player of the Year be under the radar? Maybe because he only has a couple scholarship offers from small division one schools despite a terrific high school career. This season was especially impressive, because he showed he isn’t just a knock down shooting two guard, but he’s a combo guard that can run the offense and make plays for himself and his teammates. Bacote finished with 21 points and four rebounds in the loss, playing all 32 minutes and he was the only one who could go get a bucket when the Bruins really needed it.
Best Intangibles | Johquin “Pinky” Wiley | LC Bird ’17
The only blemish in an unbelievable high school career for Wiley was that he didn’t have a state championship to his name, but that’s over now. The 5A South Regional Player of the Year didn’t put up the biggest numbers on his team this season, but he was the most important piece in a Bird group loaded with perimeter weapons. He finished with 13 points and three assists, but the biggest impact he had on the game didn’t show up in the stat sheet. As he’s done for most of his career in which he’s lost less than 10 games in four seasons, Wiley controlled the tempo, got Bird into their sets and led both vocally and by example throughout the game. He may be the most under recruited player in the state, and whoever gets him will see a culture change as soon as he steps on campus.
Best Overall Athlete | Jeremiah Owusu | Bethel ’17
The Notre Dame football commit could have easily been a division one basketball player if he had focused on it, but his athleticism and high motor still made him an impact player for the Bruins all season. At 6’4” and built like a UFC Fighter, Owusu is an athletic playmaker that brings energy with highlight blocks and dunks, but also does all the dirty work for his team as well. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals before fouling out late.
Best Flash of Promise | Raheem Jenkins | LC Bird ’18
Many are questioning how LC Bird will fare next season with five of their top seven graduating, but Jenkins showed that he may be the one to breakout next season for the Skyhawks. He was inserted early in the first half, and the 6’0” combo guard showed his ability as he drained a 24 footer from the top of the key. He also showed a mean crossover that the crowd loved, good vision with a nice pass on the break and good awareness defensively with two steals. It will be interesting to see how Jenkins plays this summer in AAU, and if he plays well whether or not it will translate over into next season for Bird.
Best Aspect of the Environment | The Congratulations
It’s nothing new to me at LC Bird games to be mistaken for my brother Chris who’s been an assistant for the Skyhawks for the past five seasons. I’ve had players, parents, other coaches, other media members and even school administrators confuse the two of us, and it’s always been comical. However, after winning the state championship, it seemed like everyone wanted to congratulate me, and I decided to have a little fun with it. After about the third or fourth person who stopped me after the game to tell me “Congrats on a great season coach,” I stopped correcting them and just started answering by saying “Thanks! It’s been a long time coming.” I even took the fun to twitter.
I would like to thank the 15 or so people who have congratulated me. It's been a long road. However, I did NOT win a state title 😂😂
— Jack Herron (@jwherron10) March 11, 2017
Since everyone confuses us so much, that means I get a ring too, right?