Throughout the month of November, VirginiaPreps.com will begin previewing the upcoming 2016-17 High School Basketball season. As part of our comprehensive coverage, we will be counting down the Top Ten rankings for each classification.
#10 - Potomac Falls Panthers
The Skinny: Coach Jeff Hawes has built the Panthers into a perennial contender, beginning with back-to-back state titles at the AA level in 2010 and 2011. Even with the move up to a higher classification beginning at the start of the 2013-14 campaign, the program out of the Loudoun County area has remained a factor, reaching the 5A quarterfinals before getting ousted by L.C. Bird last March and this season will try to earn their sixth State Playoff berth in eight years. Despite the graduation of top scorer Dondre Tillman (18.1PPG) from a squad that made the State Tournament quarterfinals last March, the cupboard is far from bare.
Hawes brings back his All-Conference senior 5’10” point guard Brian Sweeney (11.4PPG, 52 3’s, 6.5APG). He’ll team with 6’2” senior SG David Walls (8.7PPG, 5RPG) to form a quality backcourt. Christian Sweazie, a 6’1” senior small forward committed to play his College Hoops at Fairmont State, has returned after previously playing at the private school and gives them an impact newcomer on a squad with no shortage of length, speed, scoring, defensive ability and bench depth. Their inside duo of 6’5” junior center Grant Misch (4.8PPG, 8RPG) and 6’6” sophomore PF Ian Anderson (6RPG, 2BPG) should make them respectable on the inside.
Final 5A Rankings for 2015-16:
#1 – Potomac (27-2)
#2 – L.C. Bird (25-3)
#3 – Wakefield (25-3)
#4 – Henrico (22-3)
#5 – Albemarle (24-7)
#6 – Deep Run (23-5)
#7 – Green Run (23-2)
#8 – Hampton (18-10)
#9 – Bethel (20-5)
#10 – Varina (19-7)
Matthew Hatfield has covered football and basketball since 2004 for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.
