On Friday night, two of the top teams in Virginia went head-to-head on the hardwood when the Albemarle Patriots traveled to Croze to face Jefferson District Rival, Western Albemarle. The Patriots entered the contest ranked sixth in the Virginia Preps Class 5 Top Ten while the Warriors entered as the seventh-ranked team in the Class 3 Top Ten.

The two teams faced each other before the end of the 2024 calendar season and Western Albemarle defeated Albemarle by two points in a thriller. That loss was just one of two losses the Patriots (13-2) have experienced this season.

Tied at halftime, Albemarle came out of the locker room with aggression in the second half and ignited a flame that helped the Patriots take a 14-point advantage midway through the final period. Western Albemarle sophomore guard Samuel Seaborn ended the Patriots' stellar run with a three-point basket but Isaiah Harris responded with a thunderous dunk when Albemarle came back down the floor allowing the Patriots just enough breathing room to go home with a 59-53 victory.

This contest began with the Warriors being the aggressors jumping out to an early lead in the opening quarter behind a pair of three-point buckets from Davis Winters and Jake Jeronimus. The Patriots responded, however, with an 8-0 run fueled by MarJaylen Jackson and Harris which gave their team the lead.

Holding a one-point lead at the end of the first period, Albemarle continued to extend their lead behind the duo and contributions by Makai Ragland early in the second. The Warriors fell behind by seven before going on an 11-2 run to retake the lead. Seaborn scored five during the run with Jack Castner adding four of his team-high 18 points on the night.

The two teams traded baskets in the final minutes of the opening half as they battled to a 27-27 tie heading into intermission. The demeanor of the Patriots squad after the break was apparent, however, and a pair of turnovers led to easy baskets early in the third period with Albemarle forcing their opponents into mistakes on inbound passes.

Despite trailing 53-39 midway through the final period, the Warriors exemplified their character by continuing to battle from behind. Seaborn and Castner combined for 12 of Western’s final 14 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Western dropped to an 11-4 overall record on the season.

Harris led all scorers with 20 points in the contest while Jackson finished with a double-double. The junior forward finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the contest. Ragland added 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for the Patriots.

A pivotal stretch awaits Albemarle, which has five games next week, four of which will be on the road, including the 2025 Coach For The Cure Invitational at the Henrico Sports Complex on February 1st.

Robert Edmonds has been contributing to Virginiapreps.com, part of the Rivals.com network, since 2013. Follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) @bigrob2523 and subscribe to his YouTube channel for sports-related content. He began working in the sports sector in 2006 and covers public and private schools throughout the state with a focus in the Central Virginia area. He currently lives in Keswick with his wife and has seven children and two grandchildren. To contact Robert, please email him at bigrob2523@gmail.com.