Loudoun County, Va. — As high school basketball gets underway in Loudoun County, a few local teams have already started to stand out among the crowd. In a two-district county, we wanted a way to put things into perspective. Enter: the LoCo Top 5.
Of course, if you’re into hard numbers the full Potomac District and Dulles District standings are available here.
[adrotate banner=”19″]1. Loudoun County (2-0, 7-1)
Coming off an appearance in a VHSL 4A State quarterfinal, the Loudoun County Lady Raiders are primed to do some damage in 2017-2018. Led by Robert Morris-commit Natalie Villaflor and Christopher Newport-commit Julia Ng, the Lady Raiders also return under-the-radar playmaker Morgann Harden, who contributes heavily on the boards.
2. Tuscarora (2-0, 7-0)
While we unfortunately won’t see Tuscarora and Loudoun County tango this winter, the Lady Huskies prove to be the most clear cut contender in knocking the Lady Raiders’ out of their top spot in the LoCo Top 5. Senior forward Kennedy Middleton is a daunting weapon on offense and can defend with the best in the county. Add Kennedy’s younger sister Isabellah into the mix and you can quickly see why Tuscarora has a target on its back in the Potomac District.
3. Stone Bridge (1-1, 6-1)
The Lady Bulldogs have endless potential. Sitting at 6-1, Stone Bridge barely evaded 4A Riverside, but hung around with Tuscarora thanks in part to the play of sophomore shooting guard Anna LeMaster and senior forward Chloe Madgwick, who are averaging 17.4 and 14.6 points per game, respectively.
4. Freedom (2-1, 5-2)
Moving over from Conference 22, Freedom High School and junior guard Jaelyn Batts are the sleeper in the Potomac District. The Lady Eagles have three players averaging near ten points per game and used that depth to hang around with Tuscarora in a 4-point district loss in mid-December.
5. Riverside (1-0, 8-1)
Still the new kids on the block, the Lady Rams have struggled to score consistently, but are holding opponents to just 26 points per game. Riverside will have its hands full with Dulles District foes Loudoun County and Loudoun Valley High Schools, but could compete for home-court advantage in the first round of the district playoffs.