Sterling, Va. — It looked more like a volleyball play than a basketball one. Potomac Falls High School senior forward Ian Anderson flew through the air and used his long wingspan to swat a Jayden Hickey shot attempt out of bounds. It was the defining moment from a third quarter that won the Potomac Falls Panthers their first game of the year, as they defeated rival Dominion High School, 61-50.
“It’s a good win,” Potomac Falls head coach Jeff Hawes said. “We weren’t sharp tonight but to get it done and win by 11, we’re happy with that, not satisfied, but happy.”
[adrotate banner=”19″]It was a disastrous third quarter for the Titans, as the Panthers outscored them 20-9.
“I just think our intensity dropped a hair,” Titan head coach Anthony Eifler said.” In a game like this, against a team like that, it can come back and bite you.”
In that fateful third quarter, Anderson was a force inside, rebounding and defending like the All-LoCo player he was last year. It was a change from a first half that saw him on the bench with foul trouble.
“We came out with more energy in the second half,” Anderson said. “We had a couple conversations in the locker room and decided the way we were playing wasn’t how we could be playing.”
That halftime conversation was pivotal for the Panthers, who entered halftime up just one. For the Titans, that was a triumph, competing against a team that had historically been spectacular, having won VHSL AA-Division 4 State titles in 2010 and 2011. For Hawes, it was disappointing.
“We didn’t play with a lot of energy. We committed a lot of silly fouls,” Hawes said. “We had a little discussion at halftime about playing harder.”
Dominion junior guard Sam Shelton – who led the Titans’ scoring with 16 points – felt the energy difference.
“We didn’t come out with enough energy, and they punched us out of the gate,” Shelton said. “Next game, we need to have the same energy throughout the entire game and come out strong each quarter.”
Potomac Falls senior forward Landon Hawes started the game on fire, scoring the first five points for the Panthers with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer, finishing with 12 points.
“We did not play well at all in the first half. We were a little nervous. It’s a new team, new guys, and we got to get it going,” said Hawes, who is the son of the Panthers’ head coach. “My dad got into us at halftime. I think it got us going. Next game you’ll see us go out strong.”
In the loss, the Titans were without starting small forward Max Mancuso, who was out with an injury he sustained in the preseason. Dominion felt his absence.
“Having Max would have helped us,” Eifler said. “He’s a great scorer, a guy that’s been a three-year varsity player. It definitely hurt us.”
The two teams are by no means done with each other, as the Panthers (0-0, 1-0) will host the Titans (0-0, 0-1) in a rematch on December 14 in Sterling.
“We pride ourselves on being hard to beat at home. They’ll come over and fight so I’m sure they’ll be eager to take another shot at us,” Coach Hawes said. “We’ll be ready.”
