Purcellville, Va. — When putting together a competitive schedule, it’s important for teams who want to compete at the top of their district to schedule good competition outside of their district so they can get better. So when the Potomac Falls High School basketball team traveled to Purcellville to play Loudoun Valley High School in a non-league game on December 4, they knew they’d be in for a challenge.
After extending their lead to as many as 12 in the second half, the Panthers saw that lead fade away as the Vikings rallied back. But Potomac Falls didn’t back down as they fought back in the fourth quarter to sneak away with a 62-55 win over Loudoun Valley.
“We know how tough it is coming to Loudoun Valley. We weren’t our best, and we know how well coached they are and how hard they play,” Potomac Falls head coach Jeff Hawes said. “We just made some good plays at the right time, and we’re just happy to get out of there with a win.”
The Panthers and Vikings traded baskets throughout the first half, as never more than four points separated the teams through the opening two quarters.
With a one-point lead late in the first half, Potomac Falls got a big three from senior forward Lukas Bakatsias just before the buzzer to head into the half with momentum, leading 29-25.
Potomac Falls came out of the half on a mission, as five different players led the Panthers on a 9-1 run to extend their lead to 38-26.
But that 12-point lead wouldn’t be enough as the Vikings rallied back thanks to the play of senior shooting guard Landen Conrad, who scored 11 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter.
“Landen’s a great player; he’s one of the best players in Loudoun,” Potomac Falls senior forward Johnny Opiola said. “He’s quick, so we just had to help one another and try to trap him to slow down their offense.”
Trailing by just two points heading into the fourth quarter, Loudoun Valley senior forward Nathan Boner scored on back-to-back trips to give the Vikings a 44-42 lead.
“We didn’t flinch, we didn’t put our heads down, and we bounced back,” Opiola said. “Last year, we took a punch late in the season, and we didn’t respond. This year, when we take a punch, we’re going to punch right back.”
After falling into just their second deficit of the night, Potomac Falls got a layup from senior forward David Marshall, before Conrad hit a three to give Loudoun Valley its biggest lead of the night at 47-44.
“We went to a junk defense, which I don’t think I’ve ever done in the fifth game of the year throughout my entire career,” Hawes said. “Conrad’s a great player, and he was killing us, so we had to try something, and I think it caused a little disruption for a few minutes.”
At that point, the Panthers had seen enough as Opiola added five fourth-quarter points to his team-high 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Marshall turned in a fourth-quarter to remember with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, and a blocked shot to complete his 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.
“David’s brand new, so he’s still learning our system,” Hawes said. “He didn’t have the best first half, but he made some huge plays down the stretch.”
The late defensive chaos and hustle by Marshall and co. forced 5 of Loudoun Valley’s 12 turnovers in the final 8 minutes of the game, as the Panthers earned a measuring-stick win over the Vikings, 62-55.
Potomac Falls (0-0, 5-0) will look to continue their winning ways when they travel to rival Dominion for a non-league matchup on December 5. Loudoun Valley (0-0, 1-1) will look to bounce back when they travel to Riverside for a non-league game on December 8.
“We trust one another, and we have great chemistry,” Opiola said. “Because we’ve played with each other for so long, we haven’t had to work on finding our chemistry but instead we’re just building on it.”
Bill Bride captured 125+ photos at the game!
Potomac Falls Stats
| Potomac Falls | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Opiola | 13 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7-for-10 |
| David Marshall | 12 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4-for-6 |
| Colby Margenau | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1-for-1 |
| Joshua Prince | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-for-1 |
| Lukas Bakatsias | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-for-0 |
| James Delaney | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Troy Hooper | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Matthew Larner | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Darrell Jr Jackson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Mason DuHaime | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 62 | 27 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 13-for-18 |
Loudoun Valley Stats
| Potomac Falls | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landen Conrad | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4-for-8 |
| Joey Danielson | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3-for-3 |
| Nathan Boner | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2-for-2 |
| Tristen Conrad | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Tal Rose | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-for-2 |
| John Hasle | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Gavin Supplee | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1-for-2 |
| Cole Kielhorn | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 55 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 11-for-17 |