Sterling, Va. — With less than 20 seconds left in regulation, Potomac Falls High School senior guard Josh Prince stepped to the line for two free throws for a chance to make it a two possession game. Massaponax had come back from down by as many as 10 to cut the lead to 51-49 late in the VHSL Region 5D championship game.
With their trusty shooting guard on the line, the Panthers were just moments away from capturing a region title which had evaded them since 2020.
Prince stepped up to the line and missed the first free throw, meaning Massaponax could get the ball back in a one score game. Making the second free throw, however, would mean Massaponax would need to hit a three to tie things up. Again, Prince stepped up to the line and missed the free throw attempt.
Massaponax corralled the rebound and was off to the races, needing just a layup to tie the game. Despite his frustration, Prince hustled back and blocked the shot attempt in a one-on-one opportunity.
“I missed the first two, and I was upset about it,” Prince said. “But I couldn’t dwell on it because the game moves fast.”
After the blocked shot the ball was heading out of bounds, where Massaponax would retain possession for another chance to tie the game. However, Potomac Falls senior forward Johnny Opiola came flying down the court, leaped through the air out of bounds, and made a pass back to Prince.
“That’s just the type of play we talk about all the time. Something like that will happen at practice, we’ll stop, and talk about those are the types of plays that win championships,” Potomac Falls head coach Jeff Hawes said. “All the other stuff is nice—the threes, the dunks—but those are the types of plays that win championships.”
Following the save by Opiola, Prince was immediately fouled and started making the long trip back to the free throw line for two more attempts to put the game on ice.
With 9.3 seconds left, Prince toed the line and knocked down the first free throw attempt to increase the Potomac Falls lead to 52-49. Then, Prince stepped back up and hit the second free throw to extend the Potomac Falls lead to four.
“I just got back to make another play, blocked the shot, then Johnny made the save, we got the ball back, then I made the next two free throws,” Prince said. “I kept a calm mind and didn’t let that moment get in my way.”
Massaponax went the length of the court and scored, but time expired before Potomac Falls even had to inbound the ball as they held on to claim the VHSL Region 5D championship, 53-51, on February 23 in Sterling.
“Sometimes you wonder if you’re ever going to get another one, because it’s not easy as you can see,” Hawes said. “It’s tough to close.”
The cool demeanor of Prince proved to be the difference in Potomac Falls earning its seventh region title and first since 2020. The Panthers lost in the region championship game in 2021 and in region semifinals in both 2022 and 2023.
“We’ve gotten to the region playoffs the last three years, but we couldn’t get it done,” Prince said. “To see all our hard work finally pay off feels great.”
The experience of having been here before, but coming up just short, played a big factor in their win. Opiola posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double, chipping in 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocked shots, while Prince finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and the biggest blocked shot of the night.
“This group has been in my hip pocket since fourth grade. I’ve been going to all their stuff and helping to bring them up,” Hawes said. “They’re awesome kids. I’m so happy for them.”
While most of the Panthers have been playing together since elementary school, a fresh face helped lead them past Massaponax in the region title this year. Senior forward David Marshall moved to Sterling from Florida before the start of the 2023-2024 school year, and while it took about eight months to integrate him into the Potomac Falls family, his presence was felt throughout the season and during their playoff stretch.
“I wasn’t a part of all this growing up, so to come here and to be able to help out, it feels great,” Marshall said. “I love this team. I love this school. I love this community. We came together to get it done.”
After scoring the first point of the region championship for Potomac Falls, Marshall got to work, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while going 8-for-10 from the free throw line.
Early in the third quarter, Marshall helped the Panthers grow their lead to 8, before things started to slowly unravel.
Massaponax sophomore forward Alonzo Bowler—who sat for a maturity of the first half—grabbed a couple big rebounds and had a big finish, while Massaponax junior guard Dezzie Ainsworth contributed to his team-high 14-point performance to cut the Potomac Falls lead to just 30-27 midway through the third.
Potomac Falls senior forward Colby Margenau helped the Panthers re-extend their lead to 7, but an and-one finish by Massaponax senior guard Ben Myers and a three by sophomore guard Collin Bowles cut that lead to just 36-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
“[Coach Hawes] told us ‘don’t be phased,’” Marshall said. “We’ve been in this situation before, so we just needed to keep our composure, lock down on defense, and get the win.”
Marshall connected on four straight free throws to open the fourth quarter, before Margenau and Opiola traded two baskets each to add some much needed cushion, 49-39.
“I thought we responded really well in the fourth quarter, but then things just got weird,” Hawes said. “We started reaching. We didn’t grab some rebounds that I thought would have put the game away. We missed a couple easy finishes.”
Possession by possession Massaponax chipped away at the lead before Bowles found sophomore center Jaydon Brock, who hit an elbow jumper to cut the lead to 51-49 with less than 30 seconds to play.
That’s when the Potomac Falls experience really paid off as Prince used his hustle to get back on defense and block the shot, allowing Opiola to save the rebound, before Prince redeemed himself with a pair of clutch free throws to secure the region title for the Panthers, 53-51.
As the Region 5D champ, Potomac Falls (10-0, 26-0) will host Region 5C runner up Albemarle in a VHSL Class 5 State quarterfinal on their home court in front of a rowdy Panther Pit on February 27 in Sterling.
“We’re very proud of this, but we’re not satisfied. We’re going to enjoy this weekend, but we know we’re going to have a tough test on Tuesday night,” Hawes said. “At least we know where it’s going to be—and we’re very happy about that.”
Bill Bride captured 250+ photos at the game!
Potomac Falls Stats
| Potomac Falls | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
| David Marshall | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8-for-10 |
| Johnny Opiola | 12 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1-for-2 |
| Colby Margenau | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4-for-7 |
| Joshua Prince | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4-for-6 |
| Troy Hooper | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Matthew Larner | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Lukas Bakatsias | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| James Delaney | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-4 |
| Darrell Jr Jackson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 53 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 17-for-29 |
Massaponax Stats
| Massaponax | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
| Dezzie Ainsworth | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4-for-4 |
| Ben Myers | 12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1-for-1 |
| Lamont Blagmon | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Jaydon Brock | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0-for-2 |
| Alonzo Bowler | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Collin Bowles | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Sam Kahn | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 51 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 5-for-7 |