Last Year Was Last Year and This Year is this Year

ALEXANDRIA, VA. -  The 2009/2010 high school basketball season bore little resemblance to the '08/'09 campaign -- especially for Alexandria.

Just 12 months ago, the T.C. Williams boys basketball team defeated South-Alexandria Hayfield for the Northern Region Title and both the Titans and the Hawks advanced to the State Tournament.

Twenty-four months ago -- namely, the '07/'08 campaign -- T.C. won the their second ever AAA State Title in boys basketball. The last time the TC Boys had won a state title was in 1977.

In addition, the '08/'09 T.C. Williams girls basketball team advanced to the State Tournament as well after finishing as Region Runners-ups to the Oakton Cougars.

However, that was then and this is now.

With the just-completed 2010 Regional Tournament in the books, the T.C. Boys and Girls as well as the Hayfield boys were on the outside looking in.

The T.C. Boys, by virtue of the fact that they were playing with two fifth-year seniors for much of the current campaign, were forced to forfeit the majority of their wins this season.

Consequently after revamping their lineup minus Billy Rowland and Darrius Porter, the Titans were ousted in the Patriot District Tournament quarter-final by Annandale and did not even suit up for this season's Regional Tournament (the top four seeds in each of the four Districts qualify for the Tournament).

As for the Hayfield boys, it was discovered late in the season that one of their [unnamed] players was academically ineligible, based on fall semester grades. With this equally startling revelation, the Hawks "apparent" win versus Falls Church - in the National District Tournament quarter-final round was overturned and it was the Jaguars that advanced to the Regional Tournament and not the Hawks.

What appeared to be a 19-0 undefeated Hayfield team - with a legitimate shot at winning the Region Title - turned out to be a squad that was ousted from the Tournament altogether (via the aforementioned academically ineligible status of one of their players).

On the other hand, in '09/'10 the T.C. girls did not have any fifth-year seniors suiting up this season nor did they have any academic casualties.

The Lady Titans merely had a down year and were ousted in the quarter-finals of the Patriot District Tournament, and thus did not gain entrance to the Regional Tournament the old fashioned way.

To cut to the chase, in this seasons boys title game - Chantilly defeated Langley 50-43 (March 1) and both the Chargers and the Saxons will move on to the State Tournament. (Both the Champion and the Runner-up from the Northern Region as well as from the Central, Eastern and Northwest Regions also move on to the State Tournament).

In the boys semi-finals (Feb. 27), Chantilly defeated Mount Vernon 69-57 and Langley defeated Yorktown 46-39.

To also cut to the chase, in this seasons girls title game - Oakton defeated West Springfield 54-39 (March 1) and both the Cougars and the Spartans will move onto the State Tournament.

In the girls semi-finals (Feb. 27), Oakton defeated South County 50-31 and West Springfield defeated Edison 56-42. (On an interesting note, West Springfield of the Patriot District is coached by former Ireton '73/James Madison '77 alumnus Bill Gibson).

Next week's edition will expand on the 16-team Regional Tournament in more depth.

Medal Standings

With the just-concluded Winter Olympics in Vancouver, suffice it to say that the United States of America turned in its finest performance of all time.

Even though there were no team members from Alexandria area (in fact there were very few from the  Virginia), here's a recap of the final standings from Vancouver.

In terms of overall medals, 26 nations won at least one.

(1) - The United States, based on total medals, won 37, with nine gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze.

(2) - Germany - 10 gold, 13 silver and seven bronze - (30).

(3) - Canada - 14 gold, seven silver and five bronze - (26). (When Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal as well as the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, they won zero gold medals in either of those two Olympics combined !!).

(4) - Norway - nine gold, eight silver and six bronze - (23).

(5) - Austria - four gold, six silver and six bronze - (16).

(6) - Russia - three gold, five silver and seven bronze - (15). (The 2014 Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Sochi).

(7) - South Korea - six gold, six silver and two bronze - (14).

(8) - tie - China and Sweden both - five gold, two silver and four bronze - (11). (The most recent Summer Olympics - 2008 - were held in Beijing).

(10) - France - two gold, three silver and six bronze - (11).

(11) - Switzerland - six gold, zero silver and three bronze - (9).

(12) - Netherlands - four gold, one silver and three bronze - (8).

(13) - Czech Republic - two gold, zero silver and four bronze - (6).

(14) - Poland - one gold, three silver and two bronze - (6).

(15) - Italy - one gold, one silver and three bronze - (5). (The previously most recent Winter Olympics - 2006 - were held in Torino).
(16) - Japan - zero gold, three silver and two bronze - (5).

(17) - Finland - zero gold, one silver and four bronze - (5).

(18) - Australia - two gold, one silver and zero bronze - (3).

(19) - tie - Belarus and Slovakia both - one gold, one silver and one bronze - (3).

(21) - tie - Croatia and Slovenia both - zero gold, two silver and one bronze - (3).

(23) - Latvia - zero gold, two silver and zero bronze - (3).

(24) - Britain - one gold, zero silver and zero bronze - (1). (The 2012 Summer Olympics in Greater London will be held July 27 - August 12).

(25) - tie - Estonia and Kazakstan both - zero gold, one silver and zero bronze - (1).