T.C.'s Cruel Season of Forfeits

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - As previously written, the T.C. Williams boys basketball team had to forfeit a host of games due to the ineligible status of two former players.

It had been discovered late in the season - early February - that both Billy Rowland and Darrius Porter were ruled ineligible based on the fact that the '09/'10 school year is their fifth year of high school.

Following that startling revelation, the Titans squared off with Annandale in the Patriot District quarter-final round last week.

In that contest, T.C. concluded their season with a 51-48 setback to the Atoms.

Annandale, coached by veteran Anthony Harper, led T.C., coached by Julian King (second season), 32-21 at intermission.

Despite the Titans outscoring their rivals 27-19 in the second half, T.C. still came up short and saw their season end on a very disappointing note after making it to the State Quarter-finals last season as well as winning the Virginia AAA Title two seasons ago.

In their final contest of the current campaign, T.C. was led by: Tyrell Sitton (13 points), Tayron Chambers (10) and Ryan Yates (seven).

Yates, first-team All-Patriot District for the regular season, had a slow offensive night versus Annandale.

The Atoms were paced by: Karl Ziegler (15), Melvin Robinson (10) and D'Angelo Boyce (nine).

Regarding the entire '09/'10 Patriot District Tournament: On February 22nd, West Potomac held off W.T. Woodson 70-67 for this seasons Title.

Prior to that, in the semi-finals, West Potomac defeated the aforementioned Annandale Atoms and W.T. Woodson defeated South County.

In the quarter-finals, West Potomac defeated Lake Braddock; W.T. Woodson defeated R.E. Lee; South County defeated West Springfield and Annandale defeated the Titans of T.C. Williams.

In this year's Regional Tournament ("Round of 16" - February 24th; Quarter-finals - February 25th; Semi-finals - February 27th and Finals - March 1st), the Patriot District will match up with the National District to commence the proceedings.

Therefore, on Feb. 24: fourth-seeded Annandale will travel to top-seeded Mount Vernon; third-seeded South County will travel to second-seeded Yorktown; second-seeded W.T. Woodson will host third-seeded JEB Stuart and top-seeded West Potomac will host fourth-seeded Falls Church.

Falls Church is in the Regional Tournament due to the fact that Hayfield, which was undefeated during the regular season, was bounced from this years District Tournament by virtue of the fact that the Hawks used an academically ineligible player.

According to the Feb. 20 Washington Post article, Hayfield head coach Ron Palmer said: "The team unknowingly used an academically ineligible player during the 67-47 victory over Falls Church in the first round of the Virginia AAA National District playoffs. We forfeited one game. Unfortunately, it's the one game that eliminates you from postseason play."

Thus, instead of Hayfield potentially being 21-0 overall/National District Champions and a threat in the Regional Tournament, they are done for the season due to the ineligible player situation.

In terms of the progression of the National District Tournament, Mount Vernon knocked off Yorktown 68-52 (Feb. 22) to claim the Title.

Even though Hayfield seniors Brandon Winbush and Reggie Tate were in attendance, they could not effect the outcome one way or the other - given the fact that they were in street clothes and were sitting in the bleachers.

Winbush, along with Mount Vernon's Skylar Jones and Robert Smith; Edison's Matt Murphy; Yorktown's Mike Veith and Jack Earley; Wakefield's Thomas Taylor and several others - were selected All-Tournament.

In the Majors 16-point win versus Yorktown, head coach Alfonso Smith's troops rallied from a number of first quarter deficits to lead 15-14 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

Mount Vernon junior guard Jesse Konadu's bucket gave the Majors a 15-14 lead and the team from South Alexandria never trailed again.

In the National District semi-finals, Mount Vernon defeated JEB Stuart and Yorktown defeated Falls Church.

In the National District quarter-finals, Mount Vernon defeated Edison; Yorktown defeated Washington-Lee; JEB Stuart defeated Wakefield; Hayfield initially defeated Falls Church (but after the ineligibility situation surfaced - Falls Church defeated Hayfield).

Obviously, this seasons regional title matchup will bear no similarity to last seasons in which T.C. Williams defeated Hayfield and both advanced to the State Tournament.

That was then and this is now. This season, both T.C. and Hayfield saw their seasons come to a cruel end - due to ineligibility issues.