Male Athlete of the Year
Elijah Washington, Lake Taylor
Washington was a two-way standout in football, and he was just getting warmed up for his senior year. After snatching 50 receptions for 947 yards on offense and collecting 106 tackles and 12 ½ sacks on defense, Washington starred for a Titans basketball team that won the Class 3 Region A title and reached the state championship game. He averaged 15 points and 4.5 blocks, and he propelled Lake Taylor into the state title game with a 28-point, 19-rebound performance in the semifinals. Washington — first-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state in basketball and second-team All-Tidewater and second-team all-state in football — has signed with Syracuse to play football.
Runner-up
Poquoson’s Baker Green starred in three sports: rushing for 1,177 yards in football; winning state track titles indoor in the 300-meter run and outdoor in the 100 and 200; and batting .321 with 27 steals for a Class 2 state champion in baseball.
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Female Athlete of the Year
Sophie Rambo, Grassfield
Rambo blazed a trail for the up-and-coming Grizzlies track program as a sophomore. She started in the winter season, defending her indoor track state championships in the 300- and 500-meter runs. Her 500 time of 1 minute, 11.76 seconds was the season’s fastest indoor time in the country. Then in the spring, Rambo won three events to help Grassfield claim the Class 6 team championship. Rambo won the 100 (11.8 seconds), 200 (24.06) and 400 (53.58). Her 400 time was the season’s sixth-fastest in the nation.
Runner-up
Princess Anne’s Micah Ojo, rated among the top 25 freshman girls basketball players in the country by ESPNw, led the Cavaliers to a 14th state title in 22 years with 31 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks in a win over James River in the Class 5 title game. Her final season averages: 18.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.4 steals, 4.2 blocks and 3.6 assists.
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Coach of the Year
Stefan Welsh, Woodside boys basketball
Welsh was already in rare air after last year becoming one of just three former Hampton Roads boys basketball players who won state titles as a player and coach, joining Darren Sanderlin and Brandon Plummer. This year, Welsh became the first from the area to win back-to-back state championships as both a player and coach. Welsh guided Woodside (27-1) to a second straight Class 5 title, with the Wolverines dominating L.C. Bird 53-33 in the title game and becoming the first Hampton Roads boys team to win back-to-back crowns since Norcom won four straight from 2014-17.
Runner-up
Tabb’s Wendy Wilson guided her team to a 22-0 record and the Class 3 field hockey state title as the Tigers beat Meridian 6-0. Tabb has won 10 state championships and has been to 13 state finals in Wilson’s past 14 seasons as coach.
Big plays
Quarterback Lonnie Andrews heaved a 36-yard touchdown pass to Travis Johnson — who made a leaping grab between two defenders — as time expired to give Oscar Smith a 27-21 regular-season victory over Indian River.
Oscar Smith wins on last play of the game. Travis Johnson with incredible catch. OSCAR SMITH 27, INDIAN RIVER 21 pic.twitter.com/os5WajMtdm
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) October 7, 2023
Lake Taylor earned its first state tournament berth in five years when Avanni McDaniel made a 3-pointer from 23 feet at the final buzzer to give the Titans a 53-51 win over Grafton in the Class 3 Region A semifinals.
Jacobi Harper corralled a rebound and sank the game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds left to give Oscar Smith a thrilling 65-64 regular-season victory over King’s Fork in a battle of top-10 teams.
A thriller at Oscar Smith as the seventh-ranked Tigers upset No. 3 King’s Fork on Jacobi Harper's game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds left. Harper finished with 15 points. Ulysses Young finished with 19 points, Cam Walters added 12 points and Anthony Lewis had 12 points. pic.twitter.com/5zQ5tfFLwO
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) February 2, 2024
The bases were loaded with one out and the score tied 1-1 in the eighth inning when Menchville’s Chance Jones crushed a pitch over the left-field wall for a walk-off grand slam in a Class 5 Region A semifinal victory over Granby.
Chance Jones with the game-winning hit. Menchville headed to state with win over Granby pic.twitter.com/02mChfNib7
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) May 29, 2024
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State champs
Fall
Maury football (Class 5): Au’Tori Newkirk threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 54 yards and two more scores as the Commodores capped a 15-0 season by racing to a big early lead, then holding off Stone Bridge 45-34 in the title game.
Phoebus football (Class 4): After starter Adonis Stowers was injured in the region semifinals, freshman Maurikus “Rik” Banks guided the Phantoms (15-0) to three straight victories and threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to Keyontae Gray with one second left in the Class 4 state championship game for a 21-14 win over the Salem Spartans and a third consecutive state title.
Tabb field hockey (Class 3): Sophomore midfielder Kira Trader scored four goals as the Tigers completed a dominant run to a fourth consecutive title with a convincing 6-0 victory over Meridian. Tabb outscored its state tournament opponents 17-0.
First Colonial girls volleyball (Class 5): Jules Dooren recorded 10 digs and Kayla Foley registered 23 digs as the Patriots won 3-1 over Riverside to win the program’s first state championship since 2014.
Ocean Lakes girls cross country (Class 5): The Dolphins won their third state championship in four seasons under coach Mike Nestor. They were led by depth: Khadija Sissoko (ninth), Grace Thompson (10th), Riley Gomez (20th), Lauren Rakov (30th) and Lindsay Meadows (45th).
Jamestown girls cross country (Class 4): The Eagles won the program’s first state crown, led by runner-up Kylie Brooks, Raini Mayo (11th), Emily Dahl (13th), Claire Bauer (19th) and Hailey Shearer (34th).
Winter
Woodside boys basketball (Class 5): Silas Barksdale, a junior named All-Tidewater Player of the Year and Class 5 Player of the Year, scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds — including 10 offensive boards — as the Wolverines (27-1) beat L.C. Bird 53-33 to win their second consecutive title under Stefan Welsh.
Hampton boys basketball (Class 4): Abraham Taft, Gavin Kay, Kahron Clarke and Malik Johnson — the Class 4 Player of the Year — led a balanced effort as the Crabbers held off Tuscarora 66-63 to win the program’s sixth state title and first since 2012.
Princess Anne girls basketball (Class 5): The Cavaliers (25-2) made it 14 state titles, and 10 of the past 11, with an 80-70 win over James River. Freshman Micah Ojo scored 31 points and seemingly made every key pass, basket or steal in the closing minutes of a showdown with North Carolina-bound Lanie Grant (35 points).
Ocean Lakes gymnastics (Class 5): The Dolphins, competing on their home floor, won their first crown since 2020 as Julia Lee turned in the day’s best score in three events: bars (9.7) vault (9.375) and floor exercise (9.45).
Bruton swimming and diving (Class 2): Alyssa White and Izzie Check each won two individual events and were part of two winning relays as Bruton turned in a dominating performance.
Cox wrestling (Class 5): The Falcons became the first Beach District team to win a state wrestling title since 2010, finishing well ahead of Independence and perennial state power Great Bridge. Seth Pringle (106 pounds), Caleb Rafal (126) and Rudy Wagner (190) each won individual state crowns for the Falcons.
Kecoughtan boys indoor track and field (Class 5): Jaymes Saunders won the high jump and finished third in the 55-meter hurdles and long jump to pace the Warriors.
Bruton boys and girls track and field (Class 2): Jayden Curry placed in three individual events as the boys edged Glenvar by one point. The Panthers’ girls outlasted Lee High of Jonesville by 2.25 points, paced by Alecia Kissoon’s victory in the 300 and second-place finish in the 55.
Spring
First Colonial baseball (Class 5): Brady Gavin’s two-run triple in the second inning helped stake the Patriots to a big early lead in a 10-3 victory over Mills Godwin — the program’s first state championship since 1993.
York baseball (Class 3): Casey Cheaney launched a sixth-inning grand slam as the surprising Falcons (19-9) knocked off previously unbeaten Liberty Christian Academy 10-5 to win their first state baseball title since 1989.
Poquoson baseball (Class 2): Eli Tyndall struck out 13 over 7 2/3 innings before reaching his pitch limit, and TJ Check provided a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Islanders defeated Lebanon 2-1 for their fourth state crown.
Cox boys soccer (Class 5): Dax Booth booted in the game-winning penalty kick and keeper Sam Braidwood held Albemarle scoreless in the second half and deflected two PKs, and the Falcons hoisted their second state title in three seasons. They won 5-3 in PKs after a 1-1 standoff.
Lafayette boys soccer (Class 3): The Rams recovered from a 1-5 start to the season, capping the program’s first state championship run with a 1-0 victory — Jack Troy scored — over previously unbeaten Western Albemarle.
Kellam girls soccer (Class 5): Ava Chuderewicz knocked in the game-clinching penalty kick — after a scoreless regulation and four overtimes — as the Knights outlasted Beach District rival First Colonial to win their first state title since 2005.
Bruton boys tennis (Class 2): After recent near-misses, the Panthers claimed their first boys tennis team title while freshman Christoph Schweitzer, the individual singles runner-up, and Max de Winter took the doubles crown.
Bruton boys track and field (Class 2): Jayden Curry won the 1,600 meters (4:16.97) and was runner-up in both the 800 and high jump to help the Panthers win the title.
Kecoughtan boys track and field (Class 5): The Warriors repeated as outdoor champs by scoring 41 points in the jumping events, and Chazden Wilson (first), Kellen LaRoche (tied for second) and Jaymes Saunders (fifth) dominated the high jump.
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VISAA state champs
Fall
Norfolk Academy field hockey (Division I)
Cape Henry girls tennis (Division II)
Nansemond-Suffolk girls volleyball (Division II)
StoneBridge girls volleyball (Division III)
Winter
Cape Henry girls swimming (Division II)
Spring
Greenbrier Christian baseball (Division II)
Walsingham baseball (Division III)
Nansemond-Suffolk softball (Division II)
Nansemond-Suffolk boys lacrosse (Division II)
— Compiled by Jami Frankenberry, Sonny Dearth, Marty O’Brien, Larry Rubama, Michael Sauls
