Colonels oust No. 1 Pioneers

February 17, 2011

By David Selig - The Winchester Star

FRONT ROYAL - The 0-8 team that nobody wants to play is going to keep on playing.

Proving that the Northwestern District regular season is merely a warm-up act, the fifth-seeded James Wood boys' basketball team advanced to its second straight district tournament final with a 67-61 semifinal win over No. 1 Millbrook Wednesday night at Skyline High School.

The Colonels (6-17) - who lost all eight of their regular season district games - will return to Skyline to face No. 2 Sherando at 7 p.m. Friday.

They've also clinched an unlikely berth in next week's Region II Division 4 tournament.

"This team has been beaten down all year long and made fun of," James Wood coach Al Smith said. "But every day they continue to get up, and they come to practice, and they work hard. Each game they compete hard. ...

"I can't think of a better group of guys for this to happen to for all the stuff that they've been through this year."

Junior guards Chris Skinner and Chad Potter scored 19 points apiece for the Colonels, and senior forward Mason Smith added 16 despite being limited by foul trouble in the second half.

Wood had played the Pioneers (15-7) tough in both regular season meetings - losing by a combined five points - but this time the Colonels found a way to finish. After Millbrook battled from behind to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, Skinner put Wood ahead for good with a drive that made it 49-48 with 4:22 remaining.

He knocked down his fourth and final 3-pointer of the game just 24 seconds later, and Potter helped the Colonels cling to their lead by making 8 of 9 free throws down the stretch.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, James Wood's bench leapt onto the floor to celebrate, and Skinner emphatically spiked the ball in front of a raucous Colonel cheering section.

"They just came out with more energy than we had tonight," Millbrook coach Scott Mankins said. "They came out like they didn't want to turn their stuff in. And we came out like we thought we were better than we were."

Rze Culbreath led the Pioneers with 17 points, and Devin Call (13), Donte' Harris (12) and Boomer Kaczmarzewski (10) each joined him in double figures.

But Millbrook turned the ball over 20 times - nine during a third quarter in which the Pioneers managed just six field goal attempts.

James Wood didn't show Millbrook any new defensive wrinkles, but the Colonels constantly shifted into different zone sets to keep the Pioneers out of rhythm.

One of the most effective defenses had the 6-foot-7 Mason Smith drifting to the top of the key to help trap ballhandlers.

"Every other possession we would switch the defense so they wouldn't have a set offense against us," Potter said. "That had to keep their minds going while we were just back there relaxed.

"It was mainly zones. We didn't play much man, because they're a heck of a team and they can [get] dribble penetration on us. We just wanted to stop the dribble penetration."

James Wood also found a way to stop momentum from leaving its side of the court.

In close loss after close loss this season, the Colonels always seemed to fall apart.

But this time their composure prevailed.

When Al Smith got close to an official to argue an offensive foul late in the fourth quarter, freshman Camden Butler trotted over toward the bench to help calm down his coach.

When Mason Smith fouled out with 51 seconds remaining, Al Smith motioned with a finger to his own lips to make sure his son didn't say anything to the official that could result in a technical foul.

Alex Barnes (eight points) hit two free throws following that foul to pull Millbrook within three, but Potter answered with two free throws of his own and then Skinner went 2 for 2 on the Colonels' next trip.

At one point earlier this season Skinner almost shot himself into a diminished role.

Now he's helping shoot his team into regionals.

"His shot is back," Al Smith said. "I was this close to telling him, 'Don't shoot any more threes,' because his 3-point percentage after about 10 games was 15 percent.

"But he kept working. He came in one Sunday and we got the gun out and he continued to shoot and shoot. He's doing that on his own. He's a hard worker, and he takes a lot of pride in his game."

Millbrook's loss means there will not be a consolation game Friday night. The Pioneers were already assured the district's top seed for regional seeding purposes by virtue of their regular season championship. (The winner of Friday's game will get the second seed and the loser the third.)

Off since Feb. 8, Mankins said his team had a strong week of practice, and he wouldn't accept the excuse that his players knew they didn't have much to play for in terms of regional seeding.

"In my mind we had plenty to play for," he said. "Every time you put the uniform on, you've got something to play for. We spent a week talking about that, and you can sit around and look for excuses all night if you want to, [but] the bottom line is we didn't get it done."

The Pioneers will get back in the gym and prepare for the Region II Division 3 tournament, where it's truly one and done.

And after upsetting the No. 1 seed in the district for the second year in a row, James Wood will head into a championship rematch fearing nothing.

"These guys are loose," Al Smith said, the celebration in the locker room behind him still audible. "They're not afraid right now. If they lose a game, what's the big deal? It's another one. We have nothing to lose."

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