Wood's Firebaugh named district basketball Player of the Year

James Wood senior guard Makayla Firebaugh repeated as the Girls’ Player of the Year and Handley senior forward Demitri Gardner and Millbrook senior guard Julien Hagerman were named co-Boys’ Players of the Year to lead Class 4 All-Northwestern District basketball selections that were released on Monday.

During the regular season Firebaugh led the area in scoring (25.8 points per game), steals (5.5) and free throw percentage (.845), ranked second in field goal percentage (.460), third in assists (2.7) and sixth in rebounds (5.9).

Gardner led the area in scoring (22.9 ppg), was second in rebounding (7.9) and 3-point percentage (.364, 28 of 77) and fifth in field goal percentage (175 of 337, .519). Hagerman ranked second in scoring (15.0) and third in 3-point shooting (.360, 49 of 136).

The girls’ co-Coaches of the Year are Millbrook’s Erick Green Sr. and James Wood’s Krista Crites.

Millbrook and James Wood tied for the district regular-season crown with 13-1 records and split their regular-season series. Millbrook defeated James Wood in a playoff tiebreaker to earn the No. 1 seed for the Class 4 Northwestern District tournament, which saw the Pioneers beat the Colonels in the championship game. Each team is in action tonight at 6 p.m. in the Region 4C semifinals, with Millbrook (25-1) hosting Tuscarora and James Wood (22-4) traveling to Loudoun Valley.

Other local players besides Firebaugh on the first team are teammate and junior forward Brenna Prunty; Millbrook sophomore guard Avery O’Roke, senior forward Ali Hauck and senior guard Emily Magee; and Sherando freshman guard Grace Burke.

Second team selections are Millbrook senior forward Ciana Harrison; James Wood sophomore guard Jenny Kerns and freshman guard Brynna Nesselrodt; and Sherando sophomore forward Ella Carlson.

Handley junior forward Tierney Finley was named honorable mention.

The boys’ Coach of the Year is Millbrook first-year coach Steve Grubbs, who led the Pioneers to a sweep of the district regular-season and tournament championships. (The Pioneers went 12-2 in the district regular season.) Millbrook (19-6) will host Loudoun Valley at 7:30 tonight in the Region 4C semifinals.

Joining Gardner and Hagerman on the first team are Millbrook senior guard Tyson Stewart and James Wood senior guard James Cornwell.

Second team selections are Millbrook senior guard Jordan Jackson and senior forward Ben Oates; Handley junior guard Kemani Curry; James Wood senior guard Jerome McCarthy; and Sherando junior forward Keli Lawson.

James Wood senior forward Lavaughan Freeman and Handley senior forward Nick Hott were both named honorable mention.