Williamsburg Christian Academy’s #1 ranking in the VISAA Division 3 poll seemed a foregone conclusion to stay there for some time. Right up until they faced off with then #11 Life Christian Academy. WCA had no reason to believe that this matchup would end any different than their season opener, when WCA trounced LCA 89-65. That, however, may have been precisely the problem. “They had more energy than we did,” stated one player, as Life Christian hustled themselves defensively to a 68-55 victory, in which star Cle’von Greene was only able to produce 8 points on 3 of 14 shooting. Da’Shawn Cook was the sole bright star offensively, with 20 points and five rebounds. WCA held a 4 point victory at the half, but was outscored 38-21 in the second half.

Reserves take Center Stage

It would seem that the team drew a proverbial line in the sand in that game, as they journeyed the next day to Denbigh Baptist, where a squad composed primarily of reserves compiled a statement win, 83-27. Kivinie Johnson led all scorers with 20 points, and Malachi Banks chipped in 19. Senior Chinese International student Steven Wang also dumped in 9 points, and sophomore Jalen Vaughan had ten rebounds.

Big Tourney Win

In their third game in three days, the upper-class starters rejoined the court for a tournament game versus Westridge Academy of Kernersville, NC in the Hampton Roads Classic. With a fresh set of legs on the court, WCA’s big three exploded for 60 combined points in a 75-58 victory. Cle’von Greene led all scorers with 24 points with 11 rebounds, including 9 of 10 from the free throw line, while twins Da’Shawn and Ra’Shawn Cook scored 20 and 16 respectively.

Turning Point Versus D1 Cape Henry

The Eagles didn’t have any time to savor their big win over Westridge, as they were on the following Monday for a snow-rescheduled contest at Cape Henry Collegiate. A top-notch VISAA Division 1 program with a track record of producing NCAA Division 1 players, Cape Henry is ranked #12 in the VISAA polls as of January 31st. WCA turned in another superb performance, with a 75-56 win at Cape Henry.  Greene once again was the leading scorer, and was a significant creator as well, dishing out eight assists and creating five steals. Da’Shawn Cook added 18 points, while brother Ra’Shawn chipped in 15 with five steals himself.

Reserves Wrap Up Road Trip

The final contest, 5 in 6 days, came against Metro foe Stonebridge. Seeing them for the first time this season, the expectation was that the Cavaliers would not be able to match the talent level of the reserves, so the primary upper-class starters sat this game out. Although Stonebridge jumped out to an early lead on some hot 3-point shooting, the Eagles tightened up D en route to a 76-39 win. Junior Dexter Radcliffe was the big scorer in this one, scoring 26 points on 71% shooting, many on offensive rebound putbacks. Malachi Banks scored 13 points, and big man Jalen Vaughan added 12. (watch the game)

The team next faces Metro archrival Atlantic Shores Christian School at 7 PM at home, Friday, February 2nd. We hope to see many of you there!!