After trailing Woodson for the majority of the first half, Hayfield rallied back to bring the game within one point at 36-35 with less than three minutes to play in the 3rd quarter of the Occoquan Region Championship.
The Cavaliers responded with an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, capped off by sophomore guard Kaylen Chilton dribbling the length of the court and sinking a three-point floater as the buzzer sounded, which sent the crowd to their feet. Woodson carried the momentum into the final quarter and held off the Hawks for a 61-53 victory.
“It always feels good to win these,” Woodson Head Coach Doug Craig said after celebrating with his family. “We knew this was going to be a tough game and we were going to have to play really well. Our kids rose to the occasion. I thought the key was at the end of the third quarter – they made a run and cut it close, we responded and were able to get some separation.”
The Cavaliers (23-4) were led by Chilton who finished with 20 points and six rebounds, and was also named First Team All- Patriot District earlier in the month. Chilton credited his success to his teammates who encouraged him to keep playing his game after a slow start in the first half.
“I can’t do anything without my teammates,” Chilton said. “They told me to stick with it and be myself.”
Woodson was also led by senior forward Will Taylor, who recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Taylor was excited about the win, but noted the team still has its eye on the state tournament.
“It feels amazing, we need one more though,” Taylor said with a smile. “The team chemistry is great – we’ve been playing together since fifth grade.”
The Hawks were led by senior forward Jaylen Lemon, who had 15 points and five rebounds.
Woodson got out to an early 8-2 lead as Taylor found success in the post and senior guard Theo Burke assisted on two of the Cavaliers’ first four baskets. Hayfield would then tie the game at 8-8 after back-to-back three-pointers.
The Cavaliers responded by ending the quarter on an 8-2 run, energized by senior guard Noah Limbago who attacked his way to the foul line twice and went 4-4 on free throws. Woodson led 16-10 going into the second quarter.
“We wanted to play sound defensively,” Coach Craig said. “We didn’t want to give them open looks because they got a lot of good three-point shooters. We wanted to make sure we ran them off the line as much as possible, tried to help at the rim, and be physical around the basket.”
Woodson started the second quarter on a 9-3 run, which included a steal from senior forward Kollin Morgan that resulted in a fast break dunk, sending the crowd to its feet. Hayfield sank a three-pointer on the following possession and took a timeout as the Hawks trailed 25-16 with four minutes to play in the half.
After the timeout the Cavaliers were still able to slow Hayfield’s attack and would enter halftime with a 29-22 lead. Chilton and Taylor agreed that the team’s defense has thrived because they’ve communicated and been on the same page.
“It’s just talking to each other,” Taylor said. “We’ve been communicating really well the last couple games.”
Hayfield (23-6) finally found a rhythm in the third quarter and produced a 13-5 run that brought the game within one point at 36-35. But the Cavaliers 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter ended the adversity. Chilton scored seven consecutive points to start the fourth quarter, which would help put the game out of reach and eventually secure the 61-53 victory.
“Hayfield has been such a great program for a long time,” Coach Craig said. “Coach Poindexter and his staff do a great job. This is a tough place to play, they’ve ended our season here multiple times in the last few years. We got great senior leadership who played together for a while. It’s a close group and they’ve done a good job for us.”
Chilton and Taylor praised Coach Craig’s leadership and said that he encourages the team not to get complacent.
“He never lets us get comfortable,” Chilton said.
After the win, the Cavaliers crowd erupted with praise and cheered on the team as they celebrated their trophy and cut down the net.
“It’s always cool to see stuff like this,” Coach Craig said. “It’s not just the players and the coaches, it’s your community, your administration, your students, they all want to be a part of it. That’s the fun part of this year, getting to share good things with everybody else.”
Woodson will host Westfield in the Class 6 State Quarterfinals.
“We’ll enjoy this tonight, tomorrow we’ll get our work in,” Coach Craig said. “There’s no easy games at this time of the year. Everybody is good, all these teams are capable of winning the state title. We just gotta play well and focus on what you can.”
–TJ Davis
@Ttown316
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