Amelia Academy JV Lady Patriots Upset #1 Richmond Christian
By Malinda Z. Shanaberger
There is more than one successful girls’ team at Amelia Academy this basketball season. The Junior Varsity girls played with heart and intensity on Wednesday, February 23, against the unbeaten JV girls from Richmond Christian School.
The JV Lady Patriots traveled to RCS to try to win a spot in the VCC Championship game at Richard Bland College on Saturday, February 26. They did more than "try;" they defeated the first-ranked Lady Warriors with a score of 38-35 and knocked them out of the tournament.
“The team knew they were the underdog and had lost twice to RCS this season. They also knew that they were beatable and that we were the team to do it if we all worked together. I am proud of their team effort and their ability to remain focused in a loud and sometimes hostile environment at RCS. Emma .’s defensive effort against their best player was key to our victory,” said Coach Megan Carney.
The offensive force for the JV Lady Patriots came from Meghan F., who had 21 points. Key rebounding by Autumn M. and her nine points also made the difference. Rickylyn C. scored four points, Chelsea D. had three points, and Emma B. scored one point. When the final buzzer sounded, the entire team cleared the bench and ran onto the floor to hug and congratulate their teammates.
“It was a highlight of our season,” said Coach Malinda Shanaberger. “We have a very young team, and RCS was stacked with older, taller girls who had more basketball experience. Our young ladies showed that they had the will to win.”
The VCC Championship game was held at Richard Bland College in Petersburg on Saturday. This was the first time the JV girls’ basketball team had ever reached the final round. The JV Lady Patriots lost by only six points in their Championship game against Southampton Academy with a score of 30-24.
Rounding out the weekend of AA girls’ basketball, the little Lady Patriots Middle School girls’ team won their third consecutive Millwood League Championship on Friday, February 25, as they beat the ladies from Millwood School. They won with a score of 26-17, with Chelsea D. scoring nineteen of the team’s points.
