Boys Basketball: Potomac Falls Beats Broad Run in Early Season Showdown of Unbeatens

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (Dec. 21, 2010) – Christmas came early to Dulles District boys basketball fans Monday night as Potomac Falls visited Broad Run in an early season showdown of unbeatens. Trailing most of the night, Broad Run rallied before a packed gym to take a 56-52 lead early in the final quarter, but the defending state champion Panthers stormed back behind senior Lukas Mihailovich and junior Greg Graves to capture the contest, 80-69.

In the final frenzied six minutes, the 6-foot Mihailovich scored 16 of his game-high 34 points and the 6-foot-7 Graves accounted for 10 of his 19 to help Potomac Falls improve to 3-0 in district and 7-0 overall. Broad Run, led by senior Taylor Johnson’s 31 points, dropped to 2-1 and 5-1.


Last season the two teams split in the regular season before Potomac Falls defeated Broad Run in both the district and regional tournaments en route to Loudoun’s first ever VHSL boys state basketball title, having to come-from-behind in all three state tournament games.

“We have that experience … we really don’t panic. We trust in our confidence,” said Mihailovich who had a 3-pointer, an offensive putback and a reverse layin during a 9-3 run that put the Panthers up 61-59 with 4:44 to play.

The Spartans would take one more lead, 62-61, as Johnson dropped a 3-pointer with 4:24 left but Broad Run ran out of gas, especially on the boards. Graves gave Potomac Falls the lead for good with two free throws after being fouled on a rebound and Mihailovich then added another follow-in and fastbreak as the Panthers sprinted to the finish.

“I’m disappointed because we didn’t finish,” said Broad Run coach John Costello, who watched his team shoot 4 of 11 from the foul line after going 25 of 30 on Friday at Briar Woods.

Broad Run’s comeback at the end of the third quarter was aided by a technical foul on Graves with five seconds left that led to three Spartan points and a 54-52 lead.

“Emotions were very high. This is the rivalry that has built up the last three years,” said Graves, who returned in the final quarter a determined force inside.

Panther coach Jeff Hawes called the December win “huge”.

“The kids are all talking undefeated all the time and I said let’s just get to undefeated at Christmas,” said Hawes.


Potomac Falls 80, Broad Run 69
Potomac Falls (3-0, 7-0)
Chesson 3 4-4 10, Simoneau 1 0-2 3, Mihailovich 13 7-11 34, Waggonhoffer 1 1-2 3, Graves 6 7-8 19, Curran 2 1-2 6, Galloway 1 0-0 2, Kress 0 1-2 1, Hoover 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 21-31 80.
Broad Run (2-1, 5-1)
TJohnson 13 1-2 31, NJohnson 5 2-4 13, Rawson 2 0-0 4, Hiatt 2 1-4 6, McNamee 1 0-0 2, Gooch 4 0-0 8, Ellington 1 0-1 2, Jasper 1 0-0 3. Totals 29 4-11 69.
3-Pointers: Potomac Falls 3 (Simoneau 1, Mihailovich 1, Curran 1), Broad Run 7 (TJohnson 4, NJohnson 1, Hiatt 1, Jasper 1).