Boys Basketball: Salem vs. Potomac Falls VHSL D4 State Semifinal Preview

Panthers celebrating 4th straight regional hoops title
(photo by Steven Holland/Viva Loudoun)

(March 4, 2013) - The Potomac Falls High School boys basketball team is two wins away from the school's third VHSL Division 4 state title in four years. Here is their semifinal preview:

The Skinny: VHSL Boys Basketball Division 4 Semifinals
Potomac Falls vs. Salem
Date: Tues. March 5, 2013
Location: VCU's Siegel Center in Richmond
Tip Off Time: 9 p.m.

Potomac Falls High School
Location: Sterling
Nickname: Panthers
Colors: Black, Purple and White
District: Dulles
Region: II
Enrollment (March 2012): 1,507
Head Coach: Jeff Hawes

Record: 26-4
Past Semifinals: 3
Past State Championships: 2



Kids R All Right: Panthers are led by 6-4 sophomore Wanya Allen (who scored 25 points in state quarterfinal win) and freshman 6-1 Michael Janowski. Allen is averaging 16.5 points per game on the season and Janwoski 12.1.

Tough Tondi: Panther senior Steven Tondi, who sat out the regional finals with a shoulder injury was back in the line-up in the state quarterfinals giving PFalls a boost inside.

Shorts Story: Senior D'shawn Shorts is a big component of the Panthers game. At 5-7 he is the point guard sparkplug for the team and in the postseason he is averaging nearly 10 points a game.

Thomas Transfer: 6-0 junior Deandre Thomas was a late transfer into the program for the Panthers this season and really starting clicking the second half of the year. The athletic Thomas is team's second leading scorer in postseason with 11.1 points per game off the bench.

Way Downtown: The Panthers back-to-back state title runs in 2010 and 2011 were built on role players who can come in and give coach Hawes quality minutes off the bench, especially on the defensive end, and can also knock down 3-point shots when left open. This year is no different as seniors 6-0 Brandon Orbe and 6-2 Michael Fischetti both hit 3-pointers in the state quarterfinals against Chancellor. The Panthers were hot from beyond the arc, dropping seven 3-pointers in the first half and nine total in the 20-point win.

One and Only: Panther coach Jeff Hawes is the only coach in program history, leading the team since the school opened in 1997-98.

Trivia Big Time: Potomac Falls has seen alumni play at the highest athletic levels with swimmer Matt McLean winning a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics; Adrian Tracy was on the practice squad for the New York Giants their Super Bowl season and last year in played in all 16 regular-season games and recorded his first NFL sack; and Conor Shanosky was signed by D.C. United out of high school and is on the Major League Soccer clubs season-opening roster.
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Salem High School 

Location: Salem
Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Maroon, Silver
District: River Ridge
Region: IV
Enrollment (March 2012): 1,246
Head Coach: Kevin Garst
Record: 17-10
Past Semifinals: 4
Past State Championships: 2


Light at the End of That Tunnel: For Potomac Falls they better hope that the light at the end of tunnel isn't 6-foot-6, 295-pound Spartan junior Alex Light. His double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds led Salem to a 53-45 state quarterfinal victory over Heritage of Lynchburg. Light, standout offensive tackle on the Spartans football team, was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from the foul line in the win. Look for Salem to try and lob the ball into Light in the paint.

Captain is Choice: Salem 5-11 senior co-captain John Repass showed his leadership with 12 points in the win over Heritage. Repass dropped three 3-pointers in the quarterfinal win. Repass and fellow co-captain 6-5 Matt Hill are two of the three seniors on the entire roster which is junior dominated.

Troy's the Mann: 6-4 junior Troy Mann scored 10 points in the game and was 4 of 4 from the line in the final 40 seconds of the quarterfinal win. Salem as a team hit their last six free throws to ice the game.

Let'Em Shoot: Salem was content to pack in their defense and let Heritage shoot the 3-ball in the quarterfinals and Heritage was able to muster just 4 of 20 from behind the arc. Potomac Falls will look to make the Spartans pay if they try this strategy Tuesday.

History Lesson: Salem is located in the Virginia Beach area but is located in the City of Salem near Roanoke. The high school was opened in 1977 by consolidation of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem and Glenvar High School in western Roanoke County. In 1983 the City of Salem established its own school district and Roanoke County Public Schools reopened Glenvar to serve western Roanoke. Between 1996 and 2005 the school won six Division 4 state football titles as well as boys basketball state titles in 1994 and 1999.

Easy as pi Trivia: Salem student Gaurav Raja at one time held the North American record for memorizing digits of pi when he recited 10,980 digits in June 2006.