With a tough division and the starting five all leaving for college, what should the expectations be for the Briar Woods boys varsity basketball season?

Last year the starting five consisted of seniors whose accolades go down the list. Now, they are all in college and new faces will appear in the starting lineup. With Covid in the rear view mirror, the boys varsity team looks to rebound from a shortened 6-9 record last year – finishing fourth in the division. Winning two out of the three last games, there should be some momentum heading into this season. However, a whole new lineup for Coach Butler is leaving some fans skeptical.

Briar has been in the top ranks over the past three seasons. Now pre-season predictions have Briar near the end of the rankings. The addition of Stone Bridge winning the state title last year and gaining all their main pieces back looks brutal for the squad, not to mention other powerhouses in the division like Freedom and Potomac Falls. This is not an ideal situation for a team with many challenges to face.

All the anchors from last year have graduated. Dominic Meyers and Michael Tehan, who received all district honors, have departed to college. The most experienced player on the team, Brayden Fetterman, has tough shoes to fill as he has played varsity since his sophomore year. Though he may have mostly sat on the bench, being a sophomore on a highly selective varsity team is impressive. Other than that, a lot of newcomers and players with little to no varsity experience look to complete the rest of the roster. It will be interesting to see how Coach Butler chooses his lineups with these new competitors.

Asking around the community, many people are excited but weary of the new season. One parent says “We have the players and coaching, it’s definitely going to be hard competing with Stonebridge, Pot [Potomac} falls and other schools. I have trust in Coach Butler to put this team on the right path.” A faithful student who has been going to games since freshman year said that “[although] we may have lost all our starters, the up incoming seniors can get the job done. [He is] excited to see what Fetterman can do.  We had a little glimpse of [them] last year, and this year – with no seniors starting – they can get it done.”

The expectations aren’t the highest as of right now, but Briar is more than ready to prove why they could be the best team in the division and Virginia.