Now that the season is over for the boys basketball team, Coach Butler recalls his proudest moment from the season was when “[the boys] were able to improve enough to get in the playoffs when it counted. In the game against [Independence], we stepped in there and set the tone early, and we dind’t have one of those inconsistent games. We maintained the lead the entire game and we basically held it down for the whole game so that was something I’m proud of.”
On Monday, Feb. 12, the Falcons competed in the District Quarterfinals against the Independence Tigers. Several turnovers and strong rebounding from sophomore Ryan Brzezanski and junior Jacob Eckhaus allowed Briar to maintain the lead in the first half, with a score of 31-19 at half-time. The Falcons moved the ball well in the second half, controlling the tempo of the offense and opening up quality scoring opportunities. With all aspects of the game coming together for Briar Woods, the Falcons put away the Tigers by a comfortable margin, winning 62-54. Combined, sophomores Brzezanski and Devon Pettibone accounted for 40 of the 62 points, with Brzezanski contributing 23 and Pettibone contributing 17. Brzezanski and Pettibone have proven to be the team’s backbone with their solid performances, and they will continue to be a critical component of the Falcon’s success for the next couple years.
Reflecting on the Falcons’ win against Independence, Devon Pettibone, sophomore and point guard states, “I think, with it being an elimination game, there was a different drive for our team in that game just because if we lost, we went home, and none of us want that.”
Coming off of a solid win against Independence in the District Quarterfinals, they faced a tough opponent in Potomac Falls on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Losing by a score of 68-48, the Falcons were eliminated in the District Tournament, but their win against Independence secured their place in the Region Quarterfinals.
Commenting on what Briar Woods executed well and how they can improve from the loss, Coach Butler explains, “I thought our intensity was there. I thought they wanted to win and it wasn’t just a ‘oh, we’re just giving up’ but their execution and just being tougher -we’ve got to be tough against them.”
On Monday, Feb. 19, the Briar Woods Falcons faced the Harrisonburg Blue Streaks in the Region Quarterfinals. After a slow start in the first half, with the Falcons playing it safe to avoid getting into foul trouble early, they gained momentum in the third quarter and fought valiantly to the end, but fell to the Blue Streaks who came out on top, with a final score of 64-53. In the first quarter, Harrisonburg got out to an early lead, with good penetration leading to several layups, ending the quarter up 19-10. Briar tried to recover in the second quarter by consistently drawing fouls from the Blue Streaks, giving them the opportunity to score easy free-throws. However, Briar’s defense struggled to contain Harrisonburg, leaving them no time to recover. The Blue Streaks held the lead, going into half-time with a score of 36-23.
Going into the third quarter, the Falcons tightened up their defense which proved advantageous, with Briar outscoring Harrisonburg 18-6. As a result, the Falcons cut the Blue Streaks lead down to one point, as they went into the final quarter trailing 42-41. Both teams battled back-and-forth in the fourth quarter, with Briar Woods staying aggressive on defense and Harrisonburg continuing to pressure Briar’s defense. Unfortunately, Briar’s aggression on defense resulted in them picking up a lot of fouls. The Falcons kept a consistent focus on defense and pressure against the Blue Streaks, trying their hardest to rally, but ultimately lost 64-53.
Patrick Fraim, junior and shooting guard, comments on Briar Woods’ loss against Harrisonburg, stating, “we just gave up too many points in the first half. I think our energy in the second half was good, but we gave up too many to come back. We put up a fight at the end, it just wasn’t enough.”
With the season ending, Pettibone shares how the team has come together to support one another, saying, “we’ve had a lot of new guys [this year], so we were all just getting used to playing with each other. I think we’ve come a long way from that because we all care about each other and want to win for each other.” Adding off of that, Fraim mentions, “we’ve been there for each other at practices, off the court and especially on the court. Like, if one of us gets subbed out, we tell each other it’s okay and keep the energy high.”
Regardless of the outcome, the boys have improved a lot this season. The Falcons have come a long way and they look to take the energy and discipline they’ve developed into the next season.
