THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 8, 1995 TAG: 9503080631
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
The top-ranked boys basketball teams fell in bunches last week in Group AAA regional play.
No. 1 Petersburg - gone.
No. 3 West Potomac - history.
No. 4 Churchland - out the door.
The only team ranked in the top 10 in the state's final Associated Press Group AAA poll that made it through region play was No. 2 Potomac, of Dumfries,, in Prince William County.
And now the nation is taking notice of the Panthers (24-1), who checked into USA Today's national poll at No. 25.
Potomac's only loss came in December to Duquesne High of Pittsburgh. Since then, Potomac has raced through the competition in the Northwest Region and has been The Washington Post's top-ranked team for six weeks.
``We talked about (the national ranking),'' Potomac coach Kendall Hayes said. ``And I don't think it's something the kids are all that excited about. They are more focused on winning three more games.''
Potomac, led by 6-foot-4 senior guard Tinail Harris (21 points per game), is the prohibitive favorite entering this week's state quarterfinals. But Hayes rejects the notion.
``The kids don't have any idea that they should be the favorite, and I don't intend to tell them, Hayes said. ``Anyway, that's something that ties a coach's stomach in knots more than the players.''
HOT HAND: Katie Smrcka-Duffy of James Madison High i Vienna has all but wrapped up the state's Group AAA girls Player of the Year award. The silky-smooth 5-8 junior with the dangerous jump shot has averaged 31.6 points per game for the Warhawks (25-1), the girls tournament favorite.
James Madison is ranked 18th in the nation by USA Today, the only loss coming to Bradley Central of Tennessee in December.
A year ago, Duffy was recovering from a torn kneeligament. The result of her time off? A better outside shot. It was all she could do during her recovery, and she displayed her improved range by making 77 3-point goals this season.
The Warhawks have been so good that college coaches see it as a waste of time to watch their games; there's always a chance it will be a blowout and Smrcka-Duffy's playing time will be cut. So they have chosen to watch her in practice instead. That was the case last week when an assistant coach for North Carolina showed up at James Madison's gym.
Assessments of her talent have become passe in Northern Virginia. Opposing coaches have run out of adjectives and superlatives.
``You just like to give her the ball and watch her play,'' said Warhawks coach Pat Deegan.
HOT HAND NO. 2: James River sophomore guard Katie Tracy has averaged 25 points a game this season to lead the Rapids (23-3), and she's expected to be named the Richmond-area player of the year.
``She's just an incredible kid,'' said Rapids coach Sarah Susbury. ``She can dig as deep as we need her to do.''
Basketball might not be her best sport. The 5-5 Tracy is one of 18 players of the Under-16 National Team pool in girls soccer.
Kempsville High can judge her basketball talents at 6 p.m. Saturday when the Chiefs meet James River at Churchland High in the girls quarterfinals.
STEPPING DOWN: Husky Hall, Virginia's all-time winningest coach in public school basketball, announced his retirement following Martinsville's 87-60 loss to Liberty High in the Region III semifinals.
Hall, who won six state titles with Martinsville, finishes his career with a 610-176 record. The Bulldogs were 18-5 this season. by CNB