Best of the best

While wandering through the weight room during the offseason, Culpeper coach James Thompson happened upon a young man who stood 6-foot-4-inches and said he was interested in trying out for basketball.

Sounds pretty lucky, but there was a catch — CCHS junior Larry Ralph hadn’t played basketball in more than two years.

“He (Ralph) came out and gave 110 percent from day one,” Thompson said. “He’s got great conditioning and basketball smarts already, but seeing players like him progress is a win in itself.”

Despite his lack of experience, Ralph averaged 32 minutes of playing time and 12 rebounds a game this season and that was good enough to earn him a spot on the Cedar Run District’s Honorable Mention team.

“Larry was my tallest kid this year and he went up against Division-I caliber athletes all season,” Thompson said. “I couldn’t ask any more from him.”

Joining Ralph on the Honorable Mention squad is freshman point guard Josh Majors — who averaged 15 points a game and rarely left the court this season.

Majors’ quickness to the basket and his accuracy from three-point range gave opponents fits, and he was the Blue Devils’ most consistent offensive threat most of the season.

“Being able to play point guard at his (Majors) age says a lot about him,” the second-year coach at CCHS said. “He wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, and I didn’t bail him out because I wanted him to learn from his mistakes.”

The opening of Eastern View left the Blue Devils lacking in the experience department, but standout Spencer Allen didn’t disappoint.

The senior led Culpeper offensively — averaging 17 points a game — and opposing coaches acknowledged that by naming Allen second-team All-Cedar Run.

“He (Allen) can catch and shoot with anybody in the district,” Thompson said. “He even had to teach the younger guys that at a varsity practice you have to come to work on the game instead of just running around shooting ball.”

Battlefield coaches feel the winds
The Cyclones went from being the new team on the block to a Battlefield District contender in a hurry this season, and Eastern View coach Walter Wright thinks that says a lot about his team.

“That just proves my guys’ toughness and how hard they have worked,” he said. “This season will definitely raise the standards of Eastern View basketball for years to come.”

A huge part of the Cyclones’ success was senior deep-ball shooter Mo Safren, who was named first-team All-District thanks to his sweet stroke from three-point range and his quick drives to the basket.

“He (Safren) was one of our main keys this year,” Wright said. “He was our go-to guy on offense and he’s the best two-guard in the league.”

Safren isn’t the only Cyclone to garner postseason awards. Joining him are Honorable Mention selections Stevie Strother and Drayton Shanks.

Strother — a senior — covered the point guard position for Eastern View, but it was his defense that put him on the map, according to Wright.

“He (Strother) gives a defensive presence that most teams don’t have and that’s what got him recognized,” the first-year coach at EVHS said.

Even though he is only a sophomore, Shanks started almost every game for the Cyclones this season, and the 6-foot-4-inch forward brought the home crowd to its feet with a slam-dunk on more than one occasion.

“He (Shanks) brings quickness and length to the team,” Wright said. “And his intensity and defensive pressure set him apart.”

White proves she’s one of the Battlefield’s best
Eastern View’s Courtney White has been among the Battlefield District’s top scorers all season, and after averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds a game as a senior, she was named first-team All-District.

“This is a real accomplishment for her (White),” EVHS coach Mike McCombs said. “I can’t vote for my own players, so it was the other coaches from her new district that voted her in.”

The four-year starter on varsity finished third in total first-team votes behind Courtland’s Karina Monroe and James Monroe’s Bilnita Armstead, according to McCombs.

White was the Cyclones’ catalyst most of the season, but she wasn’t alone.

Junior Myesha Brock did her part — averaging 13 points, three assists and four rebounds a game — and for her efforts, she was named second-team All-District.

“As the point guard, the ball is in her (Brock’s) hands,” McCombs said. “She knows the game and she’s our quarterback. She will be one of the top one or two players in the district next year.”

The Battlefield’s coaches also honored sophomore forward Courtney Shanks by naming her to the district’s Honorable Mention team.

Shanks — a two-year starter on varsity — finished the season averaging seven points and seven rebounds a game.

All-District players

EVHS boys

Mo Safren » 1st team

Stevie Strother » Honorable Mention

Drayton Shanks » Honorable Mention

CCHS boys

Spencer Allen » 2nd team
Josh Majors » Honorable Mention

Larry Ralph » Honorable Mention

EVHS girls

Courtney White » 1st team

Myesha Brock » 2nd team

Courtney Shanks » Honorable Mention