![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
Phoenix Pounce on the Cougars
On Feb. 9, the boys junior varsity and varsity basketball teams showed out for their last home game of the season against visiting team Manassas Park Cougars. The games ended with the Phoenix junior varsity team winning 38-32 and the varsity team winning 68-42.
Varsity’s junior Nick Canfield (23) looks around to find a teammate to throw the ball to as a Cougar plays tight defense on him. “We did a good job on defense communicating, that was something that we were really trying to work on this past game,” Canfield said.
February 25, 2022
On Feb. 9, the Phoenix boys basketball teams played their last regular-season home games. The contest was non-conference, meaning that the games didn’t count towards the overall record, providing the Phoenix a unique opportunity to test out new team dynamics.
A few junior varsity players, such as Freshman Will Beck, had the opportunity to play up with the varsity squad for the first time, while a few players from the boys freshman team joined the junior varsity players. The game was seen by the program as a way to make some improvements. By switching up rosters, giving different players more opportunities, changing zone formations and rotations on defense, the Phoenix were able to effectively assess their playing, and finished the regular season out with a win for both Phoenix teams. ¨The game was good, we started off super strong and then we brought in our secondaries and they showed up pretty good,¨ said sophomore Austin Fisher on teaming up with a few rookies.
The team started out strong, maintaining a steadfast lead with senior Aditya Kamath scoring, individually, nearly the same his opponents had total. Junior Basit Qadri and Daniel Okoye had noteworthy steals and blocks, proving their defense effective.
![On Monday, Dec. 16, the Rock Ridge Phoenix boys varsity basketball team faced the Unity Reed Lions in a close-knit battle, where the Phoenix prevailed 59-56.
The first quarter started slow, with both teams focusing on strong defense. Even with sophomore Filippo Gomes leading the first with two three-pointers, the Phoenix were still down three at the end of the quarter, leaving a 15-12 lead for the Lions.
The Phoenix amped up their offense considerably for the rest of the game. During the second quarter, the Phoenix scored 20 points, allowing them to grow the point gap between them and the Lions’ score, finishing the quarter 32-23 Phoenix. The third quarter was neck-and-neck as the Lions found footing again, but the Phoenix persisted and gained 14 points, ending the third quarter with a nerve-wracking 46-45 Phoenix lead. “I was a little nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” senior Akash Kulkarni said. “But just staying confident, making good passes, and listening to [Coach] Geyer [got us through].” Both teams fought tooth-and-nail for the fourth quarter, utilizing fouls, free throws, and timeouts to their advantage, but in the end, it was up to Phoenix defense to ensure their win. Ultimately, the Phoenix triumphed, with a winning score of 59-56.
After the game, the Phoenix basketball team awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) belt to the player who worked diligently behind the scenes senior William Beck. They awarded him MVP for his team leadership and playmaking throughout the game. “It feels good, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Beck said.
✏️ and 📷 by Nidhi Manchala and Lucian Tiller](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)