Two-time defending Liberty District girls’ basketball champion Madison High is off to a good start to the new season. The Warhawks, going into this week, had lost their most recent game, falling to defending Northern Region champion and Vienna-area rival Oakton, by a 57-46 score this past Friday night, Dec. 17, at home. The setback put Madison at 3-2 thus far.
Madison, in the loss to Oakton, was led in scoring by sophomore guard Megan Leduc with 15 points. Annie Gauf, a senior forward, and freshman guard Katie Kerrigan both contributed nine points, and senior forward Carmen Mann had six.
For undefeated Oakton (6-0), senior shooting guard Zora Stephenson led the way with 14 points, while junior guard Caroline Coyer scored 12. Also for the Cougars, sophomore center Elizabeth Manner scored nine points, junior guard Katherine Coyer scored seven and senior forward Halley Cummins also had seven. Corrinne Holland, a senior guard, added five in Oakton’s balanced attack and senior guard Danielle Davis had three.
The contest between the non-district rivals was close the entire way with Oakton holding a 14-11 lead after one quarter and a 27-23 advantage at the half. The Cougars were up 39-34 going into the final quarter.
Madison, in its earlier games this season, edged private school opponent Paul VI (Fairfax), 43-41, in its season opener on Dec. 1. That was followed by the Warhawks’ first loss, a 56-47 setback at another private school opponent, Georgetown Visitation, in a road game on Dec. 7. Madison then defeated both home team Chantilly, 47-44, on Dec. 10 and visiting South Lakes, 59-31, in its Liberty District opener on Dec. 14.
In the win over the Seahawks, Leduc and senior forward Anna Jay scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, for Madison, while both Gauf and sophomore guard Megan Henshaw scored nine each and senior Sarah Schrock eight. That victory put the team at 3-1 going into its game with yearly powerful Oakton.
“It is early on in the season and I think we are playing well,” said Madison head coach Kirsten Roberts, a former Warhawk player herself who has led the team to consecutive district crowns during her first two seasons at the helm of the program. “We still have a long way to go to reach our end of the year goals but we are starting to click on offense and on defense.”
Madison lost its top scorer from last year, Erin Kavanagh, to graduation last spring.
The Warhawks, who were scheduled to host district opponent Stone Bridge earlier this week on Monday, Dec. 21, will be competing in a holiday tournament at Westfield High School’s Bulldog Bash Dec. 28-30.
<b>OAKTON</b>, a member of the Concorde District, has wins this season over visiting Langley, 90-20, on Dec. 3; visiting South County, 74-49, on Dec. 7; visiting Washington-Lee, 82-25, on Dec. 10; host Loudoun County, 61-39, on Dec. 11; host Jefferson, 71-23, on Dec. 14; and, on Friday, Madison. The 11-point win over the Warhawks was the Cougars’ toughest test of yet. They were scheduled to host Lee High on Monday (Dec. 21) of this week. Oakton, under head coach Fred Priester, will be traveling to Florida for a tournament over the Christmas break.