The Langley High boys’ basketball team successfully defended its Liberty District title with a dominating 64-37 victory over South Lakes in the district tournament finals game played last Friday night in Reston.
Langley (18-7), the top seed of the district tournament, was led by a balanced scoring attack which included big games from junior guard Austin Vasiliadis (16 points), senior guard David Adams (14), and junior guard Daniel Dixon (11). Senior post Brenden Dwyer and junior guard Joey Robinson both contributed eight points. For South Lakes (14-11), senior guard Joey Daye scored 18 points. He was the lone Seahawks’ player to score in double figures.
South Lakes, a one-time dominant program that has struggled in recent years, reached the district finals with wins over both Madison and McLean. But the Seahawks were no match for a Langley team that has overpowered the district in recent years.
Langley, under head coach Travis Hess, was scheduled to open up play at the 16-team Northern Region tournament earlier this week with a home game versus Washington-Lee. The Saxons went all the way to the region finals last year before losing to Chantilly. But the Saxons, by making it to the championship game, qualified for the Virginia State AAA playoffs for the first time in the program’s history.
Langley has lost just one district game all season - that coming at home to a struggling Madison team, 48-47, in a late regular season contest on Feb. 8.
At last week’s district tournament, the Saxons defeated Marshall, 60-39, in a first round game played on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Langley led 16-9 after one quarter and held a 30-14 halftime advantage. Dixon led Langley with 20 points, while Dwyer added 15. Adams and Robinson both scored eight points.
In a semifinals game the following day, Langley got past a tough Fairfax squad, 68-60. The Rebels held a 16-14 lead after one quarter. But Langley put together a strong second quarter and held a 34-29 halftime lead. The second half was fairly evenly played but the Saxons came away with the win.
Four Langley players were in double digits in the round of four win – Adams (20 points), Vasiliadis (15), Dixon (14) and Tristan Evans (12). Joey Boyle led Fairfax with 22 points.
With the win over Fairfax, Langley moved on to the finals against a South Lakes squad that went a highly respectable 9-5 in district play during the regular season. The Saxons, however, had beaten South Lakes decisively in two regular season meetings and went on to do the same in the district championship meeting.
Now, Langley will look to continue its stellar postseason with region tournament play this week.
<b>THE LANGLEY HIGH</b> boys’ and girls’ indoor track and field teams competed at the Northern Region championships last weekend at George Mason University’s Field House in Fairfax.
The Saxon boys finished 15th place among a field of 25 teams, while the Langley girls finished 18th among 22 teams.
Langley senior Lucas Grim won the championship in the boys’ pole vault event, finishing ahead of second place finisher Sean Daugherty of Lake Braddock. Michael Lohr of Robinson was third in the event.
Jessica Miles, a Langley sophomore, earned a fourth place finish in the girls’ 1600 race. She finished behind first place finisher Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock, second place finisher Maddie Wittich of West Springfield and third place finisher Hannah Christen of Lake Braddock.