Forest Park falls short

By Dave Utnik

Published: March 14, 2008

RICHMOND—Forest Park guard Shayla Drakeford plopped onto Cara Hawkins' lap, wrapped a consoling arm around her teammate's neck and solemnly stared out onto the court during the final minute of the Group AAA state championship game Friday night.

The heartfelt embrace did nothing to alter the reality of what was taking place out on the court at the Siegel Center, where the Bruins' lost to Heritage 50-29. But it meant a lot to Hawkins, who buried her face in her hands and cried.

All along the bench, disappointment was etched in the expressions of every Bruins player as the mighty Hurricanes began to celebrate their first state title.

After winning 20 consecutive games and returning to the finals for the fourth time in five seasons, the Bruins somehow felt that they'd let their seniors down.

"To get here and not have it work out for you is painful," Forest Park coach Rebecca Tillett said. "It's just so emotional for them right now. In addition to the loss they are saying goodbye to some great leadership and that's really tough on them."

It was especially tough on junior guard Danni Jackson, who had dedicated the postseason to injured guard Deidre Richardson and wanted so badly to send her off to George Mason University with another title.

The runner-up trophy and sportsmanship award they received instead didn't mean quite as much to the Bruins, who never led against a team that was playing in the finals for the first time in school history.

"The biggest reason was that they played their best game," Tillett said. "I think we came ready to play as well. We just didn't have the answers for what they were giving us."

Heritage (30-2) was unlike any team the Bruins have faced all season. The Hurricanes weren't just big and quick, but savvy as well. With five Division I college players on the roster, they scored the first 10 points of the game and led by as many as 26 with just under six minutes remaining.

Sonia Johnson, who is headed to Delaware State, had 19 points, while N.C. State signee Bonae Holston combined for 15 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots in 31 minutes.

Heritage, which became the first Group AAA team to win 30 games in a season and is ranked No. 41 in the nation by Rivals.com, out-rebounded the Bruins 46-22 and allowed the second fewest points in championship game history.

"We tried to answer to that and we couldn't," Tillett said. "They ran the ball really well tonight. We definitely tried to adjust but each adjustment that we made they seemed to counter for."

After losing to Edison in the semifinals last winter, the Hurricanes became the first team from Newport News to capture the state title by shooting 44.7 percent (21 of 47) and limiting Forest Park to 12 second half points.

"I wanted to cry but I couldn't cry because I'm really happy," Johnson said. "I'm just sad I have to leave my point guard."

Heritage playmaker Evany Dickerson had only two points and committed six turnovers with Drakeford in her face all night, but she was about the only Hurricane who struggled. Johnson and Holston combined to hit 14 of 25 shots and Erica McKeithan, who scored 10 points, was 4 for 5.

But the Hurricanes ultimately relied on something the Bruins (25-5) know very well—defense—to make history.

Head coach Michael Gardner told his players before hand that if they could limit the Forest Park to 32 points or less they would win the championship. He was right.

The Bruins were 3 of 14 from 3-point range and only two players—Jackson and Drakeford—found any sort of rhythm on the offensive end. Jackson led the team with 14 points and four steals while Drakeford hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored nine points.

Then they both retreated to the bench—giving freshman Chanel Shands and Tichina Mitchell a chance to play in a title game—to wait out the final agonizing minute along with the team's four seniors: Richardson, Amber Epps, Brittany Brown and Kandace Valentine.

"I know inside [Jackson] was hurting very badly because these seniors are some of the most important people in her life," Tillett said. "For her, winning it was about winning it for them so to not accomplish that was painful."

GROUP AAA STATE FINAL

HERITAGE 50, FOREST PARK 29

FOREST PARK (25-5)

Drakeford 3 1-3 9, Jackson 6 1-2 14, Epps 0 1-2 1, Scott 1 1-2 3, Gatling 0 1-2 1, Valentine 0 0-0 0, Hawkins 0 0-0 0, Brown 0 0-0 0, Shands 0 0-0 0, Mitchell 0 1-2 1. Totals 10 6-13 29.

HERITAGE (30-2)

Robinson 0 0-0 0, Dickerson 1 0-0 2, Johnson 8 3-4 19, Holston 6 2-2 15, Thorpe 0 0-0 0, Ellis 0 0-0 0, Byrd 0 0-0 0, Cannon 0 0-0 0, McKeithan 4 2-2 10, Spence 0 0-0 0, Lee 0 0-0 0, Hauser 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 7-8 50.

Halftime—Heritage 28-17. 3-point goals—Forest Park 3 (Drakeford 2, Jackson). Heritage 1 (Holston).