Lancaster’s state championship win capped a 26-2 season—with the Red Devils’ only losses coming to a West Virginia team and a private Virginia school.
The Devils picked up the Northern Neck District tournament and Region 1A tournament championships en route to a home berth in the Class 1 tournament. Lancaster defeated Northumberland by 20 points, 75-55, to win the district championship and beat Middlesex by 15, 66-51, in the regional final.
On the road to the Class 1 championship, Lancaster beat Brunswick, 63-35, in the quarterfinal and tripped up Middlesex again, 63-53, in the semifinal.
Semifinal
Lancaster 63,
Middlesex 53
Lancaster used a 19-13 third quarter to make a comeback and go on to beat Middlesex, 63-53, in the state semifinal at New Kent on March 1.
The Devils took their first lead of the game on a Daveon Smith lay-up early in the fourth and reeled off a quick 6-0 run for a 54-47 lead that shifted momentum and put them in front for good.
Lamar Mattocks led the team in scoring, spreading out 22 points and turning in a double-double with 13 rebounds.
Troy Henderson did most of his damage in the second half, after the Chargers held him scoreless in the second quarter. He hit three three-pointers and scored 15 of his 21 total in the latter half.
Smith had 14 points and eight rebounds with five assists and five steals.
Quarterfinal
Lancaster 63,
Brunswick 35
Lancaster spotted Brunswick the opening goal then took the lead for good in a 28-point win over the Region B runner-up in a state quarterfinal on February 27.
Brunswick made a quick run late in the first quarter to get as close as one, 12-11, before Kevontrez Bunns hit a three-pointer for a 15-12 LHS lead to end the period.
The Panthers’ towers, 6’4” Jamari Anderson and 6’2” Ja’Malachi Pearson, took away Lancaster’s inside game early in the outing but a patient Mattocks drew multiple fouls under the goal. The Devils took off on a 7-0 run for a 21-14 lead with Anderson on the bench with two fouls for two minutes in the second quarter.
LHS opened up a seven-point halftime lead in the third with a 12-0 run—again with Anderson on the bench with four fouls—that lifted them 43-26. A 22-7 LHS third quarter put the game out of reach.
Henderson scored 19 points to lead three double digit scorers for LHS. Smith and Jamarcus Russell finished with 11 points each. Smith added nine rebounds and three steals. Mattocks had nine points and 10 boards and Jacquarrias Morris had seven points and two steals. Bunns finished with six points and five rebounds.
