by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Coming off back-to-back state championships, the Lancaster High School varsity boys basketball team is well aware of the bull’s eye on its back.
“We’re always having a conversation about that, trying to alleviate that pressure. We’re just going to play our game and have fun. But we will still build our own identity,” said coach Dwayne Pinn. “The standard is the standard and that’s winning.”
Despite getting off to a 3-0 start with wins over Northampton, Surry and Rappahannock County, Pinn knows there’s lots of work to be done and some big holes to try and fill left by losses from last year’s 26-2 championship team. The Red Devils feel the loss of four starters, three of whom led the stat sheet. Two-time state player of the year Troy Henderson transferred to Richmond-based John Marshall for his senior season, while all-state player Daveon Smith and all-region player Lamar Mattocks graduated. Pinn lost his leading scorer, rebounder and best defender.
“We know what we lost and we know that we’re not the same team we were last year, so that means we change ….
