HAMPTON (WAVY) — The Hampton High School girls basketball team won its fourth state championship last season and now, the Crabbers are hoping to run it back when they play Woodgrove for the Class 4 crown Friday in Richmond.
“We have a saying at Hampton that tradition never dies or graduates,” head coach Shanda Bailey said.
This years version of the Crabbers gets it done by committee, and to say they’ve been dominant would be an understatement. They’ve outscored their opponents by an average of 36 points-per-game and four times, they’ve held the opposition to 10 points or less.
“We worked all year to get to where we are today,” senior guard Corynn Tynes said. “I would say we are a very disciplined and focused team.”
Hampton comes into tomorrow’s state championship game sporting a 23-3 record and an eight-game winning streak. Its opponent, Woodgrove, is 28-1 and hails from Loudoun County.
“I think here in the 757, our style of basketball is a lot more aggressive,” Bailey said. “We are tenacious on defense, we put a lot of emphasis on pressure, running the floor and they [Woodgrove] seem to play a more methodical style of basketball.”
If Hampton can get it done tomorrow, it will do something that’s never been done — winning back-to-back state championships.
“It will be the first time in Hampton High School history that that’s been done,” Bailey said. “So I’m excited about that.”
Junior forward Kaliya Perry added, “To say we’re on the wall, our name are on the wall and we have two trophies here and I played here, it means a lot.”
And Tynes hopes to go out as a back-to-back champion.
“It will be making history,” Tynes said. “I’m so excited to be able to say we made it this far. I’m ready for Friday to win it again.”
Girls Class 4 State Championship
Hampton (23-3) vs. Woodgrove (28-1)
12:30 p.m. Friday at VCU’s Siegel Center
