The St. Stephens & St. Agnes Boys Summer Basketball League is in full swing with 13 teams participating. In addition to host St. Stephens, T.C. Williams and Bishop Ireton as well as Arlington County schools, Washington-Lee, Wakefield and Yorktown.
The leagues other seven schools include Annandale, Lake Braddock, Lee, Mount Vernon, Robinson, West Potomac and W.T. Woodson.
The League, which has been in operation for approximately two decades, commenced its summer season in late June and is scheduled to conclude on July 27 with its championship game.
Action
In the early game of July 9, Ireton held off Washington-Lee, 49-47. The Cardinals, of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC), improved to 4-2 in the summer league (all teams are scheduled to play 10 regular season games before the playoffs commence).
Ireton, coached by Mark Vincent during the schools regular season, won only one WCAC league game during 06/07 season, and has no where to go but up during the upcoming 07-08 campaign. Washington-Lee is coached in the regular season by Bobby Dobson.
In the second game of July 9, Robert E. Lee defeated West Potomac 59-44. In the third game of the day, St. Stephens defeated Wakefield, 42-40. SSSA led Wakefield 30-20 early in the second half, before the Warriors from South Arlington stormed back to make it an entertaining game down the stretch. The Warriors outscored SSSA 17-5 during the middle portion of the second half to take a 37-35 lead (7:11 remaining). Rising Saint senior forward Jason Neithamer knocked down a trey to give the home team a 38-37 advantage.
The Warriors took their final lead of the contest, 40-38, following an ensuing Warrior three pointer.
Saint rising junior guard Reggie Newsome knocked down the games final three with 1:19 remaining to buoy SSSA to a slim 41-40 lead.
Saints summer league head coach Tony Reyes (SSSA class of 07) said, We rebounded well, we hustled, we got the loose balls. It seems that we wanted the game more than they did tonight.
Wakefield missed their final three shots of the contest and one of their other potential shots was blocked by Jason Neithamer as the Saints improved to 2-4 overall in summer play.
Jason is a very good all-around athlete. He plays three sports here at St. Stephens, said Saint regular season head coach Kevin McLinton (son of former Washington Redskin linebacker Harold McLinton).
In the final game on July 9, T.C. held off pesky Yorktown, 51-47. The Patriots from North Arlington actually took an early 6-0 lead but the perennially tough Titans then outscored Yorktown 15-8 to take their first lead of the contest at 15-14 and never trailed from that point forward.
T.C. prevailed 51-47, and the Titans improved to 4-1 overall in summer play.
