Baseball
Thomas Dale
Record: 9-8
Conference 3, No. 5 seed
Players to Watch: Hunter Vay, D.J. McPeters, Tyler Bailey
The 2016 season has been one of ups and downs for the youthful Thomas Dale team. The Knights’ victories over Manchester and James River, conference foes, have been banner triumphs. Vay was last year’s postseason hero when he delivered a home run that allowed the Knights to upset the Rapids and head to regionals. McPeters and Bailey have emerged as two solid run producers and remain team catalysts.
Matoaca
Record: 15-2
Conference 12, No. 2 seed
Players to Watch: John Bowles, Robert Fultineer, Jacob Bartlett
While Prince George finished its regular season 18-1, its lone loss of the season was to Matoaca. The Warriors, with good pitching depth, have that winning confidence to attempt to take the Conference 12 crown. First, they’ll need to navigate the semifinal round and earn yet another 5A South Region appearance.
Softball
Thomas Dale
Record: 12-5
Conference 3, No. 2 seed
Players to Watch: Leigha Hill, Lauryn King, Courtney Robinette
Led in the circle by freshman Hill (Longwood commit) the Knights boast a senior-laden roster that’s played together for four years. They’ll enter a tight Conference 3 tournament as the No. 2 seed, looking to knock off red-hot Clover Hill for a championship, a team they lost to in the regular season.
L.C. Bird
Record: 9-8
Conference 12, No. 2 seed
Players to Watch: Ashley Fritz, Kamryn Lanier, Emma Goforth
Revitalized under returning coach Lynne Gilbert, the Skyhawks were a win away from a 5A South Region berth last year and won’t be satisfied with less. After defeating the Warriors in the first round of the postseason last year, a second round match-up will be intriguing. Fritz, Lanier and Goforth are a formidable triple threat on offense.
Matoaca
Record: 9-6
Conference 12, No. 3 seed
Players to Watch: Katie Higgins, Riley Hunt, Brooke Flowers
A rock-solid battery of sophomore Katie Higgins and catcher Brooke Flowers leads the way for this year’s Matoaca squad. Hunt has been a spark plug for the offense and will lead an offense looking to back upstart talent Higgins. Taylor Shaw has been a consistent offensive performer in 2016.
Boys’ Soccer
Meadowbrook
Record: 11-2-2
Conference 12, No. 1 seed
Players to Watch: Jafeth Varela, J.C. Martinez, Juan Carlos Escobar
The Monarchs have put together another fine regular season and have further established themselves as one of the better programs in the area. Meadowbrook, with a talented roster, has been on the cusp of a victory in regionals under coach Gabriel Hochstetler. Co-Conference 12 Player of the Year Escobar is perhaps the best striker in the area.
Matoaca
Record: 7-1-6
Conference 12, No. 2 seed
Players to Watch: Justin Dyke, Thomas Jeffrey, Michael Follis
Perhaps one of the best defensive teams in the Central Region, Matoaca has struggled to score at times and will need to address this facet of its game should it hope to repeat as Conference 12 champions. Should the Warriors get it going via Jeffrey and Follis, they may be able to challenge in the 5A South Region tournament.
L.C. Bird
Conference 12, No. 4 seed
Players to Watch: Maynor Reyes, Kevin Medina, Darius Robinson
While information may have been scant on the Skyhawks in 2016, reports suggest there has been much improvement. There’s been a bit of a renaissance off Courthouse Road. Another playoff win could prove to the area that the development for L.C. Bird has been real.
Thomas Dale
Record: 8-4-3
Conference 12, No. 4 seed
Players to Watch: Alex Vazquez, Austin Hylton, Tim Moore
Led by a bevy of capable scorers, chiefly Emory and Henry commit Austin Hylton, the Knights head into the Conference 3 postseason looking to beef up their defense. Moore, Andrew Craig and Anas Ibdah will be asked to rise to the occasion.
Girls’ Soccer
Matoaca
Record: 9-3-1
Conference 12, No. 2 seed
Players to Watch: Maiya Pencile, Katy Wildeus, Rachael Honsinger
Matoaca girls come into postseason play led by Conference 12 Player of the Year Pencile, who netted 23 goals in a stellar sophomore year. Matoaca has the talent to take the crown, but it will likely have a matchup with Prince George, which has beaten the Warriors two times.
Thomas Dale
Record: 9-4
Conference 3, No. 4 seed
Players to Watch: Dominique Grubbs, Katie Waring, Arianna Mishneiak
The Knights face a similar challenge in going up against a trio of talented teams in Cosby, Clover Hill and James River. Grubbs has continued to score goals seemingly at will during his junior season, while senior Waring is looking to cap a solid career. Mishneiak has emerged as a consistent second scoring option down the stretch for Thomas Dale.
