Catholic boys, girls teams gain high Division I seeds in VISAA state basketball tournament; Walsingham Academy girls seeded No. 1
The Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association selection committee has spoken, setting up a week of potential basketball glory around the state for 48 boys teams and 48 girls squads. They’re separated into 12-team brackets.
After games Tuesday and Wednesday on higher seeds’ home courts, the rest of the tournament will move to the Richmond area for the semifinals and championship games.
The boys will play at Virginia State University’s Multi-Purpose Facility in Ettrick, and the girls will compete in Benedictine’s gym.
In boys play, Catholic, carrying a 28-game winning streak, gained the No. 3 seed in Division I and a home game Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday’s contest pitting 11th-seeded Cape Henry at No. 6 Woodberry Forest.
In Division II, three of Tuesday’s four first-round games involve teams from Hampton Roads, but none gained a top-four seed.
No. 5 Peninsula Catholic plays host to No. 12 Virginia Episcopal of Lynchburg, No. 6 Norfolk Collegiate is home against North Cross of Roanoke, and No. 8 Atlantic Shores meets visiting Seton of Manassas.
The winners of each game will go on the road to face a higher seed Wednesday.
In Division III, Walsingham Academy was seeded fifth, giving the Trojans a home game Tuesday against Brunswick Academy in Williamsburg. The victor will go to Harrisonburg on Wednesday to face No. 4 Eastern Mennonite in a quarterfinal.
In Division IV, Hampton Christian Academy gained the No. 2 seed and a Wednesday home quarterfinal.
Three first-round games Tuesday in the smallest schools’ bracket involve teams from the 757. Fifth-seeded Williamsburg Christian Academy hosts Blessed Sacrament Huguenot at 6 p.m., Denbigh Baptist goes to Richmond to face No. 6 Church Hill Academy. StoneBridge heads to Fredericksburg to face No. 7 St. Michael the Archangel, with that clash’s winner to visit Hampton Christian the next night.
Girls
In Division I, Catholic — the only Hampton Roads team in the field — was seeded fourth and will play a quarterfinal at home Wednesday in Virginia Beach against the victor between St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes against Saint Gertrude of Richmond.
In Division II, two teams from the 757 gained first-round home games. No. 5 Norfolk Christian hosts Highland of Warrenton, and No. 8 Hampton Roads Academy welcomes Christchurch from the Middle Peninsula. Meanwhile, Atlantic Shores goes to Charlottesville to duel No. 7 Covenant.
In Division III, Walsingham gained the top seed and a Wednesday home quarterfinal. Two Southside teams gained the final two spots in the field and will travel for Tuesday games — No. 12 StoneBridge goes to Blackstone to play No. 5 Kenston Forest, and No. 11 Portsmouth Christian heads to Carmel School in Ruther Glen to challenge No. 6 Richmond Christian at 6 p.m.
In Division IV, No. 5 Broadwater Academy received a first-round home assignment against St. Michael the Archangel, while seventh-seeded Denbigh Baptist meets Blessed Sacrament Huguenot of Powhatan County.
FULL VISAA SCHEDULE
Boys basketball
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT
Division I:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Potomac School at #8 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes
#12 St. Christopher’s at #5 Bishop O’Connell
#11 Cape Henry at #6 Woodberry Forest
#10 Trinity Episcopal at #7 Bishop Ireton
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Potomac School-St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes winner at #1 Paul VI
St. Christopher’s-Bishop O’Connell winner at #4 Blue Ridge
Cape Henry-Woodberry Forest winner at #3 Catholic
Trinity Episcopal-Bishop Ireton winner at #2 St. Anne’s-Belfield
Semifinals (Friday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center in Ettrick):
Upper bracket, 7:15 p.m.
Lower bracket, 8:30 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center):
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
Division II:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Seton at #8 Atlantic Shores
#12 Virginia Episcopal at #5 Peninsula Catholic
#11 North Cross at #6 Norfolk Collegiate
#10 Fredericksburg Christian vs. #7 Virginia Academy (at King Abdullah Academy), 5 p.m.
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Seton-Atlantic Shores winner at #1 Highland
Virginia Episcopal-Peninsula Catholic at #4 Steward
North Cross-Norfolk Collegiate winner at #3 Miller School of Albemarle
Fredericksburg Christian-Virginia Academy at #2 Hargrave Military Academy
Semifinals (Friday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center in Ettrick):
Upper bracket, 3:45 p.m.
Lower bracket, 5:30 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center):
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.
Division III:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Kenston Forest at #8 Christ Chapel Academy
#12 Brunswick Academy at #5 Walsingham Academy
#11 Veritas School at #6 Roanoke Catholic
#10 Westover Christian Academy at #7 Grace Christian
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Kenston Forest-Christ Chapel winner at #1 Fairfax Christian
Brunswick Academy-Walsingham winner at #4 Eastern Mennonite
Veritas-Roanoke Catholic winner at #3 Carmel
Westover Christian-Grace Christian winner at #2 Life Christian Academy
Semifinals (Friday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center in Ettrick):
Upper bracket, noon
Lower bracket, 1:45 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center):
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
Division IV:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Grace Christian at #8 Chelsea Academy
#12 Blessed Sacrament Huguenot at #5 Williamsburg Christian Academy, 6 p.m.
#11 Denbigh Baptist vs. #6 Church Hill Academy (at Meadowbrook High)
#10 StoneBridge at #7 St. Michael the Archangel
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Grace Christian-Chelsea Academy winner at #1 Banner Christian
Blessed Sacrament Huguenot-Williamsburg Christian winner at #4 New Covenant
Denbigh Baptist-Church Hill Academy winner at #3 Carlisle
StoneBridge-St. Michael winner at #2 Hampton Christian Academy
Semifinals (Friday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center in Ettrick):
Upper bracket, 9 a.m.
Lower bracket, 10:30 a.m.
Final (Saturday at Virginia State Multi-Purpose Center):
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
Girls basketball
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT
Division I:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 St. Catherine’s at #8 Flint Hill
#12 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes at #5 Saint Gertrude, 6 p.m.
#11 Trinity Episcopal at #6 Bishop O’Connell
#10 Collegiate at #7 Potomac School
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
St. Catherine’s-Flint Hill winner at #1 Paul VI
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes-Saint Gertrude winner at #4 Catholic
Trinity Episcopal-Bishop O’Connell winner at #3 Bishop Ireton
Collegiate-Potomac School winner at #2 St. Anne’s-Belfield
Semifinals (Friday at Benedictine gym in Richmond):
Upper bracket, noon
Lower bracket, 1:45 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Benedictine):
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
Division II:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Christchurch at #8 Hampton Roads Academy, 4:30 p.m.
#12 Highland at #5 Norfolk Christian
#11 Veritas School at #6 Virginia Episcopal
#10 Atlantic Shores at #7 Covenant
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Christchurch-HRA winner at #1 Virginia Academy
Highland-Norfolk Christian winner at #4 Seton
Veritas School-Virginia Episcopal winner at #3 Steward
Atlantic Shores-Covenant winner at #2 Miller School of Albemarle
Semifinals (Friday at Benedictine gym in Richmond):
Upper bracket, 9 a.m.
Lower bracket, 10:30 a.m.
Final (Saturday at Benedictine):
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
Division III:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Westover Christian Academy at #8 North Cross, 5 p.m.
#12 StoneBridge at #5 Kenston Forest
#11 Portsmouth Christian vs. #6 Richmond Christian (at Carmel), 6 p.m.
#10 New Covenant at #7 Grace Christian
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Westover Christian-North Cross winner at #1 Walsingham Academy
Kenston Forest-StoneBridge winner at #4 Brunswick Academy
Portsmouth Christian-Richmond Christian winner at #3 St. Margaret’s
New Covenant-Grace Christian winner at #2 Roanoke Catholic
Semifinals (Friday at Benedictine gym in Richmond):
Upper bracket, 7:15 p.m.
Lower bracket, 9 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Benedictine):
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
Division IV:
First round (Tuesday):
#9 Tidewater Academy vs. #8 Grace Christian (at Mechanicsville High), 5 p.m.
#12 St. Michael the Archangel at #5 Broadwater Academy
#11 Banner Christian at #6 Fuqua
#10 Blessed Sacrament Huguenot at #7 Denbigh Baptist
Quarterfinals (Wednesday):
Tidewater Academy-Grace Christian winner at #1 Carlisle
St. Michael-Broadwater winner at #4 Grove Christian
Banner Christian-Fuqua winner at #3 Chelsea Academy
Blessed Sacrament Huguenot-Denbigh Baptist winner at #2 Christ Chapel Academy
Semifinals (Friday at Benedictine gym in Richmond):
Upper bracket, 3:45 p.m.
Lower bracket, 5:30 p.m.
Final (Saturday at Benedictine):
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.
