Sweat dripping down their spines, body’s aching of exhaustion, the girls varsity basketball team took the final shot as the clock sirened, signaling the end of the game. The crowd cheered in excitement, but not for the Chargers.
After a season with a total of 27 games played, CHS’ came up short to the Oakton Cougars in the regional semifinals 52-37. CHS’ final record was 14-13.
“Our biggest rival is Oakton; we beat them early in the season, but later lost to them in district finals and region semi-finals, which was devastating,” senior guard Anjali Borra said. “This year, I believe that we can use those losses as motivation to beat them this year and possibly go far in the playoffs.”
According to MaxPreps, the team returns with nine players, losing four from last year’s roster, two of which were seniors. With 14 players, including five seniors, the girls varsity basketball team has a foundation of experienced players, four of which have come from the 2023- 2024 JV girls basketball team.
“This is the first time all of these young, talented players are underclassmen and stepping into a big leadership role, which I think will be great for the team, encouraging them to go far,” head coach Joshua Regan said.
Competing in the Concorde district, the team faces high schools such as Oakton and Centreville High School (CVHS). MaxPreps states that OHS finished with a 23-7 record and a district title and CVHS finished with a 23-4 record and a region title.
“There are a lot of talented players in this district and there’s no easy game,” Regan said. “The level of competition is very difficult, so it’s about staying locked in mentally and ready every day.”
In last season’s losses, particularly in key games such as district finals, the team showed areas for improvement that they are addressing this year. Returning players are concentrating on refining their skills and preparing to face these teams again.
“This year, our bench is deep; we have many players that fill the void our seniors left,” junior captain shooting/point guard Alivia Terry said. “Our starting line up consists mostly of the same players as last year meaning most of the team is the same. This allows us to increase our games’ intensity by building off existing skills, and plays we already have.”
The team will face their rival, OHS Jan. 16 and 28 during district play in attempts to redeem themselves after last season’s outcome. The first district game is on Jan. 10 at South Lakes.
“This team has the potential to go further than any team at Chantilly ever has before, because of the new blood and leadership potential,” Regan said.
