Mustangs Gear Up for Run at Third Straight State Title

After consecutive Virginia A D2 girls basketball titles, George Mason High was left with a roster that featured just one senior and included five freshmen. That was no excuse for the 2010-2011 season to be a rebuilding year, and the Mustangs once again find themselves in what is becoming a familiar situation – playing basketball in March.

Not only do the Mustangs have a top seed in the tournament thanks to a 57-34 win over East Rockingham in the Region B final, they’re riding a 15 game winning streak that includes 12 wins by at least 30 points. The only game decided by less than 20 points in that span was a 47-42 win over Clarke County, the same team George Mason beat 65-19 in the regional semifinals.

First up on the road to another state title is Lancaster, which has had its season ended by Mason each of the last two years. In 2009, the Mustangs prevailed in a state semifinal match up, and last year’s rematch came in the championship game.

“Playing a team year after year, you get to know them,” Mustangs coach LaBryan Thomas said. “It’s becoming the norm for us to be here, and I’m very happy that we are here, playing in March. It feels good.”

Thomas has established himself as one of the premier coaches in the area. He was named Virginia A D2 Coach of the Year last year and took home another Bull Run District Coach of the Year this year after the Mustangs completed a 10-0 campaign. While the rosters have changed over the years, winning remains a constant.

Thomas credits an intense early season schedule with preparing the Mustangs for the smaller schools they will face later on. This year, the Mustangs beat Yorktown, which has more than double the enrollment of George Mason and advanced to the AAA Northern Region tournament, and lost to Sidwell Friends, ISL-A champs, and Georgetown Visitation, ISL-AA runner-ups.

Despite the youth of this year’s team, Thomas is as confident as ever about its prospects down the stretch.

“Two years ago, the team was full of seniors, and was very offensive minded. Last year’s team was very defensive minded,” he said. “This team is really well-balanced. You can’t key on just one person. We have six people that any night can score 20 or more points.”

Stephanie Cheney has proved to be that person most often. The sophomore scored 20 or more points 11 times this year, got to the free throw line a team high 151 times in the regular season, and at 6-foot, even began to display her range as she knocked down five 3-pointers over the final five games.

With the disproportionate amount of travel the Mustangs have done this year, a first round game at Robinson is a welcome respite. A win on Saturday would mean a semifinal appearance in Richmond at VCU’s Siegel Center next Friday, with the championship game held the following day. Thomas believes all those miles logged on bus trips will pay off against teams not as accustomed to traveling.

“When we get off the bus, we’re not fatigued because our kids have been used to it all year,” he said.

Saturday's game tips off at 11 a.m., followed by the boys team, making their first state tournament appearance in 10 years, at 12:45.