Haynes Recieves Coaches Award
Lybryk Receives MVP for 2010-2011
Bibby Joins Wizards
IN THE KNICK OF TIME
OUT OF TIME
Led by 1st team all Region member and National District Player of the Year, Guard Antonio Harris Jr, the Raiders quartet played in one national district championshp game, advanced to the District final four each season and twice advanced to the Northern Region elite 8.
These accomplishments are even more incredible when you factor in that the Raider are not known for their basketball accomplishments.
Guard, Antonio Harris Jr, has silently put together one of the best careers in Northern Region basketball history, yet it all seems to go relatively unrecognized. The soft spoken guard has scored over 1500 career points, led his team to unexpected heights againts top caliber competition. The Raiders have played the likes of Montrose Christian, National Christian Academy, Bearden High School (Tenn)and Statesboro High School (GA), during their surprising three year run.
According to coach Harris, " I dont schedule AA or single A schools just to improve our win total, I schedule the toughest competition to prepare this kids for the rigors of post season play and to also give these kids a sense of what college level basketball could be like, I think the formula has worked out pretty well for these kids and that they have shown great improvement each season".
Coach Harris also added, " what is even more amazing is that we keep records of all the games played all year long, which includes team camps, summer leagues, fall leagues and tournaments and these kids have an amazing track record (123- 37), so they have experienced a lot of winning in the last few years."
Coach Harris seems to have a very good grip on what it takes to turn programs around, having led two of the areas smallest basketball schools (Falls Church, Stuart) to championship games, and regional play.
PLAYOFF TIME
The 2010 winter storm came rushing at just the right time, star guard Antonio Harris was hindered the past 3 games with a bruised knee and sprained ankle, athletic 6th man Sam Drigo was in the mist of school and team discpline, and the Raiders 7 man rotation was finally hitting the "Wall" when you log so many minutes and don't have the reserves to lean on.
"Now we are fresh and feeling like we have new found energy and can now play with a sense of urgency" according to coach Harris.
The Raiders will open the National District tournament as the 6th seed and will Play The Wakefield Warriors, Thursday at Wakefiled High School.
RAIDERS LOSE OPENER TO ATOMS
But this game was a clear indication of what a team can accomplish if they stay together for a few years and and take some lumps.
The Annandale Atoms are the 17th ranked team in the preseason state rankings. The Atoms were playing there second game of the season as the Raiders were hosting their season opener. The opening quarter was promising as the raiders jumped out to an early 14 to 6 lead and appeared condident and poised with Antonio Harris Jr scoring 18 first half points (29 game total).
Accordong to coach Harris, "their press really gave us problems as they made adjustments after the first quarter and then again after halftime and we just didn't adjust to those changes as a unit. We werent getting to the proper spots and we werent distributing the ball with confidence. However these are things that we can fix and get better at with practice. This was a great test and now we know the areas that we will need to work on" Even with the wide margin between the two teams coach Harris didnt appear too upset or ready to look for the panic button. "we are mentally young, although we have three senior starters only Antonio played more than 4 minutes per game last year on this varstity squad. Each game the kids will get better as they receive more game experience and the game starts to slow down to assist us in making better basketball decisions. The Raiders host Battlefield Thursday night at home.
Raiders Win Fall League Title
RELOADING OR REBUILDING?
However, don't look for the Raiders to have any problems with scoring the basketball. Despite having only one returning starter, the Raiders will look to senior guards Antonio Harris Jr, and Hamza Kaissouni to do what they have been doing in this seasons fall league games.
Harris is averaging a whopping, 34 ppg and senior running mate kaissouni is averaging 28 ppg. So far the tandem doesn't look at all concerned with the departure of their eight former teammates. Although their fall league record stands at 3-1, the lone loss coming after leading by 23 points, the Raiders will eventually have to find some inside scoring as well as shore up some rebounding issues in the trenches. However, there is no doubt that they will be exciting to watch all season long.
RUNNIN RAIDER CAMP
JULY 6th-13th & JULY13th-17th
RAIDERS FALL TO T.C. WILLIAMS IN ELITE 8
It was a season to remember, not for the Titans but for the the Raiders. The J.E.B. Stuart Raiders took the defending Virgina (AAA) state champions down to the wire, 41-45 and almost pulled off the upset. The Raiders end their season with a record of 19-7, and an elite 8 finish, which is quite a remarkable accomplishment when you take into account that the Raiders could only muster four victories a mere two seasons ago.
This was a game that only a basketball purest could appreciate. Both teams played great defense and it became a battle of which team would falter in the end. Despite the doubts of many, the Raiders had a chance to capture the magic, they had the ball and a one point deficit with just 40 seconds to go, senior forward Dominique Kosh received the pass on the left wing and attacked the lane with a nice dribble move which resulted in an attempt at a short distance floater that rimmed in and fell out. That seemed to be a theme this year, as the raiders lost five games that were decided by one important possession.
Coach Harris, " I think that the Titans did what they needed to do to get the win. The have so many weapons and they play great smash mouth defense. I am just proud that my kids took on the challenge and played a great defensive game. When a team has to contain multiple players on the defensive end , it can take something away from your offense, but we were willing to sacrifice that part of our game to get the victory. And we almost pulled it off. We were on the road in a hostile, unfriendly environment and still had a chance to win at the end, there was not too much more that I could have asked of those young men."
RAIDERS FALL TO #1 MONTROSE
The Raiders (15-3) were expected to lose by 50 points, they were supposed to wilt under the pressure and their players were considered way to small to score, let alone compete.
Although the Raiders lost the game 60-47, there were some small victories. It started when 6'5 forward Mo Ibrihim won the opening tap and realized that he could use his exceptional athletic ability to compensate for his lack of size against the Villanova bound center from Montrose Christian...The Raiders also won the point guard battle, as 5'11, rail thin point guard William Ford control the tempo of the game and showed some big time penetration moves to keep the Mustang point guards off balance... Shooting guard Antonio Harris Jr, who is very seldom mentioned as a top player in the region, scored 26 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and had 4 assist against an array of defenders, to prove that he is worthy of some big time player talk and maybe even more.
Quite frankly, the Raiders have a lot of talent and a lot of heart, they executed a very sound game plan and were down by less than 10 points with the ball late in the 4th quarter. According, to coach Harris " Montrose (16-1) is one over time loss away from being the number one team in the country, (not the area) but the country, so I think these kids did an incredible job of competing and playing at a very high level on both ends of the floor. Anyone that doesn't recognize that doesn't know very much about basketball"
STUART PLAYS DEFENSE
WIN 61-30
The Raiders ended the first half with more point (33) than the Generals had for the game (30) and walked away with their best defensive effort for the season. The raiders raise their record to 12-2 overall and 4-2 in district play.
STUART SLIPS AT HOME
It was a game that sometimes comes once in a lifetime. There were fans being turned away at the door, it was the fox 5 game of the week, the teams are only a few miles apart and the talent was evident. And then to top it all off you have a buzzer beater shot that decides the outcome.
The Raiders (5-1) boasted Junior sharp shooter Antonio Harris, the Warriors (6-1) relied on lethal scoring of senior Jonothon Ford as both teams took the court to engage in the first, of what could be many, battles this season. The Warriors bounced out to a 10-2 lead, but that didnt last for long as the Raiders steadied their defense and went into halftime with a 27-22 lead. But the Wakefield team wouldnt fold, Ford put the team on his back and scored 20 second half points and made the big shot at the buzzer to walk away with the victory. This was after several lead changes, and then a 12 point lead by the Raiders was foiled due to some stingy defense and some untimely missed free throws.
Harris finished the night with 20 points, Ibrihim had 14 and Watson had 13, but the teams scoring balance couldnt offset the game high 32 points by Ford...
Raiders head to South Carolina to redeem themselves in the bobcat classic over the holidays.
Raiders Muzzle Jaguars
Harris and Ford lead way
The Raiders (5-0) stormed out to a 42-17 halftime lead at home against the Jaguars of falls church (1-5) and never looked back as Junior guard Antonio Harris poured in 22 points and "double double man" Raymond Watson pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with his 14 points . The Raiders also received huge contributions from floor general William Ford (9 assist) and Uzman Zaman (13 points 5 rebounds) en route to their 79-40 district opening win.
Stuart Wins On The Road
The Raiders did not shoot the ball from the perimeter very well (0-11 from 3 point range in the first half) and they did not control the boards particularly well (no offensive rebounds in the first half) but they rode the second half scoring of Antonio Harris Jr (17 points, 4 assist) and the passing of William ford (12 point, 8 assist) to win the game 66-49 against the West Potomac Wolverines.
There were certainly some highlights that will be relived for some time, Forward Mahamid Ibrihim shook the house in the first half with a rim rattling dunk plus the foul to excite the fans, but it took a great defensive effort by the raider team to offset the poor shooting as they cruised to their fourth win in as as many games.
The Raiders (4-0) host the Falls Church Jaguars (1-4) in their district opener, Tuesday 7:30 PM.
Stuart Runs Record to 3-0
Marshall didn't know quite what to expect when they hosted the Raiders of J.E.B. Stuart last night, and the Raiders werent sure what they were going to give, but the final outcome was not what the statesmen had in mind. But it was something that the Raiders would certainly like to give a lot more of.
Playing their second straight road game, the Raiders werent sure if fatigue would be a factor with their new full court pressing defense. Well, it wasnt a factor. In the first minute of the game the Raiders raced to an 8-0 lead, Mo Ibrihim opened the the game with a huge slam and three silky quick steals and subsequent layups by three seperate Raider players put the Statesmen back on their heels. Marshall immediately called a time out to thwart the Raider run, but the timeout only slowed the raiders down on the next two possession. After allowing the Statesmen two uncontested layups following the timeout and two long distance misses, the Raiders finally regrouped by ending the first quarter leading 18 -7 and taking a 32-21 lead into halftime
The Raiders rode the first half scoring of PG William Ford (game high 19 pts) the second half three point shooting of Guard Antonio Harris (17 points) as they cruised to 71 - 45 victory. The Raiders raise their record to (3-0) and will travel to Alexandria to play West Potomac on friday night.
PIC OF WEEK
J.E.B. Stuart 58 vs Herndon Hornets 53
The Raiders rode the all around play of Antonio Harris Jr. (19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and the late game poise of Tre Ford (9 points, 7 assist, 4 rebounds) who knocked down some clutch free throws to help the raiders win their first round regional game at home against Herndon.
The all around effort by the Raider team was evident as they recieved double figure scoring from forwards Raymond Watson (11 Points, 8 rebounds) and Dominique Kosh (10 points 4 assists). According to Coach Tony Harris, " The kids shared the ball very well and converted in transition, our defense was solid and we hit the late free throws".
The Raiders (19-6) visit "The Garden II" on wednesday as the face top seeded T.C. Williams (22-2)
RAIDER REDEMPTION
The J.E.B. Stuart Raiders are just two buzzer beater shots away from being undefeated (13-2) and from being a major player in the "best teams" chatter of high school basketball. However the reality is that the Raiders have those two losses and are very rarely mentioned as a contender in the northern region, let alone the state of virginia.
The Raider have corrected one of those buzzer beater losses, as the backcourt of guard Antonio Harris (29) and point guard William Ford (17) combined for 36 points and 15 assists, as they beat the Wakefield Warriors (76-66) on the road in the "redemption game" and are now looking to string together a few more wins before facing the Mt. Vernon Majors in the "comeback game part II"
According to Coach Tony Harris. "I understand what we need to do, to get to where we need to be... as the coach, I don't focus on one team or one contest, I focus on the big picture, which is improving with each game and peaking at the right time". This is evident in his scheduling, as the Raiders are set to play four games in eight days, which includes games against Nationally ranked Montrose Christian and Mt. Vernon next week. "We need to know where we are as a team heading into the playoffs... besides, you have to climb some huge obstacles if you want to get to the top" Stated coach Harris.
The Raiders seem to be headed in the right direction and have a collection of very talented players that really seems to appreciate every moment that they spend together. They have come so far in just two seasons.
They Raiders won four games before the arrival of Antonio Harris and his coaching staff, and after a 15 wins season last year and already 13 victories this seasons, I think the chatter will soon find its way to the Raiders.
STUART 64 YORKTOWN 51
Junior Guard Antonio Harris converted 4 first half three pointers and Senior Mahamid Ibrihim contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds as the Raiders (11-2) beat the defending National district champions at home.
STUART TOPS EDISON, 75-65
Four players scored in double figures as the Raiders out ran the Eagles at home. Antonio Harris Jr led the charge with 18 points, despite only playing 17 minutes due to foul trouble.
The raiders (9-1) play the Fairfax Rebels at home on Friday night
RAIDERS IN TITLE GAME
The J.E.B. Stuart Raiders (7-1) headed to Bluffton South Carolina with one thing on the agenda, " We wanted to work our way to the championship game and represent the northern region with class and sportsmanship" according to coach Tony Harris, " We knew that their would be some talented teams that would compete and put us in a situation where we would have to raise our level of play. Each contest we have not only matched their level of intensity but we have done a fantastic job of controlling the tempo and staying focused.
The Raiders have won by an average margin of 19 points per contest. senior Forward Raymond Watson has complimented High scoring junior Guard Antonio Harris (20 ppg) with a 15 point, 10 rebound tournament average. " which has been a major factor in the team getting into their transition game.
J.E.B. STUART WINS BOBCAT CLASSIC
Tournament MVP Antonio Harris Jr, knocked down four three pointers in route to a game high 22 points as the Raiders (8-1) knocked off Statesboro High (GA) 47-39 in the Final of the Bobcat Classic in Bluffton South Carolina.
The Raiders jumped out to a 21-4 first quarter lead, but allowed Statesboro (9-3) to chip away and finally tie the game late in the third quarter, but Junior Guard Antonio Harris and senior forward Raymond Watson put together a rebounding and shooting display that thwarted the comeback and sent the Raiders home with the crown.
RAIDERS WIN OPENER IN SC
The Runnin' Raiders started out slowly but used a 22 - 2 third quarter run to pull away and win their first round game (64-43) in the Bobcat Classic tournament in Hilton Head South Carolina. Antonio Harris Jr, scored 23 points and dished out 6 assist, while Raymond Watson and Mahamid Ibrihim had 11 points and double figure rebounds to lead the team. Sullivan Central High School buried 4 three pointers late in the fourth quarter to pull within 20.
Raiders Open Season 2-0
The Raiders opened the first week of the season 2-0. There were plenty of contributions over the course of the week. In the season opener the Raiders won by double digits despite poor shooting from the field. The raiders were lead by Mo Ibrihim (16pts, 6 rebs) Tre Ford (12pts, 7asst) and Antonio Harris (8pts, 8rebs, 7 asst), as they cruised to the 49-32 season opening win.
Game 2, was a lot of the same as The raiders displayed their "32 minutes of hell" transition game. The Raiders forced 24 turnovers and got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Guard Antonio Harris, as they cruised past the Atoms of Annandale 60-47. The Atoms appeared a bit sluggish in their first game of the season, but the balance and the intensity of the Raiders defense seemed to have a lot to do with that. The Raiders visit the Marshall Statesmen on Tuesday in the second of their three game road trip.
RAIDERS TAKE GOLD
The J.E.B. summer league team played four games in one day, as they captured the gold medal in coventry commonwealth games of virginia. The nine member team found out at the last minute that the road to the gold would be tougher than anticipated. Hours before the games were set to begin, the team was informed that that they would be competing against, not only the senior division (High school Juniors and seniors) but also against the top teams in the 18-24 year old(junior/small colleges) bracket.
STUART WINS SHOWCASE
The Raiders defeated nationally acclaimed National Christian Academy, Suitland, Bladensburg, Rockville, and then topped Wise High School for the title at the Hoop Magic sports complex in Chantilly Virginia.
The Raider Boyz post 7-1 record at Tennessee Team Camp
BACK TO WORK
Stuart Head coach Antonio Harris has issued a challenge to his players for the upcoming 2008-2009 season and after viewing this seasons schedule, he doesnt seem to be taking any shortcuts.
"The kids are always talking about being the best and playing the best, so I decided that we would see where we are as a program and as individuals, and playing Nationally ranked Montrose Cristian would be a sure fire way to see where we stand."
Listen very closely when I say that the Raiders aren't walking around thinking they are a national level program, they understand that they run the risk of being beaten soundly. But once you step on the court, anything can happen if you prepare and work hard.
Upon observation, the Raiders coaches nor the players have any confidence issues. "We believe in making the impossible happen". And this game along with a few others will be very big for the Stuart community.
" As a coach you want to measure yourself against the best and Montrose has a future hall a fame coach and a great group of kids that work hard at being successful. I want my kids to be a part of something special, and this is an oppurtunity for us to show how hard we work and what a great group of kids we have here at Stuart. The question will be asked a million times, "Do you think you can win? I am certain that no one gives us chance, but in a one game series and on a great night, I believe that we can change some minds, but it will certainly take our greatest effort, but we give our greatest every night so maybe we can surprise some people."
With the Montrose game on the tail end of the schedule The Raiders first priority is to take care of some unfinished business within their own district. In 2007-2008 Stuart was victorious against every opponent in their conference with the exception of Mt. Vernon. "Mt vernon was the cream of the crop during the regular season and although we had some great games, we just could'nt get over that hump" stated coach Harris.
Now, with National district player of the year Marquel Delancey (Old Dominion) off to college, the Raiders feel a little more confident. Why? Junior guard Antonio Harris' long range shooting and leadership skills make him a solid candidate for player of the year honors. Both Mohamed Ibrihim and Raymond Watson are multi skilled players that can play inside or outside and are certain to provide excellent inside scoring to keep the heat off of Harris and Ford, the other outside scoring threat.
However, coach Harris informs us that there are some hidden gems in the Raider camp, " To be as successful as we want to be hinges on the play of Dominique Kosh (back injury) and the defensive prowess of Uzman Zaman. Kosh is a natural scorer and is excellent in the open floor, but Zaman brings that grit and toughness that every championship team has to have. He is intense at all times, he is one of the most compettitve players that I have ever coached. He is the type of player that every coach dreams about when you are making a run at a championship"
SUMMER ROUND UP
Ford ready to roll
The Summer is complete, the fall has arrived and the word around town is that the team to beat in the National district will be the Raiders of J.E.B. Stuart.
The Raiders had a great summer as they fine tuned their skills for the highly anticipated 2008-2009 season. As a team they were absolutely magnificent, they breezed thru the summer circuit and accumalated a 24-4 record. The team showed well at team camp and had success against some top notch competition. However, there were some minor pitfals along the way, athletic swingman Dominique Kosh missed a majority of the summer with a back injury that has not completely healed, Kosh is excellent in the open floor and great at getting to the basket and finishing with an array of moves and dunks. Floor leader Tre Ford had a leg injury that slowed his mobility at the Tennessee team camp, but bounced back to finish the summer strong and leading scorer Antonio Harris Jr. punctuated the summer by breaking a finger that required casting for a four weeks.
However, In their abscence the supporting cast stepped to the forfront, John Kwarteng had a monster summer as he hustled his way into the rotation and earned himself some much earned playing time. Back up Point guard Sofiane Bernoukh handled the leadership duties while Ford was healing and made huge strides and will be expected to play a bigger role during his senior season, swing man Mohamid Ibrihim turned some heads and is now expected to carry the load in the paint. According to coach Harris, "Mo has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor and can be a match up nightmare when he utilizes his post up skills and does not solely rely on his perimeter game. The player that he most reminds me of during my playing days was Len Bias, he is not as strong and ferocious as Lenny, but he has the same playing style and shooting stroke". With such hig praise from the head coach the Raiders appear to be focused and ready to take their game to the next level.
That next level starts with point guard Tre Ford, with his cat like quickness and his advanced understanding and control of the floor game, Ford is primed for a breakout year and will be the difference as the Raiders pursue a championship.
According to Coach Harris, " Ford will be expected to take on a larger scoring load as a lead guard this year. he is great in the open floor, consistently knocks down the open jumper, and can finish in traffic. In the past he has been asked to run the team and distribute the ball, but he will be given the additional task of scoring this season. people will be surprised, but Ford has always been a big time ball player".
The Raiders return 12 players from last years roster and with Ford now being a threat to score, and the already potent Harris in the backcourt, The Raiders look forward to the upcoming season and a chance to add to their new found success.
