Defending champion and on the road for the first round of The Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament. Isn’t the Highland Springs boys basketball team supposed to get a home-court perk? “Being young and inexperienced, this gives us a test to be able to travel into someone else’s territory,“ Springers coach George Lancaster said.

Natwan Young scored 20 points as well as 12 rebounds, six blocks, four steals and three assists in Highland Springs’ 63-46 victory over Capital District rival Atlee. Aaron Hodnett recorded 18 points, Trey Williams (eight points) had 10 rebounds and two steals, and Xavier Parham (nine points) added 10 assists and four steals for the No. 5 Springers.

Sydney Henderson scored 23 points and Richelle Price had 13 points to go along with 19 rebounds and two assists as No. 5 Atlee defeated eighth-ranked Highland Springs 50-38. Britt Hill added four steals and five assists for the Raiders. Dashan Ross led the Springers with 17 points while Kyra Coleman contributed 14.  Jones 2, Taylor 0, Jenkins 0, McCullough 0, Hart 2, McCrae 0, Coleman 14, Cannon 3, Ross 17. Totals 17 4-11 38.
ATLEE (2-0, 4-1)

Xavier Parham connected on 6 of 8 free throws down the stretch to lift the Springers to a 60-50 victory over the Warriors in a Capital District matchup. Parham and Aaron Hodnett each scored 10 points for Highland Springs, ranked No. 7 in the T-D Top Ten Poll. Natwan Young had 13 points, and Trey Williams added 12. Trey Davis paced Henrico with 20 points and 12 rebounds. David Zavelsky contributed 10 points

Mills Godwin: Matt Hatcher (140) looks for a fourth district championship. Matt Brunke (152) is a district champion and regional runner-up. Blake Edwards (160) and Adam Regulinski (171) placed in the district.
  Hermitage: Senior Marty VanPeppen (112) moves up. Regional champ Justin Dennis is at 125. Tom Kizer (Jr. 135) joins brother, John Kizer (Sr., 130). Regional runner-up Marc Heathcock (171) returns, along with Josh El (Sr., 189).

Army Pvt. Chidozie J. Anyalewechi, Army Pvt. April Y. Milton and Army Pfc. Keisha E. Smithers have graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During nine weeks of training, they studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

NO. 5 MEADOWBROOK 65, NO. 8 HIGHLAND SPRINGS 59 (OT)
HIGHLAND SPRINGS (2-2) Jones 0, Jefferies 1, Taylor 5, Jenkins 2, Hart 4, McCrae 2, Coleman 24, Cannon 4, Tinsley 10, Ross 7. Totals 23 11-22.
MEADOWBROOK (3-0) Smith 13, Gilliom 0, Forrest 3, Cunningham 6, Stone 3, Ki. Marks 0, Ka. Marks 4, Coleman 15, Arrington 4, Jackson 0, Hatcher 17. Totals 20 22-34.
Highland Springs 9 14 18 14 4—59
Meadowbrook 12 18 10 15 10—65

NO. 4 DOUGLAS FREEMAN 62, NO. 7 HIGHLAND SPRINGS 51  HIGHLAND SPRINGS (2-1)  Threatt 2, Parham 3, Hodnett 7, Young 11, Mask 8, Judon 0, T. Williams 16, Hopkins 4, Reed 0. Totals: 19 11-15 51.  DOUGLAS FREEMAN (3-0)  Eastman 16, Mann 5, Smalley 0, N. Turner 0, Smith 0, O’Connor 5, Giles 12, Rohrer 10, Brinkley 14, J. Turner 0. Totals: 19 19-27 62.

The No. 2 ranked Atlee girls basketball team, led by Richelle Price’s 22 points, 10 rebounds and 6 steals, defeated No. 7 Highland Springs in the Midlothian tournament. Brittany Hill added 13 points, and Sydney Henderson had 8 points and 9 assists for the Raiders. Kyra Coleman led the Springers’ effort with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals. Dashan Ross had 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 10 points, and Ty Jeffries had 6 points, 8 steals and 7 assists for Highland Spring.

The Douglas Freeman Rebels are a high-expectation team this season. With good reason. Seniors Jake Eastman, Josh Brinkley and Billy Giles bring experience, leadership and skill inside and out.

The Douglas Freeman Rebels are a high-expectation team this season. With good reason. Seniors Jake Eastman, Josh Brinkley and Billy Giles bring experience, leadership and skill inside and out. Teammates such as Justin Mann, Phillip Rohrer and Monty Smalley are used to being on the floor a lot of minutes. Some young guys bring youthful energy.

NO. 7 HIGHLAND SPRINGS 59, MIDLOTHIAN 51  HIGHLAND SPRINGS (2-0)  Jones 0, Jefferies 11, Taylor 1, Jenkins 2, Hart 3, McCrae 5, Coleman 27, Cannon 0, Tinsley 8, Ross 2. Totals: 17 23-41 59.  MIDLOTHIAN (1-1) Durcan 2, Riley 2, Kohler 0, Thompson 6, Pascal 3, Edmunds 8, Nunn 0, O’Boyle 4, Vugteveen 12, Mathews 14. Totals: 15 20-35 51.

Unless you’re a dyed-in-the-wool member of the Highland Springs basketball family, you are going to need a roster to match names, numbers and faces of the current Springers. For just a little while anyway. The learning curve will be small considering the way Aaron Hodnett, Jeri Mask, Sage Reed and Jarvis Threatt, to name a few, performed last night in an 85-62 victory over L.C. Bird at Mills Godwin in the Rebel Invitational Tournament.

HIGHLAND SPRINGS 126, DINWIDDIE 40  DINWIDDIE (0-1)  Thomas 0, Richardson 0, King 10, Jiggetts 2, Griffin 3, Bethune 0, Mays 8, Prosise 0, Blackwell 2, Aleem 15. Totals 17 6-10 40.  HIGHLAND SPRINGS (1-0) Jones 4, Jefferies 18, Taylor 11, Jenkins 9, McCullough 7, Hart 7, McKay 4, McCrae 6, Coleman 20, Cannon 12, Tinsley 9, Ross 19. Totals 55 10-15 126.

Varina clinched a 10-7 win over Highland Springs, an undefeated season and the Capital District championship.