Highland Springs’ boys basketball team will try to defend its title in the 15th annual Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament.The tournament features many of the top girls and boys high school basketball teams in the metro area.Highland Springs will have to get through a tough bracket to defend its crown. Schools participating this year include Benedictine, Collegiate, Mills Godwin, L.C. Bird, Powhatan, Thomas Dale and Varina.The girls’ tournament will include Mills Godwin, Henrico, Highland Springs, Midlothian, Patrick Henry, Prince George, St. Catherine’s and Thomas Dale. Defending champion Cosby is not entered. The Titans were invited to a national-caliber tournament after Christmas.First-round games will be played on Dec. 18 at Benedictine, Mills Godwin, Midlothian and Thomas Dale high schools. Secondand third-round games will be played at the Siegel Center.Semifinal games will begin Dec. 19 at 9 a.m. Consolation games will begin Monday, Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. The girls’ final will tip off at 6:30 p.m. and the boys will tip off at 8:30. The tournament is sponsored by CarMax, Kroger and M&T Bank.Tickets may be purchased at the school sites and the Siegel Center on game days. Tickets are $6 for first and second rounds and $8 for the final games on Monday. Tickets are good for all games on the day purchased. There will be no advance ticket sales.For more information, contact Floyd Spencer at (804) 649-6641 or .

No. 4 Highland Springs 52 Meadowbrook claimed the Midlothian tournament championship, defeating Highland Springs. The Monarchs were perfect from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, making all 14 attempts. Tori Cunningham, who finished with 16 points, hit all eight of her fourth quarter free throw attempts. Kyra Coleman for Highland Springs finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds; Linesha Tinsley had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

MIDLOTHIAN 60 Kyra Coleman scored a team-high 22 points and the Springers survived a furious rally to beat the Trojans. Behing Coleman’s 10 points and Takezsha Jefferies’ (15 points) seven Highland Springs took a 16-point lead after one quarter. Led by 22 points from Rachel Matthews, Midlothian stormed back in the second and third quarters to take a 46-44 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Ta Jefferies scored 14 points and hit four threes as Highland Springs defeated Meadowbrook. Highland Springs (1-0) Jones 11, Jefferies 14, Dabney 6, Jenkins 0, McCovough 0, Coleman 9, Cannon 9, Tinsley 6, Cooper 0. Totals 20 8-22 55.
Meadowbrook (0-1) Howard 0, Dorsey 0, Tanner 0, Pegram 13, Cunningham 4, Stone 0, Ki. Marks 4, Ka. Marks 10, Coleman 3, Harrington 2, Moss 0. Totals 14 7-12 36.
Highland Springs————————————- 15 12 14 14—55
Meadowbrook————————————- 9 11 10 6—36

Linebacker extraordinaire Curtis Grant described the Hermitage defensive effort this way after the Panthers defeated Highland Springs in the Central Region, Division 6 football semifinals: “Excellent. Tremendous. Extravagant. We played phenomenal tonight.“ Whatever superlative Grant wanted to use would be appropriate. The Panthers defeated the Springers 24-12 last night at Hermitage and advanced to the Division 6 championship game Friday against Thomas Dale. Hermitage (10-1) will be the host for the Knights, who defeated L.C. Bird yesterday.

What he did: In last week’s 17-16 victory over Varina, he had quite a night. The 6-foot, 184-pound wide receiver caught three passes for 72 yards, including a 39-yard reception that set up a Highland Springs field goal, picked the ball out of the air after a blocked field goal attempt and returned it 70 yards for a TD at the end of the first half, and - if that weren’t enough - was one of two Springers with an interception. Age: 18 Other sports: Track Favorite thing besides sports: “I like to listen to music and draw [pen and pencil].“ Three words his friends would use to describe him: “Funny, outgoing, sociable.“ Strengths: “Positive attitude; promoting togetherness; I can catch [the ball] and make a play.“ Working to improve: “Running my routes, getting better at catching the ball. You always work on that.“ Biggest challenge: “Balancing school work and practice.“ Best sports memory: “Beating Varina. It was my last home game, and to end it on a note like that.“ Sports person he admires most: “Jerry Rice [for his receiving].“ Favorite food: Fried chicken Pet peeve: “Ignorant people.“ Possession he can’t do without: “My cellphone.“ If he had one wish: “That my mom could have her own art studio.“ One thing about you most people don’t know: “That I’m shy until people get to know me.“ - Arthur Utley

Chalk up another victory for defense and special teams in a meaningful football game. Highland Springs blocked two field goal attempts by Varina, one at the end of the first half and the other with 18 seconds remaining, to edge the Blue Devils 17-16 yesterday afternoon before a crowd of about 4,000 at Highland Springs. The victory set off a joyful celebration for the Springers and their fans. Sixth-ranked in The Times-Dispatch Top 10, Highland Springs (6-0, 9-1) won the Capital District title and a guaranteed berth in the Central Region Division 6 playoffs next Saturday.

John Saunders scored on a 14-yard run and Oscar Portillo kicked the extra point with five minutes left in the game to give Highland Springs a 17-16 lead over Varina, and the Springers’ defense blocked its second field goal attempt of the day with 18 seconds remaining to preserve the Capital District victory that qualified Highland Springs for the Central Region Division 6 playoffs.

Offseason workouts began in January. Eleven months later, the Highland Springs and Varina football seasons boil down to 48 minutes on a rain-soaked field at Highland Springs. The anticipation has been there all season. So has the pressure. “It’s a rivalry like no other,“ Varina coach Stu Brown said. While other Group AAA regions in the commonwealth begin playoffs this weekend, Varina and Highland Springs are playing for the Capital District title and the huge reward that goes to the winner: a berth in the four-team Central Region Division 6 playoffs.

George Moore’s all-around effort spurred Highland Springs to a four-game victory over Maggie Walker Governor’s School. Moore supplied 30 assists, four kills, six blocks, five digs and two aces. The Springers won the first and third games handily, but the Green Dragons, paced by Parker Kirwan’s 14 kills and Matt Wilkinson’s 33, won the second game and battled the Springers to the end in game four.

Jaquan Burchette scampered 90 yards for a score on the fourth play of the game and the Springers stayed unbeaten in the Capital District by beating the Raiders. Burchette ran for another touchdown and tossed a scoring pass, finishing with 114 yards rushing and 67 yards passing with four intereceptions. John Saunders led the Springers’ rushing attack with 18 carries for 115 yards. Highland Springs (5-0, 8-1) held Atlee (2-3, 5-4) to 112 yards of offense. Derek Hopkins had two sacks for the Springers.

Quentin Moore and the top-seeded Springers were too much for the Hawks in the Capital District semifinals. Moore finished with 12 kills and six aces. Hanover18 17 15 Highland Springs25 25 25 Highlights: George Greene (HS) 7 kills, 5 digs; Quentin Moore (HS) 12 kills, 6 aces, 4 digs; Bryan Williams (HS) 5 kills, 4 blocks Records: Hanover 9-12; Highland Springs 18-3

Wyatt Johnson hauled in a pair of scoring catches and John Thompson rumbled for two more touchdowns as No. 5 Highland Springs coasted to a Capital District victory. Johnson caught three passes for 80 yards. Thompson rushed six times for 70 yards to help the Springers climb to 4-0 in the district and 7-1 overall. Derrick Hopkins and Gevonn Young returned fumbles for touchdowns in Highland Springs’ 35-point first period.