Evan Thorpe wore a bright yellow hard hat. Emblazoned across the front was a thick green H. Similar to Virginia Tech's lunch pail, the hard hat is Henrico's symbol for going to work.
"Our team is under construction," Warriors coach Vance Harmon said. "We're trying to build something special."
Thorpe also wore a green workout suit and an ACE bandage over his right hand, the result of a dislocated pinky finger. Though he is day to day, he was unable to play Friday night.
But the Warriors didn't miss a beat without Thorpe, their top rebounder and second-leading scorer, and No. 3 Henrico easily defeated No. 7 Highland Springs 81-55.
It was Henrico's second win of the season over Highland Springs (12-6, 10-2 Capital), the first coming by a much closer margin, 81-77 on Jan. 6.
"When you beat them once, you know you've had a good game. When you beat them twice, you know you've had a good season," Harmon said. "We know the championship goes through 64-East."
The victory puts Henrico (19-1, 12-0) at the doorstep of the district title. One more win — or a Highland Springs loss — would clinch the championship.
Even without Thorpe, the Warriors managed to check every box on their to-do list Friday night.
Goal No. 1: Win the rebounding battle. Even without the 10 rebounds per game they get from Thorpe, the Warriors outrebounded Highland Springs 41-35.
"With him out, we just picked up the slack," said Marvin Smith Jr., who finished with 19 points and five rebounds, including a game-best four offensive rebounds.
Goal No. 2: Stop Highland Springs' guards from going crazy. Micah Thomas, one of the region's top scorers, notched 19 points for Highland Springs. But 13 of them came in the second half when the game already was out of hand. C.J Wiggins scored nine, and Tim Crossin had seven.
Henrico's defense also had a strong night, forcing 21 turnovers. Time and again, the Warriors would get control of the ball, race down the court, and score before Highland Springs could set its defense.
Henrico got 27 points off turnovers, compared to the Springers' six. Henrico also won the battle in the paint, outscoring Highland Springs 62-20. Timmy Jones led Henrico with 22 points. Jordon Talley added 12.
"We let them play their game," Springers coach George Lancaster said. "(Henrico's) team chemistry is just unreal."
Henrico led 13-4 midway through the first quarter and never let Highland Springs back in the game.
"We sputtered like a car that needed a tuneup," Lancaster said. "I am disappointed. But I am far from being disenchanted."
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