A changing of the guard and the loss of several key players was supposed to take its toll on Williamsburg Christian Academy’s girls basketball team this season — at least at the start.
Many expected it would take the Eagles a while to return to the form that helped them reach each of the past three VISAA Division II state championship games. After all, they’re operating under the direction of a new coach and without three of its top four scorers from last season.
Instead, the Eagles have tackled those early-season adversities seemingly with ease to start the season 4-0 while outscoring their opponents a whopping 226-120.
Among the challenges, first-year coach Donovan Bridgeforth said, were getting the players to buy into a new system and finding ones to step up and replace former state Player of the Year Keyana Brown and Tiara Strong, both of whom transferred to Lafayette High, as well as Jalynn Ponzo, who suffered a torn ACL during the offseason.
The answer has not been one or two individuals, but rather a group effort.
Led by reclassified freshman Stephanie Seaman, who is scoring at a 20-point per game clip, the Eagles have five players — Tonika Pierce (15 ppg) Kiana Batagelj (14 ppg), Aquazia Jones (14 ppg) and Charnissa Chillers (13 ppg) — averaging double figures so far.
Seaman, Batagelj and Pierce are all returners who were valuable parts to last season’s deep postseason run while Chillers and Jones both transferred from Walsingham Academy and Warhill High, respectively.
Jones and Chillers, who was the leading scorer at better than 15 points per contest for the Trojans last season, are both proven scorers but have sacrificed points to assume defensive-minded roles for the better of the team.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity to overcome,” said Bridgeforth, who coached one season at Walsingham prior to accepting the position at WCA. “… I don’t want to say I’ve been surprised with how well the girls have responded, but I’m very happy.”
Bridgeforth has been pleased with not only the wins, but also the selflessness his team has shown in securing victory.
“No one cares who’s scoring, it’s been all about giving 100 percent effort and winning,” Bridgeforth added. “Stephanie [Seaman] has really stepped up and been a scorer at the point guard position and been a vocal leader. Charnissa [Chillers] and Aquazia [Jones] have been great defensively, Tonika [Pierce] is in good shape and shooting the ball really well and Kiana [Batagelj] has been big on the glass. We have a very balanced attack.”
Sure, the competition in the coming weeks will stiffen as WCA faces Norfolk Christian Academy for a rematch of last winter’s Division II state final before traveling to play in the touted Beast of the East Showcase tournament next weekend in Baltimore, but a 60-57 victory over Liberty Christian in the Eagles’ second game of the season, which has played in each of the past two Division I state championship games, is as quality as they come.
“That was a really big win for us,” Bridgeforth said of the three-point win over Liberty Christian. “I think that made the girls realize what they were capable of, and we’re going to need that confidence with the tough road we have ahead.”
Bridgeforth also admitted he has had an easier time settling into his new role by having former WCA coach John Perkins, who stepped down last spring after guiding the program to a 174-74 overall record in nine seasons and its first state championship in 2011, on the sidelines with him. Perkins chose to remain on board as an assistant coach to help the transition process go smoothly.
“It helps a lot having him right there,” Bridgeforth said, adding he has a running joke with Perkins about how he’s like Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who oversaw the youngest coach in the NBA, Erik Spoelstra, lead the Heat to back-to-back NBA titles. “[Perkins has] won a championship and knows the game and the program as well as anyone. Plus we share a strong passion for the game.”
