Chantilly Loses Thriller to Herndon

If you arrived a half hour early to see Herndon play Chantilly, there’s a good chance that you were sent away, as the game was sold out. Those that came early enough witnessed a proper home sendoff for one of the top players in the Northern Region.

In a raucous environment, Herndon completed its first mission of the season. On senior night, in a gym packed so tight that even the fire marshal probably couldn’t get in, Herndon defeated Chantilly 63-58. Led by Austin Hamilton, the Hornets ran on pure emotion and toughness in the final quarter to claim the 2011 Concorde District regular-season championship.

The win also continues Herndon’s two-year regular season district unbeaten streak.

“Composure and experience,” Herndon coach Chris Whelan said. “It’s not me. I’m just sitting over there watching, and they know what we need to do to win. They’re winners. They’ve proved it going back-to-back regular seasons.”

Herndon senior guard Austin Hamilton ignited the Hornets offensively with 30 points, including 18 in the first half. Whenever Herndon needed an answer, the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer came through.

“He’s a Division I player, he’s our best player, he’s our captain,” Whelan said of Hamilton’s special play-making skills. “He’s a senior and he should take the game.”

With 1:33 remaining in the game, Hamilton made a 3-pointer to give the Hornets a 57-56 lead. After converting on a pair of free throws to propel Herndon to a 59-56 lead with 34.1 seconds remaining, Hamilton stunned Chantilly when he stole a ball of an inbounds pass under the rim. The point guard made 1-of-2 free throws to give Herndon a two possession lead at 60-56.

Chantilly (17-5, 8-2 Concorde) cut the lead in half when Brian Sydnor found John Manning for a dunk to close Herndon’s lead to 60-58. Herndon (19-2, 10-0 Concorde) senior guard Jonathan Beltran (12 points) was fouled quickly and stepped to the foul-line and made both shots to give the Hornets a 62-58 lead. After a Jamie Danehower missed step-back 3-pointer, Chantilly had to foul again and Herndon’s Patrick McLaughlin (9 points) made 1-of-2 free throws to put the game officially out of reach.

“I’ll never forget this game,” Hamilton said. “You never back down. We’re a strong team, we fight hard, and we’re scrappy. We worked hard and came out with the win.”

Chantilly was led by senior center John Manning, who scored 17 points and fellow big man Jake Weigand, contributed with 10 points in limited action.

“Jake and John are tough,” Whelan said. “I don’t know if we’ll see another tougher duo in the state.”

The Chargers weren’t passive to start the game in a difficult setting. Chantilly took an early 19-9 lead in the first quarter when senior Jamie Danehower made two 3-pointers to quiet the home crowd. After trailing 21-13 at the end of the first, Herndon was more prepared at the start of the second quarter. The Hornets went on a 7-0 run that was spearheaded by a long range Hamilton 3-pointer on the right wing to close Chantilly’s lead to 21-20 just 80 seconds into the second quarter.

Chantilly led 35-32 at halftime, with both teams being successful on five 3-pointers each. Even though Austin Hamilton had 18 points in the half, Chantilly’s senior guard tandem of Jamie Danehower and Devin Ballam notched 19 points.

Herndon finally took control of the lead with 3:05 left in the third quarter when Jonathan Beltran made an aggressive layup. The Hornets lead in the third quarter didn’t last long. Weigand converted on two 3-point plays in the late stages of the quarter to give Chantilly a 49-44 lead. 

When Weigand was in the game, he was difficult to defend and scored 10 points. However, the 6-foot-7 player was too forceful at times and had to sit out a bulk of the first half in foul trouble. Playing with four fouls virtually most of the second half, Weigand willed his team to a 51-47 lead early in the fourth with a hook shot. Moments later, with 5:05 left in the game, Weigand committed his fifth foul and momentum shifted to Herndon.

Both teams are now one victory away in the semifinals of the district tournament from a third and final game at the Concorde District tournament championship. Chantilly will play the winner of the Westfield vs. Centreville game and Herndon will play the winner of the Robinson and Oakton game since both the Chargers and Hornets have byes in the six-team district.

“They’re a great team,” Hamilton said of Chantilly. “I can’t take anything away from them. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and playing smart.”