The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) is without question one of the premier high school basketball leagues in America (both boys and girls). All three Arlington diocesan schools are aiming to improve on last season’s results.

Thus far (on the boys side), both O'Connell and Paul VI are turning in banner seasons. Ireton, with a much smaller student population base, is attempting to gain its first conference win since the 1999-00 season. (PVI Juniors Steven Proctor and Nicholas Grant warmup before a game).

Though O'Connell and Paul VI are fierce rivals, both have achieved the same milestone this season. Namely, they aimed their basketball slingshot and successfully slayed the Goliath-like DeMatha Stags. No other private or public school in Northern Virginia had previously accomplished this feat.

This week’s article will focus primarily on the PVI Panthers and the Ireton Cardinals. Next week’s article will go into depth about the O'Connell Knights.

However, it is most noteworthy to give the Knights their due in terms of defeating DeMatha.

The Knights, coached by Joe Wootten (third season), defeated the Stags, coached by Morgan Wootten, 62-61 in Hyattsville on Jan. 5. It was the first time in O'Connell history that the Knights were able to achieve this feat, and it didn't come easy.

Not only were the teams tied at halftime 23-23, the teams were tied after regulation 55-55. The Knights outscored the Stags 7-6 in the four minute overtime to claim the victory.

Pacing O'Connell offensively was senior Ahmad Smith (22 points), sophomore Brian Johnson (20), sophomore Erik Smith (15) and senior Pierre Lacey (five).

With the victory, O'Connell improved to 13-1 overall (5-0 in conference play). In addition, the Knights moved from seventh place to fifth place in area rankings.

Their celebration was short lived, however, as the Knights lost to Gonzaga on Jan. 8 70-45.

Paul VI is off to one of the finest starts in school history. As of Jan. 8, the Panthers posted an 11-3 overall record. In addition, PVI is currently ranked 19th in the entire area.

The Panthers are led by first-year head coach Levi Franklin (who coached last season at Crossland H.S. in Prince Georges County).

One of the Panthers three losses was to O'Connell. They defeated Ireton Jan. 5 in Alexandria. Paul VI led 25-16 after quarter one; led 36-24 at intermission; led 57-33 after quarter three - before winning 69-48.

Pacing the Panthers offensively were senior guard Tom Hayes (13), senior guard Antonio Webb (11), junior guard Nick Grant (nine), junior guard Terron Diggs (eight), junior post Joe Cascio (seven) and and junior forward Bo Taylor (six).

"We pushed the tempo vs. Ireton," said Franklin. "We forced some turnovers and made them make real quick decisions.

"Give Ireton credit," he said. "They are real scrappy and they didn't quit."

In the DeMatha win earlier in the season, Paul VI became the first team ever from Northern Virginia to defeat the Stags.

The Panthers traveled to Hyattsville in early December and defeated DeMatha 51-46. DeMatha’s Wootten is the winningest high school coach in history.

"Our kids were really focused against DeMatha," Franklin said. "They really believed they could get the win. They played hard and things worked out."

Last year, in coach Red Jenkins’ final season at the helm, the Panthers finished 17-15 overall. Jenkins concluded his remarkable tenure with a post-season semi-final loss to DeMatha.

This season, Franklin would like very much to get over that hump and lead the Panthers to their first-ever berth in the WCAC title game.

The Bishop Ireton Cardinals have won nearly as many games this season as they won all of last year. As of Jan. 8, Ireton weighs in with a 4-9 overall record.

Last year Ireton finished 6-23 overall and did not win a conference game.

It is no stroll in the park to play O'Connell, Paul VI, DeMatha, St. John’s, Good Counsel, Carroll, McNamara and Gonzaga twice each per season. All eight of these teams at one time or another have been ranked in the top 20.

The Cardinals are led by sixth-year head coach Pete Hamer, the only coach in Ireton history to advance the Cardinals to the Virginia Independent School Post-Season Tournament.

In the Paul VI game last week, the Cardinals were paced offensively by senior guard Rob Handlon (10 points), junior center Dan Blaine (eight), junior forward Matt Coleman (eight), senior guard Andrew Brant (seven) and junior forward Trey Blincoe (five).

"Our offense has to get better," Blincoe said. "We have to work our sets and we have to persevere."

"We've had our ups and downs this season," Coleman said. "It seems that we get down, and then we come back and then we don't finish the game as well as we're capable."

"We just didn't handle Paul VI's pressure very well," said Hamer. "We were within six points of O'Connell late in the third quarter, but we just didn't make the plays we needed to late in the game against the Knights.