Top ranked Stonewall girls loss won’t hinder teams’ vision

Stonewall Jackson High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team’s most recent and first loss of the season to the Battlefield Bobcats was unexpected, to say the least.  

The Cardinal District team is ranked number one in the Washington Post’s “All Mets” section of high school sports and a team who boasted a 20-0 record prior to the game that took place on Tuesday. The loss briefly demonstrated a flaw in the Lady Raiders’ fortress.

“We came out each quarter fast and then slowed,” states Head Coach Diana Martinez.  “Our kids played hard and fought to get back into that game, but, unfortunately, the ball went the other way.”

Any team with a 20-game win record can’t stay down for long.  

“We are family,” said senior and guard, Rachel Burns.  “They [the team] are like my sisters.”  

And with that simple, yet powerful statement, the Raiders march on — their final destination, an opportunity to play and win the Virginia State Championship.

The Lady Raiders have an arsenal of coaching weapons at their ready.  Coach Martinez is a former Woodbridge Senior High School player.  Graduating in 2003, she went on to play Division II basketball at St. Andrew’s University (formerly, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College) located in Laurinburg, N.C.  

Upon her graduation, she coached for a year at her Alma Mater, later moving back to Prince WIlliam County and becoming an assistant coach at Woodbridge Senior High School.  

An open opportunity and the urging of friends landed her at Stonewall High School coaching the girl’s basketball program.

To add to the player experience, Martinez has surrounded herself with a coaching staff of local area talent with the likes of former players such as Jasmine Byrd (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), Kyana Jacobs (George Mason University) and Quiana Kizer (Virginia State University).  

“They are fresh out of basketball, and can still show our kids what they need to do to get better,” said Martinez.  

And “getting better” has been the exact focus of each player entering the 2014-2015 regular season.  

“I’ve been working on my ball handling, and getting to the basket off the dribble,” said Raiders point guard and junior Genesis Parker.

Individual improvement goals vary slightly, but the desired results are the same.  

“I’ve improved on my ball handling.  I want to make sure that when I have miss matches, I can go by my opponent,” said junior and shooting guard Mikayla Nichols.

With a unified purpose and a strong work ethic, the Lady Raiders have one word that qualifies their vision: Determined.

“We talk about our goals and really talk about trying to capture that state championship title,” said senior and guard/forward Sydney Jordan. “I’m looking forward to the competition in the post-season.”

With the post-season on the horizon, and senior activities to still look forward to, senior and shooting guard Hayley Nordike is reminded of the things that have mattered most to her.  

“The family of the team, our chemistry, and my friends and family coming to the games is what I will miss most,” she said.

“What we will miss most about losing three seniors at the end of this year is the leadership,” said Martinez.  “They do a phenomenal job of leading this team both vocally, but also with their work ethic.”

For now, Stonewall prepares for their next matchup against Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  “If we continue to work hard on defense, we should get the win,” claims Parker, who is excited about the competition.  

The Raiders play the Crusaders at Riverdale Baptist School on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 at 2 p.m.