2022-23 high school sports in review: State champs! Athletes of the year, coach of the year and more
What a year! Here’s a look at the standout athletes and state champions from the 2022-23 year in high school sports, compiled by the 757Teamz staff:
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Male Athlete of the Year
David Anderson, Kecoughtan
Anderson started his senior year in football, earning first-team All-Tidewater as a two-way starting lineman. He collected 16 sacks and was an all-state first-team pick on defense and a second-team selection on offense. In the winter, he won the Class 5 indoor state title in the shot put by nearly nine feet and capped his senior year by winning the state outdoor title in both the shot put and discus as Kecoughtan won the program’s first track and field state title. He will play football for Duke.
Runner-up
Lake Taylor’s Elijah Washington, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 43 receptions for 877 yards and 16 touchdowns in football and averaged 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in basketball.
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Female Athlete of the Year
Madison Whyte, Heritage
White picked up where she left off after her junior year – when she was the Pilot and Daily Press Female Athlete of the Year. As a senior, White swept the 100-, 200- and 400-meter runs at the Class 4 meet to lead the Hurricanes to a share of the team state title. She also ran a state-record time of 22.81 seconds in the 200 – third nationally this season among high school girls. Her 52.49-second 400 ranked fourth nationally. White, signed with Southern California, was the Gatorade Virginia Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Runner-up
York’s Ashley Hunt earned first-team all-state honors in volleyball after helping the Falcons rally to knock off previously undefeated Hidden Valley for the Class 3 state title. Hunt averaged 22.5 points per game in basketball, surpassing 1,000 career points, and in soccer she repeated as a first-team all-state goalkeeper and scored 13 goals.
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Coach of the Year
Craig Powers, Kellam boys soccer
Powers led the Knights to the program’s first state championship, finishing with a 20-0 record and landing at No. 3 in the final MaxPreps national poll. Kellam’s 1-0 win over Lewis for the Class 6 state title was the team’s eighth straight shutout, and the Knights permitted just five goals all season.
Runner-up
Woodside’s Stefan Welsh won two boys basketball state championships as a player, and this year he won a third as the coach at his alma mater. The Wolverines caught fire in time for the playoffs, winning their final 10 games and beating Patrick Henry of Roanoke for the Class 5 title.
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Play of the Year
Woodside’s buzzer-beater for the state title
Woodside grabbed a rebound, went the length of the court and missed the potential game-winning shot. Until Christian Greenlaw grabbed the rebound and hurriedly tossed up a reverse layup in a 54-52 win over Patrick Henry for the Class 5 boys basketball championship.
“I just knew I had to go get it and finish up for the game,” said Greenlaw, who finished with six points and four rebounds. “I knew we didn’t have enough time, so I just put it up, and somehow it went in, and now we’re state champions, baby.”
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State champs!
Fall
Phoebus football (Class 3): Despite the absence of injured all-state QB Nolan James, the Phantoms capped a 15-0 season with a 48-7 win over Heritage of Lynchburg. Jayden Early threw for 236 yards and TD passes of 82 and 75 yards to Jordan Bass, who also returned an interception 83 yards for a score.
Cox girls field hockey (Class 5): Addie Froehlich and Sophia Burch scored goals as the Falcons shut out Nansemond River 2-0 to capture the program’s 24th state title — no Virginia team has won more — and fifth consecutive crown.
Great Bridge field hockey (Class 4): Greyson Curth and Lily Johnson scored in the Wildcats’ three-peat — the program’s fifth state title since 2016 — with a 2-0 win over Courtland.
Tabb field hockey (Class 3): The Tigers were repeat champs by outscoring three state opponents 18-0 and topping Bay Rivers District rival Poquoson 3-0 for the title. Kate Fiest and Mika Hilburger scored.
York girls volleyball (Class 3): Ashley Hunt and Ramsie Pittman combined for 38 kills as the Falcons won their first state title by rallying from two sets down to defeat Hidden Valley.
Winter
Woodside boys basketball (Class 5): Senior Trevor Smith scored a game-high 17 points and Christian Greenlaw scored on a reverse layup at the buzzer to help the Wolverines rally from a 16-point deficit and beat Patrick Henry of Roanoke 54-52 to win the title.
Grassfield girls indoor track (Class 6): Freshman sprinter Sophie Rambo won the 300 meters and finished runner-up in the 500 to help lead the Grizzlies to their first indoor state title.
Nansemond River girls indoor track (Class 5): Senior Jaliyah Person won the 500 meters in a meet-record time of 1:13.63, finished runner-up in the 300, tied for second in the long jump and was eighth in the triple jump as the Warriors won their seventh state title.
Princess Anne girls basketball (Class 5): Mississippi recruit Zakiya Stephenson scored 24 points as the Cavaliers (26-1) beat L.C. Bird 53-45 for the program’s ninth title in 10 seasons.
Hampton girls basketball (Class 4): George Mason signee Kennedy Harris scored 35 points as the Crabbers beat Pulaski County 75-63 to win their second title in three seasons.
Great Bridge wrestling (Class 4): Caleb Neal (138 pounds) and Noah Lawrence (175) won back-to-back state titles and Myron Nixon (132) and Aaron Turner (157) also won as the Wildcats dominated to repeat as team champion.
First Colonial girls swimming (Class 5): Kayleigh Duffy won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events and two relays — Elle Berenguer, Maris Marchione, Addy Roberts and Sara Teague in the 200 free; Berenguer, Dara Duffy, Roberts and Kayleigh Duffy in the 400 free — finished first as the Patriots won a fourth straight state championship.
Bruton girls swimming (Class 2): Maddie Hubbard and Chloe Check both won three gold medals as the Panthers claimed a second consecutive state title.
Spring
Jamestown boys soccer (Class 4): Freshman James Snead scored the winning goal with 19 minutes remaining as the Eagles (21-4) won a fifth state title by beating Smithfield 1-0 in an all-Bay Rivers District final in which goalie Caleb Nixon made several clutch saves.
Kellam boys soccer (Class 6): Freshman Jashaun Johnson scored as the Knights defeated Lewis 1-0 to cap an unbeaten season at 21-0 with the program’s first state championship.
Princess Anne boys soccer (Class 5): The Cavaliers scored three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over defending state champion Cox in the first all-Beach District state championship game since 1997.
Cox baseball (Class 5): The Falcons won their second state title in three seasons as they upset nationally ranked Independence High of Ashburn 8-0.
Kecoughtan boys track (Class 5): David Anderson won the shot and discus, and Jaymes Saunders finished second in the high jump and third in the triple jump, 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Jamestown girls tennis (Class 4): Julia Clark, Lauren Elliott, Emily Dahl and Scarlett Gamez won in singles as the Eagles beat Sherando for their second state title in three seasons.
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VISAA state champs
Cape Henry Collegiate baseball
Walsingham Academy baseball
Cape Henry Collegiate field hockey
Veritas School boys golf
Walsingham Academy boys cross country
StoneBridge girls cross country
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball
Greenbrier Christian Academy softball
Cape Henry Collegiate girls tennis
Norfolk Academy girls indoor track and field
Cape Henry Collegiate girls outdoor track and field
Peninsula Catholic girls volleyball
StoneBridge girls volleyball
Denbigh Baptist girls volleyball
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Star power
Athletes who made their mark during the 2022-23 school year.
Abby Adamek, Kellam softball: The junior was named Class 6 Player of the Year after pitching the Knights into the state semifinals with a 23-2 record, accumulating 235 strikeouts over 165 innings.
Jordan Bass, Phoebus football: A senior and Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year, Bass led the Phantoms to a 15-0 record and second consecutive Class 3 state title with 41 touchdowns. He netted 1,535 yards receiving and scored 30 TDs, while returning four of 10 interceptions for scores.
Max Cooper, Jamestown boys soccer: The sophomore led Hampton Roads with 44 goals — 10th all-time on the VHSL’s all-time single-season list.
Leo Davis, Warhill track and field: Davis, a Hampton University recruit, ran a scintillating 800-meter leg of 1:48.75 to rally the Lions to the sprint medley relay title at the New Balance Nationals on a foursome that included Ayden Stewart, Elijah Epps and Andre Picataggi.
Kayleigh Duffy, First Colonial swimming: The junior won two events — the 50 and 100 freestyles — to lead the Patriots to a fourth straight swimming state championship.
Kate Fiest, Tabb field hockey: The senior capped a dominating two-year run, earning All-Tidewater Player of the Year honors after scoring 55 goals as the Tigers won a second straight state championship with back-to-back unbeaten seasons.
Alexis Flannigan, Warhill girls lacrosse: The senior was the only player from Hampton Roads named to the USA Lacrosse All-American team for a second consecutive season. Maury’s Noelle Searing and Courtney Pegram and Nansemond-Suffolk’s Page Henry joined her on the team.
Christian Greenlaw, Woodside football and boys basketball: The senior made the game-winning basket to lead the Wolverines to the Class 5 state title. He also was third-team All-Tidewater in both basketball and football.
Josh Haggerty, Cox golf and soccer: The junior carded a 2-under-par 68 to win the Class 5 golf championship by a stroke in the fall, then was an All-Tidewater first-team selection in soccer after helping the Falcons reach the state championship game.
Kennedy Harris, Hampton girls basketball: The sharpshooter averaged an area-high 31.5 points, scoring 35 in the Crabbers’ win over Pulaski County in the Class 4 state championship game.
Naya Howard, Great Bridge gymnastics: The senior, a Georgia signee, won the vault and uneven parallel bars and finished in a first-place tie on the balance beam at the VHSL open individual competition.
Hamilton Howes, Kellam boys soccer: The senior, a William & Mary signee, was the cornerstone of a stout defensive unit that helped Kellam win its first boys soccer state championship. Howes — the All-Tidewater Boys Soccer POY — switched positions early in the season from striker to defender. He helped the Knights only allow five goals all season and none in the playoffs.
Jashyra Johnson, Kellam girls soccer: The senior, a Radford signee, led the Knights’ offensive attack through an unbeaten regular season, scoring a team-high 14 goals on her way to become All-Tidewater Girls Soccer POY.
Alexis Keeter, Grafton girls volleyball: The junior, a Florida Gulf Coast commit and All-Tidewater Player of the Year, recorded 468 kills and 52 aces to lead the Region A title and Class 4 championship-match berth.
Marin McGowan, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball: She was selected VISAA Division II Player of the Year after pitching a four-hitter, striking out 10 and hitting a run-scoring double in a 13-1 win over Fredericksburg Christian in the state championship game..
Dylan Olinger, Bruton golf: The junior repeated as Class 2 golf champion with his exact score — an even-par 72 — on the same course as in 2021.
Beckham Rombaoa, Indian River boys volleyball: The senior setter and All-Tidewater Player of the Year collected 988 assists to help the Braves finish an unbeaten regular season, followed by a Region A Tournament title and state quarterfinal berth.
Jaymes Saunders, Kecoughtan boys track: The junior finished second in the high jump and third in the triple jump, 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles to help lead the Warriors to the Class 5 state title.
Tanner Schaedel, Cape Henry baseball: The junior batted .462 with 42 hits, 35 RBIs, 28 runs and 12 doubles to help lead the Dolphins to the VISAA Division I state title and was named the All-Tidewater and VISAA Division I POY.
Trevor Smith, Woodside basketball: The senior was named an All-Tidewater player and Class 5 POY after he helped lead the Wolverines to the Class 5 state title.
Zakiya Stephenson, Princess Anne girls basketball: The senior averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 7.2 steals, receiving Class 5 Player of the Year honors as the Cavaliers won a ninth state title in 10 seasons.
Cammie Stuffel, Nansemond River softball: A junior committed to UNC Wilmington, Stuffel blasted a VHSL-record 18 home runs in leading the Warriors to the Class 5 state semifinals, in addition to batting .635 with 39 runs.
