On Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 p.m., the ACHS varsity boys basketball team will face off against the Hayfield Hawks in the Occoquan Region Semifinals at Robinson Secondary School. Both teams have had phenomenal seasons, losing only six games. 

The Titans are coming off a close win against Thomas Jefferson High School in the Occoquan Region quarter-finals, where the Colonials held the ball for much of the first half trying to keep up with the Titans. The Titans won 33-28 and were led by senior Kye Robinson who scored 17 points. 

However, some unfortunate injuries occurred in the last few games. A key guard for the Titans, sophomore Darius Bivins, injured his wrist after a fall in the Patriot District semi-final game against Woodson High School. Bivins was voted as the Patriot District defensive player of the year and awarded first team all-district and first team all-region honors, and it is unclear if he will play today.

Additionally, junior guard Tarik Sesay is out with a sprained MCL after injuring himself in the Patriot District championship, where the Titans lost to the Fairfax Lions 60-55. 

“We have a few guys who are banged up, but we will see come game time,” said ACHS Head Coach Ty Sally. 

Both teams are right next to each other in the Virginia District 6 standings, with Hayfield having only one more win than Alexandria City and both teams having six losses. 

A game of this magnitude is nothing new for Hayfield. They are the returning state champions and have won back-to-back titles in the past two years. 

“The team is feeling good, [We] got a good win over a very talented Woodson team, we are pretty healthy going into the semifinals,” said Hayfield Head Coach Carlos Poindexter. “We have been watching films on AC, trying to figure out what go-to sets and actions they run so we can help our players out. We [are] also providing our players with a scouting report on each player.’’

“The guys are feeling good. [We] had a good practice the other day and everybody is ready to go. [We are] just focusing on being who we are and putting a full game together,” said Sally. 

With both teams having significant winning records and being so close all year long, it is sure to be a very competitive and entertaining game.