Author: Varun Shankar

Varun Shankar

Varun is a senior at Dominion High School and the Academy of Science in Sterling. He’s also the editor-in-chief and founder of The Tea Shop, a multimedia site. He is the host of Down to the Wire and LoCoSports' Technical Fowl. In his free time, Varun enjoys watching D.C. sports teams consistently break his heart, except for the Capitals who are Stanley Cup Champions.

Loudoun County, Va. — As the Loudoun County high school boys basketball regular season gets in the heat of the playoffs, a few local teams have continued to stand out from the crowd, others are potential contenders, and many have seen their seasons end. In a three-district county, I wanted a way to put things into perspective. Enter: the LoCo Top 5. Before that, let’s get to a new section of the Top 5: in memoriam. These are the teams who have seen their seasons end. The list will update and the eulogies will continue as more teams have their…

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Leesburg, Va. — With 17 seconds left on the clock and the outcome decided, Loudoun County High School seniors Matt Anderson and Mark Siegel turned to each other as one of their teammates shot free throws, both grinning ear to ear. They embraced, and then Anderson was subbed out to raucous cheers from the Loudoun County faithful. “M-V-P,” they chanted to their conquering hero, the one who had just delivered them a Dulles District boys basketball championship after a, 51-43, victory over Loudoun Valley High School on February 21 in Leesburg. When the buzzer sounded, fans and players alike celebrated,…

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Purcellville, Va. — Trent Dawson doesn’t care that you’re booing him. He doesn’t care that you think he’s overrated. He doesn’t care that he’s missed his last three shots or that his first half was subpar by any standards and especially his own. All he cares about is winning, and that’s what he did as he led his Loudoun Valley boys basketball team to an electric, 60-57, win over the Dominion Titans in a Dulles District semifinal that earned the Vikings a berth into the VHSL Region 4C tournament. The senior point guard had a subpar first half against the…

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Sterling, Va. — In a season that’s been filled with doubt and occasional strife, the Potomac Falls boys basketball team finds themself in a familiar spot at first place in the Potomac District and regular season champions after a, 71-59, win over the Rock Ridge Phoenix on February 18 in Sterling. It was senior night, and the Potomac Falls senior stars showed out. Guard Landon Hawes put on a show, finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. His largest impact came at the free throw line, where he shot 8-of-12, making free throws to keep the Phoenix at…

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Fairfax, Va. — With a chance to build momentum heading into the later part of the season, the George Mason Patriots took on a struggling George Washington Colonials team but were unable to take advantage of the opportunity, falling, 73-67, at EagleBank Arena. The Patriots led the entire first half, but they lost their lead and the game at the beginning of the second as an 11-4 Colonials run was the difference. George Mason stayed close the rest of the way but were unable to close the gap as George Washington hit shot after shot down the stretch. The Colonials…

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Loudoun County, Va. — As the high school boys basketball regular season starts to wind down in Loudoun County, a few local teams have continued to stand out from the crowd, while several others are potential contenders. Each week, Owen Gotimer and I will be alternating releasing our boys and girls basketball rankings. In a three-district county, we wanted a way to put things into perspective. Enter: the LoCo Top 5. It’s getting close to playoff time, but before that we still have some more games to decide seeding. Let’s start out with the Dulles District, where Dominion has a…

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