MaxPreps is pleased to announce that the Monacan (Richmond, Va.) Chiefs have officially been named to the 12th Annual MaxPreps Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, which is in its 11th year honoring girls basketball.
This is one of the most prestigious team awards in all of high school sports and it is an exclusive honor reserved for the top 100 teams nationwide. In order to be eligible, a team must win a state championship and be highly ranked in the
MaxPreps National Rankings. For basketball, only 20 of the country's best are invited and with nearly 40,000 competing varsity teams. This puts the Chiefs ahead of 99.9 percent of their opponents!
Beating King's Fork 60-59 on Friday, March 10 marked the completion of an incredible 30-0 season — and earned Monacan an invitation to the Tour of Champions.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year Megan Walker earned her moniker in the title game, scoring the winning bucket with 15-seconds remaining to seal Monacan's third straight state title in what proved to be the closest of the three state championship contests.
But that play doesn't tell the entire story. The Chiefs had to rally from a 43-32 deficit heading into the final period to get championship No. 3. While Walker scored big in the final eight minutes, she wasn't the only Chief to take over. Alex Parson and Jaiden Morris each made a 3-pointer early in the rally to cut the deficit to three.
In the final three minutes of the game, the lead continued to change hands. Monacan outscored King's Fork 28-16 in the final period and scratched out the win. Walker ended up scoring the final 16 Monacan points of the fourth quarter, and she ended up with 35 points, 11 rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals in her Chiefs finale.
Parson tallied 13 points, pulled down four rebounds and was credited with five assists and two steals. Abby Oguich was outstanding on the boards, pulling down eight rebounds, while Morris finished with seven points.
The Chiefs knocked off Charlottesville 71-32 and defeated Lake Taylor 66-50 to make their way into the title game. In all, Monacan has three girls state basketball championships. With the perfect season in tow, Larry Starr's club is in the midst of a 53-game winning streak and has produced a 59-1 mark over the last two seasons. Monacan produced an outstanding 83-5 record during the three state championship seasons.
Having won 53-straight contests, Monacan's name has been cemented at or near the top of the rankings. The Chiefs finished the 2016-17 season atop Virginia's Class
4A rankings as well as No. 1 in the entire state of
Virginia. The Chiefs grabbed the No. 24 rung in MaxPreps National Computer Rankings and sit eighth in the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Writers' Poll.
These incredible season achievements have earned the Monacan Chiefs an invitation to the 12th Annual Tour of Champions.
Please join us as we celebrate with the girls basketball team, coaching staff, students and fans on Friday, April 21 at a sports pep rally, which starts at 1:15 p.m. in the gym.
For more information about the Tour of Champions, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
Photo Courtesy Monacan High School
