State private school playoff previews

PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENTS

BASEBALL

Today’s quarterfinals:

Division II—No. 8 seed Hampton Roads Academy (9-8) at No. 1 seed Hampton Christian (24-2); No. 7 seed Isle of Wight Academy (13-7) at No. 2 seed Greenbrier Christian (20-6), 4:30 p.m.; No. 6 seed Carlisle School (11-6) at No. 3 seed Steward School (20-1); No. 5 seed Seton School (11-5) at No. 4 seed Miller School (13-6).

Division III—No. 8 seed Westover Christian (7-10) at No. 1 seed Alliance Christian (15-4); No. 7 seed Broadwater Academy (8-9) at No. 2 seed Kenston Forest (15-5); No. 6 seed Tidewater Academy (10-10) at No. 3 seed Brunswick Academy (13-7); No. 5 seed Roanoke Valley Christian (9-9) at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot (10-6).

Semifinals Thursday and Friday at Petersburg Sports Complex

Finals Saturday at Petersburg Sports Complex

Outlook Greenbrier Christian, the defending Division II champion, is coming off regular-season and tournament titles in the Tidewater Conference. The Gators’ lineup is highlighted by Sammy Serafine, the TCIS Player of the Year, and lefthander Kenny Strickland is 6-1 after pitching the conference championship game. In Division III, Alliance Christian has the top seed after regular-season victories over four postseason qualifiers, including Division II top seed Hampton Christian. The Falcons lost to Isle of Wight Academy in the Metro Conference tournament semifinals after defeating the Chargers twice during the regular season. There are no Hampton Roads teams involved in Division I, which features nationally ranked Paul VI of Fairfax.

— Jami Frankenberry

SOFTBALL

Today’s quarterfinals:

Division I—No. 8 seed Norfolk Academy at No. 1 seed Paul VI; No. 7 seed Episcopal High at No. 2 seed Bishop O’Connell; No. 6 seed St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes at No. 3 seed Collegiate (Richmond); No. 5 seed St. Catherine’s at No. 4 seed Liberty Christian

Division II—No. 8 seed Covenant School at No. 1 seed Greenbrier Christian, 5 p.m.; No. 7 seed Eastern Mennonite at No. 2 seed Brunswick Academy; No. 6 seed Highland School at No. 3 seed Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, 4:30 p.m.; No. 5 seed Portsmouth Christian at No. 4 seed Peninsula Catholic, 4:30 p.m.

Division III—No. 8 seed Westover Christian at No. 1 seed Tidewater Academy; No. 7 seed Southampton Academy at No. 2 seed Isle of Wight Academy; No. 6 seed Broadwater Academy at No. 3 seed Kenston Forest; No. 5 seed Holy Cross at No. 4 seed Alliance Christian, 4:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday in Richmond

Finals Saturday in Richmond

Outlook Once-beaten Greenbrier Christian, last year’s Division II runner-up, gets the favorite nod this time around with pitching ace Brittany Lane (24-1), the TCIS Player of the Year, and a solid lineup led by All-TCIS selections in catcher Robbin Kennedy and shortstop Kayla Fussell. Gators coach Dan Moore is most wary of Highland School, the defending Division II champion. Portsmouth Christian, which upset its way to the Metro Conference tournament crown, is also a threat. Isle of Wight Academy, led by pitcher Casey Mansfield, who also swings a potent bat, is solidly in the Division III title hunt. Top seeds Paul VI and Bishop O’Connell are the favorites in Division I.

— Mike Keech

GIRLS SOCCER

Today’s quarterfinals:

Division I—No. 8 seed St. Gertrude’s (7-5-2) at No. 1 seed Norfolk Academy (16-0-4), 5:30 p.m.; No. 7 seed Norfolk Collegiate (12-4-1) at No. 2 seed Collegiate of Richmond (14-2-1), 5 p.m.; No. 6 seed Trinity Episcopal High (10-6-4) at No. 3 seed Bishop Sullivan Catholic (17-4), 4:30 p.m.; No. 5 seed Highland School (11-3-1) at No. 4 seed Walsingham (11-2-1).

Division II—No. 8 seed Virginia Episcopal (9-9-1) at No. 1 seed Covenant School (17-1-1); No. 7 seed North Cross (8-4) at No. 2 seed Atlantic Shores (15-2), 4:30 p.m.; No. 6 seed Denbigh Baptist (11-3-2) at No. 3 seed Eastern Mennonite High School (13-3-0); No. 5 seed Wakefield School (8-3-1) at No. 4 seed Christchurch (9-7-1).

Semifinals Friday at St. Catherine’s Goochland Fields—Division II, 3 and 5 p.m.; Division I, 3 and 5 p.m.

Finals Saturday at St. Catherine’s Goochland Fields—Division II, 11 a.m.; Division I, 11 a.m.

Outlook In the two years the private school state tournament has been in existence, only one school in each division has claimed the title. Norfolk Academy in Division I and Highland School in Division II have each won consecutive championships. Although the Bulldogs figure to be contenders for a three-peat after winning the TCIS tournament last weekend, Highland will have to contend with Norfolk Academy if it wants a shot at a third title. That’s because Highland moved up a division this season. As a result, the Division II championship is up for grabs, and Atlantic Shores, which won its second straight regular-season Metro conference title, is among the teams with a shot to win it.

— Rainer Sabin

BOYS LACROSSE

Today’s Division I quarterfinals No. 8 seed Episcopal High at No. 1 seed Norfolk Academy, 4:30 p.m.; No. 7 seed Paul VI at No. 2 seed Collegiate (Richmond); No. 6 seed Flint Hill at No. 3 seed St. Anne’s-Belfield; No. 5 seed St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes at No. 4 seed Woodberry Forest.

Today’s Division II quarterfinals No. 8 seed Christchurch at No. 1 seed Highland School; No. 7 seed Walsingham at No. 2 seed Covenant School; No. 6 seed Wakefield School at No. 3 seed Virginia Episcopal; No. 5 seed Nansemond-Suffolk Academy at No. 4 seed Bishop Sullivan Catholic, 4:30 p.m.

Division I semifinals Friday at St. Anne’s-Belfield in Charlottesville, 5:30 and 8 p.m.

Division II semifinals Thursday or Friday at better seeds

Finals Saturday at St. Anne’s-Belfield—Division II, 2:30 p.m.; Division I, 5 p.m.

Outlook After back-to-back runner-up finishes in the tournament as the No. 2 seed the past two seasons, Norfolk Academy is the Division I top seed and has won 18 consecutive games. The Bulldogs are led up front by attackers Tom Rixey (the TCIS Player of the Year), Ben Clarke and Schuyler Beecroft, and have victories over each of the other top four seeds. In Division II, Bishop Sullivan and Nansemond-Suffolk meet in the quarterfinals less than two weeks after the Crusaders won 13-9 in a TCIS regular-season match-up. Reed Looney had five goals and Ryan Burke added another three in the Crusaders’ victory, and Ian McHorney and Carter Pearson each had three tallies for the Saints. Bishop Sullivan is 8-0 against Division II opponents this season.

— Darrell Cuenca

GIRLS LACROSSE

Today’s Division I quarterfinals No. 8 seed Flint Hill at No. 1 seed St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes; No. 7 seed Bishop Sullivan Catholic at No. 2 seed Collegiate (Richmond), 4:30 p.m.; No. 6 seed Paul VI at No. 3 seed Bishop Ireton; No. 5 seed Episcopal High at No. 4 seed Bishop O’Connell.

Today’s Division II quarterfinals No. 8 seed Nansemond-Suffolk Academy at No. 1 seed Potomac School, 4:30 p.m.; No. 7 seed Virginia Episcopal at No. 2 seed St. Anne’s-Belfield; No. 6 seed Highland School at No. 3 seed Cape Henry Collegiate, 4:30 p.m.; No. 5 seed Covenant School at No. 4 seed Trinity Episcopal.

Semifinals Friday at University of Richmond—Division II, 2 and 3:30 p.m.; Division I, 5:30 and 7 p.m.

Finals Saturday at University of Richmond—Division II, noon; Division I, 2 p.m.

Outlook: In Division I, Bishop Sullivan qualified for the first time in the tournament’s three-year existence and draws two-time tournament runner-up Collegiate of Richmond. Caitlin Murphy and Lauren Wohner can provide goals in bunches for the Crusaders. In Division II, Cape Henry earned the No. 3 seed for the third straight year, finishing second in 2006 before raising the trophy a year later. The Dolphins won the TCIS regular-season and tournament titles for the second consecutive year and have lost just twice this season, though Mary Flowers, the TCIS Player of the Year and a University of Richmond signee, missed both of those games after having surgery to remove a ruptured appendix. Nansemond-Suffolk also makes its state tournament debut and will face Potomac School, which won the inaugural state championship.

— Darrell Cuenca

BOYS TENNIS

When Quarterfinals are today, with semifinals Friday and finals Saturday.

Where All matches are hosted by the better seed.

Today’s quarterfinals:

Division I—No. 8 seed Trinity Episcopal at No. 1 seed Flint Hill; No. 7 seed Cape Henry Collegiate at No. 2 seed Potomac School, 4 p.m.; No. 6 seed Woodberry Forest at No. 3 seed Episcopal High; No. 5 seed Collegiate (Richmond) at No. 4 seed St. Christopher’s.

Division II—No. 8 seed Wakefield School at No. 1 seed Hampton Roads Academy; No. 7 seed Norfolk Christian at No. 2 seed Covenant School, 4:30 p.m.; No. 6 seed St. Anne’s-Belfield at No. 3 seed Virginia Episcopal; No. 5 seed Norfolk Collegiate at No. 4 seed Eastern Mennonite, 3:30 p.m.

Outlook The Dolphins (11-1) completed a historic TCIS season Saturday by adding the conference tournament title to their first regular-season crown. To advance at the state level, however, they will need to get past a Potomac squad that defeated the Dophins 8-1 in last year’s quarterfinals. At least the Dolphins will have a complete team this year. Last year, No. 1 player Tanner Baine had to sit out since the tournament doesn’t allow seventh-graders to play. Norfolk Christian, which features the TCIS’ best doubles team in Dean Wardell and Travis Riggs, will face a Covenant team that returns its entire top six from a 2007 state runner-up finish. Norfolk Collegiate, the 2007 champion, rebounded from heavy graduation losses to earn the right to defend its title.

— Paul White