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Sports

Woodson Holds On To Beat Robinson In Basketball Opener

Cavaliers Beat Rams 78-67 in Red Jenkins Tip-Off Classic. W.T. Woodson To Play In Classic Championship Against Paul VI On Friday.

Nervous energy, fresh faces and sloppy play are indicators of what an opening night high school basketball game is expected to feature. Woodson Coach Doug Craig supplemented that assessment in his Cavaliers' 78-67 win over Robinson in the 2010 Red Jenkins Tip-Off Classic.

"I think early in the season you see a lot more ebbs and flows in the game, than you do later in the year when you see teams play at a much more consistent level," Craig said. "We have high expectations of ourselves this year. I think Robinson's much improved and they played pretty well and made some tough shots and kind of kept scrapping to stay in the game, and we couldn't put them away."

Seconds after Robinson cut the Cavaliers' lead to 67-60 with less than five minutes remaining, Robinson Coach Brian Nelson slammed the hardwood floor with an open fist of aggression after a foul was called against the Rams.

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Nelson's animation was due to a multitude of fouls committed by his team in the half, which put Woodson in the double-bonus and, this time, sent the Cavaliers' leading scorer, John Schoof, to the foul line.

Schoof hit both free throws to give the Cavaliers a lead 9-point lead that they wouldn't relinquish against their non-district rival.

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"I just try to stay aggressive and take what they gave me," said Schoof, who scored 14 points in the first half to give the Cavaliers a 38-33 lead at halftime.

Leading from wire-to-wire in the second half, Woodson let Robinson hang around in the game due in part to lapses in defense.

"Our help-side defense wasn't that great," Schoof said.  "They got some easy buckets and some fouls. Both teams were taking the ball aggressive to the hole, and the refs tried to keep it in control."

Mike Rice led the Rams with a game-high 26 points, while Robert Pillow added 18, including three 3-pointers to keep Robinson in striking distance.

Woodson jumped out to a 28-20 lead early in the second quarter, thanks in part to 3-pointers by junior guard Mark Noe and senior forward Tim Collins.

Robinson played gritty and closed the Cavaliers' lead to 38-37 early in the third quarter, but every time the Rams came within striking distance, Woodson would put together a strong run.

Schoof nailed an 18-foot jumper that was followed by a backdoor cut by Mark Noe to give the Cavaliers a 53-41 lead midway in the third quarter.

Brandon Stepka later came off Woodson's bench to hit a 3-pointer for a 58-45 lead late in the third quarter.

Both Mark Noe and Daniel Noe scored in double figures for W.T. Woodson, with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Robinson's next game is Friday at 5 p.m. against McLean in the third place game of the Red Jenkins Tip-Off Classic.

Woodson faces Paul VI Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game. Both games will be played at W.T. Woodson. Admission is $5.

After scouting Paul VI's win over McLean, Craig mentioned how big and athletic the Panthers' roster is.

"We got to keep them off the glass as best we can," Craig said. "They're a very good team."

The tournament is named after legendary area coach Red Jenkins, who taught the fundamentals of basketball in Fairfax at both Woodson from 1962-97 and Paul VI from 1997-2001.

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