THE POHANKA CHANTILLY CLASSIC

Celebrating 20 Years of Competition

The Pohanka Chantilly Classic offers one of the most competitive and entertaining holiday tournaments in the D.C. Metropolitan area. In the 2012 edition, both host teams will be vying to win the title against teams from around the Metro D.C. area and the state.

The Chantilly boy’s team will feature an up tempo style of play with sophomore guards Tyler Femi and Dylan Madawo, and junior guard DeAndre Harris. The Chargers are looking to reclaim the title won last year by Wilson, following Chantilly’s 2010 win over South County. In addition to Chantilly, Wilson, and South County, will be Forest Park High School from Woodbridge and the of Fairfax. Robinson is the defending Champions. Another newcomer to the Pohanka Chantilly Classic is Patriot High School from Nokesville. Mills Godwin, traditionally one of the Richmond area’s more successful programs, Wilson High School from Washington, DC and Mountain View from Stafford, VA return again this year and round out the boy’s field.

The girl’s tournament also features an exciting array of teams, including Georgetown Visitation, who is traditionally ranked by the Washington Post as one of the DC area’s best teams. Langley, George Mason, Robinson, Mills Godwin and Thomas Jefferson join the Chargers this year in welcoming McLean HS back to the tournament. Georgetown Visitation is traditionally one of the top teams in the DC Metro area and returns to defend its 2010 and 2011 championships.

The Chantilly girl’s road to the Championship will be led by senior Allison Rowe. Joining Allison in their bid for the championship will be Juniors Kelsey Young, Alli Kemp and Ina Feistenauer, a German exchange student this year at Chantilly High School. The Chargers youth movement continues with an array of sophomore and freshman looking to make impact in the tournament. Challenging the Chargers this year will be returning champions Georgetown Visitation along with Mills Godwin HS, Thomas Jefferson, McLean HS, George Mason and Langley High School. All play an exciting brand of basketball that could make this season’s tournament the best in the Pohanka Chantilly Classic history.

The Pohanka Chantilly Classic, a vision of Rita Deeb and Wayne Van Oster, has been a staple in the Chantilly community for 20 years. Created in 1993 as a three-day boy’s basketball tournament, the Pohanka has grown into a three-day basketball extravaganza, highlighting some of the best competition throughout the Northern Region, the Washington D.C. area and the country. All proceeds benefit the Chantilly Athletic Boosters, Boys and Girls Basketball and all Chantilly Athletic Programs.

BOYS’ HISTORY Both sides of the tournament have created spirited rivalries with numerous rematch title games. For the first three years Chantilly’s boys went toe to toe with R.E. Lee for the championship, with the Lancers winning the first two. The Chargers then won three straight, including the most lopsided championship in tournament history, a 105-52 trouncing of Phelps.

The Chargers have had some tough finales including consecutive 2-point overtime championship game losses to Hayfield in 2002 and 2003. In 2007 the Chargers returned to championship level, ending a five-year drought with a 94-86 decision over Landon. Head coach Jim Smith and the Chargers have won eight titles, the most recent in 2010. 1997 Chantilly graduate Derek Franklin is the only player to win the MVP twice (96-97).

GIRLS’ HISTORY The girls’ bracket started in 1995, two years later than the boys, but has created quite a buzz, especially in the new millennium.

For the first six years of competition the tournament fielded only four teams on the girls’ side, but still offered plenty of memorable moments. Like their male counterparts, the Lady Chargers also got off to a relatively slow start, losing the first two title games to Fairfax. The Rebels had three consecutive titles, the last against Centreville in 1997, before Chantilly won its first championship in 1998. Since then the Chargers have won six of the last 10 championships.

Since 2001 Chantilly has faced Georgetown Visitation in the championship six times. The head to head record is 3-3 between these two teams with Georgetown Visitation winning the most recent battle. The last Chantilly victory and championship came in 2007 on the shoulders of graduate Melissa Furr.

The Chargers have also produced the most prolific scorer, male or female in the tournament. Alena Koshansky (’02) scored 107 points in three games in 2001 and her three individual efforts (38, 36, 33) that year still rank as the top single-game highs in the history of the girls’ tournament. Koshansky (’02) shares the honor of two-time MVP with Melissa Furr (’07).

SPECIAL THANKS

The Chantilly Athletic Boosters and organizers of the 20th Annual Pohanka Chantilly Classic would like to extend a congratulations and a special thank you to Wayne Van Oster and Rita Deeb, without whom the vision of this tournament would not be possible. It was their tireless effort of 14 years that created the partnership between Chantilly High School and Pohanka Automotive Group and inspired us to continue with their tradition. Together, they have established the Classic as one of the longest running tournaments in the Northern area. Again this year the Boosters would like to especially thank long time contributors and original volunteers Paul Norris and Marshall Dantzler as they continue their streak of 20 straight years as volunteers and supporters of the tournament and Chantilly Athletics.