News Detail
1997, 1998, and 1999 State Championship Basketball Teams
The EHS Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team won the Virginia State Tournament three years in a row from 1997-1999. In the first year, the 1997 team scored 52 points to Flint Hill’s 45, avenging a heartbreaking, one-point loss to the local rival earlier in the season. The team finished 18-5 in the regular season and 9-3 in the IAC. Bryson Spinner ’99 was named tournament MVP.
According to the 1998 edition of Whispers, the team had “one of the most successful seasons in school history,” which included winning the state championship a second year in a row, finishing 12-0 in the IAC, and going 18-3 in the regular season. After a strong start to the season, four key players were injured. The boys were able to overcome these setbacks, owing their success to unselfish play by some of the talented juniors and seniors. Starters Bryson Spinner ’99, Marques Green ’99, LaMarr Datcher ’98, Chris Martin ’98, Carl Morris ’99, and Andrew Bovell ’98 each had multiple games scoring in double figures.
The 1999 Boys’ Varsity Basketball team ended their season on a true high note. Having to overcome a rough start to the season, they built winning momentum late in the season with a victory against Woodberry in Orange and by winning their last two conference games against St. Albans and Bullis. The boys rode high on their wins and brought home a state championship title for the third year running.
The teams finished with an impressive 54-17 record over three years, and were recognized in the Washington Post Top 25 rankings each year.
Tim Jaeger, coach of all three teams, says, “These three championship teams had a special blend of toughness and intelligence. Our practices were very demanding both physically and mentally, and the kids rose to every challenge created for them. The physical toughness required to do the hard but important things like defending, rebounding, taking charges, and diving on the floor, helped us win games even when we were not playing well. The players’ intelligence allowed us to adjust our strategies and style of play to expose opponents’ weaknesses. It is interesting to note that we never went into the state tournament as the #1 seed. Each year, winning a championship required beating a series of talented teams, each with its own style of play. The fact that some of these kids won two or three consecutive championships is a real tribute to their talent, grit, and intelligence. I have an enormous amount of admiration and fondness for the players that represented EHS during these three years; they certainly gave me very special coaching memories that I will never forget!”
The members of the 1997, 1998, and 1999 basketball teams were also known for their tremendous contributions off the court. They held many leadership positions and were recognized with numerous prestigious awards.
The members of the 1997 boys’ basketball team:
LaMarr Eugene Datcher ’98
Richard Tyler Gilbert ’97
Ronald Rodney Ginyard, Jr. ’99
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Christian Rahman Martin ’98
Stephen Wayne McCaskill, Jr. ’97
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 inducted
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
Maarten Van Den Haak ’99
Thomas Ladson Webb III ’97
Richard Tyler Gilbert ’97
Ronald Rodney Ginyard, Jr. ’99
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Christian Rahman Martin ’98
Stephen Wayne McCaskill, Jr. ’97
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 inducted
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
Maarten Van Den Haak ’99
Thomas Ladson Webb III ’97
The members of the 1998 boys’ basketball team:
Tamela Dawn Blalock ’98 manager
Gordon Andrew Bovell ’98
William Sherard Chapman III ’99
LaMarr Eugene Datcher ’98 captain
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99
Gary Lyn Hadwin, Jr. ’99 manager
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Jonathan E. Lee ’01
William Carrington Lewis ’99
Christian Rahman Martin ’98 captain
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Zsolt Parkanyi ’00
John Alton Porter ’99 manager
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 inducted
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
Gordon Andrew Bovell ’98
William Sherard Chapman III ’99
LaMarr Eugene Datcher ’98 captain
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99
Gary Lyn Hadwin, Jr. ’99 manager
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Jonathan E. Lee ’01
William Carrington Lewis ’99
Christian Rahman Martin ’98 captain
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Zsolt Parkanyi ’00
John Alton Porter ’99 manager
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 inducted
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
The members of the 1999 boys’ basketball team:
William Sherard Chapman III ’99
William E. Collier III ’00
Andrew Wyatt Dorman ’01 manager
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99 captain
Gary Lyn Hadwin ’99 manager
Paxton Xenophon Head ’00
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Kelvin R. Johnson assistant coach
Immanuel J. Jones ’00
Jonathan E. Lee ’01
Eric Austin Moorman ’01
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Zsolt Parkanyi ’00
Octavio Andre Peralta ’00 manager
Chase Michael Peterson ’00
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 captain; inducted
William James Stallworth ’00
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
William E. Collier III ’00
Andrew Wyatt Dorman ’01 manager
Dallas H. Grasty, Jr. assistant coach
Marques Bernard Green ’99 captain
Gary Lyn Hadwin ’99 manager
Paxton Xenophon Head ’00
Timothy C. Jaeger head coach
Kelvin R. Johnson assistant coach
Immanuel J. Jones ’00
Jonathan E. Lee ’01
Eric Austin Moorman ’01
Carl Everette Morris ’99 inducted
Zsolt Parkanyi ’00
Octavio Andre Peralta ’00 manager
Chase Michael Peterson ’00
Bryson A. Spinner ’99 captain; inducted
William James Stallworth ’00
Jonathan William Trapp ’99
