The South County Stallions opened their boys basketball season with a 30-point home blowout victory Thursday night (Dec. 5).
The Stallions defeated a young Washington-Liberty Generals team of Arlington, 71-41, in non-district high-school action.
South County started fast by generating multiple turnovers to take a quick 6-0 lead. The Stallions were in front 25-8 at the end of the first quarter and 44-19 at halftime. They added to their lead a bit in a second half where starters played little for either team.
Washington-Liberty had just one senior in its starting lineup and only four seniors included on the roster, along with two sophomores and as many freshmen. In contrast, South County started three seniors.
There were 10 different players who scored for South County. Senior guard/forward Elija Eccleston led the way with 15 points to go with three rebounds. He was 9 of 9 from the foul line. Junior guard Michael Robinson made two three-pointers and scored 14 with two steals, and senior forward Jared Jackson scored 11 with three steals.
Senior guard Yusef Washington scored eight points, had four steals and three assists; senior forward Samuel Sleshi had seven points; and junior guard Nicholas Lancaster and sophomore forward Mason Milam had four each. Freshman forward Mark Edwards did not score but had five rebounds and a steal.
South County has been a top team in Northern Virginia in recent years, winning Virginia High School League Class 6 state championships in 2018 and 2020. The Stallions fell off a bit last season, slipping to a 16-9 record.
Later this month, South County will play in an eight-team holiday tournament Dec. 26-28 at Wakefield High School in Arlington. South County is a past champion of that event.
