The South Lakes Seahawks boys basketball team bookended its 2024-2025 season with victories over the same opponent — the second coming in a state championship game.
At the Siegel Center in Richmond on Saturday (March 15), South Lakes (24-4) rallied in the second half to defeat the C.G. Woodson Cavaliers, 68-60, to successfully defend its Virginia High School League Class 6 state title.
In the state tourney final, South Lakes rallied from a 30-25 halftime deficit with hot shooting over the final two quarters. In the second half, the Seahawks made 14 of 17 of their shots from the floor and hit 13 of 14 free throws.
The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for Woodson (25-5), which won district and region tournaments entering the state competition.
Woodson played the state final without injured senior starter Noah Limbago. Then, fellow starter Kollin Morgan (nine points, five rebounds) was hurt near halftime. That limited his playing time in the second half, when he did not score.
South Lakes took the lead for good at 31-30 in the third quarter and led by as many as 12 points in the fourth.
As he has throughout his standout four-year starting career, senior standout Jordan Scott, who will play college basketball at Michigan State, led South Lakes in the state final.
Scott scored 32 points, had nine rebounds, five blocked shots, two assists and two steals. In the second half, he hit 7 of 9 shots from the floor and 5 of 5 foul shots. For the game, he was 7 of 7 from the line.
South Lakes’ junior forward Merrick Rillstone also had a big game. He scored 21 points, had five rebounds and a block. Rillstone made all eight of his foul shots. He helped ignite the Seahawks by scoring 11 third-quarter points.
Toshiki Elston scored seven and had five rebounds for South Lakes, Alec Saunders scored five with two assists, Chris Kemmerer scored two with three rebounds and Makhia Ramos had a point.
The Seahawks were able to defend their state title even with Scott as the team’s only returning starter. With that in mind during the preseason, South Lakes coach Mike Desmond was uncertain of his team’s potential.
“I didn’t know how good we could be, if any good at all,” Desmond said. “But we still had Jordan, and they started playing as a group.”
Success actually came early in the season for South Lakes, when it opened with a 73-51 home victory over Woodson on Dec. 3.
Eventually, in the postseason, South Lakes lost in the Concorde District tournament championship game to Westfield. The Seahawks then bounced back by winning the 6D North Region tourney, followed by the state, each with 3-0 records.
In the state tournament, South Lakes defeated Hayfield, 56-41, in the first round, then Landstown, 56-50, in the semifinals.
Woodson also won district and region tournament, then finished 2-1 in the state. The Cavaliers downed Westfield, 71-58, in the first round then Oscar Smith, 58-46, on the road in the semifinals.
In the state final, sophomore guard Kaylen Chilton was Woodson’s leading scorer with 18 points. Theo Burke scored 11, William Taylor eight, Ryan Corallo six and David Gantumur four. Nassim Abaied added two points and three rebounds off the bench.
During his four years at South Lakes, Scott helped the Seahawks compile a 102-13 overall record during his four years. South Lakes has finished second in the state twice, in 1999 and 2003.
Woodson was playing in a state final for the second time, having won the championship in 2017.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who represents the Reston area, congratulated the Seahawks on their back-to-back state titles in a post on Bluesky.
“Congratulations to the South Lakes High School Boys Basketball team for their second state championship win in a row!” Alcorn wrote. “This impressive accomplishment is a victory, thanks also to Coach Mike Desmond, school staff and their parents.”
Congratulations to the South Lakes High School Boys Basketball team for their second state championship win in a row!
This impressive accomplishment is a victory, thanks also to Coach Mike Desmond, school staff and their parents. #GoSeaHawks
— Supervisor Walter Alcorn (@walteralcorn.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 4:31 PM
