They’re young.

How young?

Let’s put it this way.  

The composite age of Collegiate’s girls varsity basketball team is still too young to quality for a learner’s permit in Virginia.

That’s right. 

With one 8^th grader, six freshmen, one sophomore, one junior, and three seniors on his 12-player roster, Coach Kevin Coffey routinely sends his JV aged team with limited experience into the fray against varsity level competition.

Are the Cougars intimidated?

Hardly.

In fact, with their 32-23 victory over visiting Cape Henry Collegiate Saturday afternoon in the Albert L. “Petey” Jacobs Gymnasium, they improved their record to 4-4 and made a very clear statement about their inherent toughness, resilience, and grace under pressure.

“You have to understand what kind of team you have,” said Coffey. “My job is to make them comfortable on the floor and give them things they can execute without feeling overwhelmed so they can use what they know and compete.”

Compete, the Cougars did.

Using a 1-2-1-1 zone press which morphed into a newly installed 1-2-2 zone, they limited the Dolphins (3-2) to 7-for-43 shooting and forced 28 turnovers.

“The 1-2-2 puts more pressure up on the top of the key and makes it so they have to play an even-front offense,” said senior forward Janey Ferry, one of three returners with varsity experience. “That helped us control what we could control. We did a good job of protecting against their shooters outside as well as in the middle.

“We were trying to be really aggressive. We pressed them from the get-go because we knew they didn’t have many players and we wanted to get them tired right off the bat.”

Freshman Carmen Rivera hit a 3-pointer at 7:14 and 1-of-2 from the free throw line at 5:59 to put Cape Henry up 4-0 enroute to a 9-7 lead after one quarter.

At 7:19 of the second, Collegiate’s freshman point guard Mia Shrestra (five first-quarter points) hit the deck hard attempting to convert a transition layup. 

Play resumed, but the two-year starter did not return to action, leaving senior guard Mackenzie Weiss, a three-year veteran, to assume her role of navigating the Dolphins’ pressure, running the offense, and steadying her teammates.

“It was one of those moments when I knew I needed to step up and lead the team,” Weiss said. “Staying calm was the main thing, especially with all the emotion during the game. I use my emotions to keep going and push me and support teammates instead of letting it get to me.”

After Shrestra’s injury, her teammates rallied to force seven turnovers and 1-for-10 shooting and went into the much-needed halftime break ahead 12-11.

“It was tough,” Coffey said. “They care about their teammate. That was the No. 1 thing. 

“We held our own. We had a nice conversation (in the locker room). They were able to sit and relax and refocus and get themselves going.”

Weiss hit a layup at 6:41 and a floater from the lane at 5:04. 

Freshmen Betsy Proutt and Delaney Settar followed with 3-pointers over the Dolphins’ 2-3 zone, Weiss hit one-of-two from the line, and freshman Rose Blackburn scored from the paint off a Proutt assist to complete an 13-4 third quarter and send the Cougars into the fourth up 25-15.

During that stretch, the Cougars’ defensive effort forced 1-for-12 shooting and eight turnovers.

“We came out, and our mindset changed,” Coffey said. “We got some turnovers, sped the tempo up a little bit, and got some steals which gave us some opportunities to put the ball in the bucket.”

Though shorthanded, Cape Henry refused to capitulate and continued to apply the scrappy defensive pressure that by game’s end forced Collegiate into 11-for-37 shooting and 24 turnovers.

Three-pointers by Camille Rivera (11 points) and Carmen Rivera (12 points) facilitated a comeback that enabled the Dolphins to close to 27-23 at 1:33.

Duly inspired, the Cougars stood fast.

Proutt scored from the paint off Ferry’s entry pass at 1:03, Settar hit 1-of-2 from the line at 0:54, and Weiss (nine points, six steals) calmly sank two free throws at 0:26 to seal the deal.

“We were all fired up,” Weiss said. “We really wanted to win for Mia. That’s what really pushed us.”

It was an exciting time for the DeKalb County Young Republicans Tuesday evening, as the organization held its New Year’s celebration and geared up for a busy 2026.

DeKalb County Young Republicans Chair Nathaniel Butler said he felt Tuesday’s event helped give the organization a good bit of momentum heading into the new year, especially with the midterm elections taking place in November.

“We usually have around 20 to 30 people attend our events,” Butler explained on Wednesday. “Last night, we had more than 50 people there. We had a number of new faces show up.”

Congressman Robert Aderholt was on hand as the event’s special guest speaker. In addition, other elected officials in attendance were recognized as well, while the organization’s outgoing chair was honored for his three years of service, according to Butler.

During his presentation, Aderholt gave a recap on the most recent year in the United States Congress, including the passage of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was signed into law on July 4th. Part of his talk on this piece of legislation revolved around how the various GOP members of Congress stuck together to get it passed, despite only having a relatively slim majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In addition to his remarks about the 2025 session of Congress, Aderholt shared a few things about what other bills could be making their way through the legislature in 2026, including a new reconciliation package that may lead to more tax cuts, Butler explained. While on stage, Butler presented Aderholt with something special gathered from among voters throughout the area.

“We gave him a collection of postcards,” Butler said. “Congressman Aderholt has always been a reliable free market vote. These postcards had messages on them from his constituents, thanking him.”

As one of the main goals of the DeKalb County Young Republicans is to both build up the next generation of GOP leaders and educate younger residents on what is happening in the American political arena, Butler said he asked Aderholt to give those in attendance some advice on how to get involved themselves. Aderholt’s suggestions included getting active at the party level, or with a specific campaign, as a way to start down the path toward further involvement.

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Basketball was abundant in Southeast Minnesota on Saturday for the 2026 Southern Minnesota Hoops Fest. Four schools took part in hosting the day-long event, with 27 total games being played.

At Byron high school, Rushford-Peterson claimed victory over Lake City, 69-54. The Trojans have just two losses on the season.

At Goodhue, Southland took down Lewiston-Altura 68-51. Both teams received votes in the most recent Class A poll (Minnesota Basketball News).

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Copyright 2026 KTTC. All rights reserved.

Every youth athlete goes through periods of rapid growth — but not all of them experience pain or injury along the way. So, what separates the athletes who stay healthy from those who get sidelined? 

Growth itself isn’t the issue. The real challenge lies in how the body adapts to increases in size, speed and overall physical stress. During growth spurts, bones often lengthen faster than muscles and tendons can keep up. This mismatch can affect coordination, control and overall movement quality. Without adequate relative strength, movement competency and physical capacity, young athletes are more vulnerable to overuse injuries such as Osgood-Schlatter’s, Sever’s disease and even stress fractures. 

At Rehab 2 Perform, we focus on bridging the gap between rehabilitation and sports performance with a proactive, development-based physical therapy approach. Our rehab program includes age-appropriate movement assessments, targeted strength training and education for both athletes and their parents. We don’t simply help young athletes rehab and recover; we help them build resilience, confidence and the physical foundation needed for long-term success. 

By moving beyond the traditional “rest and wait” approach—or ignoring pain altogether—we empower young athletes to understand their bodies, address their weaknesses and take ownership of their development. Growth doesn’t have to equal growing pains. With the right environment, coaching and training principles, athletes can grow stronger, move better and stay on the field. 

At Rehab 2 Perform, we believe the true measure of success isn’t just returning to play—it’s creating durability and longevity in sport and in life. 

Dr. Josh Funk, DPT
Rehab 2 Perform

About the Author

Dr. Josh Funk, DPT, is the Founder and CEO of Rehab 2 Perform, a leading performance-based physical therapy company with 14 locations across the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. A former collegiate and pro lacrosse player, Dr. Funk specializes in bridging the gap between rehab and performance for athletes of all levels.

Awards & Honors

Crean Lutheran’s Hunter Caplan moves the ball as Cypress guard Ethan Mai defends Friday night. (Photos courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs, John Luciano, Samantha Burgett and Howard Lyon).

Crean Lutheran’s boys basketball team battled back from a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Cypress 72-60 in a Crestview League opener Friday night at Crean Lutheran.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Crean Lutheran’s Chadrack Mpoyi dunks to help rally the Saints early in the second half.

Crean Lutheran’s Caden Jones drives against Tyrus Allen of Cypress.

Cypress senior point guard Ryan Gov drives to the basket as Crean Lutheran’s Evan Mack and Nicholas Giarrusso defend.

Crean Lutheran’s Nick Giarrusso drives against Jaharii Hall of Cypress Friday night.

Crean Lutheran Coach Austin Loeb talks to his team during a timeout Friday.

Will Malual scores for Crean Lutheran.

Gavin Kroll of Cypress is defended by Will Malual of Crean Lutheran.

Crean Lutheran’s Nicholas Giarrusso attempts a free throw.

Cypress players get excited during a big play.

Crean Lutheran’s Nick Giarrusso (right) and Hunter Caplan celebrate 1,000 career points.

It was a back and forth game up until the final two minutes of the game before the Saints (13-5, 1-0) were able to finish strong against the Centurions (14-6, 0-1), according to Crean Lutheran Coach Austin Loeb.

“Hats off to Cypress and Coach {Derek] Mitchell as they are a very disciplined team and play great team basketball,” Loeb told OC Sports Zone. “I thought our guys pulled together late in the fourth quarter and started to execute which helped us get the lead and ultimately the win.”

Hunter Caplan led Crean Lutheran with 19 points and two assists. Chadrack Mpoyi had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Giarrusso had 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Saints.

Ryan Gov scored 21 points and Gavin Kroll 18 points to lead Cypress.

Crean Lutheran was again without starter Jacob Majok, who is out with an ankle injury, Loeb said.

In another league game, La Habra (15-4) defeated Foothill 57-46 Friday night at Foothill.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

Nick Lovell, a fifth-generation Adams County native, local small business owner, and President of the Littlestown Area Board of School Directors, announced at a campaign event today that he is running as a Republican to represent the 91st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

The 91^st District seat, which covers most of Adams County, is presently held by Dan Moul,

Lovell has served on the Littlestown Area School Board since 2023, when he was elected as the top vote recipient in both the primary and the general election. He currently serves as board president. In addition to his public service, Lovell runs his own business and has been active in his local church, where he serves as a worship leader. He is also deeply involved in the youth sports community, managing multiple baseball leagues in the area.

“Families across our district are working hard and doing everything right to make ends meet. They deserve a state representative who works just as hard for them,” Lovell said. “Leadership is service. It means showing up, listening, and getting results for your constituents. I’m running to fight for real property tax relief, stronger schools with accountability to families, and a state government that does its job on time and with fidelity.”

Lovell emphasized his commitment to practical solutions that help working families and seniors, protect taxpayers, and strengthen local communities.

“As a Christian and a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I believe public service is a calling,” Lovell added. “I’m proud of my roots here, and I’m ready to bring a strong work ethic and fresh energy to Harrisburg on behalf of the people of the 91st district.”

Lovell’s campaign will focus on property tax reform, fair and effective school funding, affordability, greater accountability in the state budget process, and term limits.

Voters can learn more and get involved at NickLovellForPA.com.