June 5 - The magazine has identified 10 finalists for the 2016 NOVA Nine Team’s Coach of the Year from the 80 public and private high schools in our coverage area, which includes Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
The players among the 25 finalists for the NOVA Nine Team will be announced tomorrow. The magazine’s selection committee comprised of 21 coaches and media members will vote on the NOVA Nine Team, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the public school state tournaments next weekend, with the team announced on June 14.
Here are the finalists for our Coach of the Year:
Jay Burkhart, Battlefield - Has led the Bobcats to their first state tournament appearance since 2011, which was his first season as the program’s head coach. Battlefield is currently ranked No. 2 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, won the Conference 8 championship and advanced to the 6A North Region final before falling to Chantilly on Friday. The Bobcats have won a school-record 22 games this season entering their state semifinal match-up on Friday against C.D. Hylton.
Mike Covington, Potomac - Earned his 400th career victory with the Panthers in their 5A North Region quarterfinal win two weeks ago, leading them to the region championship game before falling to Mountain View on Friday. Potomac is currently ranked No. 10 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, and carries a 20-6 record into their first state tournament since 2000. The Panthers will play Nansemond River in the state semifinals on Friday.
Kevin Ford, Chantilly - Has led the Chargers to their third consecutive state tournament appearance and their second 6A North Region championship in three years. Chantilly is currently 23-2 and ranked No. 1 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, has advanced to their league’s championship game the past four years - winning Conference 5 titles the past two seasons - and enters Friday’s state semifinal game against Cosby attempting to reach the state final for the third year in a row.
Mark 'Pudge' Gjormand, Madison - Led the Warhawks to their fourth consecutive league championship, the No. 1 ranking in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll for the majority of the second half of the season, and appearances in several national polls throughout the spring. Madison went 20-4 before falling to Centreville in the 6A North Region quarterfinals, and is tied with Loudoun Valley for the most wins (65) among area teams over the past three seasons.
Craig Lopez, Mountain View - Has led the Wildcats to an appearance in next week’s 5A state tournament after defeating Potomac in both the 5A Conference 15 and North Region championship games. Mountain View is currently ranked No. 8 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, and will carry a 20-4 record into its state semifinal game against Mills Godwin on Friday.
Jeff Nolan, Paul VI Catholic - In his final season leading the program, led the Panthers to a 24-8 record and to the championship game of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I State Tournament. The Panthers, currently ranked No. 6 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, won the championship at the Southeastern Baseball Classic in South Carolina over Spring Break, and advanced to the semifinal series of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Tournament before falling to eventual league champion St. John’s.
Nick Price, Loudoun County - Oversaw a turnaround by the Raiders after they lost their first five games to open the season, leading his team to wins in 11 of their final 18 games, including in the 4A Conference 21B championship game over a Heritage team coached by his brother, Ryan. Loudoun County finished the season 11-12 after falling in the 4A West Region quarterfinals to Salem.
Jason Ritenour, C.D. Hylton - Has led the Bulldogs to their first state tournament appearance since 2013, and his team won all three of its games on the road to claim the 6A South Region championship over Cosby on Friday. Hylton, which won the Eddie Hope ‘Let’s Play Two’ Tournament championship over Spring Break, will carry a 19-6 record into its state semifinal game against Battlefield on Friday.
Aaron Tarr, Marshall - After graduating a number of key contributors from a team that advanced to the 5A North Region and state championship games last year, led the Statesmen to a 19-2 record and a third consecutive Conference 13 title before falling to Potomac in the regional semifinals last week. Marshall is currently ranked No. 3 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, and was riding a 16-game winning streak before their season-ending loss to the Wildcats.
Ty Thorpe, Kettle Run - Has led the Cougars to their current 17-game winning streak entering the 4A West Region championship game on Monday against Liberty Christian. Kettle Run, which is 20-1 and currently ranked No. 4 in the Northern Virginia Top 10 Poll, has already set a school-record for victories and has qualified for next week’s state tournament.
Photo of Kevin Ford by Fred Ingham, and photos of Jeff Nolan and Ty Thorpe courtesy of Paul VI Catholic baseball and Kettle Run baseball, respectively
