Lawyers representing Edison High junior basketball player Kene Obi will travel to Charlottesville next week to meet with officials from the Virginia High School League and determine Obi’s eligibility for next season.
A 7-foot-2, 260-pound center, Obi enrolled at Edison in February. But the VHSL’s Executive Committee ruled he was ineligible, citing a lack of official documentation from Obi’s schooling in his native Nigeria. Obi will attend next week’s hearing along with his guardian, Melvin Coles.
Recommended Stories
According to Edison boys basketball coach Franklin McMillian, Obi is playing with the Eagles’ summer league team while awaiting word from the VHSL on his status. Edison played McNamara (Md.) last night in a Nike City Pro Summer League game at Georgetown University’s McDonough Arena.
“Obi needs to hear something from [the VHSL] before the end of the school year and know exactly what his future is going to be,” McMillian said. “He likes it here at Edison and he wants to be here. So hopefully he’ll hear something positive.”
O’Reilly headed to West Springfield
West Springfield High has hired Jefferson High football coach Tim O’Reilly as its new director of student activities.
O’Reilly, 43, takes over for Mike Dobson, who will step down next month. A 1982 graduate of Stonewall Jackson, O’Reilly leaves Jefferson after five years. He led the Colonials to a 24-26 record during that stretch while also serving as an assistant activities director. Jefferson finished 8-3 in 2004, setting the program record for wins in a season, and earned a postseason berth for the first time since 1988. O’Reilly had previously spent 13 years as a teacher and assistant football coach at Stonewall Jackson and was head football coach at Salem High in Virginia Beach for three years prior to moving to Jefferson.
“It seemed like a good time for me to try something else,” said O’Reilly, who played football at William & Mary. “I’m really going to enjoy getting involved with kids throughout an athletic department and not just the football team. It seems like the perfect fit.”
Lawrence leaves Freedom for Churchill
Aubrey Lawrence is the new girls basketball coach at Churchill High, replacing Reggie Blackmon, who resigned earlier this spring. Lawrence, who coached the last four seasons at Freedom High in Woodbridge, will teach special education at the Potomac public school.
Lawrence, a former player at Slippery Rock, guided Freedom to a 10-13 record last season, the school’s second of varsity competition. Forward Dominique Stroman (14 ppg) will be the Eagles’ top returner next season.
“It was more of a teaching decision than a coaching decision,” said Lawrence. “It’s a good move for me, I think, but I’m leaving behind something that’s pretty wonderful.”
“I like that she’s a strong figure for the girls. She’s very definite about what she wants to do,” said Churchill athletic director and former coach Pat Fisher. “She’s an aggressive coach, and she loves defense. I think the girls will respond to her.”
Churchill, which went 12-12 last season, expects to return two of its top three scorers — guard Lea Biciocchi and forward Carole Dempsey. Under Fisher, the Bulldogs went to three straight Class 4A state championship games, winning the title in 2002 and 2003.
Staff writer Craig Stouffer contributed to this report.
