Best teams in NOVA: Public school edition Part 2

With the season on the horizon, I want to take an in-depth look at the public schools in NOVA that will be really good this season.

Centreville
Centreville was a super young, albeit talented, team last year. They won 17 games, and every game they were in, they seemed up to the task. They even handed eventual state Champions James Madison one of their four losses. Centreville is bringing back almost their whole team, and they should be a team that wins 20+ games and could make noise in states. Their best player is Senior guard Jahniya Marion Jahniya Marion 5'5" | CG Centreville HS | 2024 State VA . Jahniya just won Player of the Year in a loaded Concorde district. Jahniya can play either guard position and is a tremendous slasher and mid-range scorer. They also have two talented sophomore guards in floor general Claire Kang Claire Kang 5'5" | PG Centreville | 2026 State VA and sharpshooting Sofia Caraus Sofia Caraus 5'9" | SG Centreville | 2026 State VA . Junior combo guard Kennedy Parrott Kennedy Parrott 5'10" | CG Centerville | 2025 State VA is finally healthy and is a name to watch, along with high-level role player Hannah Wakefield Hannah Wakefield 5'6" | SG Centreville HS | 2024 VA . Hannah is a great defender, grabs rebounds, and is an excellent spot-up shooter. This Centreville team should be terrific.

Osbourn Park
Osbourn Park’s 2026 class might be the best class for a public school in NOVA. Samia Snead Samia Snead 5'6" | PG Osbourn Park | 2026 VA , Jayel West, and Keyarah Rainey Keyarah Rainey 5'9" | SF Osboure Park | 2026 State VA all played significant parts in Osbourn Park winning 23 games and being one of the best teams in NOVA last year. The previous year’s team star was Alana Powell, and with her and Kori Cole moving on, all three of these girls will have expanded roles. I saw Snead at the PGH 250 expo, and she was terrific. She played with her usual intensity and was a scoring machine. She competed on both ends and knocked down some difficult step-backs. Jayel West is great in transition and understands the game well. She can shoot and defend excellently. Keyarah was the most productive out of the three freshmen last year and will likely build on that. She is a great athlete and fantastic around the rim. This team may flow through Junior F/C Alexandria Brown Alexandria Brown 6'2" | PF Osborne Park | 2025 State VA . She will be a double-double machine, and she has the potential to be one of the best bigs in the state. She is a great athlete and uses her body terrifically. Even with OP losing two starters, they shouldn’t miss a beat.

Briar Woods
Briar Woods won 22 games last year, and they return almost everyone on their team. This team is experienced, with their best players being seniors for the most part. Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is the head of the snake for this team, and she can be a matchup nightmare. At almost 6 feet, she is an absolute sniper from 3. She has a real argument for being one of the best shooters in the state. She rebounds well and can give you 20 a night. Noelle Cabiness Noelle Cabiness 6'0" | PF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is a big defensive piece for this team and rebounds well. She is not totally there yet offensively, but she can shoot a little, and her defensive impact is significant. Senior PG Tia Chen Tia Chen 5'2" | PG Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is another player who will have a good year and contribute to this Briar Woods team.