NOVA games To Watch In February

With the snow postponing a lot of games to February, there are a lot of games to keep your eye on. Here are some games that have big-time implications in NOVA.   2/2 & 2/10 Loudoun County Vs. Woodgrove The Catoctin district hasn't played a district game yet, mainly because it's a 3 team district at the moment. This district is really going to come down to Loudoun County vs Woodgrove, and they play each other twice in about a week's span. Both these teams are playing great ball right now, and I think this game is going to be strength vs. strength. Woodgrove is one of the best offensive teams in the state, while Loudoun County is one of the better defensive teams in the area. If either of these teams sweeps the other, it almost guarantees them the district. Sami White is having a huge Sophomore year for Loudoun County, and [player_tooltip player_id='1357629' first='Mya' last='Bundick'] has had an outstanding year for Woodgrove.   2/2 Oakton @ Centreville There is little margin of error at the top of the Concorde district, and I have said before that I think this is the best district in NOVA. Centreville lost to Oakton already about a month ago, so they will be looking to avenge that loss at home. Both of these teams are elite at guard, and that will be a game within the game to watch. But I think the true difference in this game will be how Centreville deals with Oakton F [player_tooltip player_id='1220032' first='Jocelynn' last='Kinlaw']. In the first meeting, Jocelynn's athleticism and nonstop energy gave Centreville fits, and she dominated that game on the glass. Oakton did a great job defensively on Centreville's backcourt, specifically [player_tooltip player_id='433880' first='Malia' last='Siriwardene'], so getting her going will be important for Centreville as well. This game has massive implications and should be highly entertaining.   2/10 Chantilly @ Centreville Another Concorde district showdown to watch is Chantilly visiting Centreville. A similar problem Centreville will face in this game will be dealing with their opponent in the paint. This problem may be bigger literally and figuratively. Dealing with Chantilly C Alex Wilson is a tough ask for any team, and she has had some massive performances this season. Both of these teams are excellent at guard, and their first meeting was a win for Centreville.   2/17 Loudoun Valley @ Heritage Loudoun Valley is a talented team with a lot of veterans, and even with 5 losses, their record is deceiving, and they could be a lot better. They have 3 losses by one possession, and all of their losses are to really good teams. One of those losses was a 3-point loss to Heritage a month ago that they will be looking to avenge. Payton Mandichak has been an integral interior presence for Valley, and I am interested to see how she matches up with the Heritage bigs, specifically [player_tooltip player_id='985809' first='Alyssa' last='Stanford']. [player_tooltip player_id='1058558' first='Maggie' last='Mills'] has been really productive for this Valley squad for a few years, and she gets after it on the glass. [player_tooltip player_id='1213227' first='Riley' last='Makitka'] is a do-it-all player for Heritage who always plays a big part in what Heritage does.   2/9 West Potomac @ South County The game I am looking forward to the most in February is when West Potomac visits South County. Both of these teams' guards are outstanding, and that is what I will be watching. [player_tooltip player_id='1251838' first='Dawn' last='Houston'] has taken a huge leap this year and is one of the top PGs in NOVA. [player_tooltip player_id='644092' first='Abby' last='Beddis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1049934' first='Delores' last='Harkless'] are really solid for this team as well. On the other side, South County is deep at guard with [player_tooltip player_id='722607' first='Laila' last='Tull'], who is a first-team all-state candidate. [player_tooltip player_id='675370' first='Adriana' last='Mayorga'] is having a great year following her transfer from Bishop O'Connell, and [player_tooltip player_id='732202' first='Natalya' last='Wooten'] is a huge part of South County's elite and opportunistic defense. West Potomac has more weapons on the interior than South County does, but South County probably has more depth and talent in its backcourt. South County sits at 8-0 In the district, West Potomac sits at 7-1 with its lone loss being a blowout against South County. If South County completes the sweep, it probably wraps up the Patriot District for them.   2/5 Gainesville @ Osbourn Park It feels like every year, Gainesville and Osbourn Park are playing in a pivotal game late. This district feels like a two-team race as of late, but OP has had Gainesville's number the past couple of years. These teams are polar opposites in terms of where their team's strength lies. Gainesville's bigs are outstanding, and [player_tooltip player_id='551071' first='Leylani' last='Abraham'] and [player_tooltip player_id='579893' first='Peyton' last='White'] dominate games. Gainesville has some solid guards that will need to step up big time. Osbourn Park is the best public school team in NOVA and one of the best teams in the state. This team is built on its guards and wings. Keyarah Rainey has had a great year, and [player_tooltip player_id='786440' first='Janey' last='Salinas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='448324' first='Samia' last='Snead'] are really talented. There are a number of other talented players OP has that make an impact. Gainesville's lone district loss was a blowout loss to OP a month ago.   2/10 Hayfield @ Edison Hayfield hasn't lost a game in 2 months, and in that span, they have played 2 games that have been decided by less than 10 points. One of them was to Edison, who they will see in mid-February in a game that may decide the National District. Hayfield hangs its hat on its experience and defense. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1169424' first='Alexis' last='Cox'] and Eva Phillips are great for this team, and Junior combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='666291' first='Mariah' last='Overton'] is a fantastic two-way player. Edison is led by [player_tooltip player_id='1252696' first='Kennedy' last='Marshall'], who has been one of the more slept-on players in NOVA for the past few years. Edison is a game back of Hayfield, and with this district being a two-team race, Edison has a chance to make it really interesting if they are able to avoid the sweep at home.

With the snow postponing a lot of games to February, there are a lot of games to keep your eye on. Here are some games that have big-time implications in NOVA.