On December 13, 2024, the girls and boys varsity basketball teams took on Stafford High School at home for their first doubleheader of the season. The Lady Eagles defeated the Indians with a close score of 45-40 while the boys played Stafford tough, beating them easily with a score of 63-39.
The girls came out strong in the first eight minutes, scoring 16 points quickly. They played tough defense and forced the Indians’ side of the scoreboard to show a goose egg after the first quarter.
J’maia Joseph (‘25) was crucial to their success, racking up 7 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds.
“We communicated really well as a team and executed on our set plays,” she explained.
As a senior transfer from North Stafford, her dominant presence fit right into the Eagles team dynamic and played a vital role as a leader in their win over the Indians.
Another senior leader on the team, Marin Curtin (‘25), who’s battled with various injuries throughout her career, led the team on defense. Her aggressiveness and tenacity while covering the other team led to numerous turnovers and kick-started Forge’s success on offense.
While the Eagles started off the game off hot, Stafford quickly dimmed that after the first quarter. The Indians rallied, pulling the score within six points and ending the half only down 27-21.
Freshman Reagan Brimhall (‘28) had 11 points and tenacious defense off the bench. Her spark on the court does not come with a surprise as her older sister Carly Brimhall, class of 2023, was a star for the Lady Eagles and her brother Brock Brimhall (‘26) plays a vital role on the boys varsity team.
“I feel like it helps me compete, they set a high standard for me and I plan on living up to it,” Brimhall said.
Other players like Noni Jones (‘27) and Janai Upton (‘25) played vital roles transitionally and defensively between the endlines, tallying up crucial scores and assists to aid in the win over Stafford.
Sydney Nicholson (‘28) and Aiyana Demery (‘27) were a dynamic duo on the court, combining for a total of 26 points, 15 for Demery and 11 for Nicholson.
With the Eagles up 43-40 in the last few minutes of the final quarter, Demery used her masterful ball skills to avoid the pressure defense from Stafford. Drawing the foul, and going up to the line, Demery scored two free throws to end the game with a score of Eagles 45, Indians 40.
An impressive feat from the Lady Eagles, not allowing their opponent to lead a single time throughout the game.
On the boys side of things, they had a slower start than the girls. Going down by 4 points early in the first quarter, Jalen Pierre (‘25) came off the bench with a shifty dodge to tally two points and start the Eagle’s scoring.
Deemed the most valuable player of the game, Pierre was vital to Forge’s success. He seemed to be everywhere on the court, assisting Finn Perschau’s (‘25) first three pointer of the day and recovering Jayden Morris’ (‘26) missed dunk attempt to score two points of his own.
Ending the game with a double double, he had 10 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds to earn the MVP title.
Perschau then scored his second three pointer of the day, followed by a strong defensive set resulting in a Morris two-pointer to put Forge up by 10. Shortly after, Morris drew a foul and scored two free throws off the line with 30 seconds to go in the half, leaving the halftime score at Eagles, 26 and Indians, 14.
Morris started the second half where he left off. Scoring two points and dropping back on defense where Dakarri Phillips (‘25) stole the ball from the Indians, he passed it up the court to Pierre who provided the assist to Perschau for a two-pointer.
Taysean Jones (‘26) got in on the action, scoring back to back two-pointers all while playing tenacious defense against the opposing team.
Shortly after, Khalil Hodge (‘25) took a wide open lane to the net and scored to bring the score to Eagles, 41 and Indians, 31. Hodge, a captain for the Eagles, says their success stemmed from their trust in each other.
“Everyone can play and has the ability to do what they need to do,” he said.
With only a 10 point lead, the boys press on the gas. Sam Futch (‘25) scored two off the assist from Jalen Pierre. Dakarri Phillips scored not 15 seconds later, just piling on to the score. Phillips drove again after a tough defensive set, scoring back to back two pointers. He then switched it up, hitting a three thanks to the pass from Pierre.
The Eagles’ energy was intense in the last minutes of the fourth quarter, not letting up on defense. They played Stafford tough and stopped their attempts at driving to the net, all while building their own lead and separating themselves from the Indians. Ending the game with a final score of Eagles, 63, and Indians 39.
“We’re more of a second half team, the key to our success was starting off strong on the defensive end and executing offensively,” Pierre said.
The Colonial Forge girls and boys varsity basketball team displayed their dominance against Stafford High School in their first matchup of the season, doubling down on them and showcasing both of their determined mindsets heading into the rest of the 2024-2025 season.
