Week #26 - High Flying Excitement: The 2025-26 Boys Varsity Basketball Season in Review

"When you come to the tournament, you'll see. We've got a different type of team this year." That's what Coach Sam told me before I drove out to Blue Ridge School this fall - five months ago in early September - to see Tandem take on STAB, a VISAA Division I powerhouse. Our team had been putting in work - early mornings at 6:30 - and it paid off.  Tandem was up 36-20 at halftime and finished with an 87-53 victory, cementing the Badgers as one of the best teams in Charlottesville. "The Ville" did a feature on our team on their Instagram page, recognizing the incredible talent on this team! STAB told me they wanted a rematch and would call to schedule a regular season game... but they never did. As Sin so eloquently told me, "they don't want that smoke."
 
The Badger Den was absolutely packed for the Boys Varsity Basketball home opener against Boys Home of Virginia, and the team rewarded the crowd with the most epic start to a basketball game I have ever seen. Sean caught the opening tip, fired the ball ahead to Isaac, and he slammed it home, making a statement right off of the bat. The Badgers led 24-0 at the end of the first quarter and were up 43-6 at the half. While the starters were on the bench, they took the whiteboard and started designing plays - freeing up Derion for three triples, and Shaan for another in the corner.  
After that, the Badgers entered a scheduling gauntlet: the team took on defending state champion Saint Michael's - twice - and then traveled to Miller and Woodberry Forest. To say that Tandem was battle tested was an understatement. After impressive victories over Randolph Macon, Wakefield Country Day, Quantico and Fredericksburg Academy, it was time for gauntlet part 2: Stuart Hall, Regents and Blue Ridge all on the road - over the course of just three days. The team came home exhausted - but they learned a ton about themselves in the process. That made the home stretch of the season incredibly special!
 
Ranked #7, New Covenant arrived at Tandem, took one look at the Badger Den, and knew they were in for a challenge they were not prepared for. Tandem won 71-61, with a massive 24 point fourth quarter. Oh, and of course, the game also featured what Oscar referred to as "the best high school dunk I've ever seen," as Kemaan lobbed a pass up to Isaac who absorbed defensive contact as he flew into the air. Suspended above the rim, Isaac cocked the ball back and threw it down, drawing a foul in the process. It was absolutely nasty.
 
That victory prompted an incredible 6-game win streak for the Badgers. Sean scored 20 against Veritas on Senior Day, becoming the third basketball player in Tandem history to score 1,000 points. Quis led the team in scoring with 23, and Sin had 12, giving all three seniors double-digit scoring for their last regular season game in the Badger Den. The following week, the Badgers hosted the GPAC Semi-Finals against RMA, and trailed by 9 points with 4:00 to go. Isaac performed like a superhero, driving, finishing and drawing fouls as he went on a run for the ages. Isaac finished with 27, Sin had 11, 6 points and 6 rebounds and the Badgers advanced to the GPAC finals.
 
Wakefield led the vast majority of the game, but with the Badgers elite defense, high IQ, ability to close out close games and a massive performance from our entire starting five, the Badgers won the GPAC Championship. Even more impressive, the team did it on the road, in a tough environment. Sin scored his 1,000th career point - the 4th Tandem Basketball player ever to do so (and we had TWO IN ONE SEASON!!??!!). Isaac had 16, including several big buckets and free throws late.
 
That victory solidified Tandem's position in the VISAA Division III tournament. It moved the Badgers from #11 to #10, earning the team an opportunity to play #7 Cristo Rey on the road in a super loud environment. Tandem took advantage of that opportunity, starting 9/9 from three point land - which is absolutely insane - and hanging on to win 64-56, advancing to the VISAA Elite Eight for the second consecutive season!
 
#2 seeded and defending VISAA Division III State Champion Stuart Hall came into tonight's game with an 18-6 record. The Badgers, having played one of the toughest schedules in the state, were not intimidated. Stuart Hall was hot early, scoring the first six points of the game, but Sean countered - scoring the next eight points, including a trip to the line. He was dominant in the paint, as usual! Isaac's defensive intensity forced a travel, and on the next possession, he had a massive block in the corner. With Tandem leading 8-6, Stuart Hall called timeout.
 
Stuart Hall would go on a run, and lead at the end of the first 18-10. Tandem responded with a huge start to the second - Isaac had five in a row, a beautiful slip off a high screen set by Sean, and then a deep three from the left wing. All of the sudden it was a one possession game again! Quis, who led the scoring tonight with 19, hit a big three to keep the momentum rolling! He scored six straight points, sandwiched by an excellent effort from Derion - diving on the floor to save possession late in the half. Tandem played Stuart Hall dead even in the second quarter - 14-14 - and the Badgers trailed 32-24 at the half.
 
After a Stuart Hall run, Quis got back to doing what he does best - attacking the basket. He isolated his defender, crossed him up, and earned a trip to the line. On the next trip down, he hung in the air on the right side of the basket and reversed the ball to his left for a beautiful lay up - drawing a foul in the process.

Tre's defensive pressure was a major factor in the second half - he shut down the opposing point guard with speed, determination and grit. Sin and Sean kept fighting - Sin got to the basket and Sean was right there on the block for a beautiful finish. The effort down the stretch was incredible for a team playing their second state playoff game in two nights on the road. Quis dove on the floor for loose balls, and had an amazing steal. He threw an outlet to Derion who finished with his inside hand - a Derion trademark - and was fouled hard in the process. Derion made the free throw, in case that was not obvious.
 
The Badgers scored 14 in the fourth, matching their total from earlier in the game. Sin went out the way he came in - full effort - driving to the rim and cashing in a late three - his final bucket in a Tandem uniform. Quis and Sean both scored in double digits tonight - 19 and 12 respectively. As #1, #3 and #22 left the floor for the final time, I couldn't help reflecting on their last two seasons in a Tandem uniform.
 
Together as a trio, in their 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, this Senior Big Three accomplished the following:

- 26 wins (five in the postseason)
- 2 VISAA State Tournament Appearances
- 2 VISAA Tournament Victories (both on the road - the only Elite Eight appearances in Tandem history)
- 3 GPAC Playoff Victories
- 2 GPAC Tournament Championship Appearances
- 1 GPAC Tournament Championship - on the road at Wakefield
- 5 All-Conference Selections
- 2 GPAC Player of the Year Awards
- 1 VISAA Division III All-State Awards (and maybe more to come)
- 1 6-Game Win Streak
- 1 Epic Victory over then #7 New Covenant, 71-61
- 1 Unforgettable Victory over STAB, 87-53
 
And so much more. Congratulations to Sin, Sean and Quis on a remarkable Tandem Boys Varsity Basketball career. We can't wait to see what you do at the next level! And to the entire team - what a season! There was an ENORMOUS amount of pressure on this team to perform, and they took on all challengers, peaking at exactly the right time. What a run! We are so proud of you!
 
Special thanks to Dev - our managerial wizard! She kept the book - with perfect detail and precision - for every single game this season! We appreciate you!

Congratulations to our extraordinary coaching staff - Coach Sam, Coach Denzel and Coach Mary are relentless in the hard work, expertise and resources they have put in to making this the best possible experience for our student-athletes - both on and off of the court. They have been working with this squad since early August - which was far from a requirement. That extra effort was born out of passion and determination, and what an impact it has made! This team of Badgers has worked so hard! I am proud of and incredibly grateful for these wonderful role models, helping this team reach the highest of heights. Thank you for a magical season.
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Tandem Friends School is a co-ed Quaker day school for grades 5-12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 
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