By James J. Lidington

Isle of Wight Academy

Payton Shipman was 5-for-6 from the line in the last 1:54 of the varsity boys basketball game Dec. 10 to preserve victory for Isle of Wight Academy, 53-48, over visiting Kenston Forest School.

Junior Jackson Cofer and senior Trent Holland each finished with 15 points; Shipman finished with 14.

The Chargers raced out to a 9-2 lead against the Kavaliers in the game’s first four minutes and succeeded in holding the visitors at bay, leading 40-25 when Cofer hit a field goal with 1:40 left in the third quarter.

But a drought narrowed the gap. After Holland’s basket with 6:25 left in the game, IWA went scoreless from the field until Jack Lineberry’s basket with 50 seconds left preserved the Charger lead, 50-46, setting the stage for Shipman’s heroics.

On Dec. 7, the Chargers struggled to keep up with a fast-breaking Banner Christian School squad, which ended up being the victor over IWA, 59-53. Holland had 14 points against the Bearcats; Shipman had 13.

IWA trailed Banner 12-10 after the first quarter and 25-21 at halftime. Isle of Wight passed the Bearcats in the third quarter, 31-30, after Jacob Chapman’s basket with 3:35 to go in the period.

Banner surged back into the lead early in the fourth quarter on the strength of a six-point surge to make it 43-37. IWA closed the margin to three points, 53-50, after Holland’s 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining.

The IWA varsity girls basketball team started its young season 4-0 but fell twice in a holiday tournament at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

Isle of Wight Academy was defeated 63-41 by state powerhouse Steward School on Dec. 11.

The Lady Chargers also fell to local rival NSA, 60-31, on Dec. 10.

Senior Lily Williams had 28 points, including eight 3-pointers, to lead IWA over Kenston Forest, 54-47, on Dec. 9.

The IWA girls and boys varsity hoops teams will square off against Norfolk Academy at 4:30 and 6 p.m., respectively, Friday, Dec. 17, in Jester Gymnasium.

The boys team will play in the Peninsula Catholic Holiday Classic tournament Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 20-23. The Chargers’ tournament play begins against the host school at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at the school, which is located at 600 Harpersville Road in Newport News. Subsequent start times will be announced later.

The IWA track team recently competed in the annual Winter Frolic Invitational at Christopher Newport University, with 20 schools, private and public, participating.

Many runners on the Chargers’ squads set personal records, as the girls team placed sixth; the boys placed 10th. IWA’s Hannah Edwards medaled in second place in the girls’ 300-meter dash and third in the girls’ 500-meter run.

Coach Margarita Castillo noted it was the school’s first time competing in relays: “Both teams did an excellent job with only a week’s training.”