Hargrave Caps Magical 2-Year Run

The Hargrave Post-Gradute Basketball program has had a long tradition of success at the highest level since it’s inception. Even by the lofty expectations that are placed on the program yearly, the two year run that the program just capped is historic. In reality, it will go down as one of the best stretches in the history of high school basketball- not just at Hargrave.

The raw numbers that were produced over the past two years are overwhelming. The team has achieved a 90-3 record across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, setting the bar with 47 wins in 2016 and following with a 43 win campaign this season. While the number of wins are certainly impressive, the way in which the games were won is even more remarkable. This year’s team averaged a whopping 114 points per game, following the 2015-16 season where they averaged 111 points per game. Across the two seasons, the average margin of victory was just under 40 points per game. Hargrave was also  undefeated in the past two years at Walter Davis Gymnasium, extending the program’s home winning streak to 75 games in the process. On top of all of that, the Tigers brought home the 2016 National Prep Championship, the program’s third, and advanced to the National Final Four in 2017.

Perhaps the most impressive feat during this two year run didn’t take place directly on the court. In the past two years, all of the 34 Post-Graduate players signed basketball scholarships to continue their playing careers at the collegiate level. That number includes 24 Division 1 signees, with 8 of those signees committing to schools that play in High-Major conferences.  In total, the Post-Graduate players have earned approximately $5,103,900 in scholarship dollars. 

There was a full-on assault on the record books during the past two seasons as well. Braxton Beverly made national headlines by breaking Terry Rozier’s (Lousiville Cardinals/Boston Celtics) single game scoring record by pouring in 70 points in the 2016 Fight Against Cancer Challenge. The 2015-16 team set a school record with 47 wins in a single season. In February of this year, the previous scoring record of 161 points in a single game fell when the Tigers poured in 163 against RockTop Academy. With their Natinoal Championship in 2016 and Final Four appearance in 2017, the Tigers extended their streak of consecutive Elite 8 appearances to 11- a national record. Last but not least, the 13 players that committed to Division 1 schools this year tied a school record for most Division 1 commits on a single team.

Head Coach A.W. Hamilton saw his legacy grow during the past two seasons, too. He boosted his career record to 237-22 while winning his first National Championship as a Head Coach in 2016. His record at Walter Davis Gymnasium now stands at a staggering 120-2. Hamilton earned his second National Coach of the Year in 2016, to go along with his third East Region Coach of the Year in 2017. With the past two classes added in, 63 players have signed Division 1 scholarships, with an additional 25 signing Division 2 scholarships in Hamilton’s six years as Head Coach.
 

Hargrave Military Academy logo.