RICHMOND, Va. (DC News Now) — In their first ever state final appearance, Brentsville District came up short, falling to the returning VHSL Class 3 state champs Carroll County 78-41.

“We just kind of lost control a little bit,” said Brentsville head coach Keyla Delaney. “It’s been a pretty long season, but I think we proved that we did belong here regardless of the score.”

The Tigers kept pace with the Cavaliers in the first quarter, trailing by only seven points. However, Carroll County pulled away in the 2nd quarter, outscoring Brentsville 21-2.

“They were really scrappy,” said senior guard Alden Yergey. “They were throwing a lot of pressure.”

“I just feel like we were unable to keep that same momentum after the first quarter,” said Delaney. “You could tell, we were super fatigued.”

Aiden Yergey had the tough task of going up against Carroll County’s Alyssa Ervin, who scored a game-high 29 points. For Yergey, she was held in check with six points, four rebounds, and five assists, with eight turnovers.

“She’s a heck of a player,” said Yergey. “She was long. I didn’t expect her to be as tall as she was. You just got to make it hard on a player like that.”

For the Tigers, freshman Payton Brown led the team with 11 points. Senior Cara Volmer added ten points, being the only two Brentville players in double figures.

Before the season, Brentsville girls basketball had never made a state championship. A tough ending to a successful season, but definitely a season to proud of.

“This was the end goal,” said senior guard Cara Vollmer. “We reached our end goal. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win, but to get here is a blessing.”