The Dominion Titans have turned around their season, but the true test comes now. After a 1-5 start, they have won six of their last seven and are in prime position to capture the Dulles District. In their way? The two hottest teams in the district, the Loudoun Valley Vikings and the Riverside Rams.

The Titans are currently first with a perfect 4-0 record in the district. The Rams and Vikings are both 3-0. None of the teams have faced each other but that’ll change Friday when Loudoun Valley comes into Titan Territory to try and knock the Titans out of the top spot.

They’ll be led by junior point guard and son of head coach Chad Dawson, Trent Dawson. The guard is a dynamic player, scoring 24 points in his last district game against Woodgrove. He went 17 for 20 from the foul line in that game.

Back to Dominion. The season started out rough but they’ve hit their stride at the right time, led by a strong backcourt of Sam Shelton and Jayden Hickey. Shelton especially has been excellent, averaging just under 17 points per game over the seven game stretch. He’s not alone, as Adam Thomas has established himself as a premier perimeter defender and offensive threat.

It’s a new experience for the Titans, being at the top of the standings and becoming the hunted rather than the hunter, but they’re ready for the challenge. “We can’t allow ourselves to let our intensity drop at all,” Shelton said.

First year head coach Anthony Eifler echoed a similar sentiment. “The mentality shouldn’t change, I think any team in our conference can beat any team, and we got to make sure our intensity and focus doesn’t drop,” he said.

The Vikings are hitting a hot streak of late, winning their last six games. After a short weekend, the Titans will then take on the Rams, who have won nine straight en route to a 12-1 record.

There’s no doubt that the teams are ready and excited for the matchup, one that could play an integral role in deciding the seeding of the district tournament. The game will be at home but will also be broadcast live on DHSPress.com

It doesn’t look like the Titans will back down from the challenge. “We just want to go out and play hard every night and if we play the basketball we know how to play, we are hard to beat,” Adam Thomas said. “We still have unfinished business, and we’re just getting started.”

Tune in at 7:15 PM to DHS Press to listen to the game live.