Under Lamb, Greene Dragons complete stunning turnaround

It was a year of firsts for the William Monroe girls basketball team. The Greene Dragons captured their first regular season district title since moving up to Group AA, went unbeaten in the Jefferson District at home, and hosted their first region tournament game before falling to eventual state champion Freedom-South Riding in the Region II, Division 3 semifinals.
It all came under the direction of Philip Lamb, The Daily Progress’ All-Central Virginia girls basketball coach of the year. Lamb guided William Monroe to a 11-1 district record, including a win over perennial power Charlottesville. What makes the story remarkable is that all this occurred just a year after his team went winless in the district.
And Lamb couldn’t be more proud of the group’s accomplishments.
“From a coaching standpoint, it was very fulfilling to be a part of a remarkable run, one no one outside of us expected us to make,” Lamb recounted. “To see these girls completely buy into what we were saying, and to put aside all personal agendas for the betterment of the team was truly special. I will never forget this season.”
Lamb said he knew early that his team could do something special.
“It all began at team camp last summer. Going into the week, I told the girls that we had three goals — to change the way we thought, to play faster, to be the most aggressive team on the court,” said Lamb, who earned coach of the year honors in the district (Division 3). “We had a remarkable week at camp and won our division at camp. That was also the point when [senior guard] Melanie Lamb really stepped up and became the leader I knew she could always be.”
Lamb, who was selected as the district’s top player, helped carry the Greene Dragons for much of the season along with her fellow seniors, was integral in the team’s success. The coach spoke glowingly about the eight seniors — team captains Lamb and Kate Puryear and teammates Bethany Leake, Brittnee Conley, Leah Krynitsky, Demi Patch, Whitney Jackson and Tiarra Towles.
“It’s difficult for me to put into words how I feel about these girls,” Lamb said. “…Seven of these girls have played together since middle school. Five of them played on varsity for me the last three years. All of these girls are great role models on the court and in the community. They are perfect examples of what makes high school sports so great.”
As for a season highlight? Lamb couldn’t pick just one. There is no doubt he will remember this season for a long time.
“After last year’s difficult season, I vowed that I would learn to appreciate everything about a season and not just focus on wins and losses. This year had so many “best” parts,” Lamb said. “I’ve often joked that this was the season that just keeps giving. My favorite part is practice. I just love working with the girls and trying to teach the game of basketball.”
There is nothing like a winning season that creates a buzz in the hallways at a high school.
“For the first time since William Monroe turned AA, we had both the boys and girls programs doing very well at the same time in the district. [Boys basketball] coach Mike Maynard is a great coach and has been a tremendous help to me. Since the first day we met, we’ve talked about changing the culture around here to a winning culture, one that excels on and off the court,” Lamb said. “Katie Brunelle, our athletic director, has been a great asset to both of us, and she’s worked so hard to meet all that we’ve asked of her and to help us make the step to being consistently competitive programs.
“With both our teams doing so well, a fever like I haven’t seen in a long time around here spread throughout our building.”
Next year, Lamb hopes that winning tradition continues.