The 0-3 Atoms, who fell to Washington and Lee 46-50 on Dec. 9, will face off against Westfield tonight. The Bulldogs feature a towering 6’10

“This will be a rematch from the first round of last year’s regional tournament,” senior Monte McCarthy said. “We were able to beat them last year so we hope to do the same.”

Although Westfield defeated Washington and Lee by 13 points in a recent game, the Atoms remain confident on the road to their first win.

However, even a win cannot diminish the turmoil that has marked the Atoms’ season thus far.

Before the team had an opportunity to rebound from its first loss of the season, Head Coach Anthony Harper resigned from his coaching position. The announcement came on Dec. 5, just one day after Harper was arrested for profane swearing or intoxication in public and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Fairfax County Weekly Arrest List. He is now facing misdemeanor charges for his crimes, according to the Annandale Patch.

Although Harper has resigned from his coaching position, he will remain a safety and security specialist. According to FCPS Public Information Specialist and News Liason Mary Shaw, unless an FCPS employee is charged with a felony, the situation will be dealt with on a “case-by-case” basis. Therefore, there is no specific criteria for dealing with Harper’s retention as an FCPS employee.

Harper and the administrative staff, including Principal Vince Randazzo, declined to comment on the situation.

Assistant coach Robert Terry of six years has stepped in to lead the Atoms and is already familiar with the team and its players.

“Coach Terry was the assistant coach before coach Harper stepped down, so we’re very comfortable with him taking over,” junior Michael Hennessey said.

Other players are also very comfortable with the shift, as they recognize Terry’s familiarity with the program.

“Coach Terry is a good coach and knows the game very well,” senior Eddy Cutrera said.

Terry plans on keeping most things the same in order to establish a smooth transition for both himself and the team.

“I’m not really doing anything different,” Terry said.

Still, Terry plans on implementing some of his own personal philosophies as he adjusts to the head coaching position. Terry will not be the only one making adjustments, however, as the Atoms will have to get used to the changes that come with a new head coach.

This will only add to the team’s rough start this year.  After falling to Robinson in their first game of the season, the Atoms were blown out by Herndon 64-86 the night following the coaching change.

“The team showed some resilience by cutting down [Herndon’s] lead to four points, but we turned the ball over too much and were beat in transition,” McCarthy said.

Amidst the turmoil and confusion of the team’s coaching situation, the Atoms have also suffered the loss of two players, seniors Reggie Scott and Andrew Courtney. Additionally, senior David Kim moved to Korea last week, leaving the squad further depleted.

“Reggie, Andrew and David were all good players, but the players we have now are the ones that are going to win games, so we can’t dwell on the past,” Hennessey said.

“The team could always use good players, but if they don’t care or get in trouble we move on,” McCarthy said.

The Atoms are using the challenges they have faced as an opportunity to grow closer as a team and establish a sense of unity.

“We still have the same motives and want to get better everyday. We have people on the team stepping up,” Cutrera said.

“We just need to stay focused on getting better at basketball and playing well together as a team,” senior David Croghan said.