3/14/26 Richmond, VA- The Handley Judges will look for the program’s first Class 4 VHSL Boys Basketball State Championship against the Hampton Crabbers today with coverage starting at 12:40 pm for the 1 pm tip-off on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app brough to you by the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.
Last season, Varina eliminated Handley in the State Semifinal and then defeated Hampton in the State Championship game, but this season, Handley took out Varina in the semis and will look to leave the Crabbers as runner-ups once again.
In this year’s semifinal, Handley traveled to Varina and knocked off the Blue Devils in an electric second half comeback.
Trailing 30-23 in the 3rd quarter, Christian Dinges turned the tide for Handley with a dunk and three to tie the game.
The game stayed tight into the 4th quarter when Will Braun-Duin pulled up for a three from Braddock Street to take the lead for the final time.
Now this generation of Judges will look to do something no basketball team in Handley history has ever done, finish as state champions.
Coach Zach Harrell-Zook became the youngest coach in VHSL history to reach a title game in 2021 when the Judges fell to Smithfield.
Saturday, he will try to finish the job with a team focused on “‘we,’ not ‘me.”
Standing in Handley’s way are the Crabbers from the 757.
The 757 plays a tough brand of basketball that Handley has tried to prepare itself for all season long by playing the toughest competition they could find including the Arby’s Classic and playing powerhouse programs like Oak Hill to ensure the lights will not be too bright at the Seigel Center.
Hampton fell to perennial state champion Denbigh in the season opener before rattling off 26 consecutive wins on their way to back-to-back State Finals.
The Crabbers are led by Region Player of the Year Joshua Rice with 16.1 ppg and shoots 40% from deep.
The senior 6’2″ guard is coming off a 19 point performance in their Semifinal win over Heritage, 50-46.
Rice is supported by powerful forwards 6’4″ Abraham Taft, who had 12 points and 14 rebounds in the semi, and 6’8″ Gavin Kay (9.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg).
Both teams feature senior-heavy rosters built to contend for a state championship this year, but one will go home empty-handed.
I look for the Crabbers to underestimate a team from the Valley out of the gates but to tighten up the score by halftime.
Will Braun-Duin and Asher Mattison’s shooting ability combined with Kyren Oglesby coming off a three 3-pointer night and Dinges ability to score at all three levels will make the Judges hard to guard down the stretch.
Handley wins on a last second basket three for the win by Braun-Duin for the first title in program history, Judges 61- Crabbers 59.
For color commentator Josh Kirby’s interviews with both coaches, click HERE.
For The Sports Dogs State Championship weekend preview and Commanders Free Agency, click HERE.