The Duke’s State Championship Preview: Central vs Graham

3/12/26 Richmond, VA- Central High School will take on Graham High School in the Class 2 VHSL Boys Basketball Championship game Friday with coverage starting at 2:10 pm for the 2:30 pm tip-off on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com and The River 95.3 app thanks to The Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.

Central returns to the State Championship for the first time since 1980 while Graham is back to finish the job after ending last season as runner-ups.

Both the Falcons and G-Men fell to John Marshall in last year’s postseason and returned to the Class 2 playoffs while last year’s John Marshall team will play in the Class 3 State Championship game for Petersburg.

While many of the contributors to last year’s Graham runner-up team have moved on, coach Todd Baker feels his team does benefit some from understanding the travel required for a State Title trip but knows it won’t help him once the ball is in the air.

This year’s G-Men are led by guards Channing Disibbio (20 ppg) and Ty Martin (17 ppg) in scoring and football standout Gage Palmer has added leadership and physicality.

Graham does not have a ton of size (no contributors over 6’2″) which matches up nicely for Central who has played bigger than listed all year.

Jonathan Akasa epitomizes that with his 6’1″ frame that grabs rebounds like he’s 6’11”.

Akasa is coming off back-to-back double-doubles and is a huge reason the Falcons were able to comeback against Thomas Jefferson and dominated against Greensville.

After filling up the stat sheet in the quarterfinals with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists, he helped turn the tides in the semifinals to outrebound TJHS in the 2nd half and overcome a 14 point 2nd half deficit.

Dereck Batiz-Lugo has been the most consistent force for Central all season long, and after last year’s Class 2 2nd Team All State selection as a sophomore, he seems destined for 1st team this year.

Offensively, Batiz-Lugo has led Central in scoring in both state playoff games with 13 and 18 points.

Defensively, he is a pest for ball handlers and led the team with 2.6 steals per game in the regular season.

This game has all the makings of a coaching chess match with Central’s Jeff Whittle and Graham’s Todd Baker.

Whittle led First Baptist in South Carolina to four state titles in his first four years as coach and was named to the school’s Hall of Fame last year.

Now he has brought Central back to a State Championship for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Baker took over the program in 2018 and eclipsed 100 career wins in 2024 before advancing to his first state title appearance as a head coach in 2025.

While coaching maybe a push, it will come down to the players on the floor and like all championship games in every sport… Defense.

The Central defense has carried the Falcons to the State Championship game and will be the reason they bring home the hardware.

As a team, Central held opponents to under 45 points per game on the year and just held TJHS to 22 points below their season average.

Just like many Bull Run bashes, the first team to 50 will win and that tough district schedule will have the Falcons ready.

Unlike the football team in 2023, these Falcons will “go to war with the G-men” (if you know, you know) and win, Central 50- Graham 48.

For more coverage on the Class 2 Boys Basketball State Championship game, CLICK HERE for color commentator Josh Kirby’s interviews with both coaches and Derick Batiz-Lugo.

For previews of all our local state championship teams from the latest Sports Dogs Podcast, CLICK HERE.

The Duke’s Bull Run District Championship Preview: Strasburg vs Luray

2/19/26 Strasburg, VA- #1 seed Strasburg hosts #3 seed Luray tonight in the Bull Run District Boys Basketball Championship Game for the Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill with pregame coverage starting around 7:20 pm on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.

Strasburg swept Luray in the regular season, but both matchups were competitive with the Rams winning by 11 in Strasburg and by 5 in Luray.

Strasburg earned homecourt advantage tonight by winning the regular season Bull Run District title and finishing 17-6 overall.

The Rams had a massive improvement from last year when they finished under .500 at 10-12.

Luray has continued their winning ways and also finished 17-6 overall after claiming back-to-back Region 2B titles last year and advancing to the Class 2 state semifinals.

The Bulldogs will not have the chance to defend their title after dropping down to Class 1 but now have a better chance at finishing the season with a State Championship (in theory).

Luray is led by Matthew Owens, but the JMU bound Senior has taken a beating this season and missed Luray’s final two regular season games with an ankle injury.

Owens returned to action in the Bull Run Semifinals and finished with a game high 21 points in the win so he should be close to 100% for Thursday’s Championship game.

While Owens was out, senior Connor Hilliard took the lead and averages 13.5 points per game to go with 6.7 rebounds per game.

Hilliard will join Owens at JMU but will take his talents to the diamond at Veterans Memorial Park.

Strasburg limited the talented back court with great team defense and held the Bulldogs to over 20 points below their season average in both regular season wins.

Offensively, the Rams are led by sharpshooter Gavin Dellinger (15 ppg) and forward Jasiah Warner (11.4 ppg).

Warner led Strasburg with 16 points in the BRD semifinal win over Page County while Dellinger was limited to just 8 points, all in the 4th quarter.

The junior guard will need a full four quarters in the scoring column as the Rams will need his offense to go toe-to-toe with Owens, Luray’s All Time leading scorer.

I look for this game to trend towards a slower pace which would benefit Strasburg and the Rams size advantage in the paint with 6’4″ Warner and 6’3″ Jacob Britton.

Owens ankle injury could also limit his minutes with Luray needing to keep larger goals in mind and he might have to score 30 if the Bulldogs want a chance at upsetting the #1 seed on the road.

Ultimately, Strasburg’s defense will be the difference maker and help the Rams to their first District Title in over 15 years, Strasburg 52- Luray 48.

Color Commentator Josh Kirby spoke with Luray Head Coach Mat Huff before the game here.

For more local sports coverage, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast here.

Handley’s Harrell-Zook becomes youngest coach to 100 wins, Playoffs begin

John Handley High School head boys basketball coach Zach Harrell-Zook claimed his 100th win as a head coach Monday night against Jefferson, 70-36.

In doing so, Coach Harrell-Zook became the youngest coach in VHSL history to reach the milestone at just 29 years old.

The Millbrook High School graduate is also the youngest coach to reach a VHSL Championship Game when he led the Judges to the 2021 matchup against Smithfield.

This year’s Handley squad secured the #1 seed in Region 4D and will begin their run towards a State Championship next week.

High school basketball playoff coverage begins this week on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app, and TheRiver953.com!

Clarke County hosts Strasburg in the girls Bull Run District Championship game on Wednesday night.

Then the Boys Championship game will take place on Thursday night at the highest remaining seed (Tuesday Semifinal Games: #1 Strasburg vs #4 Page, #2 Central vs #3 Luray).

Pregame coverage begins around 7:15 pm on Wednesday and Thursday with Ryan Rutherford and Josh Kirby on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app, and TheRiver953.com.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Central vs Strasburg

2/13/26, Woodstock, VA- Regular season high school basketball coverage concludes tonight with Central hosting Strasburg in the Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill on Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app, and TheRiver953.com starting with the girls matchup at 6 pm, followed by the boys with an estimated tip-off set for 7:45 pm.

It will be a festive evening in Woodstock as the Central community will acknowledge the senior cheer and basketball athletes for Senior Night and the Falcon’s softball team will receive their 2025 State Championship rings during halftime of the boys game.

Amongst the pomp and circumstance, two huge games will be played to determine seeding for the upcoming District and Regional playoffs.

When the girls take the floor, Strasburg will have a chance at the top seed with a win over Central and a Clarke County loss to Luray on Monday.

Central would love nothing more than to spoil that chance a at a top seed for their cross-county rivals and place themselves in a more confident position for the post season.

The Rams will be riding high after their upset win over Clarke County earlier this week.

Strasburg snapped a 12 game winning streak for Clarke County and extended their own winning streak to 11 games after a play originally drawn up for Emily Gorrell ended up in the hands of Jayden Stinnette down-low for the game winning layup.

The senior duo has been integral in Strasburg’s run this season with Gorrell leading the Bull Run District in scoring (17.8 points per game), steals (3.8 per game), and assists (3.2 per game) while Stinnette leads the District in rebounding with 8.3 per game.

Gorrell had one of her best games of the season against Central in the first go round and finished with 27 points (17/18 FT), 7 steals, and 3 rebounds.

If the Falcons want to put themselves in a position to pull-off the win, they will need to defend Gorrell more effectively and keep her from getting to the free throw line.

In Year 1 under coach Rich Cooley, Central has essentially beaten the teams they should and struggled against the other top teams in the District going a combined 1-4 against Strasburg, Clarke County, and Luray.

The Falcons have a talented senior class that will want to leave their homecourt on Senior Night with a win and that group is led by guard Vanessa Gordon.

Gordon is 2nd behind Gorrell in BRD scoring with 14.5 per game and is the best 3-point shooter in the region at nearly a 40% clip.

In the Falcons lone win against top district competition, Gordon knocked down five first half three pointers and her sister Vanessa filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

It will take a true team effort for Central, and maybe some Senior Night magic to beat the Rams, or for Strasburg to overlook the matchup with their sights already set on a playoff run and riding high from the win over Clarke County.

Following the girls game, the boys will play for the #1 seed in the Region 2B tournament and the regular season District Championship in what should be a very competitive and defensively focused battle.

When these teams played against each other earlier this season, the winner was the first team to 40 and that ended up being the Central Falcons.

Both teams went ice cold in the second half with Strasburg going 0-11 in the third period and Central going 0-6 in the fourth, but the Falcons had enough of a lead and a few clutch free throws to hold on for the win.

Since the loss, Strasburg has rallied for 7 straight wins and seen the growth of Jasiah Warner into one of the top players in the Bull Run.

Warner is coming off a 20 point game against Clarke County and consistently causes problems on defense with his length.

Gavin Dellinger will always get his for the Rams and leads the team with 14.6 per game, trailing only D-1 bound Matthew Owens in Bull Run scoring.

Central’s lone loss since the Strasburg matchup came against Owens and his Luray Bulldogs, but other than that blemish, Coach Whittle has his group playing elite level basketball.

With the departure of John Marshall’s head coach and Luray dropping to Class 1, Central emerged as an early contender in Class 2 for the State Title and has done nothing to make you think otherwise.

Central ranked 5th in the most recent Basketball Coaches Association of Virginia poll.

Dereck Batiz-Lugo picked up where he left off last season after claiming BRD Player of the Year as sophomore and earning 2nd Team All State.

This year, Batiz-Lugo has continued to play at a high level and leads the area in steals with 3.1 per game to go with 14.3 points per game while limiting turnovers as the teams primary ball handler.

Central is a team full of players who know their role and for Jonathan Akasa that job is to get rebounds.

Listed at 6’1″, Akasa leads the Bull Run in rebounding with 7.4 per game and can knock down the three-ball at 37.3%.

Like the first matchup, this game could be a race to 40 and rebounding to give your team an extra possession could mean the difference between a win or a loss.

Central appears to have an advantage on the glass with Akasa averaging a full 2.5 rebounds more than Strasburg’s leading rebounder, Warner, and in the first matchup, Gracen Hottle led Strasburg in rebounds with 9 but that will be hard to replicate for the 5’8″ guard.

Due to that potential edge in rebounding, I look for Central to pull out another close win over the Rams with Batiz-Lugo putting the game on ice late, 42-39.

In the girls matchup, Strasburg’s senior duo of Gorrell and Stinnette combined with Coach Stinnette’s ability to keep the team focused on their rival and not looking ahead will allow the Rams to take the win on the road, 52-43, and keep their hopes of a #1 seed alive.

For more high school hoops coverage, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast where we preview the upcoming playoff hopefuls, highlight the biggest local basketball story lines in the “Three Pointer”, and of recap the Super Bowl.

Clarke County inducts five members to Hall of Fame

Clarke County High School inducted five new members to the Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night during the football game against Fort Defiance.

Inductees included girls’ basketball standouts Anna Blue Catlett and Sydney (Chrane) Wild.

The 2015 graduates helped Clarke reach two State Semifinals and were named State Co-Players of the Year as seniors.

Anna finished as the school record holder in 3 pointers while Sydney wrapped-up her career as the second leading scorer in school history.

Justin Dulaney was a three sport standout in football, basketball, and baseball.

He set the school record for points in a track season and went on to play football at William and Mary.

Sean McDonald joined Dulaney for basketball and football.

During his senior football season, McDonald was named All State and District Player of the Year after breaking the school’s all time passing record.

Doug Aylestock was honored as a contributor for his work as a sports photographer.

Aylestock started his own photography page then joined Clarke County Sports where he continues to cover Eagles athletics.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

The Duke’s Championship Preview: Strasburg vs Page and Clarke vs Luray

The Regional Championships will feature two matchups of teams VERY familiar with each other but have yet to play with this much at stake.

The Region 2B Girls Basketball Championship Game will be a rematch of the Bull Run District Championship Game with Strasburg taking on Page County on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com and the Tune In App at 5:50 pm.

The Panthers got the better of Strasburg in that game, 52-31, but the Rams were without star guard Macy Smith.

Smith is coming off a dominant 26 point performance against cross-county rival Central in the Regional Semifinals.

The Rams ran away with that one, 68-37, thanks to a 26-2 run in the second quarter.

Page County has played in tight games throughout the Regional Playoffs.

The Panther girls are coming off an overtime upset over the reigning Class 2 State Champions Clarke County, 73-71.

The Boys Region 2B Championship will follow the girls matchup with Clarke County taking on Luray for the fourth time this month, also on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com and the Tune In App.

Clarke County leads the series 2-1 with the most recent win coming in the Bull Run District Semifinals, 79-56.

The Eagles dominate the second period with a 25-5 run including 5 of 7 from long range.

Luray will enter the game coming off a thrilling overtime upset of Madison County, the #1 seed in the Region.

The game was tight throughout with 14 lead changes and four ties in the second half.

Luray was led by Matthew Owens with 16 points including five three-pointers.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were able to limit District Player of the Year Bryce Breeden to 13 points.

Both games will go down to the wire with the Rams knocking off the Panthers 53-50, and Clarke County knocking down free throws late to defeat Luray 60-55.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.