Listen back to highlights of Skyline boys basketball’s Region 3B Championship win over Meridian and Coach Harold Chunn’s postgame interview with Ryan Rutherford.
The Duke’s Championship Preview: Skyline vs Meridian
2/26/26, Falls Church, VA- Skyline heads up 66 to Meridian for the Region 3B Boys Basketball Championship tonight with coverage starting at 6:45 pm for the 7 pm tip-off on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com and The River 95.3 app brought to you by the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.
It’s fitting that the two most consistent powers in Region 3B hoops will decide the Region 3B title and have already earned trips to the State Tournament.
Meridian reloaded from the winningest season in school history to another #1 seed in the Region Tournament.
Last year’s squad went undefeated in the regular season before falling to Hopewell in the State playoffs.
Davis is an elite scorer and averages over 19 points per game while shooting 37.3% from long range.
Junior forward Mason Plye (11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.5 blk) and senior guard Marques Myles (12.1 ppg, 4.9 ast, 3.1 stl) joined Davis on the All District teams.
Plye’s 6’3″ frame could cause issues for a Skyline roster that does not have a consistent contributor listed over 6’2″.
What the Hawks lack in size, they make up for with a team effort crashing the glass and a few former football players who play bigger than listed.
All Region Linebacker Andre Ford is coming off back to back double-doubles in the playoffs with 27 points and 11 rebounds against Kettle Run and 22 points with 10 rebounds vs Fauquier while All State Running Back Zayden Burks has played lock down defense and often draws a matchup listed a few inches taller.
Senior Cameron Kerns has been reliable on the boards and has grabbed 22 rebounds through the two games.
Burks, Kerns, and Ford were all 1st Team Northwestern District selections and Day’Shawn Haley joined them on the 2nd team.
The Hawks also unleashed an “ace up the sleeve” in Bentley Frye against Fauquier.
The freshman guard has been a consistent starter this season but hit another level in the Regional Semifinal with 15 points and four rebounds including a huge three to extend a Skyline run in the 2nd quarter.
As many playoff matchups do, it could come down to which stars shine or are contained.
Skyline and Meridian split the regular season series 1-1 with both teams winning on their home floor.
In Meridian’s win, the Mustangs led throughout and put game away with a 3rd quarter run and led by 11 entering the 4th quarter.
Davis led the way with 24 points in the win, but the Hawks limited him to just 12 points (including a buzzer-beating three to force overtime) when they pulled out the OT victory.
Ford and Kerns both had 19 points while Mark Jefferies stepped up late with a huge layup and solid free throw shooting to finish with 9 points.
Skyline dominated the turnover department in the win by forcing 18 and only committing 4.
This game feels like it has all the makings of an instant classic and will come down to the final possession, but I will give the edge to the Hawks who seem to be playing their best basketball at the right time.
Skyline enters Falls Church as winners of 10 of the last 11 since the loss to Meridian while the Mustangs have lost four games in the time frame.
I’ll take the Hawks to regain the Region Championship for the first time since the magical 2023 season, Skyline 71- Meridian 69.
For more local sports coverage, check out the Sports Dogs Podcast.
The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Skyline vs Fauquier (Region 3B Semifinals)
2/24/26, Front Royal VA-Â Skyline hosts Fauquier tonight in the Region 3B boys basketball Semifinals with coverage on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app starting at 5:45 pm brought to you by the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.
Both Hawks and Falcons soared through the Quarterfinals and will face off for the third time this season.
Skyline is 2-0 in the previous matchups including a 77-71 overtime victory back in December (Skyline’s first game of the season) and a 71-57 victory in January, but Fauquier has improved dramatically throughout the course of the season.
After off 1-4, the Falcons rallied to win 11 of their last 12 games following the January loss to Skyline.
After making a State Tournament trip last season, Coach Jordan Orndorff’s squad reloaded following the loss of top producers All-State guard Dylan Donner, now at Bridgewater College, and Nate Edwards.
This year’s iteration lacks the size of last year’s Falcons but make up for it in speed and guard play led by Junior Trey Thompson and Freshman sensation Trey Watson.
Thompson returns after an All Region campaign last season and Watson has dazzled the region with his speed and quick release from long range.
While a team comprised mainly of speedy guards would cause mismatches for most teams, it may play right into the strength of the Skyline defense.
Since the arrival of Coach Harold Chunn, Skyline has played devastating defense from baseline to baseline with a lineage of talented and athletic guards.
Skyline’s Zayden Burks is one of the most athletic guards in Virginia with speed, strength, and the leaping ability to send a gym into a frenzy.
Against Kettle Run last week, Burks dunk with under 5 minutes remaining brought the house down, sent an opposing coach to the locker room early, and ended Kettle Run’s hopes of a comeback bid.
Burks, Andre Ford, and Cameron Kerns were recently named 1st Team All District selections while Day’Shawn Haley joined them on the 2nd Team.
Ford and Kerns dominated Kettle Run, as Ford poured in 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Kerns added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Skyline will need a similar team rebounding effort to capitalize on the undersized Fauquier lineup and advance.
They say it is hard to beat a team three times… but statistically that is untrue and the team with a 2-0 advantage wins the third game 65-72% of the time.
The law averages, one of the best student sections in Virginia, and experienced guard play will send Skyline to the State Playoffs and a Regional Championship game, Hawks 76 – Falcons 68.
For more local sports coverage, follow the Sports Dogs Podcast here.Â
The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Skyline vs Handley
2/6/26, Winchester, VA- Handley (14-5) hosts Skyline (14-4) for a Northwestern District grudge match in tonight’s Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week c/o of Brickhouse Bar and Grill with coverage starting at 7:15 pm for the estimated 7:30 pm tip-off on Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.
Skyline held on for a 67-64 victory at home less than a month ago after jumping out to 22-10 1st quarter lead thanks to six JHHS turnovers.
The Hawks lead reached 20 in the second quarter before Handley started to chip away and bring the lead to 11 at halftime then 9 entering the 4th quarter.
Handley eventually brought the deficit to just 2 points with 1:12 left, but some clutch free throw shooting by Cameron Kerns following a Zayden Burks offensive rebound helped secure the win.
Burks and Kerns led the way all night with 19 points and 17 points and it was only fitting they shut the door on the comeback bid.
Skyline has carried the momentum from that win into victories in five of their last six and seem to be playing their best basketball as the playoffs approach.
Handley has made some changes since the first matchup and seem to be adjusting well to life without the injured superstar Will Braun-Duin.
Christian Dinges has emerged as a top player in the District…Region State and Asher Mattison appears to be the heir to Braun-Duin’s three-point throne.
Earlier this week, Dinges put on a clinic against James Wood with 36 points (20 in the 1st quarter), 10 rebounds, and some highlight reel dunks to lead the way for a 77-32 road win.
Mattison followed with a 37 point and 10 three pointer performance against Veritas Collegiate Academy on Wednesday.
The freshman sharpshooter was just one made three away from tying Braun-Duin’s single game record while taking only 12 shots from long range.
Mattison has only made four varsity starts entering Friday night, but Handley is 4-0 in those games with an average margin of victory of 49.5 ppg.
The 6’4″ athlete has shown he is ready for the varsity level and could provide the spacing that Handley needs to make a deep playoff run which many thought was impossible following the second Braun-Duin injury.
While Skyline jumped on Handley early in the first matchup, I look for the Judges to turn the tides and come out hot with the home crowd behind them and a chip on their shoulder following the first loss to the Hawks.
The addition of Mattison and the rest of Coach Harrell-Zook’s lineup feeling more comfortable in their roles post-Braun Duin will be enough to make up the difference from Game 1, Judges 75 – Hawks 68.
For more local sports coverage along with a Super Bowl preview, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast.Â
The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Skyline vs Warren County
1/22/26, Front Royal- Skyline hosts cross-town rival Warren County in tonight’s Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week courtesy of Brickhouse Bar and Grill with varsity boys basketball coverage starting around 7:15 pm for the estimated 7:30 pm tip-off on Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.
The schools faced-off in our first broadcast of the season which saw Skyline win 73-60, but both teams have grown tremendously since the opening matchup.
Following the loss, Warren County has won seven of their last ten and are on pace for the program’s best season in over 10 years.
Coach Mario Gil has helped build up the Cats from a team that had won 8 games over the previous two years and a 6-17 season in year 1 to their current record of 9-6.
The next step to prove the tides are shifting for Warren County would be to knock-off Skyline which has maintained a decisive the edge on the hardwood through the entirety of Coach Harold Chunn’s tenure and years prior.
Warren County is led by the trio of Bryce Bergmann (6’3″), Adrian Craig (6’2″), and Ethan Bare (6’4″) and their length could cause problems for a smaller Skyline team.
While lacking a Marlon Jackson or Dwayne Tucker in the post, Skyline still holds all of the talent needed to make another run at the Region 3B Championship and beyond.
The Hawks are coming off a road loss to Region 3B favorite Meridian but had previously won four of the last five.
Skyline has a deep roster with scorers at all levels and athletes who play bigger than listed like Zayden Burks, Andre Ford, and Cameron Kerns.
Led by Ford with 18, all three reached double figures in the first matchup with Warren County, but it took a third quarter surge to separate from the Cats.
While Warren County may have been happy to hang with Skyline early in the first matchup, the newly confident Wildcats will want to finish the job this time.
Seniors Kerns, Ford, and Day-Shawn Haley will refuse to leave the court against Warren County for (most likely) the final time as losers, and I look for the Hawks to feed off the home crowd and find a way to win in the closest matchup in recent years, Skyline 54-Warren County 52.
For more local sports coverage, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast here.
For Josh Kirby’s interviews with coaches Mario Gill and Harold Chunn, click here.
The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Warren County vs Skyline
12/12/25, Front Royal, VA-Â Warren County boys basketball hosts Skyline in tonight’s Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week courtesy of Brickhouse Bar and Grill on Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app with coverage starting at roughly 7 pm following the conclusion of the JV matchup.
The hardwood edition of the River Rivalry will feature two teams still looking to find their footing in the early stages of the season.
Skyline had a late start to the season due to the most successful football season in school history, but as Vince Lombardi said, “Winning is a habit”.
The Hawks basketball roster features many of the same stand-out athletes as the Region Runner-Up football team including the top running back in Virginia Zayden Burks, All Region Linebacker Andre Ford, All Region QB Day’Shawn Haley, and a few others.
After the long post season, the Hawks came out a bit rusty against Fauquier before surging past the Falcons in overtime.
Skyline needed to overcome a 12 point 4th quarter deficit to secure the win.
Andre Ford’s 11 point 4th quarter and Cameron Kerns 6 point overtime period led the way for a comeback in the Hawks lone game.
Warren County has already played four regular season games and look to have taken a step forward in their second year under Head Coach Mario Gill.
The Wildcats are 2-2 with wins over Kettle Run and Liberty, two teams they went a combined 1-3 against last year.
Warren County returns last year’s leader in scoring, rebounding, and steals in 6’4″ Ethan Bare, the leader in assists and 3p% Adrian Craig, and 6’3″ guard Bryce Bergmann.
Freshman Makari Robinson stood out as a wide receiver for Warren County.
His athleticism and 6’3″ frame should transition nicely to the hardwood.
Skyline has a few exciting additions as well including former JV standout Mark Jefferies.
While both teams are still coming together in the early stages of the season, Warren County’s four regular season games together and confidence found after a few wins should help them battle against a Skyline team that has had their number in recent years.
Skyline has already shown in their lone game, they know when it’s time to lock-in and play ball like they did in the 4th quarter and OT against Fauquier.
The Hawks won’t need the nudge of 12 point deficit to show some fire against a cross-town rival and I look for them to come out with their signature defensive pressure to force the Cats into some early mistakes.
Hawks will start to pull away late, but don’t be surprised to see this game tied-up at halftime, Skyline 55-Warren County 45.
For an interview with WCHS Coach Mario Gill from Josh Kirby, click here.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.