Apple Blossom announces exceptional athletes and Hall of Fame inductees

The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival announced the local honorees for this year’s Sports Breakfast including exceptional athletes from each school and two Hall of Fame selections.

In the announcement from Festival President Jeremy Luttrell, Pepper Martin Jr and Jimmy Dix were selected as this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.

Martin served as head baseball and wrestling coach for three decades at Sherando High School before retiring in 2023.

During his coaching career in baseball, he compiled a record of 407-241 and led his teams to 10 district championships, 4 state playoff berths and a State Championship in 2013.

In wrestling, he led his team to a record of 478-123 and earned nine district championships.

He also coached four individual state champions and 55 state place winners.

Jimmy Dix was a 1959 Handley Grad who spent over six decades giving back to the school and supporting their athletic programs.

Dix began volunteering in 1964 and joined the chain crew in 1967, a role he kept until 2020, and helped the basketball team as clock operator, a role he continues today.

During his time on the Judges Athletics Association Board, he was instrumental in establishing the Hunter-Maddex Hall of Fame and later the Edwin Barksdale Wing to honor former Douglas School Athletes.

Dix also volunteered his time with youth baseball and softball programs and served on the Winchester Parks and Recreation Board.

The local athletes that will be honored during the breakfast include:

  • James Wood- Aiden Bell
  • Handley- Christian Dinges
  • Shenandoah University- Emily Williams
  • Millbrook- Emma Martin
  • Sherando- Gabriella Koch
  • Clarke County- Gracie Brown
  • Warren County- Gavin Hetrick
  • Skyline- Josiah Sykes
  • Mountain View Christian Academy- Zoe Harbin

For more information on the:

  • Hall of Fame selections, click here
  • Student Athlete honorees, click here

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

Handley basketball’s Champions Parade coming up April 13

John Handley High School and the City of Winchester are preparing for The Champions Parade to acknowledge the recent State Championship run by the Handley boys basketball team.

The Champions Parade will take place on Monday, April 13th starting at 6 pm and the route will follow Handley Blvd to South Braddock Street then Jefferson Street and conclude at Handley High School.

Stick around following the parade and join the team at Maddex-Omps Gymnasium for pictures and autographs with the team including Coach Zach Harrell-Zook, the youngest coach to win a State Championship in VHSL history, future collegiate basketball players like Will Braun-Duin, Christian Dinges, Jaevon Brisco, Kyren Oglesby, and the rest of the State Champion Judges.

Handley claimed the school’s first basketball title in program history earlier this month after defeating the Hampton Crabbers 61-42 at VCU.

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

For more local sports coverage, check out the Sports Dogs podcast.

Sports Dogs Podcast: State Championship recap and Bracket Bustin’

3/18/26- The Dogs take a bite out of their Tournament brackets, and look back at a great weekend at VCU for our area basketball teams including:

  • Clarke County’s girls claiming their second title in four years and record-breaker Alainah McKavish
  • Handley’s boys first program title in over 100 years
  • Luray’s boys fending off a record-setting performance to win in double-overtime
  • The valiant efforts by the Central boys, Skyline girls, and Luray girls

Brought to you by Energy Windows LLC. Visit the “Dave-Dog” at https://energywindowsllc.com and find out how to save money on those energy bills this Summer!

Listen to the Sports Dogs on The River online, Spotify, Amazon, or iTunes HERE.

The Duke’s Championship Preview: Handley vs Hampton

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.

Sports Dogs Podcast: SB recap, RIP Sonny, and High School Hoops

While the R-Dog is away, the Sports Dogs still play!

The Duke is joined by Josh Kirby to recap the Super Bowl, look back on the legacy of Sonny Jurgenson, and review an INCREDIBLE high school hoops regular season as the playoffs begin next week.

The Sports Dogs are brought to you by Energy Windows, LLC…your go-to team for everything outside the home. Call Dave at 540-671-9243 or visit https://energywindowsllc.com

For the latest episode, click here. 

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. 

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Millbrook vs Handley boys and girls doubleheader

1/2/26, Winchester, VA- Millbrook welcomes Handley in a Northwestern District boys and girls basketball doubleheader tonight for the Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week courtesy of Brickhouse Bar and Grill on Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and TheRiver953.app with coverage starting at 5:45 pm for the girls 6 pm tip-off followed by the boys.

In the girls matchup, Handley and Millbrook meet with identical 3-7 records, but the Judges are starting to find their footing while the Pioneers are still struggling to find their way.

Handley has won three of their last four with the lone loss coming to 9-1 Turner Ashby and the most recent win against previously undefeated East Rockingham.

Reagan Edsell recently returned to the Handley lineup after an injury and has led the way ever since.

Against East Rock, she put up 35 points and gave Harrisonburg/Rockingham County residents a taste of what she is capable of before heading to James Madison University next year.

In addition to Edsell, Reese Craig has been elite in the paint and Cameron Hobson’s three point shooting has taken another step forward.

Millbrook was hoping to have similar support for their returning star Jane Moreland but due to some injuries and sickness surrounding the team, she has been asked to carry the load.

While Handley has stacked wins in their recent outings, Millbrook is just 1-7 after starting the season 2-0.

Jane Moreland can put up a double-double every night but without additional support, it could be a long season for the Pioneers.

Coach Cary Bartlett is still optimistic for the season and we could see some big strides from underclassman like Grace Moreland, Emily Randall and Brielle Demus who have shown potential throughout the season.

Grace Moreland led the Pioneers in the season opening win with 15 points and Millbrook will need her to continue to help out her big sister in the scoring column.

When the boy’s take the court, Handley will need to overcome a key injury on their roster and lockdown one of the area’s top athletes to continue their quest towards a State Title against an upset minded Millbrook squad.

Future D-I athlete and reigning All State selection Will Braun-Duin went down with a leg injury against Sherando in our last game of the week and the Judges responded by outscoring the Warriors 40-15 the rest of the way.

While Handley should be able to win the district with or without Braun-Duin, their State Title hopes could lie with their injured leading scorer.

The Judges went 0-2 during the recent Arby’s Classic without Braun-Duin played put up respectable performances against two powerhouse programs in Oak Hill and Roanoke Catholic.

Millbrook’s star power on the other hand has continued to heat up with Rylee Baker dominating the competition lately.

The Pioneers enter Friday night on a four game win streak with Baker averaging 26.8 ppg through the stretch.

Outside of the superstars in Baker and Braun-Duin, both teams have great supporting pieces as well.

Christian Dinges, Kyren Oglesby and Jaevon Brisco all have college basketball aspirations for Handley and Millbrook’s Keon Lewis, Daniel Clater, and Keanen Dennis provide plenty options to help out Baker.

This matchup will also feature one of the best coaching duals in Virginia this weekend with the established leader Erick Green Sr. taking on the youngest head coach to lead a team to the VHSL Championship, Zach Harrell-Zook.

Expect a big crowd for these rivals as Millbrook’s 7-2 record this season has came primarily on the road or in tournaments and tonight will be their first home game in over a month.

Just two seasons ago, a struggling Millbrook boys team upset Handley thanks in part to the rowdy homecourt.

For the girls matchup, I look for Handley to ride their recent momentum and go to Edsell early and often to secure the lead and roll from there, Handley 57-Millbrook 37.

The boys should be a bit more competitive with the loss of Braun-Duin evening the playing field, but Judge’s depth will prove to be too much for the Pioneers and Handley will pull through late with some clutch shooting from the free throw line, 76-69.

For color commentator Josh Kirby’s interview with both girl’s basketball coaches Cary Bartlett and Katlyn Orndorff, click here.

For Josh’s interview with Coach Erick Green Sr., click here.

(Coach Harrell-Zook was unavailable for an interview at this time.)

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

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Handley vs Sherando doubleheader

12/19/25, Winchester, VA- John Handley High School hosts Sherando High School in a Northwestern District doubleheader for tonight’s Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week courtesy of Brickhouse Bar and Grill on Fox Sports Radio 1450 WFTR, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app with the girls tipping-off at 6 pm followed by the boys around 7:30 pm and a Tana Hoffman Pregame Show beginning roughly 15 minutes before each.

In the first matchup, both teams will continue to look for their identities in this young season with Sherando adjusting to a new head coach and Handley finding their footing after the return of their superstar.

Regina Downing made the move from Clarke County to Sherando this offseason after a State playoff appearance.

The Eagles have continued to soar since her departure and are undefeated while the Warriors are still searching for their first win.

Downing is inheriting a Sherando team that went just 12-11 last season but does have some exciting talent in Junior Avery Ryan and Sophomore Kinsley Richardson.

The duo combined for 20 of Sherando’s 22 points in the first half against Kettle Run on Tuesday and can fill-up the stat sheet with steals and rebounds as well.

While the Warriors enter at 0-6, they have closed the gap in recent outings losing the last three games by less than 10 points and will continue to gain confidence in Downing’s style which prioritizes strong man-to-man defense.

Handley has also struggled out of the gates and enters Friday night at 1-6, but the Judges have faced stiff competition mostly without the help of Reagan Edsell.

Handley’s six losses came against teams with a combined 26-5 record this season and the reigning Regional Player of the Year and James Madison commit was sidelined for the majority of those games.

She did return in the 55-50 loss to Loudoun Valley.

Handley also returns a solid roster around Edsell including All District Honorable Mention selection Cameron Hobson and Senior Center Amaya Smith, but the group will need their full lineup to take on top teams come playoff time.

When the boys take the floor following Game 1 of tonight’s doubleheader, Handley will also have the advantage in star power with Will Braun-Duin.

The First Team All-State selection as a Sophomore returns to the lineup after leading the area in scoring (26.4 points per game), steals (2.3 per game), and free throws (87.4 %).

Like Edsell, Braun-Duin will play at the Division-I level and has quite a few options fighting for his commitment including Old Dominion, Mount Saint Mary’s and more.

Coach Zach Harrell-Zook brings back essentially the entire roster around Braun-Duin from last year’s State Title contending squad including the areas returning leaders in rebounds (6.5) and blocks (1.1) Christian Dinges and assists(3.7) Kyren Oglesby.

Sherando also returns some solid talent, but it is more likely that the Warriors will be fighting for second place in the District with the expected dominance of Handley.

The Warriors pair of 6’4″ forwards Jackson Ogle and Sean Benton will need to dominate the paint and win the rebounding battle to give Sherando a chance.

In Sherando’s first win of the season over James Wood, the duo helped lead a 32-16 advantage on the glass and more than doubled the opposition in offensive rebounds.

Coach Garland William’s group could also benefit from a “look ahead” spot with Handley getting ready to hit the road for some holiday season tournaments which includes the Arby’s Classic and a date with national powerhouse Oak Hill.

I do not think that will happen as Coach Harrell-Zook has never been questioned about his intensity and he will have his team focused on knocking down a cross-town rival tonight, Handley wins big 84-54.

For the girls, I look for Reagen Edsell to take the floor and have her coming-out party this season with a double-double to lead the way and keep the Warriors searching for their first win, Judges 52-Warriors 38.

For more coverage of tonight’s matchup, click the links below for color commentator Josh Kirby’s conversations with:

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Handley vs Skyline

Tonight’s Van Metre Homes Game of the Week features the undefeated Handley Judges (17-0) hosting the Skyline Hawks (16-3) on Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com, and The River 95.3 app with coverage starting around 7:15 pm.

Skyline enters Winchester winning six of their last seven games including an 84-33 thumping over Manassas Park Thursday night.

6’3″ forward Dwayne Tucker dominated once again for the Hawks scoring a school record 44 points including the 1000th of his career.

When Skyline fires on all cylinders, they have been tough to beat.

The Hawks lost just three games this season, with two coming against opponents they had defeated earlier in the season and the other being a buzzer-beater three-pointer to undefeated Meridian

Defensive effort carries Skyline through some poor shooting nights, but they will need shooters like Cole Logan (40% from 3p) to be dialed in from deep to hang with Handley tonight.

The Judges have dominated the competition this season winning 16 of their 17 games by double digits.

Handley is led by the reigning District Player of the Year and D-I bound Will Braun-Duin.

The sensational sophomore reached 1000 points this year and set a school record for points in a game with 51.

Braun-Duin excels where Skyline has struggled, shooting 48.8% from the three point line on his way to averaging an area best 28.5 ppg.

Handley also matches up in the paint better than most teams can against Tucker thanks to their all around size including Christian Dinges.

The 6’5″ forward is one of the area’s top dunkers and averages 13 ppg with 6.2 rpg.

Kyren Oglesby (10.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg) can also lead the team in scoring or rebounding on any given night and defensively can take away a team’s top scoring option.

While Handley has more top end talent than Skyline, the Hawks have a much deeper rotation which could come in play this late in the season.

Handley could find themselves in a look-ahead-spot with another big matchup looming next week against fellow undefeated and last year’s West Virginia Class 4 runner-up, Spring Mills, but Handley Coach Zach Harrell-Zook has done a great job keeping his team with state title hopes focused on the game at hand all season long.

I look for Skyline’s depth and defensive intensity to keep them in the game early, but Handley’s shooting from three to eventually put the game out of reach.

Handley pulls away late to remain undefeated, 78-63.