The Duke’s State Championship Preview: Clarke County vs Union

3/13/26 Richmond, VA- Clarke County High School returns to the VHSL Class 2 Girls Basketball State Championship game to take on Union High School in the first game of our coverage from VCU starting at 12:10 pm, 12:30 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.

Clarke County has dominated their way to the State Championship game from the regular season all the way to the Siegel Center.

The Eagles only losses came to State Semifinal opponent Strasburg and a team still in play for the Maryland state title.

In the first year under Coach Shadd McCaw, Clarke County has had a clear goal of reaching Richmond and he has already referred to the game as a “business trip.”

Once the playoffs began after the late regular season loss to Strasburg, the Eagles found another gear and have won each postseason game by at least 11 points.

Alainah McKavish reclaimed District and Region Player of the Year and still upped her play for the title run.

She has increased her points, blocks, and assists per game since the end of the regular season and now stands at 22 ppg, 2.4 blks, and 3.2 ast.

Paige Stemberger’s return from injury added another senior leader to a youthful team (four sophomores) and her defensive ability raises the ceiling for a Clarke County team that could likely compete for a championship at any of the Classifications in the VHSL.

Team defense will be key for the Eagles to slow down Union’s star Katelynn Witt.

Witt is the greatest scorer in Union history after eclipsing 1,300+ points and has averaged 30+ through the playoff run.

She is coming off a 38 point Semifinal win over Ridgeview but the Bears did not have any other players in double-figures.

Clarke County has already succeeded in limiting stars throughout the Valley like Emily Gorrell and JMU-bound Reagen Edsall, but Witt may be the most pure scorer they have faced so far.

I look for the Eagles to throw a lot of fresh defenders at Witt to try to wear her down and force off balance shots.

Overall, Clarke County has a more well-rounded roster and players who can step up even if their player of the year has an off night…

Spoiler Alert: She won’t.

The Eagles finally get to celebrate with the trophy they have really wanted all year long, Clarke County 76- Union 56.

For more pregame coverage of the Class 2 girls state championship, CLICK HERE for color commentator Josh Kirby’s interviews with both coaches and Alainah McKavish.

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

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Strasburg vs Clarke County V

3/6/26 Berryville, VA- For the fifth and final time this season, Clarke County and Strasburg will face-off in girls basketball, but this go-round the winner will advance to VCU and the State Championship while the other team’s long season will come to an end.

The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app begin State Semifinal coverage tonight at 6:10 pm ahead of the 6:30 pm tip-off, brought to you by The Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.

Clarke County holds a 3-1 edge on the season series and claimed the Bull Run District and Region 2B Championship trophies against the Rams after falling to Strasburg at home.

The Eagles set a record for the briefest trophy celebration in history after winning the Bull Run District and has clearly had their eyes set towards bigger things all season long.

Coach Shadd McCaw’s group has dominated playoff play with each win coming in double figures and annihilated State Quarterfinal opponent Prince Edward County 90-15.

Prince Edward’s only other losses this season came to John Marshall, Strasburg’s State Quarterfinal opponent.

The Rams discarded John Marshall 54-45 after falling to the Justices the last two state tournament meetings and proved that the Bull Run District is one of the toughest in Class 2.

Strasburg was led by Jaden Stinnette with 18 points and 7 rebounds along with Emily Gorrell who just missed a double-double with 14 points and 9 assists.

Coach Kelly Stinnette will need both of her seniors to have big games against Clarke County to advance to Richmond.

Emily Gorrell lit up the stat sheet with 26 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals in the Region Championship, while Clarke County held Stinnette to just five points outside the six she scored during a late run.

Alainah McKavish led all scorers with 27 points in the Region title game and was joined in double figures by Paige McKavish (14 points), Savannah McCaw (10 points) and Eryn Demko (10 points).

Seniors Alainah McKavish, Eryn Demko, and Paige Stemberger have established the standard, but Clarke County’s three sophomore starters- Paige McKavish, Savannah McCaw, and Kendall Harmon- really showcased their composure on a big stage at Shenandoah University with a trophy on the line.

Instead of shying away or trying to do too much, they stayed within their roles to make sure Clarke County won the turnover battle and played complimentary basketball that allowed their Region 2B Player of the Year to dominate.

While I have no doubt the stars will shine in Berryville Friday night, Clarke County’s edge with their role players will prove to be the difference.

Eagles protect homecourt and advance to Richmond for the trophy they have had their eyes on all season long, Clarke County 72- Strasburg 55.

For more local sports coverage including The Three Pointer discussing neutral sites for the playoffs, unfairness in Class 3, and hiding game film, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast. 

For Color Commentator Josh Kirby’s chat with coach Shadd McCaw, click 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. 

Sports Dogs Podcast: NFL, CFP, and debut of “The Three Pointer”

The Dogs have a full bowl in this edition, with NFL coaching firings and hirings, a great Wild Card Weekend, and a new feature, “The Three-Pointer,” as we discuss some local high school hoops happenings.

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To listen to the latest Sports Dogs Podcast, click here.

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

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.

WCHS announces 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

Playoff Football

Warren County High School announced the new additions to the Lawrence Sweeney Shiflett Athletic Hall of Fame today: Tyler Post, Alesha Adams, David Hrbek, The Shiflett Family, and The 1963 Wildcat Baseball Team.

Post, a 2013 graduate and two sport athlete, was a four year letter winner in both baseball and football.

He led the football team to their first post season victory in school history.

Alesha Adams, class of 2014, is the all time scoring leader for WCHS girls basketball.

She captained the 2013 team which claimed the school’s first district championship in 30 years.

The Shiflett Family was selected for their contributions to the school which spans over 6 decades and multiple generations.

Hall of Fame committee chair Matt Wadas said, “The Shiflett’s didn’t just support Wildcats athletics, they helped build its soul.”

David Hrbek was also selected as a contributor.

Hrbek coached football, basketball, soccer, and track and field in his 13 year tenure at WCHS.

He continued his support for local athletics with the co-founding of the county’s rec basketball program and providing color commentary for local broadcasts at WFTR.

The 1963 baseball team was inducted in honor of their undefeated season.

The first team in school history to go 12-0 and claim the district championship in an era where there were no region or state playoffs.

The inductees will be honored during the Warren County football game against Kettle Run on Friday September, 19th.

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

The Duke’s Championship Preview: Clarke Co. vs Central

Tonight’s Bull Run District Girls Basketball Championship Game features #1 seed Clarke County hosting #3 seed Central in the Van Metre Homes Game of the Week on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com, and The River 95.3 app with coverage starting around 7:15 pm.

Defensive intensity always rises in the playoffs and both Clarke County and Central relied on strong defensive performances to advance to the District Championship Game.

Central avenged two regular season loses to regular season District Co-Champion Strasburg by upsetting the #2 seed Rams.

The Falcons deployed a mixture of a 3-2 zone and man-to-man to defense to keep Strasburg off their toes and force seven first period turnovers.

Central’s defensive effort held Strasburg to just 34 points, their lowest point total of the season, and held Strasburg’s Jayden Stinnette and Emily Gorrell to only 13 points combined after the duo tallied 31 against the same Falcons team three days prior.

Sister’s Veronica and Vanessa Gordon combined for 24 to take Central into the Championship Game to meet another pair of sisters that dominated the second Semifinal game for Clarke County.

Alainah and Paige McKavish wreaked havoc against Rappahannock County combining for 38 points and spearheading a 1-3-1 half-court defense that held Rappahannock to just two free throws through the first 5:49.

Clarke County coasted to the win and will enjoy home court advantage for Thursday night’s matchup while also securing the #2 seed in the Region 2B Tournament to host Page County on Tuesday.

Central will host Buckingham County in a Regional Playoff game on Tuesday regardless of the District Championship outcome.

While many districts throughout Virginia have done away with District Tournaments entirely, and I personally enjoy the Bull Run deciding to keep a historic tournament going against such close rivals.

You can truly see how much it means to the athletes competing.

Clarke County leaving their starters in longer than Rappahannock County showed that they are determined to finish this tournament on top and will not take their foot off the gas until the final buzzer.

That could be bad news for a Central team that has already fallen to the Eagles twice this season by a combined 38 points.

I predict Clarke County’s aggressive half-court defense will provide too much chaos for a sometimes stagnant Central offense and the McKavish duo will have another big night in front of the home crowd, Eagles win 70-55.

In the latest Sports Dogs Podcast available here, we discuss our favorites for playoff runs in the upcoming VHSL tournament, the Nats in Spring Training, Caps at the midway point, and more.

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.

The Duke’s Playoff Preview: Strasburg vs Luray

Tonight’s high school girls basketball game of the week features Strasburg (1st seed) hosting Luray (8th seed) in the VHSL Region 2B Playoffs on Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com, and the Tune In Radio App.

Luray is still rebuilding from the State Championship runs in 2021 and 2022 while Strasburg has high hopes for this year’s postseason.

The Rams earned the #1 seed for the Regional Tournament following a 19-3 regular season.

Strasburg fell in the Bull Run District Tournament to Page County but the Rams were without star senior guard Macy Smith.

Smith, a D-I commit of St. Bonaventure, was named the District Player of the Year last week after another strong season where she led the area in points per game with 19.5.

She is expected to return to action tonight for Strasburg.

Luray has struggled this year but the Bulldogs are excited about the future with sophomore Ella Parlett and freshman Chloe Gochenour.

The pair led the team in scoring for their final regular season game and have continued to progress throughout the season.

Strasburg has already defeated Luray twice this season by scores of 20 and 14, and I anticipate a similar Rams edge tonight.

Luray lacks a true post presence which will allow Strasburg to get to the basket and potentially force Luray into foul trouble.

I predict Strasburg to advance to the next round of the Regional Playoffs with their championship aspirations intact, 54-34.

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