Kylie Zoller appointed to Winchester School Board

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Winchester Public Schools announced the appointment of Kylie Zoller to fill the At-Large seat on the Winchester School Board.

The seat was left vacant following the passing of Stuart Eiland in May.

Zoller was appointed during a special meeting on Monday, June 29th.

She will serve in an interim capacity for the remainder of the current term until the next regularly scheduled election.

Zoller is a graduate of John Handley High School and parent of Winchester Public School students.

She has experience in early childhood education and currently serves as a Developmental Specialist with Infant Toddler Connection at Grafton.

Zoller is already an active member in WPS through volunteer leadership and has served as PTO President at Virginia Avenue Charlotte DeHart and on the School Readiness Committee for the Campaign for Grade Level Reading.

She was also a participant in the Superintendent’s Advisory Council and Parent Advisory Committee.

In the announcement, Zoller said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Winchester School Board… My commitment is to listen, collaborate, and make thoughtful decisions that help ensure Winchester Public Schools continues to provide an excellent education for every student.”

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.

Renovated Henkel-Harris Field makes debut at Jim Barnett Park

fiscal year 2021 budget

The newly renovated Henkel-Harris Field at Jim Barnett Park made its debut Wednesday night during Handley High School’s softball game against Sherando.

The Warriors defeated the Judges 20-1 at the updated venue in front of a celebratory crowd including Winchester’s Mayor Les Veach, Superintendent Jason Van Heukelum, and other representatives of Winchester Public Schools and Jim Barnett Park.

Some of the upgrades include:

  • LED field lighting
  • Handley Judges branding on the backstop padding
  • new backstop and batting cage netting
  • expanded dugouts painted in Handley colors
  • higher fencing to improve safety
  • a new press box with restrooms

Henkel-Harris Field will continue to host Winchester Baseball’s Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Leagues.

The facility previously housed Shenandoah University Softball but the Hornets softball program moved over to Rotary Field at Jim Barnett Park which led to previous renovations completed in 2022.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click 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.

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: Championship weekend recap, DC in DC, and more

Not even Fern can keep the Dogs from barkin’ this week!

We’ll recap the NFC & AFC Championship Games, weigh-in on Handley alum Stephen Daly, Bill Belichick, the Commander’s new Defensive Coordinator… and of course, Duke’s Three Pointer focusing on local high school basketball including the Sherando girls team, Luray’s Matthew Owens approaching the school record, and the Douglas School game at Handley.

Click here to listen now.

Handley Alum turned Hoosier wins CFP National Championship

John Handley High School Alumni Stephen Daley and the Indiana Hoosiers won the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday night, 27-21 over Miami.

Daley began his college football career at Kent State before transferring to Indiana for his senior year.

Last season, his Kent State team went 0-12 while this year’s Hoosiers went 16-0.

He led one of the top defenses in the country and ranked 3rd in all of college football in tackles for loss with 19.

The 6’1” 273 pound defensive end also had 5.5 sacks, 35 tackles and 2 forced fumbles on the year along with a sack and three tackles against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Daley suffered a season ending knee injury while celebrating the Big 10 Championship game and was unavailable for the playoffs.

According to his Instagram, he did travel to Miami and was able to celebrate the National Championship win with his team.

Before the injury, Daley entered the radar of NFL scouts and could hear his name called on Day 3 of the Draft in April.

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 Preview: Handley @ Skyline

Skyline hosts Handley tonight in the Dave’s Diversified Services Game of the Week on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app with the Tana Hoffman Pregame Show starting at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm kick-off.

The Hawks are still looking for their first win after a brutal schedule to start the season including two reigning State Runner-Ups while Handley seems to have picked up right where they left off last year, even with some new faces at key positions.

Skyline competed well in their opening matchups and showed signs of why the team had such high expectations entering the season.

The Hawks had an opportunity to go up two scores early against Strasburg before self inflicted wounds began to pile up and the Rams defense made a few adjustments at halftime to shutdown standout RB Zayden Burks for the final two quarters.

Skyline moved the ball well early against Kettle Run, the best public school in Class 3 last year, and kept the game 28 points closer than the previous go-round.

But the Hawks did not enter this season looking for quality losses, they have aspirations of a play-off run and everything they wanted in the offseason is still in front of them.

Last year the Hawks dropped 3 of the first 4 before rallying to 7 straight wins including the first round of the playoffs so a midseason surge could be in the cards once again as some very winnable games are on the horizon.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Handley’s first three opponents have a combined 1-7 record and the Judges have blown them out by a score of 111-37.

With that momentum, the Judges will enter Front Royal with tremendous confidence and a talented, deep roster featuring some of the top skill players in the Valley.

Will Yoder leads the area in receiving (215 yds, 2 TDS) and is coming into his own defensively at safety.

Last week, Yoder secured 83 receiving yards and receiving touchdown to go with an 84 yard pick-six in front of the home fans.

Jamir Washington has emerged as the go-to back for the Judges after playing primarily as a wide receiver last season.

Some of the new additions to step up include multi-sport standout Isaiah Baxter and new QB Duncan Hensler.

Baxter has two interceptions and is coming into his own as a tight end.

His block in the 2nd quarter vs Brentsville sealed the edge and allowed Hensler to scamper to the endzone untouched.

Not quite the deep ball or running threat of D-I prospect Triston Darling (out with injury), but the junior stayed ready for his number to be called and is leading Northwestern District Quarterbacks in passing yards (466) and passing touchdowns (7).

Hensler will look to add to those numbers against a defense that has allowed 41 and 36 points in their first two outings so it may be up to the Hawks offense to keep them in the ball game.

Skyline will need long, scoring possessions to hang with the Judges efficient and up-tempo offense.

The biggest advantage for this game appears to be Handley’s defense led by Jo-Jo Johnson (D-I offer to Campbell).

Johnson will do his best to shut down Burks while Baxter and Yoder patrol the backend and 300+ pounders Carson Green and Jaiquan Offut plug up the middle.

Handley’s playmakers at each level defensively should allow them the to snag a few more stops than Skyline and come out ahead in a shootout, Judges win 42-34.

For a preview of all of the area’s Week 4 games, a look back at Week 3, and more, check out the latest Sports Dogs podcast here. 

Local basketball teams conclude playoff runs

The remaining local high school basketball teams wrapped up their seasons over the weekend in the State Semifinals after incredible playoff runs.

The Clarke County girls and Luray boys fell to John Marshall High School in the Richmond area.

Handley came up just short in front of a sold-out crowd in Winchester against Varina.

All three teams earned Regional Championships to make their way to the State playoffs.

Some other accomplishments for these teams includes the 21-0 best start in school history for the Judges, Clarke County retaking the top spot in the Bull Run winning the regular season and tournament championships in addition to the Region, and the Lurays boys program rebounding from six wins just two years ago to back-to-back state playoff and Regional Championships.

Join Randy and Ryan for the Sports Dogs Podcast on Thursday to recap these incredible runs.

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