The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Millbrook vs Sherando doubleheader

1/16/26, Winchester, VA- Sherando takes the short trip to Millbrook for a classic Northwestern District rivalry basketball doubleheader 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.

The boys are tipping off first at 6 pm with pregame coverage at 5:45 pm, and then the girls following a ceremony for Millbrook’s Love Loud campaign.

Millbrook High School’s Love Loud game has become an annual tradition to honor, remember, and bring awareness to all types of cancer.

This year’s game honors Millbrook alum and former wrestling standout Dylan Wisman, who was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer, and will support Wisman’s organization, The Outdoorsmen Fellowship, to raise awareness and encourage early screening.

Before the ceremony, the boys take the court with both teams sitting at 9-4 and heating up.

Sherando enters the matchup as winners of four in a row and seven of the last eight while Millbrook has won five of their last seven.

The Warriors have a balanced offensive approach led by Reth Puller (10.7 ppg) and Sean Benton (10.5 ppg) and a stifling defense.

Coach Garland Williams group has allowed only the Handley Judges to eclipse 70 points in a game and Skyline joins Handley as the only teams to go over 60 points.

Sherando will have their hands full with the Pioneers offensive attack led by Rylee Baker who is coming off the best game of his career.

Baker put up 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals in a dual against Ashby Copenhaver (31 points, 9 3-pointers) and James Wood.

Baker has been building to a performance like that all season long.

The senior leads the area in scoring by a wide margin at 21.5 points per game and already has105 more points on the season than the area’s second leading scorer on average, Wood’s Brodie Sirbaugh (17 ppg).

Keon Lewis is also coming off back to back double-digit scoring appearances and his best rebounding game against the Colonels with 9 (8 in the second half).

This should be a tightly contested matchup that comes down to the wire and will start early at 6 pm so call out of work early if you have to, it will be worth it!

The schools will then break for Love Loud’s ceremony and then the girls take the floor with both teams still looking to turn the corner in a waning season.

The Pioneers are coming off a win against James Wood that halted a six game losing skid and Strasburg ended a potential winning streak for Sherando after back-to-back wins against Warren County and Liberty.

While the teams haven’t quite put it all together, they both posses star power with two of the area’s most prolific scorers in Jane Moreland and Avery Ryan.

Moreland ranks 3rd in the area in points at 15.8 and 2nd in the area in rebounding with 9.7 per game.

Ryan is just behind her in scoring at 15.6 per game while shooting efficiently and ranking 2nd in 3-point, free throw, and field goal percentage.

Both have the ability to take over the game and may need to if their teammates are struggling.

Some of the younger pieces for these teams are starting to settle in like sophomores Grace Moreland for Millbrook and Kinsley Richardson for Sherando.

The younger Moreland recently put up 17 points against Handley and averages 8.9 per game while Richardson averages 11.3 points per game and is Sherando’s leading rebounder at 6.4 per game.

Both boys and girls matchups appear very even on paper and I predict a split decision for these district bouts with Millbrook’s offense led by Baker to become the 3rd team to reach the 60s against Sherando’s defense, Pioneers win 64-58.

For the girls matchup on the other hand, Sherando’s defensive focus under 1st year coach Regina Downing will start to pay-off.

Sherando makes some clutch free throws late for the 48-44 win.

For Josh Kirby’s chat with:

  • Millbrook girls coach Cary Bartlett, click here.
  • Sherando boys coach Garland Williams and Millbrook boys coach Erick Green Sr., click here.

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

The Duke’s Preview: Skyline vs Millbrook

Skyline heads to Millbrook 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 pregame coverage starting at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm kick-off.

The Pioneers will look to end a two game losing skid while the Hawks have rebounded from losing their first three games to a three game win streak.

The game has all the makings of a high scoring affair where both team’s strengths appear to matchup with the other’s weaknesses.

Millbrook boasts a high flying passing attack led by one of the area’s top quarterbacks Keon Lewis.

Lewis leads the area in passing completions and attempts, but also interceptions with 7.

He has two dangerous receiving threats in Rome Johnson and Cam Clark who have combined for over 600 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.

This duo could cause problems for a Skyline defense that has given up big games to some of the other top receivers in the area.

Handley’s Will Yoder put up 145 yards and 3 TDs on 9 receptions against the Hawks and Central wide outs Vincent Charity (6 rec 162 yds 3 TDs) and Sean Stead (4 rec 133 yds TD) had huge games two weeks ago in the 42-40 shootout Skyline win.

The Hawk’s offense has been able to take some pressure off the defense as their strength comes from the ground game led by Zayden Burks.

Burks is a dynamic back with breakaway speed and an array of moves to get into space.

He’s the only area back with over 1,000 rushing yards and is starting to distance himself from the pack.

Strasburg’s Quincy Williams is second with 813 yards then Central’s Chris Brown at 633.

Burks would be the first to tell you he couldn’t do it without his offensive line led by Sr. OT Barrett Stephens (6’3″ 260 lb.).

The junior back could run wild against the Pioneers who have given up chunk rushing plays in their two game losing skid.

Both Sherando and James Wood had huge days on the ground with JWHS QB Owen Neal rushing for 145 yards last week and Sherando’s combo of QB Jacob Henry and RB Jaylen Tasco-Murray helping the Warriors to 392 rushing yards.

As many high school games do, this one could come down to who makes the fewest mistakes as Skyline has had issues with penalties and Millbrook’s turnovers have loomed in losses.

I look for the Hawks to ride their current momentum and running game to another high scoring win,

Millbrook scores a late touchdown but the two point attempt comes up short, Skyline 40-Millbrook 38.

For a preview of all this week’s games, a look back at last week, and more, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast here.

The Duke’s Preview: Millbrook vs Sherando

Millbrook hosts Sherando in tonight’s 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 pregame coverage starting at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm kick-off.

The Pioneers return home after an upset win over Kettle Run, 14-7, and giving the Cougars their first regular season loss since 2023.

Millbrook’s defense forced crucial turnovers against Kettle Run in the redzone and only gave up a score after the Cougar offense started the drive 3 yards away from the endzone following a Pioneer turnover.

The Pioneer defense has flown to the ball this year and is led by 5 of the area’s top 6 tacklers leading tacklers in Chris Bradford (56 tackles), Jude Cusic (50 tackles), Parker Edwards (43 tackles, 4.5 sacks), Chase Jones (39 tackles), and Mason Turner (39 tackles).

QB Keon Lewis (55/84, 645 yards, 5 TDs, 6 INTs) has managed turnovers better over the past few games but did throw an interception and fumble on back-to-back possessions last week.

The first year starter will need to know when to just take a sack or throw the ball away against a Sherando defense that loves to get after the quarterback.

The Warriors can get pressure without needing to blitz and Sophomore Evan Combs (6’1″ 240 lbs.) leads the area in sacks with 7 including 1.5 last week against Brentsville.

In addition to Combs sack total, Gabe Vallejos, Sean Benton, and Andrew Taylor have combined for 8.5 QB takedowns.

Offensively, the Warriors pound the rock behind a talented offensive line led by All-State Center Jarrett See (6’1″ 250 lbs.).

See and Co. open holes for whoever takes the ball out of the backfield whether it’s QB Jacob Henry ( 474 rushing yards, 8.5 YPC, 3 TDs) or RBs Jaylen Tasco-Murray (460 rushing yards, 9 TDs) and Mason McKee (229 rushing yards, 2 TDs).

McKee stepped up in the 28-7 win over Brentsville with 100 yards by the halftime break in a game that Tasco-Murray was sidelined.

Sherando should control the line of scrimmage and time of possession with their ground attack.

I predict a Warriors win 28-20, and Sherando takes over the driver’s seat for The Apple Cup with a 2-0 lead over Frederick/Winchester schools.

For a preview of all this week’s matchups, a look back to last week, and more, check out the Sports Dogs Podcast here.Â