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. 

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: James Wood vs Clarke County

12/1/25, Winchester, VA – James Wood hosts Clarke County in the Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week courtesy of Brickhouse Bar and Grill with a girls and boys basketball doubleheader on Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com and The River 95.3 app.

The girls tip-off first at 6 pm with pregame coverage starting at 5:45 pm followed by the boys with an estimated start time of 7:30 pm, 7:15 pregame.

The Clarke County girl’s squad returns a star-studded lineup that advanced all the way to the State Semifinal before falling to John Marshall, 67-56.

Leading the way once again for the Eagles this season will be the duo of Paige and Alainah McKavish.

Alainah enters her senior season after another 1st Team All State campaign last year and averaged 21.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 3.9 steals.

Paige earned 2nd Team All State during her Freshman year and was second on the team with 10.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 3.1 apg.

While the roster experienced little turnover, former Head Coach Regina Dowling left for Sherando and her assistant Shadd McCaw will takeover as head coach.

McCaw will look to continue the Clarke County tactic of jumping on opponents early with their signature full-court pressure and the Colonels will need to be ready for physical and aggressive opening night.

These teams met on opening night last season and Clarke County ran away with a 61-24 win.

James Wood returns a few key members from last year’s team including guard Aubrey Nail (7.1 ppg, 2.2 steals, 2.7 apg) and forwards Hailey Harlow (4.7 rpg and 62.5 FT%) and Ashlyn Evans (5.8 rpg).

The Colonels have some huge shoes to fill this year following the graduation of former 1st Team All District selection Josie Russell who led the area in rebounding with 13.1 ppg and added 18.4 ppg.

When the boys tip-off, it will be James Wood who returns more experience while Clarke County will be searching for who will step-up next.

The Colonels return the senior backcourt of Brodie Sirbaugh and Ashby Copenhaver who combined for nearly 20 points per game and a good size front court including 6’5″ Michael Bell and 6’4″ Ronnie Barrett.

James Wood showed solid improvement behind that core last season to reach .500 after a 7-14 campaign in 2023-2024 and will look to take it another step farther this season.

The Eagles lost their top two scorers from last season in Tanner Sipe and Lincoln Booker and will be without the lone returner in double-figures Isaac Nei due to a minor injury.

Coach Kent Auslander is excited about JR guard Chris Reid and  SR guard Maddox Roberts after a great offseason.

Reid was a standout for the JV squad and Roberts has great length as a 6’3″ guard and could be the teams top player after averaging just 3 ppg and 2 rpg last year.

While the Clarke girls will hit the court running, the boys side may take time to find their footing with so many new pieces.

The McKavish sisters might outscore the Colonels on their own and the Eagles should start the season with a win, 64-38.

The boys game should be more competitive and I look forward to the matchup of senior guards for James Wood and the emerging Maddox Roberts with experience providing the edge, Colonels win 58-52.

For a preview on the girls matchup with both coaches and Josh Kirby, click here.

For a preview on the boys matchup with both coaches and Josh Kirby, click here. 

The Duke’s Region 2B Championships Preview

The Region 2B Basketball Championships takeover Shenandoah University in tonight’s Van Metre Homes Games of the Week on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com and The River 95.3 app with coverage of the Girls Championship Game starting at 5:45 pm followed by the Boys Championship Game around 7:45 pm.

On the girls’ side, #1 seed Clarke County knocked off Page County and Central to advance to the title game while #3 seed Stuarts Draft took out Riverheads and Luray along the way.

Stuarts Draft avoided #2 seed Strasburg after the Rams were shorthanded against Luray in the Regional Quarterfinals before navigating past a Bulldog team that gave them their first loss of the season back in December.

Stuarts Draft enters the Regional Championship game on a nine game win streak and the Cougars are led by Shenandoah District Coach of the Year Chad Seibert and All District selections Ava Flippin, Augusta Seibert, and Madyson Mason.

The 19-4 Cougars have already well surpassed last season’s 12-11 performance that ended in a Regional Quarterfinals loss, but Clarke County will likely be the best team that Stuarts Draft has seen all year.

The Eagles have dominated Class 2 competition this year with just one loss coming against their peers, the other three came while playing higher classifications.

Clarke County is usually led by junior Alainah and freshman Paige McKavish with the elder sister recently being named District Player of the Year while both were named 1st Team All District selections.

Paige Stemberger earned 2nd Team honors and shined in our most recent coverage of the Eagles against Page County on Tuesday night.

Stemberger, a Paul VI transfer, led Clarke County in scoring for the majority of the evening and finished with a stat stuffing line of 23 points, 7 steals, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.

When players like Stemberger, forward Devin Simmons-McDonald, and Eryn Demko contribute at levels like that to go along with the McKavish’s regular production, Clarke County will be a very tough-out for any team in the VHSL playoffs.

Clarke County’s team defense regularly wreaks havoc in their full court and half court zone pressures to build massive leads including a 36-0 start in Regional Quarterfinal.

When the boys take the floor, it will be another #1 vs #3 matchup with Central taking on Luray.

The Falcons and Bulldogs have already faced off three times since February 4th with all three going Central’s way, but each a bit closer than the previous.

The inaugural bout saw Central dominate the 2nd period and pull away to a 22 point win.

The second time the Bulldogs hosted the Falcons and actually led by 6 past the midway point of the fourth quarter before allowing an 18-8 run to lose 53-47.

Central and Luray’s most recent meeting also had hardware on the line in the Bull Run District Championship.

Luray limited Bull Run District Player of the Year Dereck Batiz-Lugo to just 5 points and led by as much as 10 in the 2nd quarter before the Falcons began their comeback.

Central led by just 1 with about 35 seconds left but Luray turned the ball over before getting a shot attempt and eventually fell 61-57.

The Falcons were led by Joseph Pan in that game with 26 points and 8 rebounds, and the junior is one of many Falcons who can lead the team in scoring on any given night.

Coach Jeff Whittle’s balanced approach landed four players on the All-District teams including 1st Teamers Batiz-Lugo and Luke Williams and 2nd Teamers Haiden Click and Maddox Davis.

Coach Matt Huff’s Bulldogs are led by one of the top backcourts in the Valley with Blake Jenkins and Matthew Owens.

The 1st Team All District selections combine for over 32 ppg and the junior Owens could potentially become the highest scorer in school history after already eclipsing 1000 points during the Bull Run District Tournament.

I predict Clarke County will continue to look ahead of the pack tonight but will begin to meet some similarly skilled foes in the State level.

Eagles win 86-67 with another 20+ point performance by Alainah McKavish.

The boys matchup on the other hand will come down to the final possession.

Not many teams can shoot the deep ball to keep up with Luray, but Central’s Haiden Click can help do just that and is coming off a career high 25 points including 5 three-pointers.

He will stay hot to lead Central and Luray’s buzzer beater rims off, Falcons win 51-49.

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 Doubleheader Preview: Strasburg vs Central and Clarke vs Rappahannock

The Bull Run District Girls Basketball Semifinals take over Berryville tonight as #2 Strasburg faces off against #3 Central at 6 pm then #1 Clarke County hosts #4 Rappahannock County at 7:30 pm in the Van Metre Homes Games of the Week on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, theriver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.

Strasburg and Central wrapped up the regular season against each other last week on Friday, but these rivals left the Valentine’s Day cards at home.

The first half was extremely competitive and saw each team exchange runs before Strasburg pulled away with a 21-5 advantage in the 3rd quarter.

Central’s offense struggled from the floor shooting just 4/37 from two point range with only two made baskets in the second half and looked stagnant against Strasburg’s zone defense.

Strasburg’s balanced offensive approach saw three players reach double figures including our Player of the Game Emily Gorrell who finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.

The win over Central gave Strasburg a share of the regular season District Championship with Clarke County, but the Eagles earned the #1 seed in the tournament through a tiebreaker.

Clarke County will welcome Rappahannock County for the second game of tonight’s doubleheader in a matchup of 2023 VHSL State Champions.

Rappahannock County is competing at the Class 2 level for the first time this season after dominating in Class 1 with deep playoff runs the last few seasons including that state title.

The Panthers are led by Chloe Jenkins who recently became the 4th player in school history to reach 1000 points and it only took her till her junior season.

Clarke County has already defeated Rappahannock County twice this season by an average margin of 43 and will earn the #1 seed in the Regional Tournament if they can go farther than Strasburg.

The #1 District seed has been led all season long by junior Alainah McKavish who averages over 20 ppg, 4 steals, and is the top free throw shooter in the area at 80.7%.

Alainah’s younger sister Paige has also stepped up as the season progressed with 19 points in her last game against Stonewall and averaging 18 points against Rappahannock County this season.

Both Strasburg and Clarke County will need to avoid looking ahead to the Championship Game because both Central and Rappahannock County have the talent and winning mentality to pull off the upset.

I believe Coach Stinette of Strasburg and Coach Dowling of Clarke County will have their teams focused for the first game of what they both hope is a long playoff run and secure wins to set up a Bull Run District Championship Game rubber match.

Strasburg’s interior defense will leave Central forcing difficult shots once again, Rams win 54-38.

Clarke County will look to pull away early like the previous two games against the Panthers and get some rest for their starters ahead of Thursday’s Championship Game, Eagles soar 78-45.