The Duke’s River Rivalry Preview: Skyline vs Warren County

The River Rivalry resumes tonight when Warren County hosts Skyline 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.

Skyline has claimed the first two River Rivalry trophies and leads the All-Time series vs Warren County 14-7.

The Wildcats last win came in 2018 and was the final of four game winning streak.

Just like any other great rivalry, you can throw out the record books when these teams take the field and upsets can emerge when least expected.

Warren County has shown improvement over last year’s squad and displayed great perseverance when bouncing back from a five game losing streak to start the season to win there next two in a row to get back in play-off positioning.

While equaling last year’s win total, the Wildcats have already out scored the 2024 iteration and allowed 161 less points.

Injuries have started to accumulate for Warren County in the later stages of this season and former leading rusher Blaise Skube is no longer on the roster.

Junior QB Bryce Bergmann has looked solid and recently eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark on the season with over half of those going to SR WR Nick Harlow (45 rec 552 yds 7 TDs).

Warren County’s offense must string together drives and prepare to answer Skyline, which has averaged 43.2 points per game during its six-game win streak.

The Hawks AND THE STATE OF VIRGINIA are led by Jr Running Back Zayden Burks.

Burks currently sits at 1,894 yards rushing and should easily surpass the current leading rusher for The Commonwealth, Anton Carter.

Carter currently sits at 1,932 yards but Nottoway High School’s regular season is over.

With the single season school record behind him, the next milestone for Burks is the 2,000 yard mark which was last seen in Warren County by Wildcat Alum H.B. Banjoman.

Like Burks, Banjoman’s squad was also led by Heath Gilbert, Skyline’s current head coach.

Reaching the 2,000 yard threshold would be another feather in the cap for the future All-State back but an even bigger source of pride for one of the best offensive lines in Skyline history led by seniors Barrett Stephens and Isaiah Caton.

Injuries have pushed Warren County’s LB Frank Nelson to take more snaps at running back, so fatigue for the team’s leading tackler could lead to an even bigger day for Burks.

Skyline’s defense is also led by the linebacker position in the duo of Andre Ford and Marques Lockhart-Wright.

Both basketball standouts fly around the field forcing turnovers, tackles for loss, and delivering punishing blows while eliminating offensive mismatches due to their size and speed.

In addition to The River Rivalry Trophy, these teams are playing for crucial playoff positioning.

Skyline is clinging to the #2 seed which would provide a couple home playoff games and keep them away from reigning State Runner-Ups Kettle Run a little longer.

Warren County is fighting for the chance to play Kettle Run as the #8 seed and gain valuable playoff experience for a young roster.

When these teams take the field, don’t be surprised to see some early trick plays as both coaches dig a little deeper in the playbook for the final week of the regular season.

As the dust settles, I anticipate the Hawks will pull away thanks to a few huge runs from Zayden Burks as he eclipses 2,000 yards and leads the way for his third straight River Rivalry win, 46-12.

For a preview of all of the regular season finale matchups, listen to the latest Sports Dogs Podcast here. 

The Duke’s River Rivalry Preview: Skyline vs Warren County ft Heath Gilbert and Josh Breeden

Tonight’s Game of the Week features the River Rivalry matchup between Skyline (6-3) and Warren County (2-8) on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, and streaming on The River 95.3 app and theriver953.com with coverage starting at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm kick-off.

Skyline is soaring into the matchup with five straight wins, four of which were on the road.

The offense and defense are now firing on all cylinders after a slow start for Skyline.

The Hawks offense will take advantage of whatever the defense gives them with one of the most balanced attacks in the Valley.

Senior quarterback Nate Ballard has improved throughout the season and is the area’s leader in passing yards at 1,259 and passing touchdowns with 17.

If defenses drop back to key in on the pass, sophomore running back Zayden Burks will eat up yards on the ground and is one of just three area backs to go over 1,000 yards this season.

Burks and Ballard have been rolling lately with Burks coming off a career high 260 yard performance two weeks ago followed by a 191 yard outing on offense to go with two interceptions on defense against Brentsville.

Last week against the Tigers, Ballard racked up 216 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air.

Senior wide receiver Isiah Maxwell and junior tight end Marques Lockhart-Wright have proven to be reliable targets this season for Ballard combining for over 900 yards and 12 touchdowns (11 from Maxwell).

Defensively, the unit went on a 3 game stretch during the winning streak where they allowed a total of just 8 points and are coming off a 7 turnover showing against Brentsville.

The group will be tasked with slowing down Warren County’s talented backfield of Senior Gavin Dodson and Junior Blaise Skube.

The last time the Wildcats were our featured Game of the Week, Skube ran for over 100 yards against a stingy Handley defense.

Dodson put the Cats on his back last week during his Senior Night with three touchdowns including two in the 4th quarter to bring Warren County back and the game winning two point conversion.

The Wildcats defense is led by, yup, you guessed it, Gavin Dodson with 76 tackles and the sensational sophomore Frank Nelson with 68 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception.

In the secondary, freshman defensive back Kaiden Abell has stepped up after starting his season with the JV squad and has added 23 tackles and 2 interceptions in his short time on varsity.

Warren County has been forced to look for reinforcements after the already small roster dwindled down to just 16 players against Kettle Run.

Warren County’s small group has battled like the Spartans in 300 all season long, but Skyline may be the Persians emerging through the pass of Thermopylae.

Skyline’s explosive play potential with Burks, Maxwell, and Co. along with a fast and physical defense will be too much for the Cats to contain.

Skyline will hold on to the River Rivalry trophy for the second consecutive year and win their 6th straight against Warren County and tie the school record with 6 wins in a row to close out the regular season, 34-21.

To listen to my interview with coaches Josh Breeden and Heath Gilbert, click here.

For breakdowns of all the weekend’s games, a look back at last week, and much more, check out the latest Sports Dogs podcast here.

The Sports Dogs’ Top 5 for 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, The Sports Dogs reflect on their Top 5 sports stories of the year.

For a full breakdown of Randy and Ryan’s Top 5, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast here.

Randy’s Top 5:

  1. The sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris, Magic Johnson, and their group.
  2. The Orioles stun the MLB to win the AL East and over 100 games.
  3. The Bob Huggins Era comes to an end in Morgantown after using homophobic slurs on a radio interview and then arrested for drunk driving.
  4. Martinsburg High School secures their 10th WV state championship since 2010
  5. Alderson Broaddus, Randy’s alma mater, closes it’s doors in Philippi.

Ryan’s Top 5:

  1. The debut of The River Rivalry trophy for the Warren County-Skyline football game.
  2. Millbrook High School alum Nazeeh Johnson plays a crucial role in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl run.
  3. James Madison University’s final transitioning year to the FBS features Top 25 rankings, College Gameday, and after threats of lawsuits and litigation, the first bowl appearance in school history.
  4. Local schools earn state championships including Clarke County girls’ soccer and basketball teams and James Wood volleyball’s second consecutive title.
  5. Skyline basketball’s 26-1 season featuring the school’s first state semifinal appearance, a regional championship, and Zack Diggs becoming the first 1000 point scorer in Skyline history.

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

The Duke’s Preview: Warren County vs Skyline featuring Coach Breeden and Gilbert

The annual Warren County (1-8) and Skyline (3-6) football game has even more on the line this year with the addition of The River Rivalry Trophy which will be presented to the winner on the field following the game.

The broadcast for the Game of the Week will begin at 6:40 pm with Randy Woodward and Ryan Rutherford on The River 95.3, 1450 WFTR, streaming at theriver953.com and the Tune In Radio App.

This rivalry has fired up both teams.

Warren County has nothing to lose as they sit outside the playoff picture.

Coach Josh Breeden emphasized to his team in practice this week the importance of this rivalry and trying to get the senior class their first win over Skyline.

The Wildcats hope to have P.J. Dellinger back at quarterback as he returns from injury, but the offense will rely on the backfield of Gavin Dodson and Blaise Skube.

Skube has looked strong lately with a 37-yard touchdown last week and a kickoff return for a touchdown the week prior, despite being bogged down by an injury earlier in the season.

Dodson has been steady for the Wildcats with his best game coming against one of the toughest defenses they have faced at Sherando.

Dodson finished that outing with 15 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Last week, Warren County went to a “Wildcat” formation with both Dodson and Skube in the backfield and used a zone blocking scheme for their most successful drive against Meridian.

Last year, the Hawks contained the Warren County rushing game, holding the backfield to 72 yards on 28 carries.

This year, Skyline will rely on a defense that swarms to the ball carrier led by linebackers Marques Lockhart-Wright (73 tackles) and Andre Ford (71 tackles).

Offensively, the Hawks know their identity lies with the running game led by Aidan Vaught.

Vaught recently had one of the best games in state history against Meridian where he reached 452 rushing yards on 17.4 yards per carry with five touchdown.

In general, it has been a slower season for Vaught who certainly looks to end his regular season career at Skyline with a bang.

Vaught is back at his running back position this year, but last year as quarterback, he led the team with 112 rushing yards, 129 passing yards, and two rushing touchdowns against the Wildcats.

Skyline is currently in the playoffs, but Warren County would love to play spoiler of their cross-town rivals and put the first plaque on The River Rivalry Trophy.

Both teams will pull out all the stops and we may see a few exciting trick plays along the way.

Skyline has focused on accomplishing three goals this regular season:

  • Winning Homecoming
  • Winning Senior Night
  • Beating Warren County

They accomplished the first two and now look to check one more box before the playoffs.

Skyline will have more on the line tonight fighting for their playoff birth and a more experienced roster.

I predict that combination will help the Hawks secure the victory at Warren County and earn The River Rivalry Trophy in a thrilling 28-22 win.

Press play below for my interview with Skyline Head Coach Heath Gilbert and Warren County Head Coach Josh Breeden.

For more information on The River Rivalry Trophy, click here.

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