The Duke’s Preview: Strasburg vs Warren County

9/11/26, Front Royal, VA- Warren County (1-0) welcomes Strasburg (2-0) to town for tonight’s Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill with coverage starting at 6:30 pm on The River 95.3, Fox Sports 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.

The Wildcats will enter the contest off a Bye Week and plenty of time to prepare for an angry Rams squad coming off a loss.

Warren County is 1-0 after a season opening thrashing of Rock Ridge, 58-12.

Senior QB Bryce Bergmann led the way with 4 TD passes, 3 of those to senior WR Troy DeHaven.

But now the Wildcat offense will face a much tougher opponent in Strasburg.

The Rams defense actually shutout Broadway in the 8-7 loss with the Gobblers only touchdown coming in the form of a late pick-six.

Strasburg will now look to rally this season like they did last year after an early loss to Broadway before turning things around and winning the school’s first State Championship.

In last year’s matchup vs Warren County, Quincy Williams was sidelined due to injury, but this go round he is expected to be at full strength.

Williams is coming off a 177 yard, 4 TD performance against Skyline followed by a 131 yard, 1 TD game last week.

With a healthy season and a few playoff games, the Strasburg career rushing record of 5,307 yards set by Frankie Shoemaker (stat via Until It Was Ours by Ryan Sonner) could be within reach.

Warren County’s defense led by the Texan Tackling Machine LB Frank Nelson and two-way standout Kaiden Clowser, scoop and score vs Rock Ridge, will need to contain Williams and read their keys against Strasburg’s T-Formation to keep this game within reach.

Strasburg has dominated this rivalry in recent years, but Warren County is hoping to have a turned a new leaf with Coach Breeden now establishing his culture and coming off what he claims is the program’s best offseason since his arrival.

We will see tonight how much ground the Wildcats have made up, but the Rams still seem to be a program farther along and they will be seeing red after experiencing another heartbreaking loss to Broadway.

Warren County will be able to connect on a few explosive plays, but Strasburg will dictate the pace of the game and win at the line of scrimmage.

Rams out pace the Cats, 34-22.

For a preview of all the Week 3 matchups and a look back at Week 2, listen to the latest Sports Dogs Podcast HERE.

The Duke’s Preview: Skyline @ Strasburg

8/28/26 Strasburg, VA– Skyline makes the short trip to Strasburg for the first High School Football Game of the Week brought to you by the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill with coverage starting at 6:30 for the Tana Hoffman Pregame Show then the 7 pm kick-off on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.

Strasburg ended a program long State Championship drought last season and will now look to prove this is the start of a dynasty, not the book after a Cinderella story.

The Rams return Class 2 Offensive Player of the Year RB Quincy Williams (2,000+ yards, 27 Touchdowns) and 2x All State selection Gage Gutierrez along the offensive line but will look to replace some key players including QB Brayden Hough, RBs Brady Knight and Linkyn Bosworth, and other key pieces along the offensive line.

OT Cooper Miller filled in during the playoff run due to injury and played will during crucial games for the Rams while many other younger players like Brady Knight’s brother Tyler Knight were able to get varsity playing time thanks to lopsided scores down the stretch.

TEs Carson Duckworth and Alexander Mudd love to block and will provide senior leadership on the ends of the OL.

The defensive side of the ball contains more question marks as the Rams will graduate four Class 2 All State Defensive selections including Brady Knight, Nathaniel Turner, Jacob Britton, and Defensive Player of the Year Hutson Conrad.

Quincy Williams will make impact plays on the defense as well and provides good versatility thanks to his speed and physicality.

James Trainor and Pablo Mora Hernandez will be looked to on the backend after strong junior campaigns and playoff runs.

Skyline is still searching for the school’s first football State Title but did claim the program’s first Region Runner-Up after falling short to Kettle Run in last year’s playoffs.

The Hawks also bring back an All-State level running back in Zayden Burks.

Burks led  Virginia with an astounding 2,897 yards and 28 touchdowns and could realistically surpass those numbers this season.

If Burks can reach that total this year, he would have the second most career rushing yards in VHSL history and he is just 1,236 yards away from 6,000 career yards and ranking in the top 27 in state history.

Skyline returns a strong offensive line including four seniors Tytus Drake, Ryan Held, Adrian Schmitz, and Christian Boone who take pride in opening lanes for their RB and protecting first year starter QB Brentley Grindle.

Grindle’s raw talent, athleticism, and performance as JV QB last year made the decision easy for the Hawks coaching staff and the sophomore has impressed his teammates with his play and leadership in 7-on-7 tournaments and training camp.

Grindle has already formed a good connection with Jr TE Brady Lupton (6’4″ 230 lb) and WRs Caydin Jenkins and Lane Kenney.

Defensively, the Hawks will have many of those OL playing both ways with Lupton and Drake ready to wreak havoc again along the defensive line.

Skyline will need to figure out life without All State LB Andre Ford and the Hawks other leading tackler, Marques Lockhart-Wright (TE at Virginia University of Lynchburg).

With that duo now graduated, Burks could enter the rarified air of 100-plus tackles to go with 2,000-plus rushing yards this season.

Skyline’s defensive backfield of Kenney, Jenkins, and Isiah Grady should be a strong unit again this season.

Now to the matchups, Skyline’s new LB unit without Ford and Lockhart-Wright will be tested in Game 1 against Strasburg’s unique T-Formation.

The Hawks have started the last few season against the Rams so it is not an entirely new concept, but it is still difficult to prepare for, especially at the game speed of the Rams.

Skyline’s new QB Brently Grindle will also get to experience a Varsity defense for the first time and it as a Rams unit that allowed just 12.5 ppg last season.

The Hawks rebuttal to these perceived disadvantages can be pretty simple… we have a hulk… or Zayden Burks.

Burks has game breaking potential every time he touches the ball, even when he is a defenses #1 priority.

Skyline would have an advantage in the defensive backfield against a new starter at QB for Strasburg but the Rams would be completely fine without passing the entire game which would negate that potential edge.

Both team’s offensive and defensive lines should dominate all year long and I would say that category is a push in this matchup.

With two teams who enter the season with high expectations, it may truly come down to who can minimize mistakes and based on the youth at key positions for the Hawks, that could be an issue.

Look for the Rams to come out with some extra energy early as it will be their first time back on Glenn Proctor Field since hoisting the State Title, but this is a motivated Skyline team that would take pride in raining on the Rams return to their homefield.

This game will come down to the final possession, but based on recent history of the Rams undefeated record on the field vs the Hawks since COVID and the momentum from the hometown crowd behind them, it will be tough to unseat the champions in Week 1.

Williams and Burks put on a show with ZB2K slightly outgaining QW1 in yardage, but with the Rams taking the edge on the scoreboard, Strasburg 28-Skyline 22.

For a preview of all the Week 1 matchups, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast HERE.

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Region 2B Championships

2/28/26, Winchester VA- The Region 2B Championships invade Shenandoah University for tonight’s coverage of girls and boys basketball on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app starting at 5:45 pm thanks to the Hike Kidz Foundation c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill.

The girls championship game will tip-off first at 6 pm and feature Clarke County against Strasburg.

Clarke County has looked like a team with a clear mission all season long under 1st year Head Coach Shadd McCaw and that mission is win a State Championship.

The Eagles dominated regular season competition again and finished 23-2 with an astounding average margin of victory at 35.7 points per game.

Clarke County is led by District Player of the Year and future Shippensburg University athlete Alainah McKavish.

McKavish has the ability to takeover a game and averages over 20 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, and 4 steals, but the Eagles have enough talent to make the opposition pay if they try to focus on the senior.

In the Region Semifinal, Alainah was held to 10 points, but her sister Paige, Savannah McCaw, and Paige Stemberger balanced the scoring sheet with 11 points each.

Clarke County also had a dominant team performance on the glass and outrebounded Central 38-18 (14-3 for offensive rebounds) on the way to a 59-34 win to set up a Bull Run District Championship rematch with Strasburg.

The Rams are coming off an impressive 49-35 win on the road against Stuarts Draft in the Region Semifinals.

Strasburg saw Emily Gorrell and Jayden Stinnette return to action after suffering injuries in the BRD Championship game loss to Clarke County and missing the entire second half.

Both seniors looked to be close to 100% in the Semifinal win with Gorrell leading all scorers with 22 points followed by Stinnette with 16 to secure Strasburg’s 5th State Playoff appearance in the last 7 years.

While falling to Clarke in the BRD Championship game about a week ago, the Rams should still feel confident in their ability to play with the Eagles as they are the only team in Virginia to defeat them this season.

In the win, Strasburg limited Alainah McKavish to just 3 points through the first three quarters while Stinnette and Gorrell combined for 31 points and connected for the game winning basket.

Clarke County would love nothing more than to prove that loss was simply an off-night and another Region Championship.

Clarke County’s defensive pressure led by the length and athleticism of the McKavish sister’s and the tenacity of Paige Stemberger will be the difference maker to keep Strasburg under 50 and give the Eagles the 61-49 win.

Following the girls championship game, the boys from Strasburg and Central will take the floor for a rubber match with the Region 2B trophy on the line.

Strasburg and Central split the regular season matchups with each team winning on the road and silencing rowdy home crowds.

If tonight’s matchup is anything like the first two, it could come down to who makes the better halftime adjustments.

The third quarter essentially decided both previous games with Strasburg going scoreless in the 3rd quarter while Central went on a 14-0 run and forced 5 turnovers, then Strasburg turned the tides in Woodstock with a 19-4 run to close the 3rd quarter and led by at least 17 the entire 4th quarter.

These two rivals are so familiar with each other and matchups like this often turn into chess matches between head coaches Larry Fox and Jeff Whittle.

During the final regular season matchup, I predicted the first team to 50 would win but tonight it might be the first team to 40.

With each basket coming at a premium tonight, Strasburg’s Gavin Dellinger could be the game changer with his quick release from deep and ability to get open off the ball.

Dellinger led the Rams through the regular season with about 15 points per game while Jasiah Warner has gotten better and better as the season has gone along and is coming off a career high 27 points against Page County in the Region Semifinal win Friday night.

The Rams had to fight off a furious comeback and three point barrage from Page County to reach the Championship game while the Falcons needed overtime to finish the job against Fort Defiance.

Central had to over come a double digit deficit after Fort Defiance put together a 19-2 run in the second quarter.

Last year’s District Player of the Year and All State selection Dereck Batiz-Lugo continues to play at a high level for Central and led the way in the Region Semifinal with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists.

Jonathan Akasa has been a force on the boards this year and had 9 rebounds to go with 8 points in the Semi and he led the Bull Run in rebounding through the regular season with 7.4 per game.

This game is truly a coin-flip in my mind and could come down to the final shot and I think the Rams get that final shot with the defense keying in on Dellinger before he drops it off to Warner for the game winning basket, Rams 49-Falcons 47.

For more local sports coverage, listen to the Sports Dogs Podcast here.

The Duke’s Championship Preview: Skyline vs Meridian

2/26/26, Falls Church, VA- Skyline heads up 66 to Meridian for the Region 3B Boys Basketball Championship tonight with coverage starting at 6:45 pm for the 7 pm 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.

It’s fitting that the two most consistent powers in Region 3B hoops will decide the Region 3B title and have already earned trips to the State Tournament.

Meridian reloaded from the winningest season in school history to another #1 seed in the Region Tournament.

Last year’s squad went undefeated in the regular season before falling to Hopewell in the State playoffs.

Davis is an elite scorer and averages over 19 points per game while shooting 37.3% from long range.

Junior forward Mason Plye (11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.5 blk) and senior guard Marques Myles (12.1 ppg, 4.9 ast, 3.1 stl) joined Davis on the All District teams.

Plye’s 6’3″ frame could cause issues for a Skyline roster that does not have a consistent contributor listed over 6’2″.

What the Hawks lack in size, they make up for with a team effort crashing the glass and a few former football players who play bigger than listed.

All Region Linebacker Andre Ford is coming off back to back double-doubles in the playoffs with 27 points and 11 rebounds against Kettle Run and 22 points with 10 rebounds vs Fauquier while All State Running Back Zayden Burks has played lock down defense and often draws a matchup listed a few inches taller.

Senior Cameron Kerns has been reliable on the boards and has grabbed 22 rebounds through the two games.

Burks, Kerns, and Ford were all 1st Team Northwestern District selections and Day’Shawn Haley joined them on the 2nd team.

The Hawks also unleashed an “ace up the sleeve” in Bentley Frye against Fauquier.

The freshman guard has been a consistent starter this season but hit another level in the Regional Semifinal with 15 points and four rebounds including a huge three to extend a Skyline run in the 2nd quarter.

As many playoff matchups do, it could come down to which stars shine or are contained.

Skyline and Meridian split the regular season series 1-1 with both teams winning on their home floor.

In Meridian’s win, the Mustangs led throughout and put game away with a 3rd quarter run and led by 11 entering the 4th quarter.

Davis led the way with 24 points in the win, but the Hawks limited him to just 12 points (including a buzzer-beating three to force overtime) when they pulled out the OT victory.

Ford and Kerns both had 19 points while Mark Jefferies stepped up late with a huge layup and solid free throw shooting to finish with 9 points.

Skyline dominated the turnover department in the win by forcing 18 and only committing 4.

This game feels like it has all the makings of an instant classic and will come down to the final possession, but I will give the edge to the Hawks who seem to be playing their best basketball at the right time.

Skyline enters Falls Church as winners of 10 of the last 11 since the loss to Meridian while the Mustangs have lost four games in the time frame.

I’ll take the Hawks to regain the Region Championship for the first time since the magical 2023 season, Skyline 71- Meridian 69.

For more local sports coverage, check out the Sports Dogs Podcast.

The Duke’s Bull Run District Championship Preview: Clarke County vs Strasburg

2/18/26, Berryville VA- Clarke County hosts Strasburg in the Bull Run District Girls Basketball Championship Game with coverage starting around 7:30 pm on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app and TheRiver953.com for the first of two Hike Kidz Foundation Games of the Week c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill (Boys Championship game will take place on Thursday).

Clarke County was pinned as the early favorites to repeat as Bull Run District Champions this season, but Strasburg made sure no one forgot about them after a 21-3 record and splitting with Clarke County in the regular season.

Strasburg upset Clarke County just 7 days ago at home 48-47 after a late Jayden Stinnette lay-up, but stumbled in their final regular season 56-51 to Central before a rematch three days later in the Bull Run District Semifinals where the Rams won 54-51.

In the win vs Clarke County, Strasburg snapped a 12 game Eagles win streak and limited All State Forward Alainah McKavaish to just 3 points in the first 3 quarters.

Limiting McKavish will be key to another chance at knocking off the Eagles.

In the first matchup between the schools in early January, McKavish dominated with a 21 point and 10 rebound performance and was one of five Eagles to knock down at least two 3-pointers.

McKavish leads Clarke in nearly every statistical category but has a strong and experienced supporting cast with 8/9 players returning from last years State Semifinal squad.

Paige McKavish (15.9 ppg) and Kendall Harman (10.5 ppg) join Alainah (20.6 ppg) in double digits while Savannah McCaw leads the Eagles with 4.1 assists per game and Paige Stemberger’s lock-down defense leads to 3.6 steals per game.

The Rams are led by seniors Emily Gorrell and Jayden Stinnette.

When Clarke County zeroed in on Gorrell last week, Stinnette made them pay with the game winner.

Gorrell leads the Rams in scoring with 17.8 per game and assists with 3.2 while Stinnette is just behind at 11.9 points per game and is the leading rebounder with 8.3 per game.

The duo is playing their best as the Rams enter the playoffs with both earning a double-double in the BRD semifinals.

Individually, Gorrell is on a tear with three straight games over 20 points.

Strasburg will have an advantage in coaching experience with Kelly Stinnette leading the bench for her third season while Coach Shadd McCaw is still in his first year as head coach.

While a loss tonight wouldn’t end either teams season, Clarke County should be in playoff mode and will look for revenge against the only team in Virginia to beat them this season.

I look for the Eagles to come out very aggressive and Alainah McKavish to be a little more “selfish” early to build a Clarke County lead then pull away for a 60-45 win.

For a regular season recap and playoff preview, check out last week’s Sports Dogs podcast here. 

Color commentator Josh Kirby spoke with Clarke County’s Shadd McCaw here. 

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

The Duke’s Hoops Preview: Central vs Strasburg

2/13/26, Woodstock, VA- Regular season high school basketball coverage concludes tonight with Central hosting Strasburg in the Hike Kidz Foundation Game of the Week c/o Brickhouse Bar and Grill on Fox Sports Radio 1450, The River 95.3 app, and TheRiver953.com starting with the girls matchup at 6 pm, followed by the boys with an estimated tip-off set for 7:45 pm.

It will be a festive evening in Woodstock as the Central community will acknowledge the senior cheer and basketball athletes for Senior Night and the Falcon’s softball team will receive their 2025 State Championship rings during halftime of the boys game.

Amongst the pomp and circumstance, two huge games will be played to determine seeding for the upcoming District and Regional playoffs.

When the girls take the floor, Strasburg will have a chance at the top seed with a win over Central and a Clarke County loss to Luray on Monday.

Central would love nothing more than to spoil that chance a at a top seed for their cross-county rivals and place themselves in a more confident position for the post season.

The Rams will be riding high after their upset win over Clarke County earlier this week.

Strasburg snapped a 12 game winning streak for Clarke County and extended their own winning streak to 11 games after a play originally drawn up for Emily Gorrell ended up in the hands of Jayden Stinnette down-low for the game winning layup.

The senior duo has been integral in Strasburg’s run this season with Gorrell leading the Bull Run District in scoring (17.8 points per game), steals (3.8 per game), and assists (3.2 per game) while Stinnette leads the District in rebounding with 8.3 per game.

Gorrell had one of her best games of the season against Central in the first go round and finished with 27 points (17/18 FT), 7 steals, and 3 rebounds.

If the Falcons want to put themselves in a position to pull-off the win, they will need to defend Gorrell more effectively and keep her from getting to the free throw line.

In Year 1 under coach Rich Cooley, Central has essentially beaten the teams they should and struggled against the other top teams in the District going a combined 1-4 against Strasburg, Clarke County, and Luray.

The Falcons have a talented senior class that will want to leave their homecourt on Senior Night with a win and that group is led by guard Vanessa Gordon.

Gordon is 2nd behind Gorrell in BRD scoring with 14.5 per game and is the best 3-point shooter in the region at nearly a 40% clip.

In the Falcons lone win against top district competition, Gordon knocked down five first half three pointers and her sister Vanessa filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

It will take a true team effort for Central, and maybe some Senior Night magic to beat the Rams, or for Strasburg to overlook the matchup with their sights already set on a playoff run and riding high from the win over Clarke County.

Following the girls game, the boys will play for the #1 seed in the Region 2B tournament and the regular season District Championship in what should be a very competitive and defensively focused battle.

When these teams played against each other earlier this season, the winner was the first team to 40 and that ended up being the Central Falcons.

Both teams went ice cold in the second half with Strasburg going 0-11 in the third period and Central going 0-6 in the fourth, but the Falcons had enough of a lead and a few clutch free throws to hold on for the win.

Since the loss, Strasburg has rallied for 7 straight wins and seen the growth of Jasiah Warner into one of the top players in the Bull Run.

Warner is coming off a 20 point game against Clarke County and consistently causes problems on defense with his length.

Gavin Dellinger will always get his for the Rams and leads the team with 14.6 per game, trailing only D-1 bound Matthew Owens in Bull Run scoring.

Central’s lone loss since the Strasburg matchup came against Owens and his Luray Bulldogs, but other than that blemish, Coach Whittle has his group playing elite level basketball.

With the departure of John Marshall’s head coach and Luray dropping to Class 1, Central emerged as an early contender in Class 2 for the State Title and has done nothing to make you think otherwise.

Central ranked 5th in the most recent Basketball Coaches Association of Virginia poll.

Dereck Batiz-Lugo picked up where he left off last season after claiming BRD Player of the Year as sophomore and earning 2nd Team All State.

This year, Batiz-Lugo has continued to play at a high level and leads the area in steals with 3.1 per game to go with 14.3 points per game while limiting turnovers as the teams primary ball handler.

Central is a team full of players who know their role and for Jonathan Akasa that job is to get rebounds.

Listed at 6’1″, Akasa leads the Bull Run in rebounding with 7.4 per game and can knock down the three-ball at 37.3%.

Like the first matchup, this game could be a race to 40 and rebounding to give your team an extra possession could mean the difference between a win or a loss.

Central appears to have an advantage on the glass with Akasa averaging a full 2.5 rebounds more than Strasburg’s leading rebounder, Warner, and in the first matchup, Gracen Hottle led Strasburg in rebounds with 9 but that will be hard to replicate for the 5’8″ guard.

Due to that potential edge in rebounding, I look for Central to pull out another close win over the Rams with Batiz-Lugo putting the game on ice late, 42-39.

In the girls matchup, Strasburg’s senior duo of Gorrell and Stinnette combined with Coach Stinnette’s ability to keep the team focused on their rival and not looking ahead will allow the Rams to take the win on the road, 52-43, and keep their hopes of a #1 seed alive.

For more high school hoops coverage, check out the latest Sports Dogs Podcast where we preview the upcoming playoff hopefuls, highlight the biggest local basketball story lines in the “Three Pointer”, and of recap the Super Bowl.

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 Hoops Preview: Warren County vs Skyline

12/12/25, Front Royal, VA- Warren County boys basketball hosts Skyline 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 with coverage starting at roughly 7 pm following the conclusion of the JV matchup.

The hardwood edition of the River Rivalry will feature two teams still looking to find their footing in the early stages of the season.

Skyline had a late start to the season due to the most successful football season in school history, but as Vince Lombardi said, “Winning is a habit”.

The Hawks basketball roster features many of the same stand-out athletes as the Region Runner-Up football team including the top running back in Virginia Zayden Burks, All Region Linebacker Andre Ford, All Region QB Day’Shawn Haley, and a few others.

After the long post season, the Hawks came out a bit rusty against Fauquier before surging past the Falcons in overtime.

Skyline needed to overcome a 12 point 4th quarter deficit to secure the win.

Andre Ford’s 11 point 4th quarter and Cameron Kerns 6 point overtime period led the way for a comeback in the Hawks lone game.

Warren County has already played four regular season games and look to have taken a step forward in their second year under Head Coach Mario Gill.

The Wildcats are 2-2 with wins over Kettle Run and Liberty, two teams they went a combined 1-3 against last year.

Warren County returns last year’s leader in scoring, rebounding, and steals in 6’4″ Ethan Bare, the leader in assists and 3p% Adrian Craig, and 6’3″ guard Bryce Bergmann.

Freshman Makari Robinson stood out as a wide receiver for Warren County.

His athleticism and 6’3″ frame should transition nicely to the hardwood.

Skyline has a few exciting additions as well including former JV standout Mark Jefferies.

While both teams are still coming together in the early stages of the season, Warren County’s four regular season games together and confidence found after a few wins should help them battle against a Skyline team that has had their number in recent years.

Skyline has already shown in their lone game, they know when it’s time to lock-in and play ball like they did in the 4th quarter and OT against Fauquier.

The Hawks won’t need the nudge of 12 point deficit to show some fire against a cross-town rival and I look for them to come out with their signature defensive pressure to force the Cats into some early mistakes.

Hawks will start to pull away late, but don’t be surprised to see this game tied-up at halftime, Skyline 55-Warren County 45.

For an interview with WCHS Coach Mario Gill from Josh Kirby, click here.

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

The Duke’s Playoff Preview: Strasburg vs Poquoson

12/5/25, Poquoson, VA- Strasburg heads back to the Tidewater to take on Poquoson for the VHSL State Semifinal Saturday at 2 pm with coverage of the Dave’s Diversified Services Game of the Week starting at 1:15 pm for an extended edition of the Tana Hoffman Pregame Show on The River 95.3, Fox Sports Radio 1450, TheRiver953.com, and The River 95.3 app.

This game is a rematch of last year’s State Semifinal which saw Strasburg hold on for a 14-13 win.

The Rams took a 14-7 lead into halftime after Takhi Coates’ 2nd first half touchdown and interception.

Then held off a late Poquoson surge thanks to a Brady Knight tipped pass into the arms of Hunter Williams.

While both teams have a few personnel changes like the graduation of Takhi Coates for Strasburg and Quarterback Eli Tyndall for Poquoson, the nucleus and identity of these teams remains unchanged.

Both the Region 2A and 2B champions build their teams along the trenches and pride themselves on dominating the line of scrimmage.

Strasburg returns every starter from last year’s State Runner-Up offensive line.

Three of the five earned All Region Selections earlier this week (1st Team: Jacob Britton and Gage Gutierrez, 2nd Team: Jacob Stickley).

Along the defensive front, the Rams boast the Region 2B Defensive Player of the Year and game-wrecker Hutson Conrad.

Gutierrez and Britton joined Conrad to make up 75% of the 1st Team All Region selections for the position.

Poquoson echoes those accolades and may have a checkmate with OL/DL 4-star prospect Carter Jones.

Jones (6’6″ 285 lbs) is considered one of the top OL in Virginia and has offers from powerhouse programs like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and 32 others.

He most recently took an in-person visit to Texas and left with an offer.

Joining Jones along the jumbo o-line are center Preston Bundy (6’3″ 290 lbs) and RT Gavin Coffman (6’3″ 285 lbs) and two smaller guards in Brayden Agnese and Grayson Powell.

The guards smaller size is by design as their speed makes a huge impact on pulling plays which are prevalent in the Flexbone offense.

What Agnese lacks in D-1 size, he makes up for with his play and outshined Jones for Regional Defensive Player tallying 18 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in regular season play.

Austin Conley is also a force for the Bull Islander defense and earned 1st Team All Region All-Purpose and Linebacker.

Like Strasburg, Poquoson relies on many two-way players, and Conley delivers home-run plays for the offense as well.

In the Regional Semifinal, he led the way with 154 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 9 carries.

Cody Little does the hard-nosed running between the tackles (like Strasburg’s Linkyn Bosworth) and went over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns this year.

While Little and Conley are a talented duo, Strasburg will once again have the best running back on the field in Quincy Williams.

Williams has been lethal behind the Rams line and can turn any run into a big play with his vision, strength, and acceleration.

He should be rested after he played less than two quarters against Stuarts Draft yet still totaled 200 yards and three touchdowns on just five carries.

For Strasburg to win this game on the road in a hostile environment, they will need to play clean football and leave no doubt.

As we saw last year, the Rams can not put the game into the hands of the chain gang, an official, or play looking for calls that may never come.

Coach Lamb and Co. will have to do it on their own.

In previous Duke’s Previews, I haven’t needed to mention QB Brayden Hough, but the senior may need to do more in this game than he’s ever been asked to do in his playing career.

Teams have seen success passing against the Bull Islanders including Armstrong in the Regional Championship game.

Armstrong’s QB Anthony Hasom passed for over 300 yards and two touchdowns to lead Poquoson until a late 4th quarter touchdown provided the game winning score.

Strasburg won’t abandon its identity and start airing it out every play, but the Rams may take a few more shots to Harper Sherman or Williams out of the backfield.

If the Rams can execute a few play action passes, eliminate turnovers while forcing one (or more), and maintain composure when plays go the other way, they will be playing in Salem next week.

Strasburg goes down to Poquoson and knocks off the Bull Islanders in a defensive slugfest, 13-7.

Check out the Sports Dogs Podcast for more on the State Semifinal matchup and a look back at the Regional Championship games for Strasburg and Skyline.

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.Â