The recently retired coach spoke with Eric Johnson.

Hawks, Puckett of Galax grab top Class 1 Girls honors

Tuesday opened up the VHSL boys and girls basketball state quarterfinal round, with many teams advancing closer to a state championship.

Staunton River girls earn region runner-up bid.

William Fleming girls top Glen Allen on the road for the Region 5C title.

In Region 1C, George Wythe and Galax will meet in the championship game.

Tuesday night provided exciting action around the Virginia girls basketball landscape, including state tournament bids from William Fleming, Chatham and Liberty.

Eagles win their 13th consecutive game against the Spartans to advance.

On the boys side, Faith Christian defeated Appalachian Christian advancing to the state final.

Titans sweep regular season meetings with Knights.

Crawley led the Spartans with 25 points in the girls' win over Staunton River.

With the Patriots Thursday night win, the two city rivals split the regular season series 1-1.

Knights guard Shawn Turner scored 19 first half points.

Spartans beat the Patriots the second time this season.

The Colonels built a double-digit lead in the second half against the Eagles.

Salem's Gabby Crawford reached 1,000 career points in road win at Christiansburg.

Amari Worsham scored 13 first half points in the Lady Colonels 67-39 win.

Antonio Mack named tournament MVP.

Alleghany defeated the defending Class1 State Champion George Wythe.

Eric Johnson talks with local basketball coaches and skill developers about the ever evolving landscape of high school and travel basketball.

The Cavaliers trailed undefeated James Monroe by as many as 13 points in the second quarter.

The Spartans made a late push for a comeback, cutting it as close to a 7 point margin.

George Wythe boys and girls basketball teams both heading to Class 1 state title

Jasmine Houston hit the game-winning shot to send the Colonels to the state championship game.

The Vikings surged ahead of the visiting Warriors of Western Albemarle to secure the 55-33 win.

The Region 3D champions have qualified for the VHSL state tournament for 11 consecutive seasons.

The Salem girls also earned a Region 4D title.

The Maroons and Pioneers are set to meet for the Region 1C Championship.

The Cavaliers used a 6-0 run to end the third quarter with momentum.

Vikings improve to 18-1 this season.

Cy Hardy and Braydan Ragland combined for 32 of the Vikings 41 first half points.

Patrick Henry was dialed in from start to finish Thursday night, turning defense into offense early.

The two Northside hoop stars have played a pivotal role for the defending two-time state champion Vikings.

Salem girls remain undefeated with win over Patrick Henry

Junior Amari Worsham eclipsed 1,000 career points Thursday night in the 79-20 home win.

WATCH: Lord Botetourt girls basketball gets big win over Blacksburg

The Colonels built a seven point lead in the third quarter and hit timely free throws down the stretch.

The Colonels and Patriots played a back-and-forth first half Tuesday night.

"Our goal is just to make sure we bring great basketball to the area, competitive basketball," said Flycodes founder Champ Hubbard.

The William Fleming Colonels have a new head coach at the reigns after replacing longtime head coach Mickey Hardy.

The Vikings repeat as VHSL Class 3 state champions.

Bulldogs claim first state title in school history.

The Eagles have made it an every-other-year tradition to reach the VHSL Class 1 final.

The Celtics are following up last year's state runner-up finish with another deep post-season run.

Defending state champion Northside returns to the state semifinals as well

Auburn boys claimed their third consecutive region crown.

Cave Spring boys upend Lord Botetourt to reach region semifinals.

Vikings erase an 11 point second half deficit for the 78-64 victory.

Tunstall Trojans basketball hot heading into postseason battle

The two-day event wrapped up Saturday with 7 games played at Salem High School.

Cave Spring's Tinsley and Parker break JJ Redick's longstanding records

The annual event wrapped up Saturday after being partially postponed from last weekend.

The Red Devils were gritty down the stretch in defeating the hosts 66-62

The late former Emory & Henry basketball coach left a lasting impact on those in the program.

"It's been amazing to watch it grown and see the plan being put on paper, action being put in, see the work being put in, grind being done," said brand ambassador Ryann Hubbard.

The Maroons' 22 turnovers proved to be costly in the 62-40 final.

Roanoke Catholic is led by first year head coach Ryann Hubbard--new coach but a familiar face.

William Fleming's Amari Worsham dropped 21 points for the second consecutive game.

Stark Jones led Cave Spring with 25 points in the Knights 3D quarterfinals win over Bassett.

Amari Worsham led the Colonels with 21 points, including the game winner as time expired.

The Blue Ridge District Tournament commenced Wednesday evening.

Patrick Henry outscored Cave Spring 20-6 in the second quarter to take an 11 point halftime lead.

The Colonels and Patriots split the regular season series, with each team winning on its home floor.

The Lady Cavs returned all 5 starters from its state championship team.

The Chance Harman Classic serves as a give back to the community while also honoring the legacy of a Floyd native.

Northside def. Roanoke Catholic 71-53.

It’s not often after a state semifinal loss, redemption almost immediately follows.

The Carroll County girls and Cave Spring boys completed state title seasons with wins at the Siegel Center on the Campus of VCU.

Carroll County girls also advanced to the Class 3 Championship.

The Lady Cavs enter the Class 3 Quarterfinals with one lone loss this season.

Northside held a brief fourth quarter lead before Cave Spring's defense helped lead them to victory.

The Knights have four players averaging double-digit scoring.

Patriots defeated the Pointers 66-51.

Knights avenge an early season loss to Northside with a blowout win on Monday night.

Patrick Henry defeated Christiansburg 75-57 in River Ridge District action.

Patriots defeated the Bruins 51-29.

The Colonels led 30-25 at halftime before gaining separation in the second half.

The event, originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, featured a slate of 8 games on Saturday along with the inaugural 3-point contest.

In what was a close game throughout, the Knights outlasted the Highlanders 50-47.

The Vikings and Knights went toe to toe in a physical, back-and-forth matchup Monday night.

William Byrd boys and girls teams each earned wins over Hidden Valley.

The Vikings defeated the Knights in a county rivalry that’s usually reserved for the playoffs. Nick Crawford hit the game winner for Northside in a 71-68 win at Cave Spring.

The Lady Cavs improve to 4-0 this season.

The Patriots scored all 12 first quarter points from beyond the arc.

The Colonels held the Celtics to just 3 points in the third quarter.

Former College coach Page Moir returns to the court at North Cross school.

Spencer Hamilton scored 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks in the 56-39 win, as Parry McCluer won its first VHSL State Championship in program history. Ad“Two out of three years we’ve been to state title game, we get a little closer every year,” said Pulaski County head coach Scott Ratcliff. This season they reached a VHSL State Championship game for the first time in program history. The difference was, we made a few turnovers we didn’t want to and we had some shots that didn’t go in,” said Patrick Henry head coach Mike Hedrick. With the win Princess Anne has now won 8 consecutive VHSL State Championships, 12 overall as a program.

ROANOKE, Va. – Patrick Henry raced to a 20-5 advantage in the first quarter that was dominated by Savannah Derey. Though the shots didn’t fall at the rate that they would’ve liked, the Patriots remained tenacious at the defensive end. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight but, we played really hard and refused to lose,” said Patrick Henry head coach Mike Hedrick. “[We] survived and advanced and now we have the opportunity to play for the final four, maybe the opportunity to maybe play for state title and that’s why we do this. The Patrick Henry boys will also host a Class 5 State Semifinal on Wednesday at 7pm when Stone Bridge comes to the Star City.

Burton on Wednesday for the Class 1 State Semifinals. The Maroons travel to Honaker for its State Semifinal matchup on Wednesday. Up next is an away match up at Union for the State semifinal action. The Bulldogs will play at Abingdon to start State Tournament play. The Comets reach the State Tournament in back-to-back seasons, first final four appearance in over 4 decades.

ROANOKE, Va. – Pulaski County came out strong against Halifax County in the Region 4D Semifinal, building a 10 point first half lead. But Halifax County stayed disciplined, remained poised and closed the game strong to force overtime. In Radford both the boys and girls programs advanced to Region 2C Finals. The girls defeated Fort Chiswell 64-32, behind four three pointer from Haley Whitt. AdOther Wednesday night scores included:BOYS:Blacksburg 50, Amherst County 30Halifax County 75, Pulaski County 69, 5OTLiberty Christian 67, Fluvanna 53Floyd County 73, Fort Chiswell 39Radford 66, Glenvar 45Narrows 59, George Wythe-Wytheville 57Parry McCluer 44, Auburn 33GIRLS:Pulaski County 64, Salem 33Glenvar 52, Giles 42Radford 64, Fort Chiswell 32

ROANOKE, Va. – On senior night at William Fleming, Mickey Hardy’s Colonels paced themselves in a 59-43 victory over Franklin County. In Daleville, the highly touted Radford Bobcats put their show on the road, earning a 65-55 win over Lord Botetourt. The three-point machine, Cam Cormany, tallied 23 points in the win for the Bobcats. Other scores from Tuesday night included:BOYS SCORES:Cave Spring 66, William Byrd 43E.C. Glass 74, Heritage 10Nelson County 46, Altavista 36Northside 46, Glenvar 42Patrick County 58, GW-Danville 8Patrick Henry-Roanoke 64, Salem 43Timberlake Christian 46, Blue Ridge Christian 22William Fleming 45, Franklin County 34

Roanoke, Va. – The " let them play” movement in Southwest Virginia reached Roanoke County on Tuesday. But Botetourt is back, and now Roanoke County joins them. Roanoke County voted 4 to 1 this afternoon to return to play, within the county only. Both coach and his team are equally excited about getting back on track to a competitive season. we like to compete,” Pope says.

DALEVILLE, Va. – After nearly nine months of no high school basketball, the Lord Botetourt Cavaliers were grateful to be back on the court. “I just want to take advantage of anything that I’m given this year,” senior Grace Taylor said. “So we’re in phase two in Botetourt which means we can’t pass the ball,” she said. “It’s really hard to game prep right now because we can’t do anything five on five, we can’t do anything five on zero, so we can’t pass and put in plays or anything like that,” Favaro said. “Whatever I’m given, I’m just looking to play, anything that is, just shooting or doing something with the team, I’m thankful for that,” Taylor finished.

Roanoke, Va. – Monday marked the first day of basketball practice for the abbreviated VHSL winter season. But the Roanoke-Alleghany zone remaining in Phase 2 restrictions, practices are underway at schools including Patrick Henry with limitations. This also means less time for tryouts. Schools wait for the metrics to calm down in order to proceed with games, possibly later this month. The original VHSL guidelines marked December 21st as the first basketball game date, while other winter sports could begin competition on December 28th.

Roanoke, Va. – Hoops slides into the spotlight at the Roanoke Valley Sports Club this month. Area basketball coaching legends Woody Deans, Burrall Paye, Ed Greene and Troy Wells were all recognized. The Roanoke native climbed the ladder from refereeing AAU games all the way to the NCAA final four. I was fortunate enought to be hired by the ACC in 1998 and still humbled and blessed,” Ayers says. There wasn’t a single one that I didn’t love to play against and love to go home and think 'Here’s what he did.

Daleville, Va. It has been quite a run for Miette Veldman. The Lord Botetourt graduate leaves the Cavaliers program as one of the most decorated athletes ever to come through Daleville. Tuesday she is once again a scholarship winner after being named the Allstate VHSL Class 3 female athlete of the year. Veldman won five state championships and had six all-state first team selections while starring at Lord Botetourt in both volleyball and basketball. Dan Rivers Ethan Lewis was also honored as the boys Class 2 athlete of the year.

DALEVILLE, Va. – In the world of Class 3 volleyball and girls basketball, Lord Botetourt has taken the cake the past few years. One of those being senior Miette Veldman. “We had heard a lot about how good the middle school was, but coach (Chuck) Pound and I hadn’t heard about Miette. But volleyball and basketball have gone hand-in-hand for Veldman, and she’s had success on both courts. Veldman has had 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in volleyball and 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in basketball.

ROANOKE, Va. – Another honor for longtime Northside head boys basketball coach Bill Pope. The Roanoke County school board voted Thursday night to name Northside's gym after the veteran coach who has won more than 500 games in a 33-year coaching career, including the school's first boys basketball state championship this season. The county policy is to not honor an individual in this way until they are no longer a part of the school system for one year. The policy was not changed, but an exception was made for coach Pope.

But the Eagles last title was in 1998, until Thursday night. The Eagles outlasted Louisa County 55-44 to win the Boys Class 4 title. These guys hustled and played and fought to the end," GW Danville head coach Jermaine Parker said. Ny'rek Wheeler added 14 points and had 16 rebounds for GW Danville. Louisa County ends the season at 26-5.

ROANOKE, Va. – For the second time in three years the Vikings of Northside will play for the VHSL Class 3 title. And after surviving another VHSL gauntlet, Coach Bill Pope says his team is used to the "go big or go home" mentality. You know that we have to come out and play or it ends, that's how it works, so. The 27-1 Vikings will face Phoebus Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Northside is led by 6-7 James Madision signee Julien Wooden, who scored 36 points in the Vikings' state semifinal win over Cave Spring.