Thomas Dale boys (3-0) Thomas Dale 53, Douglas Freeman 51 Dale scoring: Kylon Lewis 14 pts, Neal Phillips 14 pts, Myles Phillips 8 pts Thomas Dale 56, Mills Godwin 49 Dale stats: Miles Phillips 13 pts, Kylon Lewis 12 pts, 5 reb, 4 asst, Jahmeel Campbell 10 pts, 5 reb, Luke Ogle 8 pts, 6 reb Thomas Dale 61, Meadowbrook 53 Dale stats: Kylon Lewis 19 pts, Neal Phillips 14 pts, 6 reb, Jahmeel Campbell 9 pts, Miles Phillips 9 pts Matoaca girls (2-0) Matoaca 73, Hermitage 33 Matoaca stats: Maia Pettaway 12 pts, 3 stl, Jordan Carpenter 11 pts,…

Knights start their season 3-0 As the basketball season got underway for seven of nine Chester-area teams, there was plenty of good news. After winning just five games last year, Thomas Dale already has 60 percent of that win total in the season’s first week. Under first-year head coach Keyode Rogers, Thomas Dale won the Rebel Invitational and started its season 3-0 by defeating Douglas Freeman, Mills Godwin and Meadowbrook. “We played good team basketball,” Rogers said. “We are being very unselfish on the offensive end and playing team defense on the other end. This is a good start, but…

Thomas Dale boys’ basketball has struggled in recent seasons. In fact, they won just five games last season. Now, there’s a new coach at the helm in Keyode Rogers, who has 16 years of coaching under his belt. Locally speaking, his last job was as an assistant under L.C. Bird head coach Troy Manns for the past four seasons. He’ll look to instill that same winning pedigree in the Knights. The team fell in the first round of the Region 6A tournament to James River last year, 83-56. Returning players: Myles Phillips, Kylon Lewis, Neal Phillps, Jahmeel Campbell, Luke Ogle…

By Soren Rutherford Coming into the new season, Matoaca looks to gather even more success after finishing a long regional run in the playoffs with a loss to Varina, 75-54. Despite having success last year with a 15-9 overall record, Matoaca will be playing under newly hired head coach Dennis Calloway. Departures: While the Warriors had several players leave the program due to transferring, they also lost Jalen Hargrove and Tyrese Tingle to graduation. Hargrove will be playing for Lynchburg College this year, while Tingle will be suiting up for the Apprentice School. Returning players: Essentially, coach Calloway and Matoaca…

With a relatively disappointing 10-12 season last year, Meadowbrook under second-year head coach Sam Bryant will look to push their players to improve to make the playoffs and become contenders, after failing to qualify in 2018-19. Departures: Isaiah Richardson, Alphonzo Mason, Kelly Jones Jr., Duane Watkins. Richardson will be playing for Erie Community College, Mason for Coastal Florida Prep, and Jones Jr. for Fork Union Academy. Watkins will be attending Norfolk State University just as a student. Returning players: Lamondre Gregg, Sincere Clark, Ezekial Edwards, Gary Ampy, and James Patterson. Backcourt: The Monarchs’ backcourt includes seniors Gregg and Ampy, and…

Head coach William Simon and Carver Academy reflect proudly on last year’s successes, but are hungry for more. A 21-win season culminated in the state quarterfinals loss to the Rappahannock Raiders, 68-60. Simon has some key returners, as well as some depth from last season that could star this year. Departures: Travis Williams, Ryan Johnson, Corey Atkins, Michael McQuinn, Damian Mosher, and Mikael Jaaber. Williams and Johnson both decided to transfer to new schools coming into the new year. Mosher will be playing basketball at Patrick Henry Community College while Jaaber will be suiting up for Carolina Basketball Academy. Returning…

Once a top program, Thomas Dale has slowly been closing the gap back to being a contender under coach Leon Gholson, who enters his fifth season. Their 16-7 mark last year was the best during Gholson’s tenure. The Knights fell to Cosby in the region at semi-finals, 58-47. Departures: Jessica Henderson, Daizjah Brown, Jaiyden Winfield Henderson is playing basketball at Lees McRae in North Carolina, and Brown is suiting up at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Key returning players: Aliyah Kellum, Rana Richie Backcourt: Rana Richie, Elayna Givens and Ayanni Madison will be the top guard’s in Gholson’s rotation.…

Matoaca girls’ basketball had a landmark season under Glenna Lewis, winning 18 games and advancing to the second round of the region 5B tournament, where the team fell to Highland Springs. This year, they lost just two players, and five seniors return. This is a group that’s clearly hungry for more and could push L.C. Bird for local supremacy during the 2019-20 season. Departed players: Jania Harrison, Nadja Gray Returning players: Jordan Carpenter, Aliyah Coleman, Aliyah Jackson, Maia Pettaway, Alize Armstead Jordan Carpenter fights for a rebound. Backcourt: This will be an experienced and deep group, even down to sophomore…