Jaxson Short squares off with an opponent. Richlands and Tazewell both have home matches this week.
Jaxson Short squares off with an opponent. Richlands and Tazewell both have home matches this week.
Jack Clem and Cooper Hurst received their state championship rings at halftime of the Marion game last week. The duo won the class 2 state doubles title in tennis.
Jack Clem and Cooper Hurst received their state championship rings at halftime of the Marion game last week. The duo won the class 2 state doubles title in tennis.
The Graham High School cheerleaders were honored for their second place finish in state competition at the Jan. 13 school board meeting.
The Graham High School cheerleaders were honored for their second place finish in state competition at the Jan. 13 school board meeting.
Richlands bests Marion
Parker Ryder scored 25 points in Richlands' win over Marion.
Boys Basketball
G-Men fall to Woodrow Wilson
Channing Disibbio scored 30 points, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Graham G-Men lost for just the second time this season, falling 73-65 to Woodrow Wilson out of West Virginia.
The G-Men (9-2) also received 15 points from Cambel Fix and 12 points courtesy of Ty Martin.
Jayden Robinson led the West Virginians with 19 points.
Graham goes to Richlands on Tuesday for a Southwest District game. The G-Men host Lebanon on Friday in a highly-anticipated SWD showdown.
Graham trounces Tazewell
The Graham G-Men placed five scorers in double digits in an 81-31 trouncing Tazewell for a Southwest District triumph.
Channing Disibbio (20 points), Cambel Fix (16 points), Ty Martin (14 points), Gabe Palmer (12 points) and Garrett Palmer (11 points) led the balanced attack as the bunch from Bluefield improved to 9-1.
Tazewell was led by Matt Clifton’s 10 points.
Lebanon bests Richlands
Lebanon’s Michael Reece has answered many challenges over the past four years on the football field and basketball court.
In Friday’s Southwest District basketball showdown against the Richlands Blue Tornado, the 6-foot-4 senior encountered a zone defense.
“I knew we were going to shoot them out of that,” Reece said.
Reece opened the game with three 3-pointers, with each shot coming from extra distance.
“We practiced against the zone all weekend and I felt confident going in” Reece said. “I started to get hot after my first shot fell.”
Behind a total of four 3-pointers, Reece finished with 29 points as Lebanon posted a 68-47 win.
“I was open on the right wing, so I just had to knock the shots down,” Reece said.
Lebanon coach Scotty Boyd has scouted Richlands several times this season.
“And I came away impressed each time,” Boyd said. “Richlands plays really hard, and I was worried.”
The Pioneers led just 17-14 after the first quarter before opening a 28-21 margin with 3:55 left in the first half. Perimeter shooting was the key.
“We worked on things to do against the zone and we were able to hit some threes early,” Boyd said. “We began to fall in love with the 3-point line in the first half, and then we had to get to back in the paint in the second half.”
Thanks to the work of three underclassmen, Lebanon (12-2, 2-0) crafted a 45-34 advantage with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Six-foot-one freshman Dawson Rasnake and six-foot sophomore Caiden Glass combined for 20 points. Six-foot-two freshman Ethan Horne contributed eight points and played solid defense against potent Richlands senior Wynnter Boyd.
“Those three guys were the reason we were able to pull away,” Reece said. “I’m glad to have them as teammates.”
Six-foot-two sophomore Layne Jessee delivered six points for Lebanon despite playing with a brace over his broken nose.
Richlands (9-4, 1-1) was led by senior Max Herndon with 20 points, while Boyd added 13. Boyd moved up to third on the program’s career scoring list Tuesday with a 21-point effort against Marion.
The Blues simply had no answer for Reece.
“I think he’s a Division I athlete,” Richlands coach Brian Moore said. “From the perimeter or in the paint, it doesn’t really matter. You have to account for Reece at all times, and that allows other players to get open.”
Moore said his tallest player is 6-2 senior reserve Robert Clem
“Reece is especially hard to guard when you don’t hardly have anybody over 6-foot,” Moore said.
The depth of Lebanon and inaccuracy from the free throw line spelled doom for Richlands over the final two quarters. Richlands made just 2 of 9 free throw attempts for the game.
“I was pretty pleased going into halftime considering how well Lebanon was shooting,” Moore said. “We got behind the eight-ball there on offense in the third and Lebanon expanded its lead. Missing those free throws played a big factor.”
The other losses for Richlands have come against Grundy and Wise County Central.
“We’re much further along than we were at this time last year,” Moore said. “The boys understand what we’re doing and they are executing pretty well.
“We’ve had some bright spots and we’ve had some spots where we’ve made mistakes, but it’s nothing we can’t correct.”
Lebanon has lost to Patrick Henry and Floyd Central, Kentucky.
“We’re happy with the season, but we have to be a little more consistent,” Boyd said.
Reece embraced his latest challenge.
“Richlands has a great team and Coach Moore is one of the best coaches in the region,” Reece said. “You know they are going to come our of the gate swinging, but we matched their energy.”
RICHLANDS (47) – Ryder 4 0-0 9, Wyn. Boyd 6 1-5 13, Fuller 1 0-2 2, Wak. Boyd 1 0-0 3, McGee 0 0-0 0, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Clem 0 0-0 0, Herndon 8 1-2 20. Totals 19 2-9 46.
LEBANON (68) – Rasnake 4 0-0 11, Jessee 3 0-2 6, Hilton 2 0-0 5, Brennon Hess 0 0-0 0, Horne 3 2-2 8, Glass 3 3-3 9, Braelin Hess 0 0-0 0, Reece 11 3-6 29. Totals 26 8-13 68.
Richlands 14 12 8 13-47
Lebanon 17 15 13 23-68
3-point goals – R 5 (Herndon 3, Ryder, Wak. Boyd), L 8 (Reece 4, Rasnake 3, Hilton); Total fouls – R 10, L 14; Fouled out – none; JV game – Lebanon 39-33.
Richlands bests Marion
Parker Ryder tossed in 25 points as the Richlands Blue Tornado topped Marion 74-65 to set up an upcoming Southwest District showdown.
The Blues travel to Lebanon on Friday in a marquee SWD contest.
Ryder also recorded six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Wynnter Boyd added 21 points and six rebounds. He moved into third place on the career scoring list at Richlands.
Max Herndon’s 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals were also vital to the victory.
Caden Burchett scored 24 points for Marion. Hayden Hall’s 20 points and Jayden McKinney’s 13 points were also notable for the Scarlet Hurricanes.
MARION (65) – Billings 0, Hall 20, Pierce 2, McKinney 13, Hylton 6, Burchett 24.
RICHLANDS (74) – Ryder 25, Wy. Boyd 21, Fuller 7, Wa. Boyd 1, McGee 0, Herndon 20, Hurst 0, Kiser 0, McGee 0, Wilson 0, Clem 0.
Marion 10 8 19 28—65
Richlands 16 15 20 23—74
3-point goals – Marion 3 (Burchett 2, Hall), Richlands 4 (Herndon).
Lebanon tops Tazewell
Mike Reece crafted another masterpiece – 32 points, 11 rebounds, five assists – as the Lebanon Pioneers trounced Tazewell 77-56 for a Southwest District road win.
Ethan Horne added 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while Dawson Rasnake’s 12 points and Jake Hilton’s nine-point, six-assist effort were vital to the victory as well.
The trio of Brayden Hinkle (17 points), Jakeim Beavers (14 points) and Lane McMullen (10 points) all scored in double digits for Tazewell.
LEBANON (77) – Rasnake 12, Jessee 9, Bre. Hess 2, Glass 2, Campbell 0, Reece 32, Hill 0, Horne 11, Hilton 9.
TAZEWELL (56) – Yeanans 0, Dagout 0, Hamilton 0, Viney 2, McDonald 1, Clifton 4, Whittaker 3, Beavers 14, L. McMullen 10, Q. McMullen 5, Hinkle 17.
Lebanon 15 27 21 14—77
Tazewell 12 10 14 20—56
3-point goals – Lebanon 8 (Reece 2, Rasnake 2, Hilton 2, Horne,
Jessee), Tazewell 5 (L. McMullen 2, Whittaker, Q. McMullen, Hinkle).
G-Men slam Virginia High
Channing Disibbio scored 20 points as the Graham G-Men vanquished Virginia High for a 73-42 Southwest District victory.
Gage Palmer (17 points), Ty Martin (16 points) and Cambel Fix (15 points) also played well for Graham. The G-Men (8-1) beat VHS in the 2025 Region 2D title game.
Virginia High did not have a player score in double digits in remaining winless.
Bulldogs sink Golden Wave
Lane McMullen was dialed in from long range as he sank eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points for the Tazewell Bulldogs in their 86-63 non-district boys basketball win over the Grundy Golden Wave on Monday evening.
Quinn McMullen – Lane’s brother – added five 3s of his own in scoring 21 points for the winners. Matt Clifton added 17 points for head coach Steve O’Neil’s club.
Tazewell outscored the Wave 32-12 in the second quarter to take control. In total, the Bulldogs knocked down 16 shots from beyond the arc.
Ethan McClanahan (27 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals) and Kyle Hunt (17 points, 10 rebounds) were the leaders for Grundy.
GRUNDY (63) – McClanahan 27, Hunt 17, J. Deel 3, Anderson 4, Fuller 8, Smith 0, Conaway 4, C. Deel 0.
TAZEWELL (86) – McDonad 0, Clifton 17, Dagout 2, Norman 2, Yearins 0, Viney 3, Whittaker 0, Beavers 2, L. McMullen 32, Q. McMullen 21, Turner 0, Hinkle 9.
Grundy 22 15 12 14—63
Tazewell 15 23 32 15—86
Girls Basketball
Lebanon rocks Richlands
Lebanon coach Travis Hooker graduated just one veteran off a squad that posted a 9-19 record last season.
That experience is paying off.
Behind a 26-point effort from sophomore Ali Beck, the Pioneers improved to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the district with a 71-22 win over Richlands.
“We’re having a good year, and we’ve really come together recently,” Hooker said. “I’m proud of this team. We’re sharing the ball, shooting and playing good defense.”
Senior point guard Chloe Couch supplied 14 points for Lebanon, while junior forward Jaidyn Fields added 11. Freshman guard Kenlie Fields delivered eight points in her first varsity start.
The Pioneers hit a total of eight three pointers en route to their fourth straight win.
“We were up by five against Grundy before losing, and we’ve shot the ball well since,” Hooker said.
Fueled by a pressing defense, Lebanon crafted a 24-4 run in the second quarter and took a 41-12 lead into halftime.
Ali Beck averages 15 points. Senior center Lia Beck, sister of Ali, did not play on Friday but generates eight points and 10 rebounds per game.
Richlands (1-10, 0-2) was led by junior guard Aubreigh Compton with six points. The Blues converted just 11 of their 25 free throw attempts.
RICHLANDS (22) – Buchanan 0 0-2 0, Mitchell 1 0-0 3, Compton 2 2-3 6, Moore 0 3-8 3, Barnett 1 3-4 5, Breeding 1 2-6 4, Hale 0 1-2 1. Totals 5 11-25 22.
LEBANON (71) – A. Beck 10 3-4 26, J. Fields 4 0-1 11, Couch 5 1-2 14, Brooks 1 0-0 2, Taylor 1 1-2 3, Lampkin 1 1-2 3, Rousette 1 0-0 3, Mullins 2 0-0 4, K. Fields 4 0-0 8. Totals 29 5-7 71.
Richlands 8 4 6 4-22
Lebanon 17 24 19 11-71
3-point goals – R 1 (Mitchell), L 8 (Beck 3, Couch 3, J. Fields, Lampkin); Total fouls – R 9, L 16; Fouled out – none
Marion blasts Richlands
Macy Osborne’s 25-point, 10-steal, three-assist gem highlighted Marion’s 57-20 Southwest District rocking of Richlands.
The Scarlet Hurricanes closed the first half on a 19-4 run.
Kyra Mullis added 11 points, five steals, four rebounds and two blocks.
Brynn Breeding led Richlands with seven points.
MARION (57) – Osborne 25, Mullis 11, Amos 5, Pike 5, Haulsey 4, Yarber 4, Hall 3, Reynolds 0.
RICHLANDS (20) – Compton 0, Hale 0, Moore 0, Buchanan 1, P. Barnett 6, Mitchell 6, B. Breeding 7.
Marion 11 19 15 12—57
Richlands 5 4 7 4—20
3-point goals – Marion 6 (Mullins 3, Pike, Mullis, Hall), Richlands, none.
Lebanon wallops Tazewell
Lebanon pitched a shutout in the first quarter in a 45-10 trouncing Tazewell in Southwest District play.
The Pioneers built a 20-0 lead after one quarter and expanded that advantage to 31-1 at halftime.
No player scored in double digits for Lebanon with the eight points of Ali Beck and Abby Mullins leading the way. Lia Beck and Kenlie Fields added seven points apiece.
LEBANON (45) – Paguz 0, A. Beck 8, J. Fields 5, Couch 6, Brooks 2, L. Beck 7, Taylor 0, Lampkin 0, Roussett 2, Mullins 8, K. Fields 7.
TAZEWELL (10) – Pyott 5, Dillon 0, Sheppard 2, McGraw 1, Rose 0, Taylor 0, Huffman 2, Snapp 0.
Lebanon 20 11 5 9—45
Tazewell 0 1 7 2—10
3-point goals – Lebanon 3 (Couch 2, J. Fields), Tazewell 1 (Pyott).
Bearcats claw past G-Girls
Kaiden Harris had 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Virginia High Bearcats bested defending Southwest District champion Graham 46-36.
Gracie Arnold (eight points, five rebounds, five assists) and Chloe Jarvis (six points, four assists, two rebounds) also played well in the win.
Kristlyn Powell’s 13 points were tops for Graham, while Kadance Bowman collected 11 points for the G-Girls.
Grundy wallops Tazewell
Kate Bostic got it done on both ends of the floor, scoring 13 points and collecting five steals as Grundy trounced Tazewell for a 53-15 triumph.
Bostic also dished out a couple of assists.
“Kate rebounds it well and does a real good job inside,” said Grundy coach Brian Looney. “She can’t be left alone on the perimeter either as she can hit from 3.”
Sophia Belcher (12 points) and Adyson Bell (10 points) also helped the Golden Wave improve to 8-4.
“Right now, we are getting great balance from our starting five with all five averaging close to double figures,” Looney said.
The Wave led 29-0 after one quarter and 43-1 at halftime.
Josie McGraw scored nine of Tazewell’s 15 points.
Richland_clinch_valley
Young headed to Alice Lloyd
Drake Young has been running competitively since sixth grade, and his next track will be in Kentucky.
The Tazewell High School senior track and cross-country star has committed to Alice Lloyd, an NCAA Division II school in Pippa Passes Kentucky. Young won both the Region D and Southwest District titles in cross country last fall.
Despite battling sickness, Young finished 15th in the state. He advanced to state in the 3,200 and the 800 in track last spring. He is currently running indoor track for the Bulldogs.
Young will be joining a competitive program at Alice Lloyd. The Eagles advanced two cross country runners to the Division II nationals this past cross country season.
His accomplishments were recognized during the school board meeting Jan. 12. He is the son of Deacon and Dana Young.
Richland_clinch_valley
Sports Menu
Sports schedule for week of Jan. 21-27
The complete schedule of athletic events for the three county high schools for the week of Jan21-27 is listed below. For postponements or other changes check southwestdistrictva.org.
Graham
Jan. 21– The wrestling team hosts a district match.
Jan. 22 – The girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams host Bluefield.
Jan. 23-- The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams host Lebanon.
Jan. 26-- The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams go to Grundy.
Jan. 27- The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams host Marion.
Richlands
Jan. 21 – The wrestling teamis at Lebanon.
Jan. 23 - The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams host Virginia High.
Jan. 24– The wrestling team goes to Hurricane. The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams host Central Wise.
Jan. 27 – The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams go to Tazewell.
Tazewell
Jan. 21 - The wrestling team hosts Chilhowie and Patrick Henry. The indoor track teams go to Abingdon. The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams go to Grundy.
Jan. 23 - The boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams go to Marion. The swim team goes to Va.High.
Jan. 24 - The indoor track teams go to Abingdon.
Jan. 27 - The boys ‘and girls’ junior varsity and varsity basketball teams host Richlands. The swim team goes to Virginia High.
