Luray headed to third-straight state title game after beating Justices

By Randy Arrington

LURAY, March 7 — The Luray Bulldogs only have one more goal — and one more game — on their wish list for the 2021-22 season. After defeating John Marshall, 64-46, in a state semifinal at home on Monday night, Luray now advances to its third-straight trip to the 2A state title game this Saturday in Richmond.

LHS senior standout Emilee Weakley again lead all scorers with 32 points in Monday’s semifinal, followed by junior Jaidyn McClung with 20 points. Senior Lexi Vile added eight points for Luray.

The Bulldogs once again stunned their opponents with a relentless, full-court defense and a fast-paced tempo on offense that resulted in a 21-0 lead to start the game. The Justices of John Marshall mustered their first points of the game in the final minute of the first frame, as they trailed 21-4 at the end of the first quarter. Weakley posted 15 first-quarter points.

However, John Marshall grabbed some of the momentum in the second quarter. After falling behind 32-6 at one point, the Justices went on a 13-2 run to end the first half and trailed 34-19 at the break. The comeback was fueled in large part by the impressive play of senior Miangel Harris, who posted six of her 12 points on the night in the second period.

The dominating first quarter by Luray would prove to be the difference in the game. The scoring in the final three quarters would see no more than a two-point advantage for either team, with John Marshall outscoring Luray 15-13 in the second and only dropping the last two frames by a combined three points.

While Weakley dominated the first quarter, McClung closed out the game in strong fashion with nine points in the fourth. Weakley hit one three-pointer on the night and went 13-of-15 from the line. Vile hit the Bulldogs only other shot from beyond the arc.

Region A champion John Marshall (out of the Colonial District) finishes the season at 17-7. Their standout junior Jaedyn Cook — the Region A “Player of the Year” who has already committed to Div-I Old Dominion University as a junior — was held to only nine points after posting 14 in an overtime semifinal win over Clarke on Friday in a state quarterfinal.

While John Marshall suffered from the initial shock of Luray’s intensity at tip-off, the Bulldogs’ next opponent in the 2A state championship probably won’t be as stunned for one simple reason — they play the exact same style of basketball.

The Warriors of Wise County Central like to play up tempo, “push the ball up the floor” and they “play best in transition,” according to Wise head coach Robin Dotson. The Warriors (25-5) defeated the Blue Devils of Gate City, 49-35, in Monday’s state semifinal at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. The tenacious Warrior defense helped cause 19 Gate City turnovers. That should sound familiar to Bulldog fans.

In terms of their similarities, Wise also has its own standout player in freshman Emmah McAmis, who scored 24 points in Monday’s semifinal, along with grabbing seven of the team’s 12 steals, five rebounds and dishing out four assists. In addition, Coach Dotson told the Bristol Herald Courier that her team has “gotten better and better as the season went along” — just like the Bulldogs.

With the exception of Carroll County — the No. 1 team in Class 3A and the No. 2 overall girls basketball team in Virginia, according to MaxPreps.com — the Warriors of Wise County will be the toughest opponent that Luray has faced all year. While defending 2A champion Luray (27-2) will be making its third-straight trip to the title game and Gate City appeared in the last two state championships, neither squad touts the postseason legacy of Wise.

Between 2013 and 2019, the Warriors appeared in six of seven state championship games. They won five state titles during that run, including three in-a-row from 2017-2019, and finished as state runner-up in 2013. Now, Wise County finds itself back in the hunt for a state title for the first time since 2019 after defeating the 2020 state champ and 2021 state runner-up, Gate City, in four of five meetings this season.

The 2A state championship tips off at 11 a.m. this Saturday, March 12 at VCU’s Siegel Center in Downtown Richmond.

To purchase tickets for the game visit:

https://vcutickets.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=VHSL&linkID=vcu&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode

All tickets will be sold ON-LINE. VCU requires masking while attending games at the athletic facility at all times, except when actively eating or drinking in your seats.

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The PVN Sports broadcast crew selected

Jaidyn McClung and Miangel Harris

as the Blue Ridge Bank “Players of the Game“.

McClung posted one of her best games of the season for Luray on Monday night in the state semifinal, with 20 points against John Marshall.

The Justices were lead by Harris, a senior, with 12 points.

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