The teams have met for so long and so frequently, there are no longer any surprises, or trickery that works much, when the neighborhood rival Madison Warhawks and Oakton Cougars clash in girls high-school basketball.

Achieving personal milestones has never been the reason Bobby Dobson coaches boys high-school basketball. Ask him how many career victories he’s amassed since landing his first varsity head coaching job with the Washington-Liberty Generals High School team (then Washington-Lee) back in 1993-…

TYLER PROMOTED AS COACH AT VIRGINIA TECH:Oakton High School allumnus Jack Tyler has been promoted to linebackers coach of the Virginia Tech football team.

The Langley Saxons had two notable road victories in boys high-school basketball action to close last week. The first was a tight 59-58 win over the Herndon Hornets, then there was the 84-71 triumph over the Yorktown Patriots in Liberty District contests.

In the Wakefield Warriors’ 60-39 National District road blowout victory over Justice in girls basketball action, head coach Jamar Hicks said his high-school team had its best game at that point of the season, but there was still room for improvement.

With no (or few) fans in the stands, it’s not much fun to watch high-school basketball these days.

In normal years the Madison Warhawks and Marshall Statesmen already would have played a regular-season game.

The Yorktown Patriots hosted and defeated the McLean Highlanders, 74-68, on Jan. 8 in a boys Liberty District high-school basketball game.

From being a player, a high-school coach for 34 years, an announcer and reporter of the sport – and more – for decades, Brian Doyle’s passionate involvement in basketball has been vast and versatile.

The McLean Highlanders overcame a seven-point deficit early in the third quarter to defeat the visiting Langley Saxons, 72-65, Jan. 6 in a neighborhood boys high-school basketball showdown between Liberty District rivals.

The Yorktown Patriots’ rapid-paced, fast-galloping, three-point-shooting and high-scoring offense was back on track to some degree with home victories in their past two contests.

By now, those following local high-school basketball games are accustomed to seeing the players wear masks during competition. That was one of the COVD-19 protocols adopted by the Virginia High School League and area school administrators in order to start the season.

The Langley Saxons (1-1) stayed close with the host W.T. Woodson Cavaliers into the third period of its non-district boys high-school basketball game but lost, 77-54, in part by not being able to overcome its cold shooting on Jan. 4.

The Madison Warhawks and Yorktown Patriots met in girls high-school basketball action Dec. 30 in Arlington. Madison won big 63-24.

Players, coaches and school administrators aren’t alone in making adjustments to hold a high-school basketball season in Fairfax and Arlington counties, which began Dec. 21 with many restrictions and protocols to follow because of the COVID-19 pandemic.