Basketball Game Preview: Ritchie County Rebels vs. Magnolia Blue Eagles

Ritchie County and Magnolia are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2017, but not for long. The Ritchie County Rebels will take on the Magnolia Blue Eagles at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Ritchie County is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last eight games.

Last Thursday, Ritchie County sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 63-60 victory over Doddridge County.

Rhett Johnson

Field Goal Percentage

02/27/25 vs Doddridge County	67%
02/25/25 @ Wahama	38%
02/22/25 vs Braxton County	33%
02/18/25 vs Parkersburg Catholic	44%
02/14/25 @ South Harrison	20%
+ 25 more games

Rhett Johnson had a dynamite game for Ritchie County, shooting 64% from beyond the arc on his way to 32 points. What's more, Johnson also posted a 67% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's achieved since back in February of 2024. Isaac Hodges was another key player, dropping a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Magnolia came tearing into Tuesday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.2 points), and they left with even more momentum. They took down the Dragons 64-49.

Magnolia pushed their record up to 13-8 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.8 points over those games. As for Ritchie County, their victory bumped their record up to 15-6.

Ritchie County won a contest that couldn't have been any closer in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, slipping by Magnolia 62-61. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ritchie County since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.