Basketball Game Preview: Chilhowie Warriors vs. Patrick Henry Rebels

The Chilhowie Warriors are taking a road trip to face off against the Patrick Henry Rebels at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Chilhowie took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 58-29 win over Holston. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Cavaliers: they've now won seven in a row.

Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Patrick Henry rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They blew past the Panthers, posting a 78-30 win. Given the Rebels' advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 147th, while the Panthers are ranked 385th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Patrick Henry's win came from a few key players Chilhowie will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cole Caywood, who went 7-for-13 on his way to 18 points in addition to eight boards and three blocks. That's the most blocks he has posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kolin Gobble, who went 5-for-9 en route to 16 points along with five assists and five steals.

Patrick Henry smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Chilhowie's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-8. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.8 points over those games. As for Patrick Henry, they are on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-3 record this season.

Chilhowie ended up a good deal behind Patrick Henry in their previous meeting back in January, losing 61-46. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Caywood, who dropped a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Now that Chilhowie knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.