Are the George Washington Eagles the favorite to win the Western Valley District boys basketball title?
We will find out Friday night.
The unbeaten team from Danville, ranked No. 2 in Group AAA by Virginiapreps.com, rolls into Roanoke to face three-time reigning Western Valley District champion Patrick Henry in a 7:30 p.m. game.
GW has steamrolled Franklin County and William Fleming in its first two WVD games. One of the officials who worked the GW-Franklin County game in Rocky Mount told me GW had “at least 20 dunks” in the game.
I’m certain that’s an exaggeration, but it indicates the kind of athleticism people might see at PH tonight. GW is 12-0. PH is 12-1 it could be a good one.

On Saturday, Patrick Henry hosts another Northwest Region power, Potomac. The game is at 4 p.m., followed by a prep school game between Massanutten Military Academy’s postgraduate team and Southern Tech Prep of Charlotte. Massanutten is ranked No. 1 nationally among postgrad teams.

Elsewhere, Franklin County’s girls visit William Fleming in a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Timesland rankings. That could be the first of at least three games between the two rivals.
First place will be on the line in the River Ridge District boys race when Cave Spring visits Blacksburg. Both teams are 2-0. Cave Spring enters with three losses in its last five games, failing to reach the 30-point mark in any of the three.
First place in the Blue Ridge District girls race also is up for grabs as Staunton River visits Lord Botetourt. Both teams have losing records overall, but they are 2-0 in the league. Staunton River went 1-10 in the pre-district schedule, but the Golden Eagles stunned Northside on Tuesday.

Below is the schedule for Friday with the overall and district records prior to Thursday night in parentheses:

BOYS
WESTERN VALLEY DISTRICT
George Washington (12-0, 3-0) at Patrick Henry (12-1, 3-0)
William Fleming (10-4, 1-1) at Franklin County (12-3, 0-2)
BLUE RIDGE DISTRICT
Lord Botetourt (8-5, 1-1) at Staunton River (2-10, 0-2)
Rockbridge County (9-3, 2-0) at Alleghany (6-6, 0-2)
William Byrd (8-6, 1-1) at Northside (11-2, 2-0)
PIEDMONT DISTRICT
Magna Vista at Bassett
Tunstall (4-7, 1-1) at Martinsville (8-6, 1-0)
RIVER RIDGE DISTRICT
Cave Spring (7-7, 2-0) at Blacksburg (6-8, 2-0)
Christiansburg (2-10, 1-1) at Salem (4-8, 0-2)
Pulaski County (3-9, 0-2) at Hidden Valley (2-12, 1-1)
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
Marion (7-2, 1-0)  at Tazewell (5-7, 0-1)
HOGOHEEGEE DISTRICT
George Wythe (3-6, 3-0) at PH-Glade Spring (4-10, 1-2)
Holston (3-10, 1-1) at Chilhowie (4-9, 1-1)
Rural Retreat (0-11, 0-2) at Northwood (4-7, 1-1)
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE DISTRICT
Fort Chiswell (5-5, 1-1) at Narrows (6-6, 0-2)
Galax (1-8, 0-2) at Grayson County (8-4, 2-0)
Graham (9-3, 2-0) at Bland County (9-4, 1-1)
PIONEER DISTRICT
Covington (1-9, 1-1) at Bath County (5-3, 1-1)
Craig County (0-12, 0-2) at Parry McCluer (9-5, 2-0)
Highland (2-4, 1-1) at James River (1-11, 1-1)
THREE RIVERS DISTRICT
Auburn (8-6, 1-2) at Floyd County (13-2, 3-0)
Giles (4-8, 0-3) at Eastern Montgomery (6-8, 0-3)
Radford (12-2, 3-0) at Glenvar (12-2, 2-1)
VACA SOUTHWEST
Faith Christian School at SWVa Home School
Parkway Christian at Roanoke Valley Christian (5-2, 2-1)

GIRLS
WESTERN VALLEY DISTRICT
Franklin County (10-3, 2-0) at William Fleming (10-4, 2-0)
Patrick Henry (6-8, 1-1) at George Washington (6-3, 1-2)
BLUE RIDGE DISTRICT
Alleghany (5-7, 1-1) at Rockbridge County (2-9, 0-2)
Northside (9-3, 1-1) at William Byrd (3-11, 0-2)
Staunton River (3-10, 2-0) at Lord Botetourt (5-8, 2-0)
PIEDMONT DISTRICT
Martinsville (4-8, 0-1) at Tunstall (0-10, 0-3)
RIVER RIDGE DISTRICT
Blacksburg (4-8, 0-2) at Cave Spring (4-9, 1-1)
Christiansburg (7-7, 0-2) at Salem (10-3, 2-0)
Hidden Valley (6-8, 2-0) at Pulaski County (2-11, 1-1)
SEMINOLE DISTRICT
Amherst County (7-2, 3-2) at Liberty (8-3, 2-3)
Rustburg (4-8, 1-4) at Jefferson Forest (8-3, 2-2)
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
Marion (2-8, 0-1) at Tazewell (8-5, 1-0)
HOGOHEEGEE DISTRICT
Holston (0-10, 0-2) at Chilhowie (12-2, 2-0)
Northwood at Rural Retreat (6-6, 1-0)
PH-Glade Spring (8-5, 2-0) at George Wythe (4-8, 1-2)
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE DISTRICT
Fort Chiswell (7-5, 1-1) at Narrows (4-9, 1-0)
Galax (7-5, 2-0) at Grayson County (8-4, 1-1)
Graham (7-5, 1-1)  at Bland County (2-9, 0-2)
PIONEER DISTRICT
Highland (3-3, 0-2) at James River (10-3, 2-0)
VACA SOUTHWEST
Parkway Christian (8-3, 0-1) at Roanoke Valley Christian (2-4, 0-1)
BLUE RIDGE CONFERENCE
Carlisle (1-8, 0-0) at North Cross (1-10, 1-3)
NONDISTRICT
Halifax County (7-7) at Bassett (8-1)