There are 52 Class 2 high schools in Virginia, but there is only one John Marshall High School.

Showing that it’s in a class by itself in terms of basketball talent, Richmond’s John Marshall Justices dominated Radford High School 82-43 in the 2A State finals last Saturday at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center.

The Justices finished 22-4, winning 18 of their last 19 games mostly by lopsided margins. John Marshall’s average winning margin in seven regional and state victories was a staggering 38 points.

The Justices also won state titles in 2014, 2018 and 2020 under Coach Ty White and likely would have won a year ago had not Richmond Public Schools opted out of the season because of COVID-19.

“People ask the question all the time: ‘What’s been the best team?’” Coach White said. “It might have been last year’s team that didn’t get to play.”

Relying on a relentless full-court press that created 19 Radford turnovers and countless rushed shots, John Marshall led 42-26 at the half and 72-40 after three periods. Coach White kept the press on until the final minutes, but eight different Justices played at least 13 minutes.

Radford High School Coach Rick Cormany was short on words at the postgame news confer- ence. Asked about the baseline-to-baseline pres- sure defense, he said, “They pressed well.”

Asked how he felt, he said, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this in 40 years.”

Asked if John Marshall High School was the best team he has faced, he said, “I don’t want to talk about other teams. I just want to talk about my team.”

Coach Cormany, who has won some 800 games at Radford High in 40 seasons, later referred to his program as “Little ol’ Radford that does it right.” If there was any secret meaning behind that, he didn’t say.

Radford, with multiple state titles under Cormany, finishes 20-5 and ranks with the state’s top programs in Class 2.

John Marshall was led by sophomore guard Damon “Lil’ Redd” Thompson and 6-foot-6 junior Dennis Parker Jr.

Thompson, an opposing guard’s worst night- mare with his blurring speed and bottomless stamina, had 17 points, seven assists and two steals. He hit five of six from beyond the arc.

Parker had 24 points, 10 rebounds and made six of eight from the distance.

Later, the Justices credited their “Orange Ball” for some of their outstanding 13 for 25 accuracy on 3-pointers. The “Orange Ball,” harder and bouncier than a real ball, is a training device to improve accuracy.

“It’s harder to score with the Orange Ball,” Parker said. “It’s got to go straight in or it bounces out.”

Parker, among the most heavily recruited ever from John Marshall, added two steals, two assists and two blocks. The versatile, do-it-all athlete was asked what his best position was.

“It’s a question mark,” Parker replied. “I’m not a guard, forward or center. So the other team has to question what I am.”

It’s a “question” they so far have no answers for.

Reggie Robertson, a senior, fourth-year varsity player under Coach White, had 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and nailed two of four 3-pointers.

As overpowering as John Marshall was this season, it may be even stronger in 2022-23.

Parker, Thompson, Steve Stinson (nine points and eight rebounds against Radford) and Ashaun

Moore return among the starters, and there is always a conveyor belt of talent running through the North Side. Tyler Mason, a 6-foot-10, transfer sat out this year’s state tournament but adds a lot of life to any basketball party.

One player the team will lose is strongman Malachi Dark. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound senior scored an oh-my-gosh, two-hand dunk in the late going that not only rattled the rim, but the backboard as well. It seemed even the Siegel Center foundation quivered.

John Marshall’s last loss was Feb. 5 against Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria at Virginia State University. Hayfield went 32-0 this season en route to the state Class 6 title.

Perhaps the best matchup of the entire state tournament was one that never occurred – John Marshall versus Hayfield. As for Class 2, it was a one-team show.