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JM boys, girls look to double dip

Fred Jeter | 3/7/2024, 6 p.m.
They never even tapped their brakes in getting to where they wanted to go. The John Marshall High School boys ...
Cameron Claiborne (1) drives toward the paint. Photo by James Haskins

Janiyaha Pickett (20) passes the ball to a teammate.

Janiyaha Pickett (20) passes the ball to a teammate.

They never even tapped their brakes in getting to where they wanted to go.

The John Marshall High School boys and girls have rumbled into the history book as among the most dominant postseason teams in Virginia hoops history.

So far.

The JM boys have won their regional and state games by an average of 59 points; the girls by 55.

All that’s left in their tracks is the final prize, Class 2 state championships.

This train isn’t likely to stop until the North Siders pull off a rarity by winning boys and girls titles the same season, on the same floor, in back-to-back games in front of many of the same fans.

John Marshall’s Justices have become Richmond’s Team, justifiably so. And it helps that the JM campus on North Side is not to far from VCU’s Siegel Center, sight of the state finals.

Here’s the grand finale schedule for Thursday, March 7, at the Siegel Center:

JM girls vs. Central Wise of Norton, 12:20 p.m.; the Warriors are 25-4 with 11 straight wins.

JM boys vs. Virginia High of Bristol, 2:30 p.m.; the Bearcats are 23-5 with eight straight wins.

The championship opponents couldn’t be much further apart geographically or in terms of demographics.

Bristol (85% white) is 327 miles from Richmond; Norton (87% white) is 360 miles. Both are in extreme southwest Virginia at the edge of Tennessee. JM is 86% African-American.

JM was a state contender before, under Coach Frank Threatts, but has shifted into a higher gear under Coach Ty White. The Justices are looking for a third straight state title and fourth since 2018.

It helps that JM’s teams are intertwined with the high-end Team Loaded AAU program that Coach White coordinates.

JM has recovered from losing two All-State performers from last season — Dennis Parker (now at North Carolina State) and Jason Rivera-Torres (Vanderbilt).

The JM girls reached the state semifinals the past two seasons under Coach Virgil Burton and are on the cusp of taking the tallest trophy this go-round.

Like the boys, the JM girls lost their leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago, 6-foot-3 All-State Jaeden Cook, now at East Carolina.

There’s little end in sight for JM dominance.

Athletes are attracted to the school for its hoops status and for its federal TRIO after-school learning program.

The 2024 boys lose just two starters from the current juggernaut, and it would be naïve not to assume reinforcements aren’t on the way.

The blue-clad girls lose some key performers from this year, but the roster is brimming with talented underclassmen and more could be coming.