The Mathews High School varsity boys’ basketball team made it all the way to this year’s VHSL Elite Eight in Bristol, the first time a Blue Devil team has earned a state tournament berth since 1978.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as Mathews got as the Devils fell in Friday night’s state quarterfinal game to Radford by a 74-51 margin. Radford went on to defeat Lancaster, 70-61, the following night and will play for the Group 1A state title tonight against George Wythe-Wytheville.

There is one name in common with both the 2017 and 1978 MHS basketball teams: Stuart Anderson. Anderson Sr. was a key member of John Lanford’s squad that won the regional title and earned a place in that year’s state tournament. And Stuart Anderson Jr. has been the lynchpin of this year’s team; the senior (who is going to Norfolk State on a football scholarship) surpassed the 1,000-point career mark earlier this season.

Friday’s game started out fairly even, as R...