CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield County basketball coach who has been nurturing young talent for around 20 years has been selected to represent the area in a prestigious Richmond-area tradition.
Joshua Karlson, the Varsity Boy’s Basketball Head Coach at Manchester High School in Chesterfield, has been selected to coach the South team in the 804 All-Star Game, an annual event in which the Richmond area’s best high school basketball players go head-to-head as members of teams representing the North and South sides of the James River.
Along with Karlson, who has been part of Manchester’s basketball program for around 20 years, three players from his team have also been selected for the All-Star South team. All three have either received offers or are already committed to play sports at the next level, showing Karlson’s ability to develop his players.
Karlson’s players describe him as a family-oriented coach on and off the court, guiding them through difficult moments in their lives and mentoring them beyond the sport they play. Karlson has an ability to relate to his players in a way that makes them feel comfortable enough to be themselves while still having high expectations.
This past season, the Manchester Lancers ended the regular season with an impressive record of 20-4. Unfortunately, they did not advance beyond the Virginia High School League Class 6 regional semifinal, coming up just short against Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, 53-52.
Despite the early exit in pursuit of a state title, Karlson has proven the Lancers are legitimate — leading the team to a rank of No. 39 in the state and No. 7 in Class 6, the class made up of Virginia’s largest and most competitive schools.
The 804 All-Star basketball game tips off at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 at Glen Allen High School, located at 10700 Staples Mill Road in the Glenn Allen area of Henrico County.
