MetroNews, Author at WV MetroNews

West Liberty never trails in 93-88 victory against Fairmont State for fifth MEC crown

MetroNews — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:39:58 +0000

— By Bryan Dillon, For MountainEast.org

WHEELING, W.VA. — Top-seeded West Liberty never trailed and held off a comeback bid on the way to capturing its fifth MEC tournament championship, 93-88, over second-seeded Fairmont State on Sunday afternoon at WesBanco Arena.

West Liberty has a 27-4 record, while Fairmont State is 26-5. Both teams will await the release of the Division II men’s tournament bracket this evening.

“It was a heck of a college basketball game,” said West Liberty head coach Michael Lamberti. “WesBanco was very packed with a lot of energy. West Liberty and Fairmont State yet again. It has happened numerous times over the last couple of years, and I thought it was a classic Mountain East Conference championship game.”

As they did throughout the tournament in historical fashion, West Liberty’s defense stepped to the forefront, forcing Fairmont State into 19 turnovers, through eight steals. West Liberty tied the tournament record with 47 steals over three games, a record they set in 2025.

Freshman Myles Montgomery led the Hilltoppers defensively throughout the tournament, setting an individual steals record with 14, surpassing former Hilltopper JP Dragas’ previous record of 11 set in last year’s tournament. Following the game it was announced that Montgomery was named tournament MVP after averaging 17.3 points per game and 4.6 steals per game.

When asked about winning the MVP and Mountain East Championship Trophies, Myles Montgomery said, “it feels really good, and it is a blessing to have this [trophy]. I could not have won [MVP], or we could not have all won [the tournament] without a whole team effort. I could not have done anything I have done without the coaches and all the players. We are a whole team, and we have more games to win.”

Speaking on his impact on the defensive end, Montgomery said,” Everybody knows we play really fast and trap a lot. I have fun doing it, the whole team does. We always say, let’s just fly around, and that has been our motto all year. I can’t get steals if my teammates can’t get traps. We all just fly around, and I get fortunate a lot of times for the ball to land in my lap.

The strength in depth that the Hilltoppers showed throughout the tournament once again showed up on Sunday afternoon as Peter Lattos set the tone for WLU with 16 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Lattos finished with 18 total points, helping West Liberty to a 35-27 advantage in bench points.

Lattos was joined by four teammates in double digits, including Myles Montgomery and Hayden Abdullah with 13 points, Cam Williams with 12 points, and Aiden Davis with 11 points. Fairmont State was led in scoring by Drey Carter, who finished with a game–high 23 points, and David Jolinder, who added 15 points.

With a four-point lead with 13:07 remaining in the first half, Peter Lattos hit five of the next six field goals for the Hilltoppers, including a three-pointer with 8:56 remaining to open up a 12-point lead. Three minutes later, West Liberty went on an 8-0 run fueled by five points from Myles Montgomery to open up its lead to 19, before eventually taking a 51-30 advantage into the break. The 21 point halftime margin set a tournament record for the largest lead at the break of a championship game.

“We came out pretty hot in the first half, hitting a lot of shots … and had a 21-point lead going into the half,” continued Lamberti. “I think that was huge for us because Fairmont really put their foot on the gas in the second half.”

“We came up a little short,” stated Fairmont State head coach Tim Koenig. “The turnovers in the first half really hurt us. We struggled to make shots from the perimeter and had some issues on the glass, but I am really proud of our fight and togetherness in the second half. We just ran out of time … tonight we came up a little short. I am very grateful to get another practice. I do not know who we are going to play, but I am so grateful to have another opportunity to play a game.”

Fairmont State showed its fight in the second half. After West Liberty took its largest lead of the game, 24 points on the opening basket of the second half, the Falcons began to slowly chip away at the deficit. FSU mixed in a pair of 8-2 runs, which helped cut the lead to as little as three points. It was not enough as the Hilltoppers hit ten free throws over the final 1:04 to hold on to their lead. Drey Carter scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half for Fairmont State.

Ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the last regional rankings update, West Liberty and Fairmont will find out their opponent in the upcoming NCAA Division II tournament when the final seeds are announced at 11 p.m. this evening.

Tournament Awards

Highest Scorer: Trey Simmons, Frostburg State

Commissioner’s Heart & Hustle: Miguel Martinez, Fairmont State

All-Tournament Team

Bobacar Djigo, Concord

Trey Simmons, Frostburg State

Jalen Knott, Glenville State

Miguel Martinez, Fairmont State

Drey Carter, Fairmont State

Jamie Muldoeney, West Liberty

Cameron Williams, West Liberty

MVP – Myles Montgomery, West Liberty

The post West Liberty never trails in 93-88 victory against Fairmont State for fifth MEC crown appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Charleston downs Glenville State in defensive struggle for MEC Championship

MetroNews — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:28:57 +0000

— By Duane Cochran, For Mountain East.org

WHEELING, W.VA. — The University of Charleston’s second-ranked defense in the Mountain East Conference turned in a record-setting performance here Sunday afternoon to help the third-seeded Golden Eagles claim a hard-fought 48-43 victory over top-seeded Glenville State in the league’s annual women’s tournament championship game here at WesBanco Arena.

The win improved UC to 21-10 on the year and earns the Golden Eagles an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Atlantic Regional Tournament which will get under way Friday at a site which will be announced Sunday evening.

Glenville, which fell to 24-6 with Sunday’s loss, is also expected to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Atlantic Regional.

The tournament championship is the first for UC since it won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 and it’s the Golden Eagles’ third MEC tourney title overall. UC also became the first-ever three seed to win the tournament.

The Pioneers, who have a record five MEC Tournament championships, lost for the second straight year in the title game.

“You guys just got a really good game,” said UC coach Bubby Johnson. “I know people get upset in Super Bowls and whatnot when it’s low scoring and they don’t get a whole lot of points, but I’m sorry to disappoint. I thought both teams played amazing defense. Everybody had to work for everything.

“I’m really proud of my girls for how hard they fought. They got 60 rebounds against a very good Glenville team so they have every right to be proud of themselves.”

The 60 rebounds were an MEC finals’ game record. The Golden Eagles’ defense also set championship game records for fewest points allowed (43), fewest points allowed in a quarter (7), lowest field goal percentage allowed (21 percent, 13-of-62) and lowest 3-point field goal percentage allowed (9.5 percent, 2-of-21).

Glenville was 0-of-13 on field goals in the fourth and final quarter when it scored just seven points – all of which came at the line.

The Pioneers, who shot 49 percent from the field and 52 percent from three in its semifinal win Saturday over Fairmont State, got some good looks Sunday but not much of anything would fall. The 43 total points were a season low for the Pioneers, who had scored 71 or more points in all but three games this season prior to Sunday.

“Obviously not the day we wanted,” said GSU coach Emily Stoller. “There’s a winner and loser in every championship game and everyone wants to be on the winning side. It just wasn’t our day today.

“It’s not like us to score in the 40s. Shots just weren’t falling for us. We had opportunities, but pretty much didn’t make anything.

“At the end of the day we lost a basketball game. Props to Charleston. They got the job done and were the better team today. I’m proud of my kids for fighting to the end. Hopefully we’ll be playing more next week in the regional.”

Charleston led by as many as 11 in the first 20 minutes before settling for a seven-point advantage at the break.

In the third quarter GSU gave the Golden Eagles a dose of their own medicine in terms of staunch defense. Glenville held UC to just eight points on 2-of-15 shooting and closed to within two at 38-36 with 10 minutes to play.

“We just focused on keeping our composure,” Charleston’s Ksenija Mitric said. “We knew they were going to make a run because they’re a really good offensive team. They’re going to come after you and try to turn you over and get a quick run, so we just kept saying to one another that we had to play together and keep our composure no matter what happened.

“It’s a four-quarter game no matter what and we knew we had to play all four quarters.”

Despite its struggles offensively, the Pioneers still had numerous chances to win the contest down the stretch and couldn’t cash in on them. Trailing 46-43 GSU’s Nylah Davis got a wide open look at a three with 26 seconds remaining which would have tied the game. The shot, though, was off the mark and UC’s Bridget Womber cleared the rebound – her game-high 16th.

At the other end Charleston’s Mitric, who finished with seven points, seven rebounds and three assists, found a wide open Livia O’dea under the basket on a side inbounds pass and O’dea laid the ball in to give her team a 48-43 lead with 10 seconds to play.

On the Pioneers’ ensuing possession Jayda Allie attempted a three with six seconds to play and it too was off target and rebounded by UC’s Mitric which sealed the victory for her team.

“It was a rough night for us,” said Glenville’s Carine Pinkey, who led her team with 16 points and four steals. “It got a little frustrating for us because we just couldn’t find our shots or get them to fall.

“All in all though I believe we stuck together and had our chances, but we just couldn’t convert on them.”

Pinkey and Nwando Okigbo were the lone players in the game to reach double figures in scoring. Together they accounted for 26 of GSU’s 43 points with Okigbo getting 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

UC had no one in double digits in the scoring column. Jordan Scully led the Golden Eagles with nine points, while tournament MVP Paris Stokes chipped in eight points, five rebounds and three assists.

“Being MVP is a credit to my teammates,” Stokes said. “They put me in good positions to score or take advantage of mismatches all season.”

The eight-member all-tournament team consisted of Charleston’s Stokes, Scully and Mitric, Glenville’s Okigbo and Wonder Nkoyock, Fairmont State’s Gabby Reep, Frostburg State’s Jenna Muha and West Liberty’s Reagan Vinskovich, the tournament’s scoring average leader (26.5).

The Commissioner’s Heart and Hustle Award went to GSU’s Okigbo.

Tournament Awards

Highest Scorer: Reagan Vinslovich, West Liberty

Commissioner’s Heart & Hustle: Nwando Okigbo, Glenville State

All-Tournament Team

Jenna Muha, Frostburg State

Gabby Reep, Fairmont State

Reagan Vinskovich, West Liberty

Nwando Okigbo, Glenville State

Wonder Nkoyock, Glenville State

Jordan Scully, Charleston

Ksenija Mitric, Charleston

MVP — Paris Stokes, Charleston

The post Charleston downs Glenville State in defensive struggle for MEC Championship appeared first on WV MetroNews.

No. 15 WVU pulls away late in 67-54 victory against Arizona State

MetroNews — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 05:44:15 +0000

— From WVU Athletic Communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No. 15 West Virginia used an 11-0 run in the late stages of the fourth quarter to get past Arizona State, 67-54, in the quarterfinal of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament on Friday night at T-Mobile Center.

Sydney Shaw led all players with 19 points, knocking down five 3-pointers to tie the program’s single game record at the tournament. Gia Cooke finished with 16 points, while Harrison added 10. Harrison also finished with five assists and three steals and Kierra Wheeler filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, seven points, two assists and three steals.

After trailing 17–11 late in the first quarter, the Mountaineers closed the frame on a 7–0 run, taking an 18–17 lead on Celia Riviere’s layup with 32 seconds left.

The game’s largest swing came early in the second quarter. Shaw hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession, sparking a 17–4 run that included two more Shaw threes, a transition layup and a 3-pointer from Riley Makalusky. West Virginia built a 34–21 advantage with 6:05 remaining in the half.

Arizona State cut the lead to 39–30 at halftime, then closed within 40–36 midway through the third. But WVU answered with an 8–2 push, capped by back-to-back baskets from Jordan Harrison and a three-point play from Kierra Wheeler to restore a 48–40 margin entering the final minute of the quarter.

The Sun Devils mounted one final charge in the fourth, pulling within 52–50 on a Marley Washenitz 3-pointer at the 8:05 mark. West Virginia countered immediately. Shaw drilled a 3-pointer with 7:35 left, igniting an 11–0 run that featured another Shaw triple and a transition three from Cooke. The burst stretched the lead to 63–50 with 2:37 to play, effectively sealing the win.

Washenitz, a Fairmont native, made four of the Sun Devils’ five threes and led her squad with 14 points.

The Mountaineers (25-6) have reached the 25-win mark for the third straight season. It marks the first time in program history to reach the mark in three consecutive seasons.

West Virginia plays again Saturday against No. 6 Colorado at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Kansas State and top seed TCU meet in the first semifinal at 4 p.m.

The post No. 15 WVU pulls away late in 67-54 victory against Arizona State appeared first on WV MetroNews.

MEC Tournament Day 1: West Liberty women, Davis & Elkins men move on; Frostburg State wins two

MetroNews — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:45:26 +0000

— By Duane Cochran, For Mountain East.org

Women’s

FROSTBURG STATE 78, Point Park 68: Seventh-seeded Frostburg State used an impressive 26-0 run over the final three minutes of the second quarter and the first 3:30 of the third period to wipe out a six-point deficit and roll to a victory over 10th-seeded Point Park in the opening round of the annual Mountain East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena.

The win improved Frostburg to 15-14 overall and puts the Bobcats in Thursday’s quarterfinals against second-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan (18-6) at noon.

Point Park finished its season at 8-19.

Trailing 31-25 with 3:45 to play in the second quarter, the Bobcats went to work. Led by Sophie Nichols and Laekyn Flynn, Frostburg closed the first half with a 14-0 spurt to take a 39-31 lead into the locker room.

Nichols finished the game with 16 points, while Flynn added 10. Together they combined for 10 of the Bobcats’ 14 points on the game-changing second-quarter burst.

“I remember thinking on the court that we needed to keep doing the little things like get every loose ball and every rebound,” said Frostburg forward Jenna Muha, who finished with 10 rebounds and 16 points, 14 of which came in the first two quarters. “Our game plan was to go after everything hard and saying that at that point settled us down and got us refocused. Once we did that we put our foot on the gas and didn’t stop.”

In the third quarter the Bobcats’ Julie Spinelli drained a 3-pointer on her team’s first possession to ignite a 12-0 run which pushed Frostburg’s lead to 20 at 51-31. Spinelli, who shook off an early ankle injury in the game, scored seven of her team’s 12 points during that span.

“We’re a team that never gives up whether we’re up by nine or down by nine,” said Spinelli, who scored 15 points, 13 of which came in the final two quarters. “We give it our all no matter what. We don’t take any team lightly. At that point it was like Jenna said it was foot on the gas and keep going. This is the playoffs, the tournament and we knew we had to keep going.”

WEST LIBERTY 78, West Virginia State 72: It certainly wasn’t easy, but for the first time since 2022 West Liberty’s women’s basketball team garnered a victory in the annual Mountain East Conference Tournament.

The ninth-seeded Hilltoppers held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by eighth-seeded West Virginia State to record a hard-fought 78-72 win.

The victory improved West Liberty to 11-18 on the year and puts the Hilltoppers in Thursday’s quarterfinals against top-seeded Glenville State at 6 p.m.

“It was a really hard-fought win,” West Liberty coach Kyle Cooper said. “You really have to give West Virginia State credit. I thought we kept getting control of the game at multiple times and they just kept coming back at us. Hats off to the fight they showed. They’re a physical team, a tough out and they’re talented.

“Flipping to us, I thought we showed tremendous resilience when they kept coming at us. The reality of it is there’s been times this year when we haven’t shown that resilience. So for us, it’s an opportunity with a new season starting with the tournament to step up and show just what we’re capable of. I’m really proud of our group. People really don’t understand the adversity this team has faced this season.”

Thirty minutes into Wednesday’s contest West Liberty appeared in control leading State by 13 with 10 minutes to play. The Yellow Jackets, however, had other plans. State opened the final quarter with a quick 10-0 run in a span of just 2:18 to close the Hilltoppers’ lead to a mere three points at 56-53.

On this day, though, West Liberty had the answers and those answers in the fourth quarter were mostly in the form of free throws. The Yellow Jackets put West Liberty at the foul line 26 times in the game’s final 7:20 and the Hilltoppers made good on 18 of those 26 chances to help keep State at bay. West Liberty only made two field goals in the final quarter.

The catalyst for the Hilltoppers in the fourth quarter was senior guard Anna Lucarelli who scored 10 of the her team’s final 22 points, including an 8-of-10 showing at the line in the fourth quarter. Lucarelli finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.

“It’s a great feeling knowing I’m confident going to the line in those situations,” Lucarelli said. “I struggled a little bit at the line earlier in the season so I just went back to the basics. We have a little shooting court in our backyard at home and just visualizing myself out there with my mom or dad rebounding for me helps. It’s something I’ve done since I was old enough to touch a basketball. Having that mindset there’s no pressure. It’s just muscle memory and confidence.”

The loss marks the first time since 2021 that West Virginia State has not made it to the tournament quarterfinals.

Men’s

FROSTBURG STATE 93, West Virginia State 85: MEC Player of the Year Trey Simmons helped Frostburg State earn its first tournament victory with a win over West Virginia State at WesBanco Arena.

Frostburg State, the seven seed, improves to 15-14 on the year, while West Virginia State’s season ends with a record of 8-21. The Bobcats will return to action on Friday at noon when they take on the second-seeded Falcons of Fairmont State at WesBanco Arena.

Simmons, who scored a game-high 36 points (the seventh most points in a game in MEC tournament history) was part of trio that included Kyle Whippen (25) and DJ Daniel (20) that accounted for 81 points on the night.

“I thought we started out slow, then had a nice run through the middle part of the first half,” remarked Frostburg State head coach Zach Thomsen.

The Bobcats opened the scoring with a three-point field goal from Simmons, before a 10-3 run by the Hornets gave them a 10-6 advantage with 16:04 remaining in the first half.

From that point, Frostburg State went on a 36-14 run over the next 12:02 to give FSU a 42-24 lead with 4:13 remaining in the first half. The run to open their largest lead of the night at 18 points included individual runs of 14-0 and 14-4.

“I am proud of our guys for battling back,” said West Virginia State Head Coach Bryan Poore. “Frostburg got going in the first half, and it looked bleak, but our guys stuck with it and battled back to give us a chance down the stretch.”

DAVIS & ELKINS 75, Point Park 73: Davis & Elkins advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mountain East tournament on Vegas Evans’ turnaround jump shot with 27 seconds remaining to give the Senators a victory over Point Park.

The final game of the opening night of the Mountain East Conference Tournament presented by The Health plan came down to the wire in a contest that had 15 lead changes and 13 ties, with neither team leading by more than eight points.

With the victory, Davis & Elkins improves to 10-19 on the season and will advance to face the top-seeded West Liberty Hilltoppers on Friday at 6 p.m. at WesBanco Arena.

“I thought it was a gritty victory,” said D&E head coach Daniel Harris. “I thought our guys stayed the course, especially with them starting out hot and getting up early. I am proud of this group. If you look at our season, we had a lot of games like that which didn’t go our way. It was a team effort. I am happy, and we are going to celebrate tonight and then get ready for [West Liberty on] Friday.”

The Senators had four players score in double digits, led by Dontrell Jenkins’ 19 points. He was joined in double-figures by Matthew Gray (17), Vegas Evans (12), and Nnadozie Okoroji (11). Malachi Hampton was key on the boards, leading all players with 13 rebounds. Point Park was led by Aiden Anderson, who notched his sixth double-double of the season with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Davis & Elkins finished the game shooting 45 percent from the field, hitting on 29-of-64 attempts and 41 percent from deep to make up for a difference of 12 fewer free throws than Point Park. The Pioneers shot well for most of the night, but only connected one of their final nine shots, allowing D&E to come-from-behind late to win a game that the Pioneers led for over 24 minutes.

The post MEC Tournament Day 1: West Liberty women, Davis & Elkins men move on; Frostburg State wins two appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Bulldogs blow by South Harrison

MetroNews — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:27:20 +0000

LOST CREEK, W.Va. — Photo gallery from Doddridge County’s 73-27 victory at South Harrison.

(Photos by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

The post Photo gallery: Bulldogs blow by South Harrison appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Greenbrier East gets by Bridgeport, 65-56

MetroNews — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:01:32 +0000

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Greenbrier East secured a 65-56 victory at host Bridgeport in a matchup at the Chris Johnson Christmas Classic. Nathan Dixon (25) and Brody Hamric (18) combined for 43 points to help lead the Spartans to the win.

(Photo gallery by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

The post Photo gallery: Greenbrier East gets by Bridgeport, 65-56 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Capital tops Robert C. Byrd, 53-42

MetroNews — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:45:31 +0000

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Capital secured a 53-42 victory over host Robert C. Byrd to win the City Construction Hoops Classic at RCB.

(Photo gallery by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

The post Photo gallery: Capital tops Robert C. Byrd, 53-42 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Elkins holds off Pendleton County, 51-46

MetroNews — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:32:44 +0000

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Elkins defeated Pendleton County 51-46 in the consolation contest of the City Construction Hoops Classic at Robert C. Byrd High School.

(Photo gallery by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

The post Photo gallery: Elkins holds off Pendleton County, 51-46 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Lincoln sinks 15 triples, defeats Philip Barbour, 69-43

MetroNews — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:00:23 +0000

SHINNSTON, W.Va. — Photo gallery from Lincoln’s 69-43 win over Philip Barbour on Monday night in the Holiday Hoops Classic at LHS. The Cougars made 15 three-pointers in their first game since December 12.

(Photo gallery by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

The post Photo gallery: Lincoln sinks 15 triples, defeats Philip Barbour, 69-43 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Tigers’ Mossor claims Kennedy Award

MetroNews — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 15:55:21 +0000

— by Tyler Jackson, Playsheetsports.com

Mike Mossor had a long, ongoing debate with his son Brad about who the better athlete was.

Mike, who earned first team all-state honors in basketball in 1993 and ’94 and helped lead Doddridge County to the Class A basketball title in ’94 after finishing runner-up in ’93, has eerily similar credentials to his son. Brad just did it in a different sport, finishing as the state runner-up in ’23 and a state champion in 2025 with a pair of first team all-state selections as a junior and senior.

The younger Mossor will finally get the last laugh when the two sit down for Christmas dinner.

Brad, a senior receiver who led Princeton to its first football state championship in its 102nd season, has been named the 77th Kennedy Award winner by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

The Kennedy Award, named after Wheeling native and Downtown Athletic Club (the original sponsor of the Hesiman Trophy) member Harrison H. Kennedy, is presented annually to the best high school football player in the state of West Virginia by the WVSWA.

Mossor becomes only the fourth player to win the award while playing primarily as a wide receiver, joining former teammate Dom Collins (2023), Martinsburg’s Brandon Barrett (2002 and ’03) and Dupont’s Randy Moss (1994). He also becomes only the second Princeton Tiger to win the award following Collins and joins his former teammate as the only players in state history to win both the Randy Moss and the Kennedy Awards.

“It’s a dream come true,” Mossor said. “You telling me that puts emotions in my heart. I can’t show it on camera but it’s a lot of hard work and I’m just glad it paid off.”

While the bulk of Mossor’s yardage and snaps came at receiver, he established himself as the state’s best player with game-changing plays in every phase. He caught 93 passes for 1,508 yards and 13 touchdowns, rushed 123 times for 896 yards and 28 touchdowns and returned three punts, two interceptions and one kickoff for a touchdown.

He totaled 47 touchdowns on the year, adding a touchdown pass for good measure.

Most of his skillset had already been explored a year ago when he finished top three in voting for the Fulton Walker and Randy Moss awards but his ability as a runner was a newfound one.

His 28 rushing touchdowns broke the school’s single season record, erasing the mark established by West Virginia University Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Walthall in 1943.

“I think me changing, getting older and my mindset changed,” Mossor said. “My body changed and I was also 160 pounds my sophomore year. Me just changing between my sophomore and senior year helped out.”

Mossor’s emergence as a runner played a key role in getting him involved and aiding the team. When Nate Tanner took over as the head coach in the spring, Penn St. signee Daniel Jennings, R.J. Coatney and Landon Dillon were the top three running backs on the depth chart.

Jennings graduated early and enrolled at Penn State, Coatney suffered an ankle injury in August that cost him half of the regular season and Dillon was knocked out due to an injury as well. Given the running back situation and opposing teams’ tendencies to bracket Mossor as a receiver, Tanner sprinkled him in as a runner.

“I liked it,” Mossor said. “Growing up watching (former WVU standout) Tavon Austin, I wanted to do what he did. I think what I did was kind of crazy.”

Brad Mossor helped lead Princeton to a 36-35 win over Nitro in the Class AAA final. Photo by Will Wotring

When the playoffs began he was more heavily utilized as a runner, rushing 65 times for 514 yards and 11 touchdowns in four postseason games. The crown jewel of those performances came in the Tigers’ 36-35 victory over Nitro in the Class AAA title game where Mossor ran for 115 yards and four touchdowns as well as two 2-point conversions.

“I saw him obviously when we played him but on other film too,” Princeton head coach and former Parkersburg South head coach Nate Tanner said. “What he can do with the ball in his hands in the return game, on offense as a receiver and defensively – I remember seeing him have some pick sixes against Greenbrier East last year. He’s just a guy that needs to ball in his hands. He’s a ball guy. However that was going to happen, it was going to make us successful.”

“I feel like him as a running back, he got a lot better as the year went on. Once he got into a rhythm being in the backfield too, it was just game over.”

Mossor became so comfortable in the backfield that on the biggest offensive snap of the season – Princeton’s final 2-point conversion that put it up 36-29 – he called for the ball as a runner. That score ultimately decided the game with Nitro unsuccessfully attempting its own go-ahead conversion on the following drive.

“We were in the huddle and we were going for two and I think I had just scored,” Mossor said. “We were in the huddle talking about it and we were going to give it to (Alex Cox) and I was like, ‘Coach Tanner, no. Give me the ball. We’re in the state championship. If all else fails it’s on me. Give me the ball.’ He gathered for a second and was like, ‘You do know they know where the ball is going to?’ and I was like, ‘Have they stopped it?’

“It was a wingback reverse out of the single wing,” Tanner said. “The trust that had been built at that moment came from all the experiences we had together. I think the relationship that has an insurmountable amount of trust, the only way you get that is through time. In that moment, a high pressure situation and the game is on the line, I was probably just, I don’t know, maybe outsmarting myself in the moment. The play I was going to call, we hadn’t ran it at all in any game but we had practiced it every week.

“It was a counter to superpower which we had ran with Brad throughout the year when we got inside the 5 and the 3. In that moment I told them what we were going to run and Brad, he said, ‘Coach, no, no, no, no. Just give me the rock.’ I told him and everybody on the team, ‘They know what’s coming. They’re going to dial it up. Alright, let’s do it.'”

Mossor is the first player to win the Kennedy under Tanner who coached at Parkersburg South from 2019-24 where he led the Patriots to a semifinal and title game appearance. Prior to Mossor the highest placing Kennedy candidate Tanner had coached was South quarterback Brandon Penn who finished second in the 2019 race.

Much like Mossor, Penn was a versatile player, excelling as a dual-threat quarterback, defensive back and special teams player.

“I talked about Brad where he’s a ball guy, you get the ball to him however you can. Where he can high point balls you can throw it to him and he’s fast, He can stretch the ball vertically and he’s very elusive. Brandon was a kid that played with a lot of violence and anger too we used him in the run game and he had a cannon. He could throw it 65, 70 yards down the field. Defensively he was very physical so we had him playing safety where he could run the alley and make plays and Brad was similar on defense. I think he took a step defensively this year.”

Mossor, who maintains a close relationship with Collins, leaned on the former Kennedy winner’s advice and example, springboarding his own successful campaign.

“Probably starting in the weight room,” Mossor said. “Doing what he did and being more explosive – he’s probably one of the most explosive people you’ll see speed wise. So I tried to take that from him and translate it into my game.”

Wheeling Park running back and Curt Warner award-winner Brennan Wack finished second in voting while Morgantown sophomore and J.R. House award-winner Maddox Twigg finished third.

The post Tigers’ Mossor claims Kennedy Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Spring Mills’ Xavier Anderson recipient of Huff Award

MetroNews — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:40:51 +0000

— By Taylor Kennedy, Charleston Gazette-Mail

Spring Mills High School has been around less than 15 years and never had a football player win a statewide football award.

That has now changed, as 6-foot-7 defensive end Xavier Anderson earns the 2025 Huff Award, as voted by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association, which is given to the states top defensive player.

Anderson finished his senior season with the Cardinals with 41 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.

The tall, lengthy player also spent time on offense as a tight end and wide receiver, where he caught 45 passes for 659 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.

Anderson beat out Independence’s Isaiah Conley and Morgantown’s Ze’Von Shipman for the Huff Award. Anderson becomes the fifth Eastern Panhandle player to win this award since 2010.

“This means a lot,” Anderson said. “This is the biggest award I’ve won. I’m definitely honored to be given this award.”

The 6-foot-7 Cardinal was tabbed as the Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and captain of the Class AAAA first-team all-state defense in 2025.

Anderson’s junior season was also one that saw him fill in the stat sheet.

He finished 2024 with 26 catches for 432 yards and nine touchdowns. He had an average of 16.6 yards per catch last season.

In his final three seasons at Spring Mills, Anderson went 28-10, including a 12-2 state runner-up season in 2024.

“Xavier is one of those kids that will change a program,” Spring Mills coach Marcus Law said. “I always felt throughout the season that as long as he’s on the football field then we’re in the game. He’s that big of a difference maker. This year was a huge step for him, especially how he matured as a leader for us.

“Back in August, we’re sitting out at the field with some of the younger kids and he’s out there taking the time out of his day to help out the freshmen. He was giving them tips on how to get better.”

Anderson will be continuing his football career at West Virginia University, where he flipped his original commitment from Cincinnati back on Dec. 3, becoming one of 49 other players to sign with the Mountaineers.

Law will be able to give Anderson some more pointers, as the Spring Mills coach also played at WVU for coach Rich Rodriguez from 2003-06.

The Cardinals coach does feel that WVU is getting an ultra-talented two-way player.

“WVU is getting a kid who has a relentless attitude and motor,” Law said. “He takes on any challenge and believes he can do it. They’re going to find out they’ve got themselves a player.”

Anderson had been committed to the Bearcats since June 7.

However, the Cardinals standout felt more at ease with choosing WVU, especially with Morgantown being closer to the Eastern Panhandle.

“WVU is home,” Anderson said. “I’m excited to be playing with my brother. It’ll be great to do that again, while also staying close to home to my family and going to school with people that I know. That’s my biggest dream.”

Anderson’s older brother Max spent this past season in Morgantown playing for the Mountaineers as a quarterback.

The former Spring Mills quarterback didn’t see any action in 2025, but reuniting with his brother will be memorable for the two.

Anderson mentioned that Max was a big influence on his growth and development while playing at Spring Mills. Max’s “high motor” is something Anderson has adopted for himself.

The 6-foot-7 two-way player feels that his game has made massive strides since his freshman season, especially not being an easy target to put on the ground.

“My game has grown a crazy amount,” Anderson said. “I remember my freshman year getting pancaked. Now, that doesn’t happen anymore. I was a bench player and on special teams early on, but I kept growing and getting better between then and my junior seasons. I give a lot of credit to my work, coaches and teammates.”

Anderson is also a member of the Spring Mills boys basketball team, who are coming off a Class AAAA state title last season.

The post Spring Mills’ Xavier Anderson recipient of Huff Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

University linebacker Kniska garners Howley Award

MetroNews — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:37:06 +0000

— By Michael Griffith, The Dominion Post

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — If Marcos Kniska could go back and give the freshman version of himself one piece of advice before stepping on the football field at the high school level for the first time, he would simply let his younger self know to take everything one play at a time.

That’s precisely what the University High senior did defensively in 2025 for the Hawks en route to an appearance in the state semifinals as the seventh seed in Class AAAA.

For his role in leading his team deep into the postseason, Kniska was named the 2025 recipient of the Howley Award by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association on Monday, given yearly to the top linebacker in the state.

The Howley Award is named for former Warwood High, West Virginia University and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley, the only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team.

Kniska totaled 123 tackles in 2025 (84 assisted, 39 solo), with 15 coming for loss and four sacks. He added three interceptions as well.

“I’m very excited about the news of the Howley Award,” Kniska said. “I’m grateful for, and wouldn’t be anywhere without, my teammates and coaches who have helped me excel at the position. I think the correct word is just grateful. It truly means a lot.”

Kniska tallied at least ten tackles in seven games for the Hawks on the year, with his best performance coming in the state semifinals against Martinsburg with 18, including nine solo tackles.

What’s even more impressive about his defensive efforts is the fact that Kniska served as the team’s starting running back as UHS lost sophomore Brody Kehler to a season-ending injury in Week 4 against Wheeling Park. Kniska ended 2025 with 746 yards and ten touchdowns on 127 carries for the Hawks.

Despite playing both sides of the ball, delivering and receiving contact, Kniska says he welcomed the challenge, although at times it presented some difficulties.

“Playing offense didn’t change my mindset defensively, but the transition between the two was tough sometimes,” he said. “Just flipping from one side of the ball to the other so quickly can be hard. The physicality was challenging, too, obviously, especially playing the way I do. But I embraced the moment when it came. The more football I was able to play, the better, in my opinion.”

Kniska played plenty of football for UHS over the years, seeing varsity minutes from his sophomore season.

All leading to his final year on Baker’s Ridge, helping lead his team to one of the best finishes in school history, and capping his senior season on the gridiron as a WVSWA Class AAAA First-Team All-State selection and the 2025 winner of the Howley Award.

“This year meant everything to our team,” he said. “It was very rewarding to see all the hard work we put in during the summer and offseason pay off during the year.”

Kniska is the first UHS player to capture the Howley Award, joining Morgantown High’s Caden Biser (2020) as two players from Monongalia County programs to earn the honor.

The post University linebacker Kniska garners Howley Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Nitro’s Parks claims Stydahar Award

MetroNews — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 17:01:45 +0000

— By Taylor Kennedy, Charleston Gazette-Mail

Da’Ron Parks has always posed a threat for opposing defenses, especially linemen.

His footwork, stature and physicality caught the eyes of many high school and college coaches during his high school football career.

Parks was a force up front in 2025 on a Nitro offensive line that helped the Wildcats record more than 5,800 yards of offense. Of those yards, 2,233 came on the ground.

Parks’ main responsibility was protecting Wildcats quarterback Eian Duffy’s blind side.

His play on the offensive line was recognized by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the winner of the Stydahar Award, which is given annually to the state’s top prep football lineman.

“There are some great offensive linemen throughout the state, but I don’t know who would be any more deserving than Da’Ron,” Nitro coach Boom McKinney said. “People don’t understand the work this guy does outside of practice. His footwork is amazing.

“When he first got here and I saw his footwork, he looked better in some drills than some of our wide receivers and running backs.”

Parks became the first Nitro offensive lineman to win the Stydahar Award, which was called the Ken Hunt Award until 2015.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman is also the first Kanawha County recipient of this award since 2013, when Capital’s James Walton won it.

Parks became the 13th Kanawha County player to claim an award which originated in 1959.

“He’s such a hard worker and humble kid,” McKinney said. “He definitely protected our backside this year. He did all the work we asked of him this season. He deserves this.”

Parks first committed to Florida State in July. However, on November 24, he decommitted from the Seminoles.

Parks then signed with North Carolina in front of friends and family at Nitro High School during the NCAA early football signing period on Dec. 3.

“It’s a great place,” Parks said. “The community and everything wants to see football do well there. And, of course, [Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick] and the rest of the staff brought it.”

Parks said he plans to enroll early in Chapel Hill, as he’s aiming for Jan. 4 as his move-in date.

He felt that a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders as he signed early with the Tar Heels.

“A big sense of relief,” Parks said. “It [was] crazy those last few days. I’ve dreamed of and am thankful for this.”

North Carolina finished the 2025 season at 4-8 and 2-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Yet, those records didn’t have much effect on Parks’ decision to commit to the Heels.

He’s simply wanting to make the most of the opportunity in front of him.

“I want to give everything I can,” Parks said. “I want to do my job every single play and give constant, constant effort.”

McKinney feels that Parks’ ability to lead by example and work ethic will help him prosper at the next level.

“His ability to be humble will guide him,” McKinney said. “He’s not real outspoken, but he leads by example. When he came here, the other players looked up to him, which allowed everyone to grow.”

The post Nitro’s Parks claims Stydahar Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Wheeling Park’s Wack repeat winner of Curt Warner Award

MetroNews — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 16:19:48 +0000

— by Nick Henthorn, The Intelligencer

WHEELING, W.Va. — After a breakout junior season that saw Wheeling Park running back Brennan Wack rack up yardage and accolades, what did this past year hold for Wack in his senior go-round? More school records, another 2,000-rushing yard season, and another Curt Warner Award as the best back in West Virginia, as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

With his selection as the 2025 Warner Award winner, Wack becomes the first ever two-time recipient of the award, given annually since 2014. Winning in back-to-back fashion gave Wack and Wheeling Park head coach Chris Daugherty an opportunity for reflection.

“To win that award is amazing, but to win it twice, I don’t think anybody fully expected him to do that,” Daugherty said. “You know, as a coach, last year was wonderful. It was like a storybook-type of year for him. But this year, we kind of knew everyone’s gonna start game one with their top priority being to stop Brennan Wack. So to have a replica year, I wasn’t sure that would happen.”

“It just means a lot to everybody, everybody associated with Wheeling Park,” Wack said. “The whole team, the school, all our players, all the coaches, and there’s a lot of great running backs in the state, so this just means a lot.”

Wack’s numbers speak for themselves. The senior rushed for 2,079 yards and 26 touchdowns — in only 10 games. Wack missed Park’s midseason contests against Morgantown and Fairmont Senior, suffering an injury in the first half of the Patriots’ game against St. Clairsville (Ohio) and being worked back into the fold slowly in his return against Butler (Pa.). Daugherty believes the adversity Wack faced throughout the season only made his final season totals more impressive.

“I didn’t expect him to have almost identical stats from 2024 to 2025,” Daugherty said. “And if he doesn’t end up injured, he probably would’ve surpassed his 2024 season pretty easily. I think that says a lot about what type of player he is because, you know, we played in 12 football games this year, and he was the number one guy that every team started with, as far as planning for and trying to stop.

“For him to have this type of year and replicate it again — you know, he’s only had two seasons at tailback — to have 4,337 yards and 57 touchdowns, that works out to be an average of 197 yards per game when he was on the field. Those are just amazing numbers and I think they speak for themselves as far as the history of the tailback position at Wheeling Park, there’s no one that’s had numbers like this.”

Those aforementioned career totals are the new high-marks for Wheeling Park High School in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Wack made the most of his two years at running back for the Patriots after playing at wide receiver his sophomore year.

“I think a lot of times when you look at high school stats and you look at the career guy at different high schools, not just Wheeling Park, that kid normally got to play his sophomore year,” Daugherty said. “Brennan played a different position his sophomore year. So he finishes his sophomore year with zero carries. That’s not the norm if you go through every high school in the valley and check their career rushing leaders, it’s probably a three-year starter that has that. And that’s what Brennan’s done in two years.”

“I’m just so grateful for getting the opportunity to be able to break all those records and I couldn’t have done it without all of my teammates, all my coaches, my family, and my support system,” Wack said. “And it just, it means the world for me to be able to go down in history as one of the greatest Park players of all time. It’s just really awesome.”

As well as his career rushing and rushing touchdown records, Wack also finishes his career as the only Park player with two 2,000-yard rushing seasons, and has the most 200-yard games (11) and 300-yard games (three) in school history. He owns the Patriots’ top four single-game rushing outputs of all time, and the school’s single-game touchdown record. All-in-all, Wack broke 19 school records throughout his two years as Patriot tailback. His biggest game of his senior season was a 328-yard, six-touchdown performance against University, a 42-35 victory for Wheeling Park, who went 7-5 and bowed out in the Class AAAA state quarterfinals against Martinsburg. Against the eventual Class AAAA runner-up Bulldogs, Wack rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw a touchdown pass.

Wack carried a heavy load for Wheeling Park, taking 263 carries this year at a 7.9 yards-per-carry clip, and went into each game with a relentless mindset.

“His junior year, teams would start the game with maybe six guys in the box stopping the run, and as the game went on, they would add a player and maybe add two players,” Daugherty said. “And, you know, that started to happen around mid-season last year. But this year it was from game one, and it was game one to game 12. He dealt with eight, sometimes nine-man boxes and he never shied away.

”I think one of his top qualities is the ability to keep coming at you. He gets better as the game goes on, and I think all great tailbacks do, they get better as the game goes on. And that’s been Brennan not only within the game, but within his career and within the seasons, he tends to get better as the season goes on. He tended to get better as his career went on.”

“I think I’ve just been working as hard as possible for as long as I can remember,” Wack said. “Just being a successful high school football player has been a goal of mine for basically forever. And I think we also just have great schemes in place that help me do what I do. And I don’t get discouraged if there’s a couple one-yard runs or a run for loss, because I’m confident that we’re gonna pop one and then we’ll be good.”

Wack certainly proved himself as a home-run hitter this year. He recorded at least one run of 50+ yards in six of his 10 games.

Wack gave much credit to his offensive line of Liam Waldeck, Reuben Rouse, Kayden Fortney, Kam Dietrich and Carson McCort.

“I’m so proud of those guys,” Wack said. “They stepped up big time. I think four of them, this is their first year starting, and I think some people had doubts at the beginning of the season, and they just really showed up and played a great season. And I think everybody, our tight ends, our receivers, they all did amazing and really helped me out a lot.”

Daugherty agreed.

“There’s no doubt about it that those kids deserve recognition also,” Daugherty said. “I think that is their recognition, you know, as offensive lineman, whether it’s the NFL, college or high school. When tailbacks get recognized, that’s the way the lineman get recognized. And, you know, Brennan’s junior year we had an older line, a lot of returners, and we knew who those guys were and we knew it was gonna be the strength of our football team.

“This year was a little bit different. Liam Waldeck was the only real returner, and so we had to go and start over along the offensive line. And you know, when you look at Carson McCort and what Liam did, and Reuben Rouse and Kam Dietrich and Kayden Fortney, those five kids, I don’t think any of us imagined how well they would form together and how well they would play. Brennan’s success is married with their success. And, Nolan Yanchak too at tight end this year, and wide receivers that blocked.”

With his second Warner Award, Wack leaves a legacy of hard work, and a lesson about what can happen when you try and make the most of your opportunities.

“He’s a quiet kid, he’s a humble kid, but Brennan makes life easy as a coach,” Daugherty said. “He does nothing but the right things in every aspect of his life. And it’s not an accident that he’s successful to the extent he’s been, because he makes good decisions off the field. He makes good decisions in the community, and those things lead to success. It’s just a matter of when. He didn’t see all the success as a middle school player or a young player. There wasn’t a bunch of buzz about Brennan growing up, but he got an opportunity and because he worked so hard and did all the right things, he certainly seized that opportunity.”

“I’m just so grateful for the Wheeling Park football program,” Wack said. “I think it’s just been the greatest years of my life, just having my best friends and playing the sport I love. We’re an amazing team, amazing coaches— coach Doc always talks about how he’d rather see us be a better man than a better football player. And we always do stuff outside in the community, doing community service and volunteering through the football program. It’s just an amazing team and I wouldn’t have had all this go any other way.”

Curt Warner Award Winners

2025 – Brennan Wack, Wheeling Park

2024 – Brennan Wack, Wheeling Park

2023 – Zach Rohrig, Bridgeport

2022 – Judah Price, Independence

2021 – Atticus Goodson, Independence

2020 – Blake Hartman, Musselman

2019 – Ethan Payne, Poca

2018 – Hunter America, Doddridge County

2017 – Jadon Hayes, Huntington

2016 – Dylan Lucas, Buffalo

2015 – Cody Mitchell, Point Pleasant

2014 – Kashuan Haley, Capital

The post Wheeling Park’s Wack repeat winner of Curt Warner Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Mohigans’ quarterback Twigg recipient of House Award

MetroNews — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:47:53 +0000

— By Michael Griffith, The Dominion Post

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown High sophomore quarterback Maddox Twigg was nothing short of a difference maker for the Mohigans on their run to the 2025 Class AAAA state championship.

Better yet, THE difference maker.

Through four games played in the 2025 postseason, Twigg accounted for 1,084 yards of total offense and 19 touchdowns to lead his team to its first title in two decades.

His best performance came in the finale against Martinsburg in a 28-21 title-winning victory, when Twigg accounted for 316 yards and four touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound second-year player finished 2025 with 3,323 yards and 44 touchdowns between passing and rushing totals. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,239 yards and 26 touchdowns, adding 1,084 yards and 18 more scores on 184 carries, earning him Class AAAA First-Team All-State honors as well.

For his efforts, Twigg was named the 2025 J.R. House Award winner by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association as the top quarterback in the state. The House Award is named for former Nitro High quarterback J.R. House, who set multiple national passing records, including 10 touchdowns in a state championship game.

“This means the world to me, especially after being able to accomplish all of the goals we set as a team,” Twigg said. “Coming into the season, my goal was simply to lead my team to a state championship game and give us a shot to win it all. Along with that, I just wanted to build confidence with my offense, and amazingly, the season worked out that way for us.”

One obstacle for Twigg and the MHS offense was a shift in 2025 toward a more balanced passing game from a run-heavy style in recent years.

But the transition was seamless, as the Mohigans opened the season with a 44-7 victory over Parkersburg, in which Twigg completed 12 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

“After that first game, we came off the field knowing we had something special to work with offensively,” he said. “I think gaining that confidence early made us comfortable and helped us settle in quickly. It felt like we could do whatever we wanted everywhere. Our offensive line was great all season; we had athletes on the outside who could make plays, and we ran the ball effectively. We didn’t feel like we had to live or die by one single aspect of the offense, and could let the game come to us by taking it one play at a time.”

Twigg had several memorable moments throughout the season, but perhaps none more than leading MHS to a 34-33 double-overtime victory over Spring Mills in the quarterfinals of the Class AAAA playoffs.

The Twigg-led Mohigans marched 80 yards in the final 90 seconds of regulation to force overtime, eventually winning the game by a single point. Twigg accounted for 254 of his team’s 263 total yards against the Cardinals.

“We came together before that drive, and I think it really hit us just how much we loved and cared for each other,” Twigg said. “Some of those guys were facing their final seconds playing football, and the guys on defense were on the sidelines, possibly having played their final snap. In that moment, our entire mentality was simply to go out and get it done.”

He followed his quarterfinal performance with 294 total yards and six touchdowns against Jefferson in the semifinals, before ultimately carrying the Mohigans to the title with his best postseason performance of the year, and possibly the season, against Martinsburg in the championship.

Even with all the things he was doing for his team, Twigg says he never really thought of how special a season he was having. Admittedly, at times, he even felt like he wasn’t doing enough.

“Honestly, I didn’t really notice. In the Spring Mills game, I just kept thinking I wasn’t doing enough,” he said. “We were in such a close game, so I was just thinking about how we had to pick it up towards the end of the game after not playing how we knew we could.”

In the end, however, Twigg’s efforts were enough to help the Mohigans reach their goals and end the season on a high note.

“When that buzzer went off at the end of the championship game, it just felt surreal,” he said. “It was almost like it was a dream, especially playing Martinsburg, who has dominated the state for so long. We always believed we could do it, but actually saying we did it is an amazing feeling.”

Twigg is the first Morgantown High player to win the House Award since its inaugural year in 2014, and only the third MHS player to win an individual award since 2013 (Caden Biser, 2020 Howley Award; Jamie “Chazzy” Thomas, 2013 Kennedy Award).

House Award winners

2025 – Maddox Twigg, Morgantown

2024 – Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover

2023 – Maxwell Molessa, Williamstown

2022 – Gavin Lochow, Huntington

2021 – Gavin Lochow, Huntington

2020 – Gage Michael, Fairmont Senior

2019 – Brandon Penn, Parkersburg South

2018 – Connor Neal, Fairmont Senior

2017 – Tyson Bagent, Martinsburg

2016 – Jeremy Dillon, Mingo Central

2015 – Tyrhee Pratt, Capital

2014 – Kentre Grier, South Charleston

The post Mohigans’ quarterback Twigg recipient of House Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Beavers’ safety Jaleel Jones honored with Carl Lee Award

MetroNews — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:22:26 +0000

— By Tyler Jackson, Playsheetsports.com

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Coming into the 2025 season, Bluefield knew its success hinged on the rapid development of a sophomores core.

A talented class ultimately produced all-staters at every meaningful position group — quarterback, wide receiver, running back, linebacker, offensive line and last but not least defensive back. Much like those other groups, the defensive backfield saw the emergence of a true statewide star in Jaleel Jones.

The sophomore safety produced a team-high six interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, while bringing a versatile skillset to the state runner-up Beavers.

For his breakout season, Jones has been selected as the Carl Lee Award winner, presented to the best defensive back in the state of West Virginia by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

The award is named for former South Charleston standout Carl Lee who played 12 seasons in the NFL (1983-94), earning All-Pro honors once and Pro Bowl honors three times.

Jones becomes the first Beaver to win one of the major positional awards since they were first introduced in 2014 and becomes only the sixth Beaver to win a major award, joining Kennedy winners Will Cole (2008) and Mookie Collier (2017), Huff winner Yubrenal Isabelle (1996) and Hunt/Stydahar winners Charles “Bunky” Brooks (1959) and Jerry Pruett (1970).

Jones embodied an all-around secondary player. Prior to the season Bluefield head coach Fred Simon tinkered with the idea of moving him around but ultimately kept him in a spot where he could be utilized in an array of ways.

“It took us awhile to debate on whether he was a corner or a safety,” Simon said. “We finally settled on safety and it worked out great for us. He wasn’t quite sure either but once it got going, the way he hits, the way he cover, it’s an ideal situation.”

“I played safety my whole life and coach Simon wanted me to try something new,” Jones said. “I tried (corner) when we were doing 7-on-7s and it wasn’t me so I stayed at safety.”

At safety Jones became a weapon on defense. He had the ability to drop back in deep coverage or buzz down and defend the slot but his size (his twin brother Jeremiah earned first team all-state honors as a linebacker) allowed him to drop in the box and make plays as a run defender as evidenced by his team-high 10 tackles against Frankfort in the Class AA state title game.

“We felt like we needed a hitter at safety because usually that’s what you’ve got to have,” Simon said. “By moving him around in practice and our scrimmages we finally said he just belongs at safety. Let’s put him in there and after we saw the first few hits of the Graham game and what he did at safety, that’s when we definitely said we made the right decision. His instincts covering the pass are great but also his instincts to be pretty much a linebacker that’s backed off the ball a little deeper, that’s the perfect position for him.”

Turning the keys over to Jones to lead the secondary wasn’t initially an easy decision for the veteran Simon. The roster was littered with younger, inexperienced players and with Jones having not played many meaningful snaps a year ago, Simon needed a player in the defensive backfield that he could trust to prevent explosive plays and be in the right spots as the last line of defense.

Throughout the offseason Jones built that trust.

“Well him and the whole sophomore group pretty much put the work in that you needed to have to have a chance of being very successful,” Simon said. “He was part of the group that worked very hard and didn’t miss any days of weightlifting. Your typical winner type attitude. We always felt like he could be a player and after the first couple of scrimmages and what he did in the Graham game, I was sold on him.”

Following the 2024 season Jones knew how important the offseason would be. The Beavers graduated most of their starters from a year ago and would require substantial contributions from a group that buzzed through middle school with an 8-0 record as eighth graders.

That included eventual all-staters Jeremiah Jones and Pax Calhoun who were both ineligible to play as freshmen. Seeing a window to extend the success the group experienced in middle school, Jaleel approached the offseason program with intent and purpose.

“I knew during the offseason we’d be special,” Jones said. “How we were coming in every day and focusing on practice and the weight room, I knew we were going to have a really good team. Myself, I was just taking that work and the weight room very seriously. I took being a student seriously and knew I’d achieve a higher level of success by working harder.”

Jones’ hard work paid off as three of his interceptions came in the postseason where the Bluefield defense was a buzz saw, yielding just 41 points (13.6 ppg) in three preliminary round games with 12 of them coming on special teams returns.

His presence was felt in multiple ways once the Beavers kicked off against Frankfort in the title game. His 12 tackles led all players in that contest despite a groin injury that forced him off the field at the end of the game.

As a result he was one of two Bluefield starting defensive backs on the sideline when Frankfort threw the game-winning 43-yard touchdown pass with three seconds remaining. Jones attempted to play through the injury but couldn’t run by the end of the game.

“It was hard on us because we felt like we deserved a chance in overtime,” Simon said. “You can see the effort was there. I’m very proud of what (Jones) did, trying to play through it.”

Despite the stunning ending to the season, Simon walked away feeling he had found young stars more than capable of delivering the program’s 12th title, headlined by the versatile Jones.

“The way he plays, he leads by his actions,” Simon said. “As he gets older I think he’ll be more vocal. As far as doing what he had to do, he did it. Amazingly he had all these interceptions but the way he came up and made tackles, that was a huge positive. His play pretty much indicates what kind of player he is.”

Carl Lee Award winners

2025 – Jaleel Jones, Bluefield

2024 – Zah Jackson, Huntington

2023 – Zah Jackson, Huntington

2022 – Zah Jackson, Huntington

2021 – Ty Bartrum, Spring Valley

2020 – Anthony Smith, Martinsburg

2019 – Michael Lemley, Oak Glen

2018 – Grant Harman, Martinsburg

2017 – Brett Tharp, East Hardy

2016 – Derrek Pitts, South Charleston

2015 – Dante Bonamico, Bridgeport

2014 – Marcus Lofton, Buckhannon-Upshur

The post Beavers’ safety Jaleel Jones honored with Carl Lee Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

University’s Jimmy Gregg first punter to nab Walker Award

MetroNews — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:02:53 +0000

— By Jim Workman, Wally’s & Wimpy’s Sports Digest & WVSWA

Jimmy Gregg statistics for his senior season at University High were staggering.

The nationally-rated punter booted 49 punts for 2,246 yards, an average of 45.83 yards. Opponents didn’t have many opportunities to gain yards on returns, as Gregg’s 45.14 yards net average attests.

All season, Gregg had no touchbacks.

Zero.

Pinning opponents against their own goal line was commonplace for the Hawks star specialist.

For his dominant season as the best special teams player in the state, Gregg has been selected as the Walker Award winner by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

“It just means the world to me,” Gregg said when learning of the Walker Award recognition. “I was really, really close to (Huntington’s) Jordan Price (last season’s Walker Award winner), and I told him that was a goal for me this season. I told him, ‘I’m going to do it next.’”

Precision is the name of Gregg’s game too. He pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 25 times and inside the 10-yard line 13 times this season.

Four times, Gregg’s punts were downed inside the 1-yard line.

“I wanted to have a perfect season (no touchbacks),” Gregg stated. “I work on control. I can hit a huge ball that hangs in the air forever, but if I can hit a ball that sets up (the opponent) deep, it helps my team.”

Advantageous field position boosted the dominant Hawks already lauded defensive unit, which helped University to a 7-3 record and a No. 7 rating in Class AAAA.

The Hawks defeated Parkersburg 62-14 in the first round of the playoffs and upset No. 2 Huntington 35-28 on the road in the quarterfinals, before bowing out in the semifinals to No. 3 Martinsburg, the then-defending state champion.

University head football coach Eric Snyder said Gregg has extensive knowledge and skill in punting, working on details like ball drop and foot placement. He likened his approach to a punt to how a golfer sets up a shot.

“He uses different ‘tilts’, like selecting a golf club, to control his punts,” Snyder explained. “He has his wedges and he has a powerful driver. He practices consistently, including offseason reps and extra training sessions.”

Gregg’s punts have been routinely known to “bite” the turf, stopping momentum before heading toward the end zone, and kicking out sideways, out of bounds for what becomes a non-returnable punt inside the opponent’s 5-yard line.

A perfect golf shot, in that sport’s strategic vernacular.

Gregg stated that all of the work he has put in, has been worth it.

The Walker Award is the latest of his accolades, which include being rated the No. 1 high school senior punter in the nation by 247Sports and signing with Syracuse to continue his athletic and academic career in college earlier this month.

He becomes the first West Virginia high school punter to win the Walker, with the previous 11 winners being place-kickers or kick/punt return specialists.

“I hope this opens the door for other pure punters (to win the Walker) in the future,” Gregg said.

Snyder recognizes Gregg’s impact on the UHS team was significant.

“Number one, I think one of the most important things he did for our program was turn around the weight room culture,” Snyder said “He made it more fun and made it more positive for kids to try their best. He had the whole team behind him. He even had other teams behind him.

(University’s) baseball team is in there now lifting with us. He got them fired up. He had a huge impact on where we want our program to go.”

Snyder said Gregg wasn’t always exclusively a punter. He was a versatile football player in middle school, the coach explained.

“I remember watching Jimmy play football in his eighth grade year,” said Snyder. “He was a tight end/ outside linebacker until his sophomore year in high school. That year, our special teams coach Donnie Tucker at UHS, who’s also a former coach on the (West Virginia University) Mountaineer staff told him, ‘Hey Jimmy, you’ve got a future in (punting) if you put your mind to it.’ And that’s all he needed. Once Jimmy heard that, he’s like, ‘Well, all right, that’s my job from now on.’”

“How many first downs did our opponent have to get, just to make up the field position that he flipped?” Snyder wondered aloud. “Those kind of yards kind of get hidden. We can talk about his punt average and the number of punts he had inside the 20, numerous punts around the one-yard line. But if we went three-and-out and the other team went three-and-out, we were still going to make yards. It’s going to be hard to replace a young man like Jimmy Gregg. Those were significant gains that we’ll need to make up.”

Gregg is graduating University High School early, and plans to report to Syracuse in the next few weeks for the spring semester.

“I’m a mid-year enrollee,” Gregg explained. “I think with a guided off-season (training with the staff at Syracuse), it will be more beneficial for me.”

Orange coaches have told Gregg he will have a shot at becoming the team’s starting punter as a true freshman. Punting against ACC opponents will likely come quickly.

“They’ve made that unequivocally clear on my official visit and every time I’ve talked to them,” Gregg explained, adding Syracuse is losing its current punter to graduation. “There’s no one who can stop me from achieving my goals,” Gregg added, matter-of-factly. “I believe there’s nobody who can do what I do, the way I do it.”

Gregg has been accepted to the prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse. He will have an opportunity to go straight into a direct feeder of ESPN for sports broadcasting. He also plans to study business and finance.

“There’s just so many opportunities I see myself at Syracuse, outside of football,” he said.

The award is named for Fulton Walker, a former Martinsburg High and West Virginia University standout. Walker played in the NFL from 1981-86 for the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Raiders. He recorded the first kick return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history, a 98-yarder for Miami in Super Bowl XVII.

Fulton Walker Award winners

2025 – Jimmy Gregg, University (P)

2024 – Jordan Price, Huntington (PK)

2023 – Jonny Aya-ya, Huntington (PK)

2022 – Jameer Hunter, Martinsburg (KR-PR)

2021 – Daminn Cunningham, University (KR-PR)

2020 – Colby Piner, Greenbrier East (KR)

2019 – Jarod Bowie, Martinsburg (KR-PR)

2018 – Graeson Malashevich, Spring Valley (KR-PR)

2017 – George Triplett, Elkins (PK)

2016 – Cason Kessinger, Huntington (PK)

2015 – Evan Staley, Hampshire (PK)

2014 – Deonte Glover, Musselman (KR-PR)

The post University’s Jimmy Gregg first punter to nab Walker Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Class AAAA all-state volleyball team

MetroNews — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:12:57 +0000

2025 West Virginia All-State Volleyball

CLASS AAAA

FIRST TEAM

Paige Brink, Morgantown, SR (Captain)

Parker Sutherland, Hedgesville, SR

Leah Greeny, Morgantown, SO

Gracie Brown, Hedgesville, SR

Alycia Miller, Musselman, SR

Jillian Yost, Cabell Midland, SR

Kiley Jones, Hurricane, SO

Kennedy Porter, Parkersburg, SR

Shyanne Hays, Parkersburg South, SR

Mollie Smith, Woodrow Wilson, SO

SECOND TEAM

Katie Lawson, Cabell Midland, JR (Captain)

Alexa Smith, Hedgesville, SR

Kelly Ryan, Morgantown, SR

Katie Zittie, Martinsburg, SR

Zoe Pray, George Washington, SR

Anya Hasan, Woodrow Wilson, SR

Carley Brewster, Cabell Midland, SR

McKenna Mullin, Spring Mills, JR

Adalee McComas, Hurricane, JR

Avery Bland, University, JR

HONORABLE MENTION

Emmeri Bishop, Hedgesville; Alyssa Garrett, Hurricane; Londen Baker, Woodrow Wilson; Liz Bohren, Huntington; Maddie Shelton, Musselman; Ava Sayre, Parkersburg; Grace Tamburin, Wheeling Park; Natali Tomblin, George Washington; Brielle Wolf, Musselman; Reagan Rist, Woodrow Wilson; Karma Johnson, Oak Hill; Brenan Harvey, Parkersburg; Abby Paulsen, Morgantown; Lyla Johnson, Cabell Midland; Natalie Lauer, Parkersburg South; Maggie Panson, University

The post Class AAAA all-state volleyball team appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Class AAA all-state volleyball team

MetroNews — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 04:30:16 +0000

2025 West Virginia All-State Volleyball

CLASS AAA

FIRST TEAM

Ahaziah Smith, Herbert Hoover, SR (Captain)

Reagan Mann, Shady Spring, SR

Brooklyn Cole, Winfield, SR

Alivia Stover, Shady Spring, SR

Emma Edwards, Spring Valley, SO

Jessi Crook, Herbert Hoover, JR

Jada Fruit, Capital, SR

Braelyn Adkins, Herbert Hoover, JR

Masyn Inclan, John Marshall, SR

Ava Robertson, Spring Valley, JR

SECOND TEAM

Kenidi Creager, Shady Spring, SR (Captain)

Avery Ellis, Spring Valley, SR

Nia Miller, John Marshall, SR

Hisely Keiter, Hampshire, SR

Delaney Howery, Ripley, SR

Taylor Randolph, Bridgeport, JR

Riley Southern, South Charleston, SR

Allie Fragile, Shady Spring, JR

Addison Veigel, Bridgeport, SR

Maddie McGill, Robert C. Byrd, SR

HONORABLE MENTION

Regan Rink, Greenbrier East; Braylin Lutz, Ripley; Natalie Cook, Winfield; Sarah Hess, John Marshall; Chloe Patrick, Point Pleasant; Jillian Ault, Keyser; Ashlynn Clay, Herbert Hoover; Ava Cole, Winfield; Mackenna McClure, Greenbrier East; Bella Dingess, Lincoln County; Summer Giffin, Hampshire; Annie Musgrove, East Fairmont; Korri Mann, Capital; Madilynn Kyle, Fairmont Senior; Liya Clemm, Grafton; Eliza Bush, Lewis County; Abby Hilleary, Nicholas County; Ellah Smith, St. Albans; Addy French, PikeView; Zoe Hyatt, Nitro; Addy McCabe, Princeton

The post Class AAA all-state volleyball team appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Class AA all-state volleyball team

MetroNews — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:26:12 +0000

2025 West Virginia All-State Volleyball

CLASS AA

FIRST TEAM

Ava Pitzer, James Monroe, SR (Captain)

Izzy Knotts, Philip Barbour, JR

Averi Martin, Oak Glen, SR

Sophie Bailey, Poca, SR

Nora Aliff, Charleston Catholic, SO

Finley Carpenter, Philip Barbour, JR

Brooklyn Six, Oak Glen, SR

Anna Casto, Ravenswood, JR

Aaliyah Clarkson, James Monroe, SR

Jocie Harris, Buffalo, SR

SECOND TEAM

Lainey Peters, Wheeling Central, SR (Captain)

Annie Starcher, Ravenswood, SR

Ali Wilcox, Charleston Catholic, SO

Carli Raye, Wyoming East, SR

Keatyn Haynes, Williamstown, SR

Ilyauana Evans, Charleston Catholic, SR

Kennedy Southern, South Harrison, SO

Brayley Lash, Oak Glen, SR

Kayla Baker, Philip Barbour, SR

Emily Williams, Liberty, SR

HONORABLE MENTION

Mikalyn Balch, Oak Glen; Remy Peters, Wheeling Central; Abby Barnett, Poca; Paula Ganoe, Frankfort; Katie Grimm, Tyler Consolidated; Amya Bias, Buffalo; Courtney Thompson, Wayne; Jaycee Lipscomb, Doddridge County; Miley Tingler, Petersburg; Raya Justice, Scott; Karlee Lusk, Wyoming East, Kayli West, Tyler Consolidated; Jaycelyn Sammons, Wayne; Anna Boggess, Buffalo; Mya Dunlap, James Monroe; Abby Louk, South Harrison; Amalia Kirlangitis, Weir; Kamryn Wooten, Independence; Gracie Wolfe, Philip Barbour; Bree Gruse, Charleston Catholic; Ashlinn Sullivan, Poca; Emma Simpson, Independence; Sadie Mann, James Monroe; Addi Kerby, Williamstown; Sadie Adams, Lincoln; Madie Estepp, Mingo Central; Saigan Sims, Summers County

The post Class AA all-state volleyball team appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Class A all-state volleyball team

MetroNews — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:01:14 +0000

2025 West Virginia All-State Volleyball

CLASS A

FIRST TEAM

Addie Stephens, Wirt County, SR (Captain)

Sophia Rollo, Sherman, SR

Morganne Miller, East Hardy, SR

Ava Dobbins, Gilmer County, SR

Katie Vickers, Huntington St. Joe, SR

Breigyn Dawson, Wirt County, SO

Ginger Gross, Clay-Battelle, SR

Brynnley Bulluck, St. Marys, JR

Blair Dobbins, Gilmer County, SR

Maddie Sweet, Greenbrier West, JR

SECOND TEAM

Alyssa Winland, St. Marys, SR (Captain)

Madison Kerr, East Hardy, JR

Emma Russell, Sherman, SR

Nevaeh St Clair, Clay-Battelle, JR

Ava Price, Greenbrier West, SR

Ava Gallion, Huntington St. Joe, SR

Piper Fryer, Notre Dame, SR

Jessa Anderson, Magnolia, SR

Rylee Birkhimer, Madonna, SR

Makayla Moore, Wirt County, SR

HONORABLE MENTION

Emeri Hickman, Gilmer County; Amelia Garrett, East Hardy; Kaylee Martin, Greenbrier West; Sophie Brady, Madonna; Jacey Crum, Tolsia; Katie Hall, Tug Valley; Rylee Renner, St. Marys; Shayla Tanouye, Paw Paw; Madison Owens, Madonna; Maggie Lemley, Clay-Battelle; Preslie Shrewsbery, Greenbrier West; Haven Deskins, Tug Valley; Mya Hatcher, Wirt County; Carter Plantz, Sherman; Sophia Gray, Wahama; Sophie Brady, Madonna; Sophie Gum, Notre Dame; Brailynn McCarty, Van; Marlo Flecker, Trinity; Kenley Hartshorn, Gilmer County; Morgan Bardwell, St. Marys; Sydney Knight, Magnolia; Kaylee Cook, Mount View; Bailee Hall, Tug Valley; Brenna Bowers, Pendleton County; Chelsie Jeffrey, Ritchie County; Sierra Hammonds, Tygarts Valley

The post Class A all-state volleyball team appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: Bridgeport, Hurricane victorious in boys state soccer title games

MetroNews — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:24:02 +0000

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Photo gallery from the WVSSAC Boys State Soccer Championships. In the Class AAA final, Bridgeport defeated Nitro, 3-1. In the Class AAAA final, Hurricane and Woodrow Wilson battled to a 1-1 tie and the Redskins prevailed in penalty kicks, 3-1.

(Photo gallery by Teran Malone & William Wotring)

The post Photo gallery: Bridgeport, Hurricane victorious in boys state soccer title games appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Joseph has Monarchs clicking as they search for first win in Huntington

MetroNews — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 22:00:42 +0000

— By Bill Cornwell

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall football coach Tony Gibson has warned his team of the challenge that awaits Saturday afternoon when the Thundering Herd welcome Old Dominion.

The contest at Joan C. Edwards Stadium starts at 3:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.

The first home game in nearly a month for Marshall (2-3, 0-1) comes against an ODU (4-1, 1-0) squad fresh off a 47-7 thrashing of Coastal Carolina. The Monarchs had a 619-189 edge in total yardage, and since a 13-point season-opening loss at nationally-ranked Indiana, ODU has picked up wins over North Carolina Central (54-6), Virginia Tech (45-26) and Liberty (21-7) in addition to last week.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Colton Joseph has been key to the team’s success, throwing for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 433 yards and five scores.

The challenge against a player like Joseph, who can turn a simple play into a score, will be significant, though MU has had extra time for recuperation and preparation.

“We’re going to have to be really sound in coverage,” Gibson said. “If you load the box, he can beat you by throwing the ball. If you drop back a bunch of guys in coverage, you have to worry about him running. There have been times where people have defended him perfectly and he just makes a play. They spread you from sideline to sideline and get you in space, so we’re going to have to do a great job in space tackling people and being able to shut down this run game first.”

Joseph is aided by receivers Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, Ja’Cory Thomas and Tre Brown, a trio that has combined for nine receiving touchdowns.

In the backfield, Trequan Jones joins Joseph as the main threat with 451 yards and four touchdowns.

The Monarchs are averaging 36.2 points, while allowing only 14.6.

“We have to play ball control in this game,” Gibson said. “We can’t go three-and-out, but we have to sustain drives and special teams will be a big factor in this game as well.”

The Marshall offense has been improved with Carlos Del Rio-Wilson in command at quarterback, but that unit will also face a stern test against the Monarchs.

“They’re not giving up a lot of points,” Gibson said. “They’re sound. They tackle really well and they’re aggressive.”

Marshall has won nine of 10 all-time meetings against Old Dominion, which is 0-5 in Huntington.

“You can see those guys playing physical and hard,” Monarchs’ coach Ricky Rahne said of the Herd. “It’s going to be a good test for us and we know how hard it is to play in Huntington. We’ve got to prepare each day and that’s the task at hand right now.”

The post Joseph has Monarchs clicking as they search for first win in Huntington appeared first on WV MetroNews.

WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 6

MetroNews — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000

WVSSAC Playoff Ratings through six weeks of regular season play. The top 16 in each classification qualify for the postseason. Weekly ratings are released each Tuesday through the completion of the regular season.

AAAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	MORGANTOWN	16.67	6	0	0	231	49	87	13
2	GEORGE WASHINGTON	15.67	6	0	0	208	82	78	16
3	HUNTINGTON	14.7	4	1	0	166	102	54	19.5
4	WHEELING PARK	12.83	4	2	0	143	126	54	23
5	SPRING MILLS	12.33	4	2	0	165	61	57	17
6	UNIVERSITY	11.75	4	2	0	239	165	57	13.5
7	WOODROW WILSON	11.48	3	2	0	159	123	45	12.4
8	MARTINSBURG	10.92	4	2	0	255	89	54	11.5
9	PARKERSBURG	10.8	3	3	0	170	144	45	19.8
10	OAK HILL	10.28	3	2	0	116	148	39	12.4
11	WASHINGTON	8.48	2	3	0	91	146	30	12.4
12	MUSSELMAN	8	1	4	0	90	157	15	25
13	JEFFERSON	7.5	1	4	0	62	112	15	22.5
14	PARKERSBURG SOUTH	6.8	1	4	0	99	126	12	22
15	CABELL MIDLAND	6.07	1	5	0	121	163	15	21.4
16	RIVERSIDE	5.6	1	5	0	100	171	12	21.6
17	HURRICANE	5.5	1	5	0	106	284	12	21
18	PRESTON	5.12	1	5	0	156	274	12	18.7
19	HEDGESVILLE	4.5	0	5	0	48	260	0	22.5
19	BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR	4.5	0	5	0	95	276	0	22.5

AAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	BRIDGEPORT	14.83	6	0	0	340	76	75	14
2	PRINCETON SENIOR	14.4	5	0	0	227	68	57	15
3	GREENBRIER EAST	14.2	4	1	0	181	90	57	14
4	FAIRMONT SENIOR	13.3	4	1	0	214	110	54	12.5
5	NITRO	12.67	5	1	0	269	48	66	10
6	HERBERT HOOVER	12.25	5	1	0	244	72	60	13.5
7	SPRING VALLEY	11.58	4	2	0	134	132	57	12.5
8	NORTH MARION	11.56	4	1	0	170	89	45	12.8
9	CHAPMANVILLE	11.2	5	0	0	205	32	45	11
10	ELKINS	10.77	5	1	0	253	118	57	7.6
11	KEYSER	10.76	4	1	0	203	98	45	8.8
12	CAPITAL	9.52	3	2	0	123	103	39	8.6
13	ROBERT C. BYRD	9.4	3	3	0	166	215	39	17.4
14	PIKEVIEW	9.16	4	1	0	198	111	39	6.8
15	WINFIELD	9.12	3	2	0	161	108	33	12.6
16	JOHN MARSHALL	8.2	4	1	0	143	127	36	5
17	HAMPSHIRE	7.83	3	3	0	152	186	36	11
18	RIPLEY	7.15	3	3	0	201	144	33	9.9
19	BROOKE	7.03	3	3	0	94	143	30	12.2
20	SOUTH CHARLESTON	6.3	1	4	0	70	203	12	19.5
21	NICHOLAS COUNTY	6.24	2	3	0	157	129	21	10.2
22	LEWIS COUNTY	5.12	1	4	0	85	187	12	13.6
23	EAST FAIRMONT	4.37	1	5	0	111	229	12	14.2
24	GRAFTON	3.93	1	5	0	110	162	9	14.6
25	SHADY SPRING	3.9	1	5	0	98	191	12	11.4
26	POINT PLEASANT	3.6	0	5	0	79	212	0	18
27	LINCOLN COUNTY	2.76	0	5	0	24	247	0	13.8
28	ST. ALBANS	2.6	0	6	0	34	290	0	15.6

AA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	INDEPENDENCE	12.8	5	0	0	191	58	48	16
2	FRANKFORT	12.17	6	0	0	243	59	60	13
3	PHILIP BARBOUR	11.07	4	2	0	170	129	48	18.4
4	DODDRIDGE COUNTY	10.6	5	0	0	204	21	42	11
5	LOGAN	10.4	5	0	0	147	30	39	13
6	BLUEFIELD	10.35	4	2	0	145	168	42	20.1
7	MINGO CENTRAL	10.17	6	0	0	199	64	48	13
8	MIDLAND TRAIL	9.87	5	1	0	199	81	48	11.2
9	ROANE COUNTY	9.58	4	1	0	221	131	36	11.9
10	PETERSBURG	9.1	5	1	0	210	80	42	12.6
11	OAK GLEN	8.93	5	1	0	173	58	39	14.6
12	JAMES MONROE	8.92	4	1	0	159	96	36	8.6
13	SOUTH HARRISON	7.88	4	2	0	185	192	33	14.3
14	WESTSIDE	7.7	3	2	0	144	102	27	11.5
15	CLAY COUNTY	7.65	3	3	0	168	155	27	18.9
16	WAYNE	6.55	3	3	0	128	115	27	12.3
17	BUFFALO	6.1	3	2	0	154	130	21	9.5
18	LINCOLN	5.98	2	4	0	184	218	24	11.9
18	BRAXTON COUNTY	5.98	3	3	0	134	138	21	14.9
20	POCA	5.82	2	3	0	121	157	18	11.1
21	TYLER CONSOLIDATED	5.47	3	3	0	121	129	18	14.8
22	LIBERTY (Raleigh)	4.73	2	4	0	132	195	15	13.4
23	SCOTT	4.42	1	4	0	43	149	9	13.1
24	RIVER VIEW	4.3	2	3	0	100	132	12	9.5
25	SISSONVILLE	4.13	2	4	0	159	228	15	9.8
26	WILLIAMSTOWN	3.86	1	4	0	108	158	9	10.3
27	BERKELEY SPRINGS	3.82	2	4	0	119	172	15	7.9
28	MOOREFIELD	3.54	0	5	0	42	177	0	17.7
29	WYOMING EAST	3.2	1	5	0	67	254	6	13.2
30	WEIR	2.94	0	5	0	68	184	0	14.7
31	SUMMERS COUNTY	2.1	0	5	0	46	235	0	10.5
31	RAVENSWOOD	2.1	0	5	0	37	172	0	10.5

A
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	WAHAMA	9.5	6	0	0	289	90	39	18
2	SHERMAN	8.47	5	1	0	195	132	39	11.8
3	WHEELING CENTRAL CATHOLIC	7.97	4	2	0	175	129	33	14.8
4	PENDLETON COUNTY	7.72	3	2	0	205	138	24	14.6
5	TUG VALLEY	7.66	3	2	0	185	96	24	14.3
6	CAMERON	7.5	3	1	0	120	47	18	12
7	TUCKER COUNTY	7.42	5	1	0	248	108	30	14.5
8	MEADOW BRIDGE	6.88	4	1	0	143	100	30	4.4
9	CLAY-BATTELLE	6.76	4	1	0	218	66	24	9.8
10	ST. MARYS	5.9	3	2	0	119	125	21	8.5
11	WIRT COUNTY	5.73	4	2	0	217	158	24	10.4
12	EAST HARDY	5.68	2	3	0	215	213	18	10.4
13	MONTCALM	4.7	2	2	0	75	102	12	6.8
14	WEBSTER COUNTY	4.24	2	3	0	88	209	12	9.2
15	MAN HIGH SCHOOL	4.18	2	4	0	102	97	12	13.1
16	GREENBRIER WEST	3.97	2	4	0	98	195	15	8.8
17	TYGARTS VALLEY	3.3	2	4	0	119	203	12	7.8
18	GILMER COUNTY	3.22	2	4	0	155	240	12	7.3
19	POCAHONTAS COUNTY	3.12	1	4	0	81	119	6	9.6
20	RITCHIE COUNTY	3.04	1	4	0	94	174	6	9.2
21	TOLSIA	2.97	2	4	0	135	139	12	5.8
22	CALHOUN COUNTY	2.55	1	5	0	112	274	6	9.3
23	VALLEY (Wetzel)	1.8	0	5	0	45	252	0	9
23	MAGNOLIA	1.8	0	5	0	42	213	0	9
25	MOUNT VIEW	1.08	0	5	0	8	214	0	5.4
26	RICHWOOD	0.96	0	5	0	66	204	0	4.8

The post WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 6 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

‘It’s a crushing blow to your entire community’: Longtime sportswriter Chris Johnson leaves behind lasting legacy

MetroNews — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 04:05:27 +0000

— By Rich Stevens, WVSWA.org

Chris Johnson’s 28 years as a professional sportswriter were driven by pride and the knowledge that his efforts brought recognition to West Virginia high school and college athletes.

His “small role” in the endeavor — his words — showed the selfless nature of Johnson, a life member of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

The 52-year-old Johnson, who lived in the unincorporated rural Barbour County village of Volga, died early Monday morning following a brief illness.

Johnson was in his fifth year at Connect-Bridgeport, an online news and sports outlet that focuses on North Central West Virginia; he managed a multitude of responsibilities, including breaking news stories.

“When you work with someone for nearly six years and their office is beside yours, osmosis alone will let you know what that person is like,” said Jeff Toquinto, the communications director at Connect-Bridgeport. “It did not take me long to figure out Chris Johnson was better personally than he was professionally, which is not an easy task.”

Despite the transition after two decades in print media, Johnson continued his unpaid duties with the WVSWA, regularly attending its annual business meeting, and serving as All-State chairman for football and girls basketball. The former association president also was chairman of the boys basketball All-State committee from 2006-19. In 2021, he was named the 51st recipient of the Morehouse Award, given for significant contributions to journalism.

“Chris Johnson made West Virginia high school sports a personal passion and was a true journalist,” said Doug Huff, the retired former secretary-treasurer of the WVSWA. “He stepped up for the WVSWA and was always available to do the necessary work needed to make the organization successful. He will be missed by many people and I’m one of them. We had a lot in common in providing sports coverage for a statewide audience. Rest in peace, my friend.”

Chris Johnson

As newspapers furloughed employees and print media declined, Johnson voluntarily accepted more responsibilities with the WVSWA.

“I’m so incredibly grateful to Chris for everything he’s done for me personally and for statewide media as a whole,” said Michael Minnich, who joined The Exponent Telegram staff in 2016 on the insistence of Johnson, who was the newspaper’s sports editor at the time. “The hours, advocacy, and the passion he’s put into getting deserving kids attention are essential, irreplaceable, and lasting.”

Johnson graduated from Philip Barbour High School in 1991, after which he attended Marshall University, earning his bachelor’s degree from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism while serving as sports editor, editor, and managing editor of the college’s newspaper, The Parthenon.

Later in 1997, he was hired as a full-time member of the News and Sentinel sports department, spending four years that culminated in his becoming sports editor. Former colleague Jay Bennett said that Johnson was perpetually high spirited.

“He always had this way about him,” said Bennett, whose career spans three decades in Parkersburg. “He’s just a good guy. He’s just a dude that was always there for you, always helped, and always had sort of a smile on his face. That was Chris, and he’s gone …”

The sports editor in Clarksburg from 2010-17, Johnson also had brief stints with The Dominion Post and Buckhannon Record Delta.

He was the longtime co-host of WKMZ 103.3 FM’s Friday Free for All that focused on high school athletics.

Among his responsibilities was covering one of the state’s football powerhouses, Bridgeport High, whose coach, Tyler Phares, said it wasn’t always a business trip.

“It’s a crushing blow to your entire community,” said Phares, whose Indians won the Class AAA state title last December while Johnson watched from his familiar location — the sideline.

“He would come into the coaching office, and it wasn’t all just business,” Phares said. “We would talk about WVU, wrestling, his daughter, the dogs … he’d be a guy who would call you up and just see how you’re doing. He knew my wife, my family, and when my dad passed away, he was one of the first people to call.”

Johnson’s greatest loves were wife Theresa, daughter Gwendolyn, pet dog Ollie, and pet cat Briscoe. He also had a fondness for Star Wars, and professional wrestling, often taking road trips for events with his daughter. He also was a fan of the Baltimore Orioles and, particularly, Cal Ripken Jr.

“Knowing the profession that we are in has lost a champion of the highest order for those he covered is difficult,” Toquinto said. “Knowing a family has lost a husband, father, and son that he poured even more of his time and love into at such a young age is a tragedy.”

Family and friends will be received at Wright Funeral Home and Onsite Crematory from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, at 220 N. Walnut St. in Philippi, and from 10-11 a.m. on Friday, October 3. The funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Chris will be laid to rest at noon on Sunday, October 5, at the Jones Family Cemetery in Clay County.

In lieu of flowers, donate to an animal shelter or a children’s charity of time or money.

The post ‘It’s a crushing blow to your entire community’: Longtime sportswriter Chris Johnson leaves behind lasting legacy appeared first on WV MetroNews.

WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 5

MetroNews — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:00:36 +0000

AAAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	MORGANTOWN	15.8	5	0	0	203	42	72	7
2	GEORGE WASHINGTON	14.6	5	0	0	171	52	63	10
3	WHEELING PARK	13.5	4	1	0	136	98	54	13.5
3	HUNTINGTON	13.5	3	1	0	128	96	42	12
5	UNIVERSITY	13.3	4	1	0	212	130	57	9.5
6	PARKERSBURG	11.32	3	2	0	140	107	45	11.6
7	SPRING MILLS	10.9	3	2	0	114	54	42	12.5
8	WOODROW WILSON	9.83	2	2	0	114	89	30	9.3
9	OAK HILL	9.8	3	2	0	116	148	39	10
10	MARTINSBURG	9.7	3	2	0	207	69	39	9.5
11	WASHINGTON	9.1	2	2	0	84	95	30	6.4
12	MUSSELMAN	8.5	1	3	0	70	109	15	19
13	PARKERSBURG SOUTH	6.3	1	4	0	99	126	12	19.5
14	CABELL MIDLAND	5.4	1	4	0	114	123	15	12
15	RIVERSIDE	5.28	1	4	0	85	154	12	14.4
16	PRESTON	4.76	1	4	0	122	229	12	11.8
17	HEDGESVILLE	4.2	0	4	0	48	211	0	16.8
18	JEFFERSON	4.13	0	4	0	13	112	0	16.5
19	HURRICANE	3.6	0	5	0	62	262	0	18
19	BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR	3.6	0	4	0	65	215	0	14.4

AAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	BRIDGEPORT	14.4	5	0	0	291	62	63	9
2	GREENBRIER EAST	13.95	3	1	0	138	84	45	10.8
3	PRINCETON	13.75	4	0	0	168	47	45	10
4	FAIRMONT SENIOR	12.63	3	1	0	153	80	39	11.5
5	NITRO	12.56	4	1	0	213	35	54	8.8
6	HERBERT HOOVER	11.9	4	1	0	196	66	48	11.5
7	CHAPMANVILLE	11.75	4	0	0	164	32	39	8
8	KEYSER	10.95	3	1	0	169	92	36	7.8
9	NORTH MARION	10.92	4	1	0	170	89	45	9.6
10	CAPITAL	10.85	3	1	0	117	65	39	4.4
11	SPRING VALLEY	10.4	3	2	0	117	117	42	10
12	WINFIELD	10.2	3	1	0	140	49	33	7.8
13	ELKINS	9.94	4	1	0	218	111	45	4.7
14	HAMPSHIRE	9.04	3	2	0	131	151	36	9.2
15	PIKEVIEW	8.45	3	1	0	144	82	30	3.8
16	ROBERT C. BYRD	8.2	2	3	0	117	187	27	14
17	RIPLEY	7.8	3	2	0	165	106	33	6
18	JOHN MARSHALL	7.5	3	1	0	113	100	27	3
19	NICHOLAS COUNTY	6.43	2	2	0	138	109	21	4.7
20	SOUTH CHARLESTON	6	1	3	0	64	155	12	12
21	BROOKE	5.88	2	3	0	73	123	21	8.4
22	LEWIS COUNTY	5.35	1	3	0	73	145	12	9.4
23	EAST FAIRMONT	4.28	1	4	0	83	180	12	9.4
24	SHADY SPRING	3.72	1	4	0	92	148	12	6.6
25	GRAFTON	3.64	1	4	0	103	127	9	9.2
26	POINT PLEASANT	2.7	0	4	0	66	156	0	10.8
26	LINCOLN COUNTY	2.7	0	4	0	24	201	0	10.8
28	ST. ALBANS	2.64	0	5	0	12	246	0	13.2

AA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	INDEPENDENCE	12.2	5	0	0	191	58	48	13
2	FRANKFORT	11.4	5	0	0	202	53	48	9
3	PHILIP BARBOUR	10.24	3	2	0	121	107	39	12.2
4	PETERSBURG	9.8	5	0	0	203	59	42	7
5	MINGO CENTRAL	9.6	5	0	0	180	64	39	9
6	LOGAN	9.5	4	0	0	133	24	30	8
7	BLUEFIELD	9.38	3	2	0	105	147	33	13.9
8	DODDRIDGE COUNTY	9	4	0	0	183	14	33	3
9	MIDLAND TRAIL	8.84	4	1	0	179	62	36	8.2
10	OAK GLEN	8.72	4	1	0	145	58	33	10.6
11	WESTSIDE	8.68	3	1	0	122	72	27	7.7
12	JAMES MONROE	8.54	4	1	0	159	96	36	6.7
13	SOUTH HARRISON	8.14	4	1	0	163	143	33	7.7
14	CLAY COUNTY	8.08	3	2	0	162	141	27	13.4
15	ROANE COUNTY	7.98	3	1	0	183	95	24	7.9
16	POCA	6.58	2	2	0	107	123	18	8.3
17	BUFFALO	5.63	2	2	0	91	104	15	7.5
18	WAYNE	4.98	2	3	0	82	115	15	9.9
19	TYLER CONSOLIDATED	4.86	2	3	0	86	129	12	12.3
20	SISSONVILLE	4.6	2	3	0	130	174	15	8
21	WILLIAMSTOWN	4.58	1	3	0	102	144	9	9.3
22	RIVER VIEW	4.55	2	2	0	94	84	12	6.2
23	BRAXTON COUNTY	4.42	2	3	0	100	124	12	10.1
24	SCOTT	4.4	1	3	0	43	130	9	8.6
25	LINCOLN	4.34	1	4	0	142	206	12	9.7
26	BERKELEY SPRINGS	4.16	2	3	0	106	153	15	5.8
27	MOOREFIELD	3.12	0	5	0	42	177	0	15.6
28	LIBERTY (Raleigh)	3.1	1	4	0	102	173	6	9.5
29	WEIR	2.55	0	4	0	62	150	0	10.2
30	WYOMING EAST	2.34	0	5	0	47	254	0	11.7
31	SUMMERS COUNTY	2.1	0	4	0	26	169	0	8.4
32	RAVENSWOOD	1.92	0	5	0	37	172	0	9.6

A
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	WHEELING CENTRAL CATHOLIC	8.88	4	1	0	161	86	33	11.4
2	WAHAMA	8.8	5	0	0	262	80	33	11
3	SHERMAN	8.24	4	1	0	171	118	33	8.2
4	PENDLETON COUNTY	8.15	3	1	0	185	96	24	8.6
5	MEADOW BRIDGE	7.75	4	0	0	131	46	30	1
6	CAMERON	7	3	1	0	120	47	18	10
7	TUCKER COUNTY	6.52	4	1	0	206	88	24	8.6
8	CLAY-BATTELLE	5.95	3	1	0	164	54	18	5.8
9	ST. MARYS	5.9	3	2	0	119	125	21	8.5
10	TUG VALLEY	5.88	2	2	0	137	90	15	8.5
11	WIRT COUNTY	5.16	3	2	0	163	152	18	7.8
12	MONTCALM	5.13	2	1	0	69	66	12	3.4
13	WEBSTER COUNTY	4.3	2	2	0	82	155	12	5.2
13	EAST HARDY	4.3	1	3	0	149	193	9	8.2
15	MAN HIGH SCHOOL	4.06	2	3	0	88	73	12	8.3
16	GREENBRIER WEST	3.8	2	3	0	98	140	15	4
17	GILMER COUNTY	3.32	2	3	0	143	200	12	4.6
18	TOLSIA	3.14	2	3	0	135	98	12	3.7
19	POCAHONTAS COUNTY	2.88	1	4	0	81	119	6	8.4
20	CALHOUN COUNTY	2.64	1	4	0	86	211	6	7.2
20	TYGARTS VALLEY	2.64	1	4	0	90	191	6	7.2
22	MAGNOLIA	1.65	0	4	0	42	178	0	6.6
23	VALLEY (Wetzel)	1.5	0	4	0	39	209	0	6
24	RITCHIE COUNTY	1.35	0	4	0	54	162	0	5.4
25	MOUNT VIEW	1.2	0	4	0	8	194	0	4.8
26	RICHWOOD	0.9	0	4	0	54	175	0	3.6

The post WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 5 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 4

MetroNews — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:00:05 +0000

WVSSAC Playoff Ratings through four weeks of regular season play. The top 16 in each classification qualify for the postseason. Weekly ratings are released each Tuesday through the completion of the regular season.

AAAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	MORGANTOWN	15	4	0	0	182	42	57	3
2	GEORGE WASHINGTON	14.25	4	0	0	154	38	54	3
3	WHEELING PARK	13.13	3	1	0	112	91	45	7.5
4	HUNTINGTON	12.63	3	1	0	128	96	42	8.5
4	UNIVERSITY	12.63	3	1	0	175	102	45	5.5
6	SPRING MILLS	12.13	3	1	0	114	33	42	6.5
7	OAK HILL	11.35	3	1	0	109	103	39	6.4
8	WOODROW WILSON	9.28	2	2	0	114	89	30	7.1
9	PARKERSBURG	9.23	2	2	0	92	107	30	6.9
10	WASHINGTON	9.1	2	2	0	84	95	30	6.4
11	MUSSELMAN	7.88	1	3	0	70	109	15	16.5
12	MARTINSBURG	7.75	2	2	0	161	63	24	7
13	RIVERSIDE	4.88	1	3	0	85	106	12	7.5
14	JEFFERSON	4	0	3	0	7	66	0	12
15	PARKERSBURG SOUTH	3.75	0	4	0	58	112	0	15
16	HURRICANE	3.38	0	4	0	55	200	0	13.5
17	HEDGESVILLE	3.15	0	4	0	48	211	0	12.6
18	BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR	3.08	0	4	0	65	215	0	12.3
19	PRESTON	2.7	0	4	0	73	198	0	10.8
20	CABELL MIDLAND	2.18	0	4	0	52	116	0	8.7

AAA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	FAIRMONT SENIOR	14.67	3	0	0	125	43	39	5
1	PRINCETON	14.67	3	0	0	135	33	36	8
3	BRIDGEPORT	14	4	0	0	214	56	51	5
4	GREENBRIER EAST	12.2	2	1	0	93	77	30	6.6
5	CHAPMANVILLE	12	3	0	0	114	19	30	6
6	ELKINS	11.75	4	0	0	204	74	45	2
7	NITRO	11.65	3	1	0	165	29	42	4.6
8	HERBERT HOOVER	11.4	3	1	0	150	59	36	9.6
9	NORTH MARION	10.65	3	1	0	122	66	36	6.6
10	JOHN MARSHALL	10	3	0	0	99	59	27	3
11	WINFIELD	9.9	3	1	0	140	49	33	6.6
12	CAPITAL	9.8	2	1	0	82	41	27	2.4
13	HAMPSHIRE	9.68	3	1	0	115	107	36	2.7
14	SPRING VALLEY	9.5	2	2	0	68	105	30	8
15	KEYSER	9.4	2	1	0	125	76	24	4.2
16	RIPLEY	8.55	3	1	0	159	58	33	1.2
17	ROBERT C. BYRD	8.5	2	2	0	111	110	27	7
18	PIKEVIEW	6.93	2	1	0	110	76	18	2.8
19	SOUTH CHARLESTON	6.8	1	2	0	40	120	12	8.4
20	NICHOLAS COUNTY	6.43	2	2	0	138	109	21	4.7
21	LEWIS COUNTY	5.05	1	3	0	73	145	12	8.2
22	EAST FAIRMONT	4.8	1	3	0	52	131	12	7.2
23	BROOKE	4.35	1	3	0	38	123	9	8.4
23	SHADY SPRING	4.35	1	3	0	86	114	12	5.4
25	LINCOLN COUNTY	2.8	0	3	0	24	166	0	8.4
26	POINT PLEASANT	2	0	3	0	59	110	0	6
27	ST. ALBANS	1.8	0	4	0	0	197	0	7.2
28	GRAFTON	1.58	0	4	0	69	120	0	6.3

AA
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	INDEPENDENCE	11.75	4	0	0	160	48	39	8
2	FRANKFORT	11.5	4	0	0	174	46	39	7
3	BLUEFIELD	10.35	3	1	0	95	116	33	8.4
4	PETERSBURG	9.5	4	0	0	175	53	33	5
4	SOUTH HARRISON	9.5	4	0	0	147	106	33	5
4	MINGO CENTRAL	9.5	4	0	0	122	57	30	8
7	LOGAN	9.25	4	0	0	133	24	30	7
8	JAMES MONROE	8.93	3	1	0	121	88	30	5.7
9	DODDRIDGE COUNTY	8.75	4	0	0	183	14	33	2
10	MIDLAND TRAIL	8.55	3	1	0	138	62	27	7.2
11	PHILIP BARBOUR	8.25	2	2	0	84	93	27	6
12	WESTSIDE	7.95	3	1	0	122	72	27	4.8
13	OAK GLEN	7.75	3	1	0	128	58	24	7
14	ROANE COUNTY	6.63	2	1	0	137	75	15	4.9
15	POCA	6.1	2	2	0	107	123	18	6.4
16	CLAY COUNTY	5.9	2	2	0	125	125	18	5.6
17	WILLIAMSTOWN	5.17	1	2	0	89	94	9	6.5
18	WAYNE	5.15	2	2	0	62	75	15	5.6
19	BERKELEY SPRINGS	4.98	2	2	0	99	119	15	4.9
20	BRAXTON COUNTY	4.85	2	2	0	80	78	12	7.4
21	LINCOLN	4.58	1	3	0	119	158	12	6.3
22	RIVER VIEW	4.4	2	2	0	94	84	12	5.6
23	SCOTT	3.93	1	3	0	43	130	9	6.7
24	BUFFALO	3.53	1	2	0	53	86	6	4.6
25	TYLER CONSOLIDATED	3.45	1	3	0	72	117	6	7.8
26	LIBERTY (Raleigh)	3.35	1	3	0	84	135	6	7.4
27	SISSONVILLE	2.88	1	3	0	102	155	6	5.5
28	MOOREFIELD	2.55	0	4	0	36	149	0	10.2
29	WEIR	2.5	0	3	0	48	120	0	7.5
30	RAVENSWOOD	2.03	0	4	0	18	144	0	8.1
31	WYOMING EAST	1.88	0	4	0	40	196	0	7.5
32	SUMMERS COUNTY	1	0	3	0	26	128	0	3

A
Rank	School	Rating	Won	Lost	Tied	Scored	Allowed	Points	Bonus
1	CAMERON	8.33	3	0	0	108	33	18	7
2	WAHAMA	8.25	4	0	0	207	74	27	6
3	WHEELING CENTRAL CATHOLIC	8.2	3	1	0	120	78	24	8.8
4	MEADOW BRIDGE	8	3	0	0	76	34	24	0
5	PENDLETON COUNTY	7.57	2	1	0	126	96	18	4.7
6	SHERMAN	7.05	3	1	0	131	98	24	4.2
7	WIRT COUNTY	5.7	3	1	0	157	97	18	4.8
8	TUCKER COUNTY	5.43	3	1	0	136	82	18	3.7
9	TUG VALLEY	5.4	2	2	0	137	90	15	6.6
10	CLAY-BATTELLE	5.27	2	1	0	106	48	12	3.8
11	ST. MARYS	5.15	2	2	0	82	111	15	5.6
12	MONTCALM	4.93	2	1	0	69	66	12	2.8
13	WEBSTER COUNTY	4.73	2	1	0	76	85	12	2.2
14	GREENBRIER WEST	3.98	2	2	0	98	120	15	0.9
15	GILMER COUNTY	3.7	2	2	0	137	142	12	2.8
16	CALHOUN COUNTY	2.85	1	3	0	74	159	6	5.4
16	MAN	2.85	1	3	0	68	73	6	5.4
18	TYGARTS VALLEY	2.55	1	3	0	90	132	6	4.2
19	EAST HARDY	1.8	0	3	0	103	174	0	5.4
20	TOLSIA	1.73	1	3	0	83	86	6	0.9
21	POCAHONTAS COUNTY	1.65	0	4	0	33	119	0	6.6
22	MAGNOLIA	1.6	0	3	0	30	131	0	4.8
23	RITCHIE COUNTY	1.35	0	4	0	54	162	0	5.4
24	VALLEY (Wetzel)	1	0	3	0	27	154	0	3
24	RICHWOOD	1	0	3	0	54	127	0	3
26	MOUNT VIEW	0.75	0	4	0	8	194	0	3

The post WVSSAC Playoff Ratings: Week 4 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Gibson proud of team’s perseverance and fourth-quarter showing in second victory

MetroNews — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:08:53 +0000

— By David Walsh

Explanations from Marshall coach Tony Gibson and Middle Tennessee quarterback Nicholas Vattiato summed up how the Thundering Herd went from a 28-21 deficit to scoring three times in the fourth quarter while shutting down the Blue Raiders to prevail, 42-28, Saturday night, spoiling homecoming at Floyd Stadium.

The final non-conference game for both teams turned into a long evening with Marshall holding a 7-0 lead when action stopped due to a lightning delay. It would be 2 hours and 12 minutes before the matchup resumed.

“It was a long night. We’re out of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crackers, all those good things,” Gibson said. “I’m very proud of our football team and what we had to overcome We got it done. Finish the game 21-0 in the fourth quarter is what you like to see. Very proud of our performance in that quarter. Still a lot of stuff to get fixed.”

For Vattiato, the difference came after the Blue Raiders rallied to lead 28-21 with 5:54 left in the third period. In the fourth, their offense mustered just 25 total yards to 21 unanswered points and 157 total yards from the visitors.

“Guys did a good job staying up,” Vattiato said. “When we come out, we made an impact right away. Did some good things. When we go up 28-21 at that point we never put the dagger in, never took the opportunity to score more points. It’s kind of like what they did to us. Didn’t take the opportunity to put it out of reach. Plenty of opportunities to score points. We didn’t do our job.”

Marshall’s Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, making his second start at quarterback, proved to be a difference maker. The transfer from Syracuse threw for 261 yards, four scores and ran for a TD.

Following the delay, Marshall scored a pair of quick touchdowns, one from Toby Payne via pass from Del Rio-Wilson and a 2-yard rush from Del Rio-Wilson. The Blue Raiders also accounted for two scores to stay close. Jacob Hathaway booted field goals of 50 and 38 yards to cut the deficit to 21-20 at halftime. The 50-yarder is his career long.

Vattiato finished with 299 yards, two scores and a rushing TD, but the Herd defense kept the Blue Raiders in check the final 15 minutes.

“We jumped out 7-0, we’re juiced up, everything is good, then we’ve got to come in,” Gibson said. “The kids and coaches did a great job. We come out and they broke that big run on the first play. I didn’t like that. We stayed focused. We had a lot to overcome.

“Carlos … unbelievable. He kept telling me, ‘I got you coach. I got you coach.’ He put the team on his back and had a tremendous football game. Big-time throws. He’s just a tough, competitive kid. Michael (Allen) improved with him. Ran hard. Antwan Roberts comes in, rips off big runs and sets up the last score. Coach (defensive coordinator Shannon Morrison) dialed in on them. The whole defense played well in the fourth quarter. That’s complimentary football.

“We knew the kids wouldn’t quit. Guys come off, great job offense, great job defense. We’re starting to see what team is all about. You could tell on the sidelines. Not a lot of energy in the stadium because of all the delays. You want to see, as a coach, these guys start to come together.”

Middle Tennessee coach Derek Mason praised the effort turned in by the opponent.

“Hats off to Marshall. They played hard. They gave themselves a chance,” Mason said. “When momentum changes, we have to be a smarter team. That penalty on the punt on fourth down. Ridiculous. That’s a tough lesson we have to learn. We have to understand penalties kill drives. Defense we played early became diving tackles, we start to derail. Late we not have the opportunities go get off the field. Marshall did a good job of playing four quarters. This team is capable. We have enough players.”

Marshall begins Sun Belt Conference play this Saturday against Louisiana at Cajun Field at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette, La. Start time is 8 p.m. The Herd beat the Ragin’ Cajuns on their field last December to win the Sun Belt Championship. Louisiana is 1-3 after a last-second loss last Saturday to Eastern Michigan.

“This is a big one,” Gibson said. “Have a great week, correct mistakes and see what we’ve got when we go down to Louisiana.”

The post Gibson proud of team’s perseverance and fourth-quarter showing in second victory appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Marshall making offensive strides over opening week of camp

MetroNews — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:52:50 +0000

— By Bill Cornwell

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. —Tony Gibson pulled no punches when voicing his displeasure with the performance of the Thundering Herd offense on the opening day of preseason camp August 2.

The Marshall football head coach and members of his staff are more pleased with what they’ve seen from Herd quarterbacks, ball-carriers and receivers since.

“Some days have been better than others, Marshall offensive coordinator Rod Smith said. “We didn’t practice well on Monday, but we’ve rebounded and I’m proud of our effort and coming back and attacking the days.”

Smith worked with West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez last season at Jacksonville State and hopes to bring a fast-paced attack to Marshall with a heavy emphasis on tempo and little time between plays. The ability of the quarterback to read the defense is crucial as line of scrimmage decisions are often made to keep the ball, hand it off to a back or throw downfield.

Smith says transfer quarterbacks Carlos Del Rio-Wilson from Syracuse and Zion Turner from Jacksonville State are improving, along with redshirt freshman JacQai Long.

“They take coaching well,” Smith said. “Our guys get in the film room and see their mistakes and learn from them. Each one of them has a skill set and they are conscientious. We’ve just to keep getting better.”

Tight end Toby Payne echoes Smith and says Herd quarterbacks have the confidence of their teammates.

“They’re all good guys and good leaders and it’s great to see them excel and make plays out there,” Payne said.

Smith nor Gibson will name a starting quarterback, something the offensive coordinator is by design.

“You don’t want to force that,” Smith said. “It just comes naturally and success breeds confidence, so the more confidence those guys have, the more we’ll be successful. As camp goes on, we hope to keep building that confidence, putting them in stressful situations. I want them to feel the pressure.”

As a whole, the MU offense is using August to continue improving camaraderie and an understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“We’re working hard,” Payne said. “We’re spending nine or ten hours together every day and we’re jelling the first few days of practice. This is the best time of the year if you love football. It’s football all day.”

Smith wants to make the sure the unit is fully aware of the expectation as continued improvement is sought after with three weeks until a daunting challenge awaits in the August 30 season opener at Georgia.

“These practices are like gold, so our guys have to take each rep and each moment and take them to heart,” Smith said. “Our defense does a great job of disguising things and they’re making our quarterbacks work.”

— — — — —

Three Marshall players were named to a pair of notable watch lists this week.

Wide Receiver Adrian Norton, who transferred from Akron in the spring, has been named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list. The Biletnikoff Award goes to college football’s top receiver annually. He caught 43 passes for 831 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Zips.

Running Backs Jo’Shon Barbie and Tony Mathis are on the Doak Walker Award watch lists. The Doak Walker Award is given each year to the nation’s top running back.

Barbie transferred to Marshall from McNeese State and he rushed for 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 career games as the primary back for the Cowboys over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Mathis came to Marshall from Houston where he spent the last two seasons battling injuries. Prior to his time with the Cougars, Mathis was a featured ball-carrier at West Virginia.

The post Marshall making offensive strides over opening week of camp appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Wheeling Central’s Eli Sancomb nabs Evans Award

MetroNews — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 13:56:15 +0000

— By Nick Henthorn, West Virginia Sportswriters Association

WHEELING, W.Va. — After a season of dominant play and broken records, Wheeling Central’s Eli Sancomb climbed to a whole new level in the state tournament.

Pacing the Class AA field in all major stat categories and leading the Maroon Knights to a state championship over Williamstown, the Central junior has completed his climb this year– and found himself all alone at the mountaintop. Sancomb has been named the 2025 Evans Award winner as the state’s most outstanding boys basketball player, selected by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association.

The award is named after former Fairmont Times sports editor Bill Evans and has been awarded annually since 1970.

In a season where he could have defined himself by the results and accolades, Sancomb instead focused on his work ethic, and the people around him that have helped him get to his place of esteem.

“It means a lot, for sure,” Sancomb said. “It’s been a lot of time in the gym to get to this point in time. I still believe that I can improve on my game. There’s some stuff that I can improve on my game for sure, but it feels really good to be recognized.”

“I absolutely couldn’t do it without my coaches and teammates. I mean, they have a lot of trust in me, rebounding, passing, scoring, whatever it is. I can really just trust my teammates because I know my team. All my teammates work hard and I mean, they don’t get as much credit, but they do work very, very hard. To win a state championship, they were obviously a really big part of that.”

Sancomb concludes his junior season averaging 25.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game, and led the Class AA state tournament in each of those categories, plus blocks, while on his way to a title and Class AA tournament MVP nod. He finished with shooting splits of 54.4/36.0/84.8.

Though a gaudy stat line, Wheeling Central head coach Mel Stephens was, much like Sancomb himself, more interested in talking about the process.

“Well deserved, the kid works his tail off,” Stephens said. “You know, he’s very good to begin with, but just a couple days after we got back from Charleston, he was back in a gym working on his game to get better. It’s quite an honor for him.”

“He fills the stat sheet up for sure– and a lot of that stuff goes unnoticed. A lot of people see how many points he scored and think that, you know, that’s all he does. But he does so many other things for us, as far as rebounding and getting the ball to other guys in positions where they can score. Really, as important as all that stuff is, it’s probably his leadership ability that’s most important. Even though he’s only a junior, the guys look up to him and just try to follow his example. And he definitely made us a better team just by being there.”

Wheeling Central’s state title was their first since 2018, with Sancomb going for 26 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in the championship game, a 59-40 triumph over the Yellowjackets. Stephens gave his star plenty of credit for his team’s success, even beyond being the Knights’ best player.

“The work that he puts in, the other guys see that and a lot of the other guys get into the gym,” Stephens said. “He encourages them to come into the gym with him. And that definitely had an effect on our team. Guys were willing to put the extra work in, whether it was before school or staying after practice to get more shots up or to do different things.

“He was definitely the ring leader for all that. That kind of enthusiasm, that kind of dedication carries over. It was very infectious for the other guys on our team.”

Suffice to say Sancomb lives on the basketball court– a place that has been his home for most of his life. Sancomb’s father, Danny Sancomb, was an impressive player in his own right at D-II Wheeling University, and has been a coach at a number of schools, including his alma mater and the University of California (PA) where he currently resides.

“I think that really goes back to his family,” Stephens said. “His mom and dad are big supporters of him. And obviously his dad being a college coach, Eli has been around basketball from a very young age. As far as understanding the game, he’s been around a lot of different players, both high school and college kids, so he’s got a very good understanding of how the game needs to be played.”

As well as returning Wheeling Central to the top of state competition, Sancomb is also breaking completely new ground for the Maroon Knights. The junior set his school’s single-game scoring record by pouring in 47 points on the road against The Linsly School, a game where Central had to come back from a 15-2 deficit to start the game.

And by winning the Evans Award, Sancomb marks his name in school history as the first Maroon Knight to be honored with the distinction.

“He’s definitely going to be one of the all-time greats,” Stephens said. “He probably would have given Chase Harler a run for his money for the all-time leading scorer in school history, if he hadn’t missed his freshman year, and then seven or eight games last year. But with the awards he’s picking up– Chase won the Gatorade Player of the Year also, but I don’t think he won the Evans Award. So Eli is making some strides there, as far as what he’s done and what he’s capable of doing.”

Sancomb is 24 points away from hitting 1,000 in his career. It shouldn’t take much time for him to reach that number next season, and move on to greater ventures.

“I’ll have the same goals, winning the OVAC championship again and winning the state championship again,” Sancomb said of his next year.

“I mean, if you get the best player in the state coming back for another year, that definitely makes you feel good,” Stephens said about Sancomb’s impending senior season. “And we got some guys– Max Olejasz is coming back, Nico Kusic– both of those guys started for us all year. Eli’s younger brother, Luke, is coming back. He was usually the first guy off the bench. We’ve got a good nucleus coming back. You know with him, even though he’s won these awards and we won a championship, I don’t think he is satisfied. He’ll continue to work and continue to try to get better and continue to push his teammates to be better.”

Other finalists for the Evans Award included Spring Mills’ Caleb Thomas and George Washington’s Noah Lewis.

History of Evans Award Winners

2024 – Sharron Young, Morgantown (Akron)

2023 – Eli Allen, James Monroe (Nova Southeastern)

2022 – Isaac McKneely, Poca (Virginia)

2021 – Isaac McKneely, Poca

2020 – Kaden Metheny, University (Bowling Green)

2019 – Jalen Bridges, Fairmont Senior (WVU)

2018 – Taevon Horton, Fairmont Senior (WVU)

2017 – Jarrod West, Notre Dame (Marshall)

2016 – Tavian Dunn-Martin, Huntington (Akron/Duquesne)

2015 – Jacob Kilgore, Spring Valley (Marshall)

2014 – Jon Elmore, George Washington (VMI/Marshall)

2013 – Donte Grantham, Martinsburg (Clemson)

2012 – Demetrius “Boo” Lathon, Wheeling Park (West Liberty football)

2011 – Chase Fischer, Ripley (Wake Forest/BYU)

2010 – Noah Cottrill, Logan (WVU/W.Va. Wesleyan)

2009 – Aaron Dobson, South Charleston (Marshall football)

2008 – Bryant Irwin, Bridgeport (St. Joseph’s/Furman)

2007 – O.J. Mayo, Huntington (Southern Cal)

2006 – Patrick Patterson, Huntington (Kentucky)

2005 – Josh “Cookie” Miller, Capital (Nebraska)

2004 – Adam Williams, St. Albans (Kentucky/Marshall)

2003 – Brandon Moore, Spring Valley (Eastern Kentucky)

2002 – Mark Patton, Cabell Midland (Marshall)

2001 – Patrick O’Malley, George Washington (Richmond)

2000 – Greg Davis, Tug Valley (Pikeville)

1999 – Brett Nelson, St. Albans (Florida)

1998 – Tamar Slay, Woodrow Wilson (Marshall)

1997 – Rafael Cruz, Wheeling Park (Massachusetts/Youngstown State)

1996 – Cornelius Jackson, Oak Hill (Tennessee/Marshall)

1995 – Randy Moss, DuPont (Marshall football)

1994 – Randy Moss, jr., DuPont (Marshall football); Anthony Scruggs, Woodrow Wilson (Fork Union, Va.)

1993 – Ryan Culicerto, Woodrow Wilson (James Madison)

1992 – Jared Prickett, Fairmont Senior (Kentucky)

1991 – Matt Gaudio, Brooke (Penn State)

1990 – Marsalis Basey, Martinsburg (West Virginia)

1989 – Pervires “P.G.” Green, Oak Hill (West Virginia)

1988 – Anthony Strother, Williamson (Garden City, Kan.)

1987 – Tracy Shelton, Oak Hill (West Virginia)

1986 – Greg Bell, DuPont (Tennessee)

1985 – Vernell “Bimbo” Coles, Greenbrier East (Virginia Tech)

1984 – Herbie Brooks, Mullens (West Virginia)

1983 – Mark Cline, Williamson (Wake Forest)

1982 – Gay Elmore, South Charleston (VMI)

1981 – Jim Miller, Princeton (Virginia)

1980 – David Daniel, Sherman (Charleston)

1979 – Earl Jones, Mount Hope (District of Columbia)

1978 – Jeff Schneider, Washington Irving (Virginia Tech)

1977 – Jeff Schneider, Washington Irving

1976 – Will Johnson, DuPont (Concord)

1975 – Sam Brooks, Charleston (Louisville)

1974 – Maurice “Mo” Robinson, Welch (West Virginia)

1973 – Denny Harris, Charleston (W.Va. State)

1972 – Warren Baker, Greenbrier East (West Virginia)

1971 – Bill Lindsay, Charles Town (Fairmont State)

1970 – Charles Hickok, Parkersburg (West Virginia)

The post Wheeling Central’s Eli Sancomb nabs Evans Award appeared first on WV MetroNews.