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BENNETT: Good vibes at Eastern

It’s that time of year again. Football season is up and rolling and I was able to start my rounds on Saturday at Eastern High School with the Eagles. I’ve known second-year head coach Jason Jackson for quite a long time and he’s never afraid to tell you how things are, whether it’s good or not so good. The EHS coaching staff was able to help the team to a 9-3 campaign last fall and a berth in the second round of the Buckeye State playoffs. After spending some time at media day talking with coach Jackson as well as senior players Rylee Barrett and Brandon Oldaker, I get the ...

SMITH: Market Street a fitting finish line for News and Sentinel Half Marathon

Half marathon concludes in the historic center of Parkersburg If you run either the News and Sentinel Half Marathon or Two-Mile Race you will start and end at two locations that have been used for decades to begin and conclude the races. The races both start near the intersection of Third and Juliana streets. A white line is painted across the street to mark where runners will line up the morning of Aug. 19. Normally traffic flows into the area from the off ramp for Route 50, from up the section of Juliana Street that connects with Second Street, and from Third Street. On the ...

BENNETT: Good night for a run

Saturday night’s Kicks for Kids 5K here in Parkersburg might not have had the biggest field, but it appears both runners and walkers are coming back to the sport. Following the event and prior to the awards ceremony, race co-director Sharon Marks thanked everyone who participated. Money raised from the event should turn into around 100 pairs of shoes for students in Wood and Washington Counties. “Sharon does a great job putting on the race and everyone that helps her,” admitted men’s run champion Scott Burnham, who said his next race will be the News and Sentinel Half ...

PATRICK: New South coach Bryan Youngblood loves being around baseball

Baseball has always been his blood. After his days catching at the collegiate level, he spent much of his adult life umpiring Division-I baseball. Even at the age of 50, Bryan Youngblood continues to get a few swings in and hold down the fort as a first baseman as part of a pair of men’s leagues in the Canton-Akron area. He is a die-hard fan of the Cleveland major league baseball team he still refers to as “the Tribe” and their home as the “The Jake.” Now add high school varsity baseball coach at Parkersburg South High School to his resume after spending the better part of ...

SMITH: Rucking category adds race challenge

We all know that running and walking is a great way to burn calories while getting fit. Some people chose to make it even more challenging by adding weight to their workout. This is called rucking, and there is a whole group of walkers that have been adding to their weekly workout by carrying a few extra pounds in a backpack before heading out. Rucking allows a person to do strength training during which one would normally be in the gym lifting weights, while at the same time doing the endurance training that one normally equates with running and walking. We have had people rucking ...

BENNETT: Back at it again

KISS. Does everyone remember that acronym — keep it simple stupid? Actually, that’s a pretty good daily reminder of how one could go about life. Basically, try not to make things any harder than they have to be. Now that my least favorite day of the year has gone by the wayside — the summer solstice — and I’m back from taking some time off to recharge, one of the first things I wanted to delve into was the new ratings plan for prep football here in the Mountain State. Wayne Ryan, an assistant executive director at the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, ...