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WEEKEND MORNING QUARTERBACK: WVU sends fans home happy

For the past three decades, WVU Mountaineer fans have become accustomed to dreary holiday bowl seasons. Take away the four years of Pat White at quarterback and West Virginia’s bowl record since 1987 was a paltry 3-18. During one stretch of Don Nehlen’s tenure the Mountaineers lost 11 of 12 bowl games. The last three appearances under Dana Holgerson were embarrassing one-sided defeats. Late in the first half of Thursday's Liberty Bowl, WVU appeared that at least it would go into the locker room with a three point lead, for which fans were thankful considering a first half where West ...

ALBRIGHT: In a very different year, PHS girls just need to go to work

Despite enjoying a nearly perfect state champions’ existence over the past three years, the PHS girls’ basketball team isn’t immune to the passage of time. Ask anyone inside the program if the good times could flow in perpetuity, and they’ll tell you that graduations still impact them. It is why head coach Scott Cozzens made sure his junior varsity team played a defense capable of transferring over to the varsity level. It is why he made sure younger players like Taylor Miller, Kisten Roberts, Sierra Mason, and Hayley McCale got valuable varsity experience. Because it was ...

BENNETT: LKC was proactive

Basketball coaches across the Mountain State had a monkey wrench thrown at them last month when Jim Justice, the governor, squashed the start of winter sports until at least Jan. 11. Like golf and volleyball before them, high school coaches and athletic directors went into scramble mode trying to figure out a way to put together what was once a perfect hoops schedule. As it turned out, the Little Kanawha Conference had been working on an idea and that timeline was actually moved up. Veteran Ravenswood boys roundball coach Mick Price said the LKC had been discussing the issue since ...

HUGHES: Williamstown cross country keeps on growing

WILLIAMSTOWN — What can be said that hasn’t already been said about Williamstown cross country? Years at the top for Larry Cassady’s girls and a breakthrough with a state meet appearance in 2020 for Cliff Taylor’s boys give the ‘Jackets plenty to be excited about in 2021 and beyond. The season is over and has been for weeks, but five Yellowjacket runners gave the program a glimpse of the present and future on Dec. 12-13 in Paris, Ky. during the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships. Hundreds of participants from across the county between the ages of 14 and 18 ran in 4k ...

ALBRIGHT: Aaliyah Brunny, Leslie Huffman keep Catholic’s state title window open

In the wake of Madeline Huffman’s recent arrival on the Fairmont State women’s basketball team, whispers have started being spoken that Parkersburg Catholic girl’s basketball’s state championship window has closed. Don’t be one of the nonbelievers. Don’t listen to any of the haters, don’t give any of the rhetoric a second thought, and certainly don’t go spouting off any of it to anyone else. “As fantastic as Madeline was, she would be the first to admit she wasn’t our entire team and that we weren’t a one-pony show. She helped the coaching staff truly implement a ...

BENNETT: It’s easy to say no

That’s exactly what the governor of the Mountain State, Jim Justice, did last month when he axed winter sports until at least Jan. 11. Needless to say, basketball coaches and other winter sports leaders were none too happy about his executive order. I talked with veteran Ravenswood head boys basketball coach Mick Price for a few minutes last month about this decision. Some coaches were so steamed coach Price had to “talk” several of them off the proverbial ledge. What made matters worse was having no chance to practice or even lift weights and condition in pods. Thus, ...