Now that girls basketball season is done, what teams would make up a top 10 in the Tri-State? How about this:
1. Fairland (27-1), 2. Ashland (26-7), 3. Spring Valley (21-5), 4. Cabell Midland (19-7), 5. Lawrence County (30-6), 6. Russell (22-12), 7. Boyd County (21-10), 8. Wheelersburg (24-3), 9. Wayne (24-2), 10. Rock Hill (17-7).
Let’s take it a step further and set up a 16-team Tri-State Tournament, Kentucky-style, with one classification. The first-round pairings would feature Tolsia vs. Fairland, Greenup County vs. Ashland, Chesapeake vs. Spring Valley, South Gallia vs. Cabell Midland, Portsmouth vs. Lawrence County, Huntington High vs. Russell, Rock Hill vs. Boyd County, and Wayne vs. Wheelersburg.
Now, that’s a Sweet 16.
NEW SHOWCASE: Cabell Midland’s girls basketball team announced it will serve as host of a showcase Dec. 8-9.
Spots are available for high school and middle school squads. High school teams committed to play include Cameron, Grace Christian, Greenup County, Huntington High, Huntington St. Joe, Ironton, Musselman, Shady Spring, South Charleston, Spring Valley, St. Albans, Wayne, Winfield and Woodrow Wilson. Middle school squads in the event include Barboursville, Ceredo-Kenova, George Washington, Huntington East, Huntington St. Joe, Logan and Milton.
Contact midlandgirlsbasketball@gmail.com for more information.
SPORTSMANSHIP LIVES: Martin County’s girls basketball team advanced to the Kentucky state tournament, but didn’t have a full band to send to Lexington. Pike County Central sent its band to ensure the Cardinals would have musical representation.
AMAZING STATS OF THE WEEK: Lawrence County basketball star Kensley Feltner finished with more than 4,000 career points. Webster County outscored Cameron 17-0 in the second quarter of a West Virginia girls state tournament semifinal, but lost 54-51. Cameron’s Ashlynn Van Tassell scored 24 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in that game.
Wheelersburg girls basketball coach Dusty Spradlin was honored at the Ohio state tournament for winning his 300th game. Tri-Village is the first school in Ohio history to have girls and boys teams finish 30-0.
Recruiting roundup
SIGNINGS: Cabell Midland wrestler Zoey Salmons (Presbyterian) and swimmer Katerina Smith (Fairmont State); Russell soccer player Jenna Adkins (Georgetown College).
COMMITMENTS: Spring Valley running back Logan Perry (Marietta).
OFFERS: Huntington High wide receiver Wayne Harris (Kent State, Eastern Kentucky); Ironton linemen Noah Patterson (Eastern Michigan, Fordham) and Bowen Gossett (Miami-Ohio); George Washington basketball player Brendan Hoffman (Concord);
Hurricane quarterback Noah Vellaithambi (Miami, Ohio), Former Capital quarterback JacQai Long of Akron Hoban (Columbia), Lincoln County basketball player Sawyer Tomblin (Kentucky Christian).
VISITS: Boyd County basketball star Audrey Biggs (Georgetown University).
NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES: Ohio State’s Caden Spencer, a Huntington High graduate, was named Big Ten gymnast and freshman of the week. Spring Valley’s Hallie Bailey and Cabell Midland’s Jazmyn Wheeler were named to the West Virginia Class AAAA all-state tournament team.
Moorefield girls basketball coach Paul Keplinger resigned after 12 seasons. Sophomore Dee Alexander of Cincinnati Purcell Marian was named Miss Basketball in Ohio. Wheeling Park’s Alexis Bordas is the Gatorade girls basketball player of the year in West Virginia.
Hurricane and Martinsburg have agreed to a two-year deal in football. The Redskins will be home in 2024, the Bulldogs in 2025. Both games are slated for Week 11. Rock Hill long jumper Izaak Cox finished 13th of 34 participants in the Nike Indoor National Invitational in New York City on Saturday. He leaped 20 feet, 8 inches.
The Ohio Valley Conference basketball all-star games are scheduled for Monday at Fairland High School. The girls play at 6 p.m., the boys at 6:30 p.m. Girls coaches are Eric Bailey of Rock Hill and Jon Buchanan of Fairland. Boys coaches are Chris Barnes of Ironton and Travis Wise of South Point.
Former Ashland boys basketball coach Jason Mays in the new head coach at Montgomery County. Former Huntington High girls basketball star and assistant coach Whitney Bays is headed to the NCAA Tournament as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb.
A pair of former Boyd County basketball stars, Savannah Wheeler of Middle Tennessee State and Harley Paynter of Tennessee Tech, helped their teams to the NCAA Tournament.
