It's been a great month...

I know that this is a high school board, but I'm not just a sports writer, I'm a human too and so let me offer some of my highlights from the month.

It actually started March 31 when I got to cover Ashland native Brandon Webb on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park. Just a few days later, I was able to let the area know of the generosity of Chad Pennington's 1st and 10 Foundation and how much they have given to our area.

Skip forward one week and my daughter Kyra celebrated her first birthday (April 10). It was the first birthday in my life that ever made me feel older and it wasn't even my birthday...LOL.

The following days would unveil a week-plus of rivalries, great matchups and Sluggerfest.

One week later, I got to talk to one of the great baseball legends of our area -- Jack Cook -- at one of the best tournaments in our area -- the Jack Cook Wooden Bat Classic. I would love to see this tournament expand because all the players seem to love it.

I capped my month with Chad Pennington's 1st and 10 Celebrity Bowl in which I got to talk to Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith, who was just as in awe as I was that we were there with NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett.

I'd like to see the May flowers that come from these so-called April showers.

GDT

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT....

...that basketball parents were bad, the softball parents of the area come back in and sweep the title right away.

OK, OK, so I'm exaggerating...sort of. 90 percent of the parents in sports are great to deal with and understanding of the situations that we go through on a daily basis. It is the other 10 percent that make it miserable.

Some comments are needed, but often mistimed and delivered in such a way that makes it impossible for any good to come of it. For example, if you leave a voicemail either (1) cussing or (2) telling me I need to wake up, do my job or some other form of attack criticism, chances are that your comments are less likely to be taken into consideration than someone that calls and explains politely their inquiries into the reasons why a story was or was not done on a subject.

It gets back to the Golden Rule...stuff learned in Kindergarten.

With that being said, I look forward to covering softball sectionals, which open this weekend. It is going to be a joy watching the sectional and regional battle here because chances are a state champion will come from the area.

I hope that the parents and supporters of the area put as much time into supporting their respective teams as they have flooding our office with calls over the last two weeks. If so, there will be record crowds and some softball venues.

Good luck to everyone and I will be there covering starting Wednesday.

GDT

A gripe that everyone can relate to....

First off, let me say that I am 100 percent totally behind those who are at the forefront of athletics at Marshall. I want them to do well and I want to be able to do a professional job when I go to cover them.

But covering both high school and college athletics, I gain an interesting perspective on things. There is one thing that I agree to disagree with most Marshall coaches about and it is the quality of athlete that comes out of our area.

I have seen coaches go far on recruiting trips and bring players into Huntington, only to have these players falter or not pan out to their hyped up ratings. However, because they are from Orlando or Charlotte or Detroit instead of Winfield or Ashland or Oak Hill, they are thought to be a better brand of athlete.

Sure, players from bigger cities will probably be used to going against Division I-level players more often, but that is only because of the increase in the numbers of athletes.

I'd be willing to bet that by ratio, this area has just as many Division I athletes per sport as other areas.

I'd like to see Marshall's coaches slow down on traveling to California or Texas or Florida to get an athlete while having to pay a full out-of-state scholarship price. They need to put more effort in our area where the travel, price of tuition for the scholarship and quality are just as solid, plus it would draw more local interest to a sport.

It just make cents to me.

GDT

Don't look now....

Yes, your eyes deceive you. This IS a new post on the blog. After going through the entire Ohio Division III playoffs and then the C-USA tournament in Orlando last week, I thought I would get a little bit of a breather to update the blog before starting Spring sports.

WRONG!

This weekend, a laundry list of local teams start baseball and softball action...if Mother Nature allows them to do so, of course.

Here is where I need help from those who see this. If you all have any high school Spring sports schedules WITH TIMES, please send them to gtraylor@herald-dispatch.com.

The WVSSAC Web site does a great job of letting you know what day, but you have to guess one of the 24 hours in the day that they may be playing.

Here is to sunnier skies and seeing you at the diamond.

GDT

BIG MATCHUP FRIDAY NIGHT!

South Point puts its undefeated record on the line against a team that nearly snatched the undefeated string from them three weeks ago in Fairland.

The Dragons avenged one of their losses last week by beating Chesapeake in the finals of the St. Joe Invitational as Michael Lamb led the attack.

This time, Lamb will try and outduel Todd Mayo, who poured in 37 on Fairland in the 72-71 win on Jan. 4.

For those who love high-octane offense and smooth shooters, head up to the beautiful new South Point gymnasium on Friday night. It WILL be a show!

GDT

The real problem with Spring Valley football...

...is the attitude of its so-called supporters. If you look underneath my story online about Brad Dingess being hired as the new football coach, you will find approximately 15-20 comments about why Dingess should not have been coach.

The truth is that no one knows how it will turn out yet. He could very well take the Wolves to the playoffs this season and be the best thing ever to happen to Spring Valley football.

Dingess is a smart guy and a good football guy. His players have told me personally that he is a player's coach and that they think that will help with the future of the team.

HERE IS WHAT WON'T HELP...All the so called boosters and supporters that would rather gripe about who didn't get picked for the job than support the person who did.

Until that happens, then any coach that gets the job will be behind the 8-ball.

Behind every good football program in this state is a community that supports that program. It is true in all three classes!

If you so-called boosters put as much effort and energy into supporting the program as you do griping about the current coach or the Wayne BOE, the Timberwolves would be a perennial playoff team in Class AAA.

If you don't like what I have said in this post, that probably means you are guilty of the above.

If you don't like me saying it, please direct comments and blame to me.

OVC is Cream of the Crop

Sorry it has been awhile since my last banter....preparing for my little one's first Christmas got a little more hectic than what I anticipated.

Now that teams are back into full swing and I have seen a lot of the area's talent, I have made some conclusions.

My first conclusion: the OVC is definitely playing the best at this point.

I went to the Fairland-South Point matchup last Friday night and I must say that the pace was likened to a college game. Both teams moved up and down the floor well, showcasing superior athleticism and basketball ability in comparison to the other teams I have seen this season. (NOTE: I have not yet seen Chesapeake..that's this Friday's itinerary.)

The athleticism is better, the shooting is better, the play is better and their results are better. Between Fairland, Chesapeake and South Point, those teams have two losses on the season -- one being Fairland's loss to South Point. That will change this week as Chesapeake will take on both Fairland and South Point with control of the OVC at stake.

As for WV, Cabell Midland has been playing well, but I'm not sure if they can handle SV's defense. Meanwhile, Huntington has the athleticism to beat both on any given night. And don't forget about Hurricane...they too have some shooters that if they get hot, look out! Watching that region develop this season should be enjoyable.

Best of luck to all teams as you start 2008. I'll be seeing a lot of everyone over the next two months!

GDT

Hoops get into full gear!

With hoops season getting into full swing, there are several teams that are making noise. However, it is the one team that isn't making much noise that has everyone's attention.

Huntington's 3-year domination of WV boys basketball is officially over after the Highlanders fell to Spring Valley on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, it was Cabell Midland who started out with a pair of wins despite enduring a rough week with the death of three schoolmates.

The region will be up in the air and it will come down to execution in March, something teams are preparing for as we speak.

Over in Ohio, 1-2 punches are being thrown by South Point and Fairland as each has started the year unblemished. The Pointers will hit you with a Weed (Beau Weed) and slap a little Mayo (Todd) as they serve up losses for the opposition.

Meanwhile, Fairland's offense has been unstoppable with the same combination as in football season. Michael Lamb and Cole Hatfield might be the best all-around athletes in the area.

On the girls' side of action, Huntington and Huntington St. Joe are showing why they are preseason picks for the state tournament after posting nice wins this week.

The Irish got past previously-unbeaten Tolsia after putting up 30 points in the first quarter. Not to be outdone, Huntington went on the road and outscored South Charleston 28-4 in the first quarter en route to a big road win late last week.

It is all shaping up for a great beginning to 2008 in the world of high school sports.

West Virginia Preseason Girls Poll released Monday

With the girls basketball season officially opening Tuesday night, the Associated Press released its preseason polls on Monday afternoon.

To no one's surprise, Morgantown and Huntington are back on top of the Class AAA preseason ratings as both have key players returning.

The Highlanders received two first-place votes and feature sophomores Whitney Bays and Erin Bailes. The duo is expected to take the team back to Charleston late in the year, but they will have to overcome a stiff test from their district and region foes to get there.

In class A, Huntington St. Joseph was ranked fourth in the preseason poll and tied top-ranked Parkersburg Catholic and No. 2 Wheeling Central for most first-place votes with three. The Fighting Irish are also behind South Harrison, who was ranked third but did not receive any first-place votes.

Class AA was topped by Summers County and Winfield -- a pair of teams that collected all 10 first place votes. Locally, Tolsia received two votes in the poll.

GDT

Who is the best basketball team in the area?

I know that it has been a while since the last post, but it would have gotten old writing about Wayne every week and let's face it...

...THEY ARE THE ONLY FOOTBALL TEAM THAT HAD BEEN PLAYING!!!

With that said, it is time for hoops season and I need to know who you think will be the best team in our area.

Give me your choices and why you think your team will come on top on the hardwood.

GDT

Time to get out the calculators...

As we get into Week 9, the importance of rankings for playoff seeding creeps into the minds of those who follow high school football.

Several key matchups will further detail the rankings in all three classes and, even though some of the matchups are out of our area, the coaches in our area will be watching these games closely.

AAA
#3 Parkersburg vs. #6 Capital at Laidley Field
South Charleston at #20 Spring Valley
#16 Nitro at #8 Hurricane
Lincoln County at #5 St. Albans
#1 George Washington at Ripley
Princeton at #9 Riverside
#7 Bridgeport at #15 Nicholas County
#2 Robert C. Byrd at Parkersburg South
Greenbrier East at #19 Woodrow Wilson

AA
#1 Bluefield at Richlands (Va.)
#14 Roane County at Herbert Hoover
#3 Wayne at #17 Poca
#17 Sissonville at Shady Spring
#20 Clay County at #13 Ravenswood
Point Pleasant at #14 Logan
#6 Scott at #11 Liberty Raleigh
#10 Wyoming East at Man

A
#10 Buffalo at #10 Fayetteville
Valley at Richwood
Braxton County at Webster County
#9 Greenbrier West at #15 Midland Trail
Tug Valley at Hannan
Gilmer County at #6 Meadow Bridge
Mount Hope at #4 Pendleton County
Saturday’s game
#17 Parkersburg Catholic at #12 Pocahontas County

Pride on the line!

The stage is set for a great matchup Friday night at Huntington High School.

Huntington (0-8) is coming off its best performance of the year in a 36-31 loss to St. Albans while Cabell Midland (3-5) upset Nitro 56-48.

With a win, the Knights keep their slim playoff hopes alive and avenge last season's 36-0 shutout loss to Huntington.

The Shield is on the line, but more importantly, so is pride. Huntington would love nothing more than to end its winless streak with a victory over Cabell Midland.

Both quarterbacks are playmakers that you would not expect to see on a pair of losing teams and after last week's offensive performances by both, expect a lot of points on The Hill this Friday night.

Rivalries fuel the week ahead...

Rivalries will highlight the week of Oct. 12 as Wayne hosts Tolsia and Ironton hosts Portsmouth this Friday night.

The Pioneers remain undefeated, but will be looking to avenge a loss to Tolsia in the 2006 regular season. This matchup is also a rematch of the 2006 Class AA championship game.

Meanwhile, Tanks Memorial Stadium is once again rocking as the Fighting Tigers have righted the ship with five straight victories heading into the titanic tilt with the Trojans.

Ironton has won four straight in Ohio's second oldest rivalry, including last year's 49-42 shootout and leads the overall series 54-51-8.

This week's matchups also signal the stretch run of the high school football season with several teams looking to finish strong.

In our area, Spring Valley is the only team still with playoff aspirations after beating winless Huntington over the weekend. They will take on winless Lincoln County at home on Friday.

Cabell Midland will be tested by a Nitro offense that produced 58 points in a win over previously undefeated St. Albans, Huntington's opponent for the week.

In Ohio, Coal Grove and South Point headline OVC play while Rock Hill travels to Chesapeake and Fairland makes its acquaintence with River Valley at Dragon Stadium.

Let the party start in Ohio...

Welcome to the second half...er, I mean Week 6 in high school football. This is definitely an exciting week -- especially for those in the Buckeye State as OVC play gets underway with some great matchups.

Fairland and Coal Grove have a contrast of styles, but their goals are the same as they battle to get the upper hand in OVC play at Patterson Field this week.

Meanwhile, the ever-dangerous Chesapeake Panthers host an upstart South Point team looking to turn heads while also knocking off its rival.

In the Mountain State, there are a pair of tough matchups for local teams with Cabell Midland traveling to 4-1 Riverside and Spring Valley hosting George Washington. Riverside beat previously undefeated GW by a point in Week 5 action.

Huntington's best chance at cracking the win column thus far will come Friday when they host Princeton while Wayne travels to Point Pleasant for another Cardinal Conference tilt.

Here are my picks for this week....feel free to post your own or bash mine. And while you do so, take time to enjoy the look of the new Web site.

Coal Grove 28, Fairland 21
Chesapeake 22, South Point 14
Riverside 21, Cabell Midland 14
George Washington 41, Spring Valley 14
Huntington 31, Princeton 26
Wayne 48, Point Pleasant 6


GDT

Huntington vs. South Charleston

On the surface, this game looks like a snoozer. It is a pair of 0-4 teams facing off against each other.

NOTE: YOU MUST LOOK DEEPER!!

Coming into tonight, Huntington has been its own worst enemy in three of its four losses and was simply outplayed by Capital. However, this Highlander team could easily be 2-2 or even 3-1 had it not started so poorly in each of its contests.

Huntington has all the athletic weapons to be successful, but poor play in the trenches is keeping the high-octane Huntington offense off the field and the Highlander defense on the field.

To the Highlanders' credit, their strength of schedule is not shabby with their four losses coming to opponents with a combined mark of 12-3.

In that sense, South Charleston is in the same boat. The Black Eagles have lost to teams with a combined mark of 15-1.

South Charleston may very well be the best 0-4 team in the state and could still make the playoffs after losing to undefeated George Washington, Parkersburg and St. Albans in three consecutive by a combined six points. The Black Eagles also lost to Riverside 19-8.

So which team will win their first game of the season this weekend? Can C.J. Crawford and the Highlanders avoid the early deficit or will South Charleston get over the hump?