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PHS, South girls basketball teams eye state berth

Both are in regional co-finals tonight

Parkersburg’s Alex Delozier shoots a shot from behind the arc over the outstretched arm of Parkersburg South’s Cassie Whitlatch during the Big Reds’ 51-49 sectional final win over the Patriots. Both PHS and South will be in action today with a chance to go to the state tournament up for grabs. Photo by Joe Albright

PARKERSBURG — Huntington and Spring Valley.

Parkersburg High School girls’ basketball coach Kenny DeMoss quickly offered up those two schools when quizzed on who he did not want to see positioned between his Big Reds and a berth in the Class AAA state tournament March 8-11 inside the Charleston Civic Center.

Both schools have been consistently ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 for most of the year.

Fortunately, after his Big Reds defeated crosstown rival Parkersburg South in the closing minute of the Region IV, Section 1 final last Friday, PHS avoided the top-ranked Highlanders in one of two regional co-finals set for 7 p.m. tonight.

In a cruel twist of fate, however, the squad Huntington beat in the Region IV, Section 2 championship game was none other than Spring Valley.

As the section 2 final losers the Timberwolves have to make the trip to Parkersburg, and will be the last hurdle to clear in PHS’ quest to snap a 20-year state tournament appearance drought.

“It would be such an awesome feeling,” said PHS senior Hannah Carroll, when asked what it would mean to be the team to break the drought. “Something I would never forget.”

Both teams pushed each other to the limit back on Feb. 8 during a mediocre matchup in the Little General Shootout (won by PHS), which took place in the same building each school hopes to return to after the clock hits zero tonight.

In order for the Big Reds to come out on top of what sure is going to be a highly energetic contest inside PHS Memorial Fieldhouse, DeMoss and company have to improve on limiting what Spring Valley was able to accomplish in the earlier matchup.

“They are a slash-and-kick team,” said DeMoss. “They are a lot like us in that they take a lot of threes. However, they got to the rim way too often down in Charleston and their rebounding helped them get plenty of second chance opportunities. We have to be better at stopping penetration and rebounding if we want to win tonight.

“We can’t let them drive the lane and make floaters or we are going to be at home sitting. They are a good team with three real good shooters and we can’t allow them to do what they want.”

Stopping SVHS’ Morgan and Madison Vaughn, along with teammate Payton Caldwell will be key to shutting down the Timberwolves attack. Morgan Vaughn and Caldwell led SVHS in scoring during the last matchup with 15 and 14 markers, respectively.

Vaughn also splashed a trio of 3s.

Offensively, PHS has to convert on its layup opportunities to assure “easy” points. If the team doesn’t have the touch on the short shots, cleaning up the offensive boards and creating second chances will be paramount.

There is little doubt both teams will be pumped full of energy as Memorial Fieldhouse should be packed to the brim and even louder than the Big Reds’ sectional final win over South Friday.

“I would much rather be playing here than anywhere else,” said DeMoss. “It is an advantage for us but we still have to play the game.”

“I am beyond excited about tonight,” said PHS senior Carroll. “I have been thinking about this since Friday. We are so young and I told the team in practice that either we are going to states tomorrow or we are done.”

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South set to do battle with Huntington

Parkersburg South head coach Ed Davis and his Patriots will be in uncharted waters when they travel to face Huntington for the right to go to the state tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday inside Huntington High.

For at least the past four years, South has hosted a regional co-final and been among friendly blue and white fans in its attempt to punch a ticket to the Charleston Civic Center.

PHS freshman Bre Wilson’s 3-point basket with 14 seconds left in the sectional final made sure the Patriots didn’t get a bonus home game this season.

Instead, Davis and company will travel to a gymnasium where they suffered one of their worst losses of the season, 80-56, to 2016 Ostrowski Award winner Jordyn Dawson and the Highlanders.

Yet, the blue and white can compete with this team and are one of only three schools to send their opponents to a defeat this season. They beat HHS, 82-80, back on Dec. 8 inside the Rod Oldham Athletic Center at Parkersburg South High School.

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