South Patriots one win away from state
Big Reds travel to Huntington
By JOE ALBRIGHT
jalbright@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg South boys basketball claimed much more than an unexpected third straight Class AAA Region IV sectional title after the squad’s 67-64 upset of Parkersburg High School Friday night at PHS Memorial Fieldhouse.
Patriots’ head man Mike Fallon and his team’s victory over the rival Big Reds not only secured PSHS a regional co-final against Hurricane inside the friendly confines of Rod Oldham Athletic Center at 7 p.m. tonight but could also be utilized as the catalyst from which the Patriots catapult themselves into the state tournament for the third year in a row.
“We are excited to be hosting again this year,” said Fallon. “It is weird. Even as the season went on and we kept struggling we knew we could get over the hump. We had improved so much throughout the season to the point we felt we were the better team against the Big Reds and could win the game if we did our own thing.”
However, before the lever is pulled and the Patriots are turned loose in Charleston South will have to take care of a team who bested them by five points Feb. 8 at the Charleston Civic Center.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well that game,” recalls Fallon. “If I remember we were 10 of 44 from 3-point range and shot 32% over all. It wasn’t pretty. We also had a big win over Warren (Ohio) the previous night.
“I remember they try to slow things down and spread the floor. Braxton Dobert (11) and Josh Courtright (13) are a lot of their offense and they have two or three big kids down low who grab boards for them. They aren’t really athletic and don’t jump but are a lot bigger than we are and they know and do their job well.”
PSHS fans can expect plenty of the Patriots’ trademark toughness to fight down low for boards all night long.
“Coach Lance Sutherland always has his kids ready to go,” said Fallon. “They are well coached, know their jobs, and perform them well.”
Offensively, the Patriots hope to put up points early to send the Redskins into a hole at the beginning of the game. Hurricane has struggled to put large amounts of points on the board all season. They are averaging just 51 points per game.
Bobby Foggin (14.9 points per game), Cole Plants (14.5), and Shane Snider (13.3) head up a South attack tallying 67.6 points per contest.
“We really have to be patient and just play our game,” said Fallon. “We know they are going to get their layups but we can work hard to limit the amount of good looks they get. Hopefully when everything is said and done Tuesday we will be on our way to Charleston again.”
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Big Reds play in Huntington
PARKERSBURG – Many people expected Jeff Mennillo and his Parkersburg High team to be playing at home in a regional co-final matchup when the year started.
After all, Ripley had some good players but struggled in a good conference and Parkersburg South had not yet assembled a team identity as the season began.
While on paper the prospects looked good, games still had to be played.
The scene looked even clearer after Mennillo and company went 4-0 against their Region IV, Section 1 opponents in the regular season to claim a first round bye and earn a home game in the sectional tournament.
Alas the third time playing a team usually is the toughest, and Parkersburg South was ready for the Big Reds attack in the sectional championship game. Both squads went toe-to-toe but South came out on top after 32 minutes of play to send the Big Reds on the road in a regional co-final.
Parkersburg High’s opponent in the final game before the state tournament will be a team that spent time as the top collective in the state in Huntington (18-5).
The Highlanders are 6-3 on their home court this season, while the Big Reds are 6-3 away from PHS Memorial Fieldhouse.
On paper, PHS holds a scoring advantage of 70.3 points per game to just 64.3 for HHS. However, Huntington has made its’ name by playing a tough brand of defense all season long, allowing 53 tallies per contest to opponents.
The Big Reds aren’t far behind. They allow 62.1 points per outing.