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This week in MOV athletics

Now the Winter Tab and schedule book are done and in reader’s hands, I can turn my attention to the action on the court, in the water and on the mats.

Last year, I started a column to keep high school sports fans up-to-date with the happenings each week in the Mid-Ohio Valley prep sports winter scene. I received a lot of good feedback, and so have brought my Monday morning column back again this year.

Before we get started with the week ahead, I wanted to send a shoutout to the Parkersburg South wrestling program. Shaun Smith’s Patriots entered the InterMat.com national high school top 50 rankings this week at No. 47.

(The only other team in the state I know of ranked nationally is the Martinsburg football team.)

Apropos, they followed the news up Saturday with a dominating team championship win at the Tony Farrace Duals in Science Hill, Tenn. Individual titles also came to 10 of the Patriots in the 14 weight classes.

Speaking of the blue and white with a touch of red ….There may not be a better jumping off point than with a rivalry renewed.

Patriot cagers clash with their crosstown rival Parkersburg Big Reds at 7:30 p.m. Friday night inside the Rod Oldham Athletic Center.

The contest will be the fourth in seven days for Mike Fallon’s team.

Jeff Mennillo’s squad won’t be nearly as taxed. Come game time, competitive action will be something the Big Reds haven’t seen in a week. I don’t doubt PHS comes out fired up after a tough loss to Huntington Friday night.

If you are unable to make it to the game, make sure to check out Jay W. Bennett’s game story and my photos from the contest in Saturday morning’s edition.

For those of you who can’t wait until Dec. 22 for some rivalry action, you are in luck. The Williamstown and St. Marys boys basketball teams meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Williamstown.

Scott Sauro’s squad is off to a 2-1 start, while Mark Barnhart’s Blue Devils sit at 1-0.

Continuing the hardwood slate is the PHS girls basketball team, who have a rare home game at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Scott Cozzen’s squad (4-1) looks to correct some things after the first loss of the season against Buckhannon-Upshur Saturday night at the IOGA Classic.

George Washington desires to tack loss No. 2 on to the Big Reds record. Jamie LeMaster’s team is a young bunch led by senior guard Dee McMillan and junior guard Katy Darnell. All the experience ends there, though, as four sophmores and eight freshman fill out the roster.

Coincidentally, the Patriots come in off a loss to another of PHS’ home opponents in Wyoming East.

Our last basketball stop consists of a trip to Parkersburg Catholic High School on Thursday night. Rob Strcula’s boys welcome reigning Class A state champion Notre Dame for a 7:30 p.m. contest.

This is the second game in a row against a Little Kanawha Conference school for the Irish too. Ravenswood handed ND their first loss of the season 63-49 on Dec. 16.

Strcula’s bunch sits at 2-1 so far in the 2017-18 campaign.

Turning my attention to the mat sport, Matt Littleton’s Big Reds head on the road to grapple with Huntington Friday.

Reigning Class A state champion Wirt County welcomes in Point Pleasant and Berkeley Spring for a 6 p.m. triangular as well.

Finally, two of the better swim teams in the area face each other when Marietta makes the short trip to take on PHS inside the Parkersburg YMCA Wednesday.

Come back next week for more MOV prep sports action.

Contact Joe Albright at jalbright@newsandsentinel.com

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