The Parkersburg High School girls’ basketball team was recognized by the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night after winning the Class AAAA state championship on March 14 against crosstown rival Parkersburg South. The South and Williamstown girls’ teams were also recognized as runners up in the state tournament. The PHS girl’s swim team and PHS and Williamstown’s wrestling teams were also recognized for their achievements. Read more online and in Thursday’s edition of the News and Sentinel. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Board of Education recognized student athletes from around the district Tuesday night for their accomplishments at the state level, including the Parkersburg High School girls’ basketball team who won the Class AAAA state championship against crosstown rival Parkersburg South.

“It was a well played game between Parkersburg South and PHS,” Superintendent Christie Willis said. “I hated that one of the two teams had to lose, and after watching them both play, I felt that even more.”

The Big Reds defeated the Patriots 59-53 in the Charleston Coliseum March 14 after falling to South twice in the regular season.

The board also recognized the South girls’ basketball team for their success in the tournament placing as the runners-up. The Williamstown High School girls’ basketball team was also recognized for their achievement in finishing as the runners-up in the Class AA state tournament as the No. 2 seed, losing a tough one to No. 1 seed James Monroe.

The board also acknowledged the success the PHS, Williamstown and South wrestling teams had this year, along with the PHS girls’ swim team, which finished as runners-up in the West Virginia High School State Swim Meet in Morgantown late February.

“Wood County is beyond blessed to have this kind of amazing talent here,” Willis said. “And when you all come in, do what you did tonight, think about these elementary and middle school kids who look up to you, because they want to be a Big Red, they want to be a Patriot, they want to be a Yellow Jacket and carry all that tradition. So thank you all for being here tonight.”

The board also heard multiple presentations from community groups and central office staff that included program highlights from the 2025-2026 ArtCart program, they heard more on the Third Grade Retention Policy, a human resource update, bond project and levy updates and learned The Golden Ticket Summer Reading program will now have book vending machines for students this year.

“The first machine has already been delivered to Mineral Wells Elementary,” Ashlee Beatty, director of curriculum and instruction said. “Additionally, two machines will be placed in community sites, Discovery World on Market and the Emerson branch of the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library.”

Beatty said the machines were funded through generous support from the Spartan Foundation and Hap and Meg Esbenshade. Amy Nahley, executive director of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, also presented the board with a $35,000 check to help support the 2026 summer reading program.

Read more from Tuesday’s meeting online and in the Thursday edition of the News and Sentinel.