COLUMN: Enjoying athletics

May 15, 2026

Sports are great for a lot of reasons. Student-athletes at all levels get to experience the ups and downs of the wins and losses while also learning what it's like to work as a team toward a goal. At least for this scribe, the best part without question when going to cover something is not knowing what's going to happen. Last week was definitely interesting on several fronts with the first one being able to take in St. Albans' Brogan Samms throwing a no-hitter against Parkersburg. If not for a four-pitch walk to Big Red Noah Holland, the Red Dragon Samms would've had a perfect ...

COLUMN: Loud bats on a memorable senior night

May 2, 2026

Can’t waste any time thinking about what ifs. It is what it is. That was the consensus among members of the Parkersburg South softball program after the Mountain State Athletic Conference awarded Cabell Midland the league title without a pitch ever being thrown in the tournament format scheduled Wednesday in South Charleston. Rain and standing water on the softball fields forced the cancellation of the MSAC Tournament — an event the Patriots were eager to compete in as part of their debut in the conference. “It was kind of an awkward situation,” South coach Tim Burch said. ...

COLUMN: Unintentional intentional mark at WHS

April 23, 2026

On one hand, opportunities to set school records in isolated events don’t come around often under the format of the Fenton Relays. Secondly, sometimes school records occur when you least expect it. For example, take the Williamstown foursome of Chase Pickering, Jimmy Erlandson, Gavin ...

COLUMN: Some fun and sun

April 17, 2026

I have to admit it's hard to believe Great American Ball Park has been around since 2003. When I was a lot younger I remember taking bus trips to old Riverfront Stadium or we'd make a family day trip and catch a game on a Sunday. Of course, with my sister having lived in Baltimore for decades I usually spent summers watching Orioles games, or finding my way to Pittsburgh or Cleveland. One year in Cincinnati we had just parked and were walking around the city and bumped into my then barber Larry Shears. Perhaps my favorite memory from back then took place in early August of 1987. ...

COLUMN: Future is now in MLB, and it’s expensive

April 4, 2026

What a day Thursday turned out to be for Konnor Griffin. Just a few hours after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor leaguer found out he was being promoted to the big leagues, Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million deal — the largest deal ever signed by a player prior to making their MLB debut. The No. 1 overall prospect in all of baseball according to most experts, Griffin got his first MLB start in the Pirates’ home opener Friday against the Orioles. The 19-year-old shortstop is viewed as a can’t-miss, five-tool prospect who has the potential to be a franchise-altering player in ...

COLUMN: Having a little fun

March 14, 2026

That Fred Persinger guy is quite the cat. I was listening to the WVMetroNews radio broadcast Wednesday evening with Fred on the call and Dave Wilson supplying the color. Everything has been a complete whirlwind the last couple weeks with the state wrestling tournament and now getting ready for our spring tab special section, let alone the fact it’s March Madness time. Anyway, toward the end of one of the games Wilson mentioned it was the 50th girls state hoops tournament and that he knew of someone who had been to them all. Persinger responded by reminding listeners, or perhaps ...