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ALBRIGHT: Webster’s Sydney Baird shows she is worthy of more media attention

Sydney Baird’s follow-up to her explosive freshman debut reads as a huge success. That is not an opinion. Or a take. It is a fact. The Webster County baller put together a sophomore resume dwarfing her first-year stats. Her scoring rocketed up from 23 points per game to 29.8 markers. Alongside that, her shooting percentage jumped from just 50 percent to a ridiculous 59 percent. Two things all the more improbable when considering she read as public enemy number one. OK, maybe it wasn’t that bad. But rest assured, coaches certainly stayed aware of her abilities. It is ...

BENNETT: Parkersburg High’s Bryson Singer impresses at Elite 11

Parkersburg’s Bryson Singer is definitely keeping busy and most assuredly got his name out there a little bit more this past weekend at the Elite 11 Regional, which took place Sunday at Brownsburg High School in Indianapolis. Quarterbacks from across the country came to the sixth regional event to test their skills in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, the 20-yard shuttle and the kneeling power ball throw. When it was all said and done, the current Big Red more than held his own. In fact, he finished third at the regional behind Zachary High School’s (La.) Eli Holstein and Carmel ...

ALBRIGHT: Crusaderettes aren’t guaranteed a spot in 2022 state title game

The Parkersburg Catholic girls basketball team faces a few hurdles going into next season. Not any problems with in-fighting or squabbles over playing time. By all accounts, those issues have never been concerns. Picture, instead, a pie chart with 11 pieces. Now, take out the chunks labeled Aaliyah Brunny, Jenna Boice, and Madison Ross. What remains are disproportionate amounts of space. How the Crusaderettes fill those gaps means everything. Obviously, everyone’s focusing on what’s lost after Brunny walks across the graduation stage, and we will get there. But, Boice and ...

ALBRIGHT: Lakyn Joy proved invaluable as ‘Jackets punched ticket to state

Lakyn Joy was pretty quiet. Nearly silent, in fact. She was one-for-something from the field with just three points. “I didn’t really know how the night was going to go,” she said. But that wasn’t the worst part. St. Marys, predictably, continued fighting in the third quarter of a regional co-final. Howie Meeks and company were clamping down on defense and taking away the Yellowjackets’ two biggest scoring options in Jayla Wiseman and Nicole Reynolds. Now screamed as good a time as any for someone else stepping up and aiding the Yellowjackets in their quest to ...

BENNETT: South’s Gage Wright’s 10 second pin one for the record books

It’s not very often in life one gets to see history. I fully admit watching Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle back in 2007 at Camden Yards was quite the spectacle to take in. At that time, Huff was just the third Baltimore Oriole to pull off the feat, then joining Cal Ripken Jr., and Brooks Robinson. However, what I witnessed Tuesday night in the 145-pound Class AAA state championship wrestling match from Parkersburg South freshman Gage Wright was definitely more than one for the ages. Awaiting his turn in the bullpen to compete for his first state title against Washington’s Kade ...

ALBRIGHT: Ravenswood’s Hunt rises to the occasion

Give it up for Ravenswood point guard Annie Hunt. Commend her in any way you choose, it really doesn’t matter. Perhaps, deliver her a round of applause. Or throw your hands in the air and wave them around like you just don’t care. Maybe, whip your head back and forth, whip your head back and forth. Seriously! Nothing anyone does is too extreme when it comes to extoling what Hunt has been doing for her team. Everything is notable, important, and oozes unselfishness. It is all worthy of praise. Look, as the lone senior, she easily eyed the opportunity to set her own agenda. ...