ALBRIGHT: Kennedy Award voting process is a disservice to the kids

December 27, 2019

The voices are still ringing. First came a local coach sounding so sure all season long. Then, one of the assistant coaches from the best team in the state couldn’t say enough positives about his young man at the Super Six meeting. After this, more and more men spoke passionately and decisively about their deserving player. Messages didn’t get much clearer. Each leader stood convinced the best football player in the state (i.e. the Kennedy Award winner) played on their team. All of them were right. This year was unlike any other in recent memory for “West Virginia’s most ...

ALBRIGHT: Tough choices make up 2019’s top sports moments

December 25, 2019

Decisions, decisions … Wow, there were a lot of hard decisions. This past year in sports provided the Mid-Ohio Valley plenty of great moments. Winter, spring, fall you name it and something big happened in every season. There were state champions. There were major award winners. There were great last-minute relays to win state championships. There were some great comeback stories. All accomplishments make the selection of the cream of the crop harder every year. But there are no complaints here, it is a huge blessing and big credit to the athletes in the MOV. We have determined ...

Last of the fall

December 19, 2019

I might be grasping at straws here, but officially we’ve got a few days of fall left. Although it sure hasn’t seemed like fall for quite some time, the “winter” sports are in full swing. I already have had the opportunity to take in a few basketball games and suffice it to say things are going to be pretty interesting by the time March gets here. Before I continue on with some roundball thoughts, I wanted to point out a couple of things recently posted by Parkersburg South head football coach Nathan Tanner on social media. Two things really stood out. First and ...

ALBRIGHT: Tanner, company deserve community’s support

December 4, 2019

Brandon Penn is back home after a successful surgery. It is a development inserting another happy note on the best Parkersburg South football season since 2003. More good times arrive in a few weeks. The release of the Kennedy Award, where Penn is in the running, and the Class AAA all-state lists, where several Patriots are likely to be featured, conclude the festivities. After the announcements, the business of keeping the program among the state’s elites begins for head coach Nate Tanner and the entire Patriot community. Business should be booming. The proof is in the ...

Monday Morning Quarterback: WVU picks up W for the road

December 2, 2019

When the WVU football team flew to Fort Worth to play TCU Friday everyone knew that this would be the final game in a disappointing 2019 season. A losing record was assured. There would be no bowl game. To the casual observer there wouldn’t be much difference between a 4-8 and 5-7 season, but you couldn’t convince the Mountaineer players or their fans. Finishing with an upset 20-17 win left a much more positive feeling at the close of the season and leaves the program with more energy moving forward. It was apparent that part of the game plan was throwing the deep ball, but ...

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: Missed chances cost WVU, again

November 25, 2019

For the second straight week the West Virginia Mountaineers battled a ranked team to the wire, but this time a final drive to win or tie the game came up short in the final minutes. It was the fourth straight home conference loss. As we all by now recognize, this WVU team is not good enough to prevail against quality opponents unless it takes advantage of its scoring opportunities and avoids mistakes. The Mountaineers were successful in doing so against Kansas State the previous week but failed on Saturday. On its second possession of the game West Virginia had efficiently driven to ...