Nick Swisher humbled by honor

January 24, 2018

Nick Swisher’s journey to the Parkersburg High School Sports Hall of Fame differed from fellow inductees Susan Gardner and Amy Deem. Whereas both Deem and Gardner grew up in the city and spent time at Big Red sporting events learning the culture and history of the school, Swisher didn’t have such an extensive background. “You have to remember I had just moved down to Parkersburg my freshman year at Hamilton and was still really learning what Parkersburg was all about,” said Swisher. “But once I got on campus as a sophomore for my first football practice and two-a-days I ...

This week in MOV athletics

January 22, 2018

Two things before I get started with the sports goings-on in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Our sports crew needs a new sports writer/paginator (page layout). Qualifications include sports and page layout knowledge. If you know anyone who is interested or yourself are interested, please stop by and drop off a resume to Christina Myer. One shoutout and then to the sports, I would like to send a word of congratulations to the Parkersburg South wrestling team on their fifth straight Ohio Valley Athletic Conference 5A title. Shaun Smith’s Patriots smashed Beaver Local and the rest of the ...

Big 12 in for a wild ending

January 18, 2018

A lot of early-season success has many Big 12 men’s basketball teams sitting in pretty positions as we enter the crunch period before conference tournament time. Every squad in the conference has a winning record. Four teams are ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 (WVU, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech), with one more (TCU) also in the Top 25. Not to mention, if the season ended today six teams would hear their names called out on Selection Sunday. Yet, all the good feelings are unlikely to last. Oh sure ... Six teams may still make the NCAA tournament, but there is ...

This week in MOV athletics

January 15, 2018

In loving memory of sports broadcaster Keith Jackson ... Woah Nelly! A Blasting of Ice and Snow (sorry, I am reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series right now) swept through the Mid-Ohio Valley last weekend and put a freeze on a really good sports weekend. Fortunately, most of the games on the menu are being rescheduled for a later date. Another positive sees plenty of great matchups on the slate again this week. Fans of Parkersburg High School girls’ basketball team won’t have to wait long to see their team in action against Class AA No. 1 and ...

Looking back at football

January 13, 2018

Sadly, it appears Mother Nature is going to win out this weekend when it comes to the prep sports scene. As of press time Friday, there were still several events fans can take in throughout today, including a still currently scheduled Class A boys basketball showdown featuring Notre Dame at Ravenswood tonight. Although all of the basketball games at Parkersburg South’s Rod Oldham Athletic Center are off today, the annual Parkersburg Penguin swimming invitational is still set to take place. The start time has been moved to 12:30 p.m. at the YMCA. Wrestling fans can opt to take in ...

Gordon feeling hopeful

January 12, 2018

While it is true the fires of competition rage through Parkersburg South's Rod Oldham Athletic Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, another flame takes center stage. Writers refer to this light as the human races' simultaneous source of our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. But come Saturday, there will be nothing weak about this force. It will be so strong, filling, and so overpowering toward the positive spectrum inside the ROAC it easily could break the building apart. Every person gathered brings their own small measure to add to the collective energy. What is this prodigious ...