Parkersburg South’s Mason Nutter, left, after Bridgeport head coach Dave Marshall look on during practice for the Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis All-Star Classic as Rod Oldham Athletic Center. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — Bridgeport High School head coach Dave Marshall, whose program is fresh off a Class AAA state championship victory versus Nitro on Saturday, spent Monday evening inside Parkersburg South’s Rod Oldham Athletic Center getting to know his team for tonight’s 22nd edition of the Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis All-Star Classic.

The 12-member squad, which features a trio of his own Indians in Landon Sanders (6-1, SG), Phoenix Sickles (6-5, SF/PF) and Jack Spatafore (6-1, SG), will be joined by Wood County ballers Mason Nutter (6-1, PG) and Navi Hewitt (6-4, SG) of Parkersburg South, PHS Big Reds Isaac Dailey (6-1, F) and Nate Rodriguez (6-0, G) as well as Parkersburg Catholic 6-foot-4 forward Landon Edwards.

“They always do it the Monday after the state tournament. He has there but he’ll be here tonight,” coach Marshall said of Spatafore’s absence due to the Frank Loria football banquet.

“I’ve been in a few others of these all-stars. Most of them were back when we always did the Big 10 and things like that. I’ve done these but not this one. This is pretty cool.”

Marshall has been on the sidelines for the BHS boys since the 2019-20 season. He previously coached 19 years with the Indians girls starting back in 1995 and won it all in triple-A during the 2012-13 campaign.

Following Saturday’s title at the Charleston Coliseum, Marshall reached rarified air in the Mountain State by becoming just the third coach to win both a girls and boys state crown. He’s also the first to do it at the same school.

“Not a whole lot to be honest with you,” Marshall said of cystic fibrosis and any familiarity. “I mean I know of it and I’ve heard people that’ve unfortunately been afflicted with it, but It’s kind of eye-opening to me, too, and I’m glad we can be a part of trying to let everybody see what’s going on here.”

Marshall said game director Billy Camp at Parkersburg South reached out to him and he jumped at the opportunity.

“I don’t know the exact date, but it seems about a month and a half, two months ago he sent me a text and as soon as I got it I was very honored and very humbled, you know, because first of all the respect I have for the whole Parkersburg basketball family and knowing who Billy is, it was nice,” said coach Marshall. “It’s just nice to be able to get to work with these kids and a blessing for me is to get to work with three of my guys one more time.

“It’s been a special group. I’ve been in this gym many times, been beat in this gym many times. I was telling Bill the last time I was in here coach (Scott) Stephens, I think we actually beat him the very last time but that was after it felt like about 77 straight losses to him. I’m sure that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but we finally got him once and I think that might be the last time we were in here.”

The W.Va. team, which is looking for its third straight win in a series it leads 14-7, also will have the services of Cabell Midland’s Ethan Blackburn (6-3, G), St. Marys’ Ryan Kent (5-9, PG), Tyler Consolidated’s Brady Strode (6-3, G/F) and Wahama’s Eli Rickard (6-3, G).

“I grew up and went to Liberty High School, which is getting ready to close right now,” said the coach. “That’s kind of a sad thing, but I graduated in ’85. I was two years behind the Jimbo Fishers of the world.

“We had some tremendous athletes go through that school, but I ended up in Bridgeport, got my first teaching job and I’ve never left. They couldn’t get rid of me. They made a mistake by hiring me.”

A math teacher at the high school, Marshall added “I’ve been coaching basketball, girls or boys there, pretty much my whole career.

“I took a break from the girls and ended up jumping around a couple different places until the boys job opened back up and then I got back into that.”

Friday night’s affair could be a tough one for the head man since he stresses defense so much and all-star games are generally about offense and lighting up the scoreboard.

“I try to bite my tongue a lot. I’m also one of those guys that I feel like I’m coaching every possession so it’s going to take some therapy for me,” quipped Marshall. “I think last week is going to help.

“I mean I got this positive feeling right now so hopefully I can at least make it until halftime. If not my wife will reach down and slap me in the back of the head and tell me it’s an all-star game. Having one of my assistants here will help, too. We’ll see how I do with that.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com