Parkersburg Catholic girls basketball players Annie Tokodi-Ruth, left, and Caroline Winn look on during a drill at open gym at Parkersburg Catholic High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG — Girls basketball at Parkersburg Catholic is back in style.

After taking a one-year hiatus due to lack of numbers, the PCHS program under coach Bob Carr has a full schedule intact for the 2025-26 season.

The Crusaderettes are resuming with the commitment of nine girls. The number could increase. Regardless, coach Carr is confident he will be able to field a competitive team after watching the girls compete at a shootout in Magnolia as well as summer league at St. Marys.

The nine girls are comprised of seniors Seneca Lang, Meg Roedersheimer and Tess Roedersheimer, juniors Annie Tokodi-Ruth, Sophie Lott and Ellie Kinnison, and freshmen Alyssa Rico, Caroline Wynn and Peyton Murdock.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Carr, who enters his first season coaching the PCHS girls basketball program. He was hired in the fall of 2024 before PCHS announced the sport would be postponed for the upcoming season.

Parkersburg Catholic’s Ellie Kinnison looks to take a shot during an open gym at Parkersburg Catholic High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I didn’t have a timeline on when girls basketball would resume at PCHS,” Carr said. “I’m a guy who plays everything by ear – if it happens, it happens. I believe patience would pay off. It wasn’t until early June of this year when I knew we would have a team.”

This past summer, PCHS enjoyed a strong showing at the Magnolia Shootout – going 5-0 against schools from Magnolia, Frontier, Cameron and St. Marys.

“I don’t want to make any predictions, but we will be a competitive team on the floor,” Carr said. “I didn’t do anything in July with the girls just so we could wind down and allow the girls who have flex days scheduled for volleyball. We also have girls who are involved in cross country.

“Once sports start in the fall and out of respect, I believe kids should be committed to their school sport and not do anything outside their sport during that season.”

As part of the upcoming schedule for girls basketball, the Mary ‘O’ Crusaderette Classic returns with an altered format.

Parkersburg Catholic’s Sophie Lott drives for a layup during an open gym at Parkersburg Catholic High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Parkersburg Christian, Fort Frye, Eastern and Frontier are part of a field which will compete in shootout style over the course of two days.

PCHS also has a weekend trip planned for Barboursville, Ky. where Carr’s son is the coach of the women’s basketball team at Union Commonwealth University. The Crusaderettes have two games scheduled as part of the trip.

“We still have a lot of things we have to do logistically,” Carr said. “We have a good group of parents who have taken care of a lot of behind-the-scenes things. That has taken the stress off me.

“We are excited for the return of girls basketball at Parkersburg Catholic.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com