(Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

ELLENBORO — The window of opportunity is in a good place for the Ritchie County High School boys basketball team.

Ritchie County returns two of the premier players in the area in Isaac Hodges and Seth Cronin, who helped carry the Rebels to a quarterfinal appearance at the Class AA state tournament last season.

The Rebels transition to a Class A field which owns its share of heavyweights, but the Rebels’ confidence level is rising off the charts.

“This is the year – we got to be all in,” said Ritchie County coach Kenny Church, who enters his second season with the program. “We know that our window could close. We’re not the team that’s going to get recruits. Nobody’s going to transfer to Ritchie County, so I want to win with a team with my homegrown guys.”

Hodges is a once-in-generation type player who could average a triple-double. The senior has bulked up 23 pounds in the offseason following a basketball season where he averaged 24.8 points and 4.7 assists per game.

“The biggest thing in the offseason has been Isaac’s leadership – he knows he has to lead by example on every side of the ball,” Church said. “Last year, I always put Isaac on the worst player on the other team. Not just because of his length, but also to kind of sag off and help in the middle. He knows he has to step up his one-on-one basketball game this year. I can see him taking on the best player on the other team this year.

“He is the guy, two days after we lost to Wheeling Central at state, he is hitting me up and saying we have to get in the weight room. He is saying we have to be ready for next year, and he couldn’t do this again (losing in quarterfinals). He is the ultimate competitor. I’ve told all my guys, if they wanted to win as bad as Isaac we would go undefeated.”

Three Ritchie County players averaged double figures in scoring last year. Rhett Johnson (11.2 ppg) graduated, but junior Seth Cronin (13.8 ppg) returns to the fold.

“Seth is the best shooter on our team, by far,” Church said.

Senior Carter Satterfield appeared in all 25 games. He filled in when Cronin went down with an injury. His role figures to become more prominent.

Another returning starter is senior Turner Shriver. Garrett Flesher was a second starter who graduated for the Rebels.

Throughout the year following the quarterfinal loss, Ritchie County only took a day off from conditioning to what amounted as 15 weekdays. Otherwise, players were either in the weight room or in the gym even if they were athletes in other sports – and that takes into account players on the football team which advanced into the postseason.

“We were weak last year – we were getting bullied around and I told the guys that wasn’t going to happen this time,” Church said. “It’s not just Isaac. It’s all the guys. They’re coming in bigger, stronger and faster. And it makes a difference.”

Despite moving down one class, Ritchie County’s schedule is primarily against double-A opponents.

“We wanted to load our schedule a little more this year to be prepared for that moment,” Church said. “I think it’s going to make us even more prepared to play some of the Class A competition. But don’t get me wrong, some of these teams in single-A can definitely compete on the double-A level, too.”

Before the preseason practices commenced in November, Ritchie County’s locker room already had bulletin board material on the wall. One prediction ranked Parkersburg Catholic No. 1 in the region ahead of No. 2 Ritchie County.

“I try to motivate these guys every day in some way- even being second in the region,” Church said. “The first thing I did was I blew that thing up and put it right on the road. Catholic ranked above us, that hurt some feelings. Catholic is a good team, but we haven’t lost to them in quite a while.”

Depth is something the Ritchie County coaching staff is constantly trying to establish. Help is on the way, however. With 10 freshmen in the program, the Rebels have put together a schedule designed just for them.

“One of our problems last year was depth, and I see that as being another issue,” Church said. “It’s not a situation where the hustle’s not there. They are going to play their hearts out. After our first four, it’s a matter of players finding their role.”

Ritchie County is coming off a 17-8 season. The won-loss record during the regular season isn’t the entire focal point.

“Even with Seth and Isaac coming back, coming in I didn’t think we were going to be nearly as good as we were last year – but these guys have not missed a beat,” Church said. “And it has a lot to do with their offseason work.

“Last year, I got the job in October so I really didn’t have an offseason to work with the guys. They were walking into a season with a brand new coach. They don’t know how to a certain degree know I coach as a head coach. But, man, this year expectations were met from day one. I haven’t had to raise my voice.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

With three returning starters and two additional players who received significant varsity time, the Ritchie County girls basketball team has reason to set lofty goals.

The primary goal being a return to the state tournament and sticking around Charleston longer than just one day.

“We had a lot of girls who played on that team that made the state tournament – we are trying to build off that,” said Ritchie County’s Dave McCullough, who enters his 19th season as the Rebels’ head coach. “Our goal is not just to make the state tournament, but maybe get a state title here in the next few years. We have a good group of girls right now and a program that can get down there since we moved from double-A to single-A.

“Even though our region is pretty tough, I think we can contend down at state.”

Ritchie County boasts one of the premier players in the area in junior Elsa Law. She can fill up a stat sheet reminiscent of last season when the Rebels finished 16-8 after losing to St. Marys in the Class AA state quarterfinal round.

As a sophomore, Law averaged 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.4 steals per game. She also made a team-high 56 3-pointers.

“Elsa is a special talent – she is a kid who works really hard at her craft,” McCullough said. “She works as hard at the game of basketball as any kid I’ve seen in a long time at our school. She loves the game. She lives the game. She’s really hit the weight room – she is going to be stronger when she gets into the lane.

“Her confidence is so high right now. I see a lot of resemblance to some of the really good guards we’ve had here in the past.”

Fellow junior Chelsie Jeffrey (9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and senior Emily Bush (5.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg) round out the returning starters.

“Chelsie had a little bit of a sophomore slump, but I think she is about to pick it up a little bit and have another good year,” McCullough said. “Emily has really picked up her game. She is actually handling the ball a little bit better. I’m letting her have more freedom when to shoot.”

Sophomore Abbigayl Cox adds versatility after providing spot duty last season. Senior Jordin Bailey missed an early portion of the season with an injury.

“Abbigayl is going to have a breakout year,” McCullough said. “She can play all five spots. She is about 5-8, 5-9 and very athletic.

“Jordin came on as the season went. She can handle the ball a little bit and can shoot the three when she has to.”

Junior Callie Smith moves from the Rebels’ sixth-man to a starting role.

“Callie is a kid who can score,”McCullough said. “She handles the ball and gives us the opportunity to let Elsa go off the point a little bit.”

Others earning a solid look for playing time are sophomore Kesslee Wass, and freshmen Payton Hall, Cassandra Hardbarger and Vanessa Burgy

“We have a lot of skilled girls who can do a lot of things,” McCullough said. “They are very athletic, so I feel like we are going to be able to do multiple defenses more than we have before.”

WRESTLING

Several returning letterwinners who knocked down the door and qualified for the West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament are back, along with a few individuals seeking to etch their name with the Ritchie County High School program.

Of the three state qualifiers from a year ago, coach Mark Lamp is hoping junior Brayden Watson and sophomore Zayden Cordiero make a repeat trip to Huntington and advance further through the bracket.

Both Watson and Cordiero are in similar weight classes – Watson competed at 113 pounds, while Cordiero placed fifth at 120 despite losing his first match of the tournament.

“We won’t know for sure what weight classes they will wrestle at – we are waiting for certifications to be completed,” Lamp said.

Both junior Damion Hosey and sophomore Damion Hosey gave strong performances at regionals last season before getting eliminated. Hosey broke his elbow early in the season then returned to the mat in time to wrestle at the Little Kanawha Conference Meet and Class AA/A regionals.

Senior Nicholas Puglise is a first-time wrestler who figures to slide into the lower to middle weights. Sophomore Hunter Rinehart has previous varsity experience and will slot in at heavyweight.

Among the six freshmen making their debut at the high school level are Ryan White and Gavin Jones. Both have an ample amount of experience at the middle school level. Ritchie County also has two wrestlers represented in the girls division with freshmen Saydi Oldaker and Nevaeh Carson.

“We are good from probably 113 pounds to about 157,” Lamp said. “In practice, we have spent a lot of time on the mat and on cardio. We keep our eye on grades and stuff like that. Our goal is not only to succeed on the mat but in school as well. We want to get them ready for life itself.”