Mid-Ohio Valley Winter Sports: Parkersburg teams looking to add to trophy case
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PARKERSBURG -- The winter sports season at Parkersburg could find the Big Reds perhaps adding a couple of state crowns to the trophy case at The School of Champions.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Although third year head coach Phil Wilson's Big Reds aren't expected to vie for a Class AAAA state title, that's exactly what the red and white have been working toward.
A year ago, PHS lost five games by single digits en route to a 9-15 record.
"We got three seniors returning who are really going to help out this year – Sutton Stanley (G), Mathias Williams (F) and Jaxon Thomas (G)," said the ex-Big Red, who also has senior forward Dre Bedgood out. "I think all of them are going to come in and be able to give us something and productivity as a whole. Our top two scorers returning from last year are Quinten Wilson (G) and Chandler Jackson (F).
"Both of those two are juniors and both of those two are going to be phenomenal as long as we can stay on task because we have to stay on task. We got to cut out the intrasquad differences. We got to cut out all the outside noise. We got to put ourselves in a bubble right now and leave everything on the outside on the out and keep everything on the inside in so we can get to where we need to get to."
Forward Karson Gooch has worked his way onto the varsity squad as a sophomore.
"He will get a lot more time this year," admitted coach Wilson. "Right now we got some good sophomores that are going to be able to step up and hopefully help us down the road. We got a couple of freshmen that can hopefully step up and you know me, I'm not an age person. I don't care how old you are. If you can help us win you can help us win. You can look at it.
"We got four seniors and two juniors so that means everything else underneath it is all sophomores and freshmen anyway. Since I love building them up from the ground up anyway, I don't have a problem. People always talk about being a freshman. I feel like you always got to promote a freshman or two because that's what's going to be your foundation the next three, four years. Why wait to get them started when you can start them early."
Currently, the plan is for freshman Noah Smith (G) along with 10th graders Nick Romine (C), Cale Varney (F), Connor Jackson (F) and Zamyar Walker (G) to open the season leading the JV squad and dressing for varsity action.
"We got to be hungry on the boards," stressed Wilson. "When we play together we're really good. When we allow outside stuff to come in we play really bad. I just want us to be able to focus on us and leave all that outside noise on the outside. The goal is simple. Defense.
"When you think you are doing good playing defense, just play better defense, and when you think that defense is better, let's get better on the defensive side. You can have all the offensive plays in the world, but if you don't have the hunger to play defense for 32 minutes you're not going to win. You're not going to win."
PHS also boasts sophomores Giuseppe Scott-Rinaldi (G), Cale Varney (F), Michael Williams (G), Isaac Shirey (G) and Owen Mason (F) along with junior Christian Brooks (G) and two other ninth graders in Karsen Kimes (G) and Colin Frye (G).
"I really like this team. This team is different than what the other ones have been," added coach Wilson. "It is. We've had some great players that played here my first two years, but this year, this team is a little bit different. They really do have friendships within side of this and they really do want to see each other genuinely do well.
"When you have teammates and you have teams that have no jealousy issues and all they want to do is see each other do well, and it doesn't matter who the leading scorer is on Monday versus Tuesday versus Wednesday, as long as you walk out of there with a W is the only thing that matters. The sky is the limit, but we have to stay within ourselves."
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Fifth-year PHS boss Chris Murray's girls were one of three teams to receive at least one first place vote in the 4A preseason poll.
Last year's state runner-up Morgantown was picked as the team to beat while George Washington, which ended the Big Reds' season in the state quarterfinals, was picked second with the red and white checking in at No. 3.
Suffice it to say the Big Reds definitely have the talent to compete for a championship.
PHS returns a pair of second team all-staters in Shepherd-bound Kennedy Porter (13.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.2 spg) and junior Frances Guice (13.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.3 spg).
Senior point guard Lauren Flanagan was an honorable mention selection after posting averages of 12.3 points, 2.4 boards, 3.8 dimes and 1.2 thefts an outing. The Big Reds also will be aided by 6-foot-1 Parkersburg South senior transfer Lucie Cline, who also earned honorable mention all-state.
"It's good to have expectations and we have a ton of them," said Murray, whose senior class also boasts 6-foot-1 pivot Eden DeBord, guard Gracie Lively as well as forwards Kenslee Lemasters and Lilli Martinez. "Obviously, West Virginia is in this new era of transfer. We lost two kids to Parkersburg Catholic and in exchange of that we got a kid from Parkersburg South. I said in past years I think we've lost five total kids. I'm not against it. I think kids should go where they want to play. It is what it is. It's the world that we live in. For us, what we have, we've been able to keep our core together. Kennedy and Lauren have started for me since their freshman year. Lauren did spot starts, but for the most part she was an active player for us. Kennedy, I think after the Huntington game, started for us every game since.
"Franny has been great. Last year was her coming out party. I'm excited to see her growth and development this year. Love what Lucie brings to the table. She might be the best passing 6-footer that I've seen. She just passes the ball so well. We just got to keep her healthy and keep her locked in. We're excited for that. We're excited for the pieces around them. We really love those sophomores. We're excited about our freshmen and we think whatever juniors we have left can come in and help us. We got a good group. Those seniors have stuck with me. I got seven of them. Those girls have been with me. They've been great. It's hard not to get sentimental about them. They've been great kids to me. I'm happy that we are going to finish this journey together."
Two years ago the Big Reds were within a win of the state tournament, but got upset by Huntington inside Memorial Fieldhouse.
Last winter the Big Reds were the only 4A program to advance to state by winning on the road in the regional.
"I think we have really good kids that right now we're just trying to teach them what a better shot looks like and what we can do to improve from a year ago," said the coach. "We have to make sure that we continue to grow and don't hit our ceiling."
Murray noted that aside from Porter heading off to the Rams that Cline will be off to W.Va. Wesleyan while Flanagan has an offer at Fairmont State.
"I'm not sure what Lauren is going to do yet," Murray said. "Eden's got several offers. She's got Wheeling. She's got Bethany. She's got a lot of offers. It's a good group. We're going to challenge them this year.
"We're going to go down to Charleston, South Carolina and play some of South Carolina's best and play a school from Cincinnati and see how we do against them. We added Circleville to the schedule late since South Charleston canceled its season."
PHS also can call upon juniors Amiya Powell (G) and Chloe Gribble (F) as well as sophomores Faithlyn Butcher (G), Amaya Lewis (F) and Brooklyn Allen (G).
"I like the pace to be up. I like getting up and down," continued the coach. "That's ultimately going to be the goal. One of the things that we're trying to adjust is our shot selection in transition and the halfcourt set. I think sometimes we have a tendency to take a good shot and we can probably take a best shot. I was an assistant with Amy (Way) at Warren for three years and Amy has kind of been the white rabbit that I've been trying to catch forever to come help me.
"I consider her to be one of my closest mentors to the game. A lot of the stuff we do is Amy-esque and getting her involved this year has helped us a lot. She's been great. I'm excited just to see what we can do offensively and defensively because of some of the things we are trying to fix. We were 3 of 27 in the state tournament from 3 and we were like over 70% inside the paint. To me it's something we got to be better at is getting the ball inside and pounding the paint."
Parkersburg's freshman class is seven members strong with the likes of guards Maria Guice, Keagan Winebrenner, Kelina Utietiang, Avery Matthews and Aelissa Stavrakis as well as forwards Laekyn Hart and Jackie Nay.
"We feel like the constants are going to be Kennedy, Lauren, Lucie and Fran," Murray said. "Then we can really rotate a fifth in there and see what we do. I think what we'll have to do early is try to build some bench depth and build some continuity with the group. We could play Faithlyn. We could play Kenslee. We can play Gracie. We can play Eden. We can play Brooklyn Allen. We can play like Kelina or Maria Guice.
"I feel really good about any of those girls playing in the game. I think we have such good talent and balance. It's something I feel very comfortable putting really anybody in with those four and watching them play. I love them all. I think any one of them can come in and be pretty dang good. For us we just have to stay with our journey. One game at a time. Don't get too high or too low. Just focus on getting better."
BOYS WRESTLING
Nothing is ever guaranteed in the sport of wrestling, but there's little doubt the Big Reds of ninth-year head coach Matt Littleton should be able to crown some individual state champions and possibly bring home the first team title to Dudley Avenue since 2008.
Last winter, the Big Reds crowned a quartet of state champions thanks to freshman Colston Skeen, sophomore Seth Drennen, Stephen Myers and Dominic Way en route to a Class AAA runner-up effort to University.
Myers, a 138-pound junior, won his second state title while then freshman 157-pounder Parker Woods, who will be at 165 this season, placed fifth.
Following a complete shakeup by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, the Big Reds are now in the new classification designated as Division I.
"We won a dual meet (Class AAA) state championship last year, upsetting University after they beat us in a dual earlier in the year," said Littleton. "That's obviously a big goal-setter for us again is being able to repeat that and win that as a team. That continues to kind of press the issue of what we want to do at the state tournament-wise and try to win a state title, which hadn't been done here in a while.
"That's our goal right now and that's what we're focused on. We're going to continue to go into the room everyday and battle and fight and try to get better in all aspects in hopes to get that done in March. I think right now it's us and University. There's no saying another team can't sneak in there and try to challenge us, but I think when you look at how the state tournament ended last year between University and us we were ahead of people pretty good."
West Virginia University commit Dominic Way is expected to open his junior season at 157 with Drennen at 120 and Skeen at 144.
"He had a really good Super 32 weekend. He beat some really good kids," coach Littleton said of the nationally-ranked Way. "He made it to the blood round there, which anyone who has been to that tournament knows is a pretty hard feat to do. I think he ended up going 8-2 on the weekend. He had a really good tournament, beat some really good guys in the process and really continued to grind like he'd been doing all summer.
"Then the new rankings came out and they got him at 19th. Flow (Wrestling) only does their top 20. Stephen is ranked I do believe looking on his big board for the 2027 class, Stephen is ranked I think right inside the top 50 of all recruits for 2027. It's really nice to have two guys in there. They continue to push each other everyday in there so it's really fun watching them wrestle."
Senior CJ Carrodus, who was third as a freshman at 113, will be the 132-pounder with freshman Jackson Brown at 126, little brother and sophomore Austin Carrodus at 113 as well as 10th grader Aiden Linko at 106.
"Aiden was our third string 106-pounder last year," noted coach Littleton. "He beat a lot of kids who placed at 106 last year. He was beating those guys in other tournaments. Unfortunately he was behind another state champion on our roster at 106 in Seth Drennen. This year we got these guys kind of split up a little bit and I do think a lot of the names on this roster are household names.
"People that follow PHS, they know these names. They know what they are getting and they know what's showing up. From 106 to 165 we are very, very talented and very deep. People don't know Aiden Linko, but I promise you that by the end of this season that's going to be a name people remember and they recognize for the next three years that we got him here. Aiden is going to surprise a lot of people this year. If they didn't know who he was they are going to find out quickly this year."
Junior Kayden McDonald, who finished third in the state at 120 as a freshman, is set to wrestle at 150.
In the upper weights, the Big Reds are likely to have senior Ethan Jones at 175, junior Luke Colombo at 190, senior Adam Elder at 215 and junior Drey Grinter at heavyweight.
"He's been in and out of the lineup," coach Littleton said of Colombo. "Some injury bugs hit him early and then there were some times he was stuck behind some starters. Luke's a guy we expect big things from this year. From 175 to heavyweight is where we are really going to need some people to really step up. I look at 175, you got Ethan Jones who was a state qualifier for us as a freshman and then has gotten banged up a little bit in the process. Then Tyreke Glover comes in. A very talented freshman who I think is going to impress some people for the years to come.
"We get Adam Elder back off injury this year and hopefully he has a good, solid senior season with (junior Zach) Medina right there in the mix with him. Then you get to heavyweight and I think we've got two good heavyweights with Drey Grinter and (freshman) Jackson Barton. Both could place in the state tournament so we're in a really good spot with our upper weights. Some are young. Some are older. I think they are all going to be able to kind of push each other and learn from each other and continue to get better everyday in practice."
Although the sky appears to be the limit for the Big Reds, coach Littleton understands there's a lot of work to be done in the next three months.
"That's always the thing. Wrestling is not an easy sport," he said. "We weight train pretty hard to make sure we take care of our bodies. That's a big push for us so we're still lifting regular season. We worked hard in the offseason.
"I think we saw dividends to that last year to keeping us healthy and I think that's going to be a big thing again for us this year to keep us healthy in the stretch and to make a run for this thing."
GIRLS WRESTLING
It's only season two of the Brailynn Custred era as the girls mat coach for the Big Reds, but the 2024 PHS graduate is perhaps more excited about this year than coach Littleton with the boys.
"I'm stoked about it," Custred said with a smile. "We got an even bigger turnout this year.
"We're looking at 13 girls now. I think by the end of it all (last year) we had eight. I think we started with 12."
Although the red and white graduated 145-pound state runner-up Cali Way, then junior Karma Hedges concluded a 25-10 campaign by placing fourth at 120.
"My returners obviously they have at least that one year because they were coming in fresh last year," said the coach. "All of my girls except for Karma had no experience coming on the mat. This year them coming back you got to explain to them this is an advantage. This is a one-up.
"All my girls that are coming in new, I think that gives them a lot more of a motive. I think it motivates them to work better in the room, work harder. You know that these new girls are watching you because they know that you have wrestled before. You got to work hard to show them what is kind of expected out of the sport."
PHS also will be aided by a pair of transfers from rival Parkersburg South.
"I got the Powell girls (senior, 120, Anniya; junior, 126, Amiya) from South this year," said Custred, who is a manager at the YMCA. "I mean they are some units man. I can't wait to see them out there on the mat in red.
"Karma, of course, she's an animal and she's looking really good this year. Really cleaning up so it's not as sloppy. She's still going at her good pace, really fast, but she looks like she cleaned up a little bit. I can't wait for that."
Anniya won a state title for the Patriots at 120 as a sophomore and finished runner-up last winter. Amiya was fourth at 126 as a freshman and finished third in the same class a year ago.
The only other senior on the roster is 165-pounder Azlin Thrasher. Diana Isaacs, a junior, is at 145.
Custred's sophomore class is the largest with five girls – Rose Atkinson (114), Raidyn Walker (120), Eva Baillargeon (132), Lexi Ritchie (138) and Rae Lynn (185).
"A good bit of my girls from last year came back," said the coach. "I didn't really have many that didn't. Even Reagan (Ashley) came back. She wants to be our team manager this year so shout out to Reagan for that.
"I think the team really looks up to Karma and Anniya as like that's how they want to wrestle when they see them two go at it. I think the whole team wants to have that moment. I think they are definitely leading our way this year."
A trio of freshmen dot the roster with Ella Way (138), Mariah King (135) and 152-pounder Kailyn Yoder.
"My lineup looks pretty good. I do have most of my weight classes with a couple of girls in each one," added Custred, who said she wrestled in peewee, middle school and high school, but didn't do it the whole way through. "I had a big pile of girls, eight of them were bouncing between 129 and 134.
"It kind of made it a little hard. I kind of spread them out a little bit based off of what they were weighing when we first started versus now. Obviously they are cutting pounds, but they are in here working more."
Although the WVSSAC doesn't recognize girls wrestling as an official sport, the goal for the Big Reds is to challenge for a state championship after finishing fourth as a team in 2024-25.
"Last year the girls did really good," Custred said. "I was so excited. I was so proud of them. They worked hard. They worked their butts off for that. I feel like this year we are looking a little better.
"I think definitely I got a good bit of wild cards on the team this year. I think coming out with them is going to be great and I think they are going to do phenomenal. A lot of these girls work really good under pressure and I love that about them."
SWIMMING
The Parkersburg swim program will have 19 competitors in the water this season with six boys and a baker's dozen girls.
Although the numbers for the boys are small, head coach Emily Martin likes what she's seen in the early going.
"Our boys team is kind of having the opposite experience of our girls. We graduated a ton of senior boys last year and this year it has become our boys turn to take on that 'small but mighty' role," admitted Martin. "Despite being down to a roster of only six team members, our boys team won their first two meets so far, even when up against much larger teams."
Leading the charge on the boys side is sophomore Levi Morr.
"He's returning as an individual state champion last year in the 500 freestyle," said the coach,
who also watched Morr place third at states in the 200 individual medley and swim a leg on the runner-up 200 medley relay as well as a leg on the fifth place 400 freestyle relay.
"Also returning this year are seniors Brayden Lotton and Lars Youngstrom, and juniors Noah Brown and Elliot Lambert, all of whom have been among the leading point scorers for our team over the last few years. We also added freshman Jacob Hensley who comes to us fresh out of soccer season and with club swim experience in his past."
Sophomore Delaney Snodgrass made quite the splash in her first state meet in Morgantown a year ago when she topped the field in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events.
"On the girls' side this year, we are looking incredibly strong. We have seniors Adelaide Vann and Lily Farinash coming back strong after being point leaders on the team for the last three years, as well as being great leaders out of the pool," continued the coach, who added "junior Lily Jones also has had an incredible start to her season, especially in her 100 fly, and is looking to remain a top point scorer on the team."
Vann managed to place fourth last winter in the 100 freestyle at the state meet.
"Our motto last year for our girls was 'small but mighty' because we continually scored so well despite having only seven girls on our team," Martin added. "However, we returned six of those seven girls this year, including all of our top point scorers, and have added seven new girls to our roster.
"Our new additions include freshmen such as Sammie Farinash, Haley Spencer, and Ingrid Youngstrom, who all have club swim experience and have already made it clear they are going to make a big impact for this girls team and do some really big things all season."
Vann, Snodgrass and Farinsh were joined last year by then freshman Kayley Kalika on the 400 freestyle relay team that placed sixth in the state.
"We came into the start of this season without a lot of high expectations for placing high as a team because of our small size, but our first two meets have us extremely excited about what else we can accomplish this season," Martin added of the boys. "As always, one of my favorite things about both teams is our versatility. For both teams, we have several swimmers who can place really well in meets in a variety of events, which gives me a lot of flexibility to change up our lineups from meet to meet and let kids get experience in a wide range of different events.
"I firmly believe that swimming events outside of their 'best' makes for much stronger swimmers all around and makes them much better in their primary events, so it is always a treat for me to have kids in my lineup that I know I can put anywhere and they will still score high, so I can give other kids a chance to branch out as well."
Also competing for the girls this season are junior Jaelyn Kalika, sophomores Stella Davis and Willow Richmond along with freshmen Emily Jones and Emma Lowe.
The Big Red boys finished fourth at the state meet last year while the girls will be out to better their effort of sixth from a year ago.
"Both teams have come into this season with a lot of excitement and some really great positive attitudes, and we are really excited to see what we can accomplish together this season," added the coach.