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PARKERSBURG — Energy and effort are givens when it comes to the Big Reds and their spring sports programs, but results are what matter at the end of the day for “The School of Champions” at Parkersburg High.

Thus far through the first two weeks of the season at PHS head coach Eric Stanley has watched the red and white boys tennis team open with seven straight victories, the boys track program of Rod O’Donnell open with wins in their first two meets, Alan Burns’ diamond gang is 3-1 and Lia Fleek has watched the girls track team, which is off to Myrtle Beach this week, finish runner-up twice.

BASEBALL

Coach Burns’ crew opened up with a pair of Mountain State Athletic Conference victories as the Big Reds feature just a trio of seniors in Chaz Elam (C/SS/P), Jaxon Myers (2B/P) and CJ Carrodus (OF).

The early season opening varsity roster for the Big Reds also included juniors Noah Holland (1B/P), Connor Elkins (3B/SS/P), Cole Sisk (OF), Gavin Fling (1B/P/OF), Tyler Cameron (C/3B), Julian Rinehart (OF/P), Evan Schultheis (OF/C/INF/P), Landon Allman (P/3B/2B), Parker Woods (OF/UTL) and Luke Eagle (2B/3B) as well as sophomore Nick Romine (1B) and freshman Brady Miller (SS/C/P).

Fling and Holland are joined in the rotation by Elkins, Allman and Myers. Woods will be tasked with later inning duties along with Elam. Cameron is the No. 1 backstop with Schultheis right behind.

“I’ve told the kids this year with this group we’ve got more quality depth than we’ve had in many years,” said Burns. “We have three catchers (Elam) I’m not afraid to start a game with.

“We’re not positive on who the top four starters will be right. Noah and Gavin are both right there. You could enter mix those two and you also have the others fighting it out for the starting role.”

Although the coaching staff has a plethora of options around the diamond, Elkins and Elam will see a lot of time at shortstop. The same with Allman at third while the Holland/Fling duo handles first depending on who is pitching.

“Gavin likes playing outfield,” Burns noted. “”We’ve got a lot of moves we can make. CJ can play any of the outfield spots, so can Cole Sisk and of course Parker can as well.

“Julian Rinehart can play any of the outfield spots. Like we told them, whoever is hitting the ball is going to be in the lineup somewhere.”

Burns understands it’s a long season ahead and the MSAC obviously will be challenging.

“I think we have a good team. We’re going to be really competitive. We can compete day in and day out with anybody,” said the skipper. “The kids fully believe what we are doing. It’s a great group of kids. The chemistry is really good. We’re working on as well making sure they are pulling for each other since there is such a close competition on many, many positions there.

“I think we can compete with anybody. Young, but mainly inexperienced on the varsity level. We have three seniors and the rest pretty much juniors and a sophomore. These juniors have to grow up quickly, which so far they are.”

Burns is also having a blast with his mixed bag of assistant coaches that includes former Parkersburg Catholic boss Tom Harvey and first-year helper/ex-Parkersburg South head man Randy Edge.

“It’s a lot of fun. We got a good mix of coaches there,” admitted Burns, who quipped now they just needed to bring ex-Williamstown boss Terry Smith into the fold. “Our coaching staff, I think, is one of the best in the state. Randy, myself and Tim Barnett, we’re the older guys. We’re all right there together and have the same ideas.

“Then you got the younger guys. Brett (Burns), Joe (Riley), Alec (Holbert) and Chris (Long), and they come in with the new ideas. Of course, Tom is there with us in the older ideas. It’s kind of a good mix. All of them get along with the kids really well and different coaches relate to the different kids. It’s been a lot of fun.”

SOFTBALL

Second-year head coach Erica Cameron’s team is looking to build upon a 6-14 campaign as the Big Reds also sport three key seniors in Kendall Kimes (CF/3B, All-MSAC second team), Krista Durkin (1B, All-MSAC SHM) and Brynn Frye (SS/C/3B, All-MSAC SHM).

Sophomore Camella Cooper (2B), who earned second team All-MSAC honors last spring, and classmate Addi Cameron (2B) are the red and white pitchers.

“Our pitching depth leaves a bit to be desired except that they are young,” admitted coach Cameron, who noted of Cooper “she is battling back from a hip injury, but she is making huge strides in her recovery.

“Camella and Addi are very different pitchers and we can have some good success when they are hitting their spots and we utilize their different strengths to keep batters on their toes. We ask a lot of these two ladies, but they are always willing to rise to the occasion.”

Sophomore Gabby Dennis (All-MSAC HM) returns at catcher. Juniors JoJo Wilson (3B) and Danica Coffman (LF/CF) are also in the starting lineup along with sophomore right fielder Ella Collins.

The coach is also excited about the prospects of freshman Leah Bowers, who is expected to fire from the circle for the junior varsity.

“My seniors, they are a special group for sure,” admitted Cameron, who plans to utilize both Frye’s and Kimes’ flexibility on the diamond. “These ladies came into the program making a huge impact as freshmen. They have grown so much as leaders on and off the field

“I can’t express how proud of them I am and how much I have enjoyed getting to coach them and build the relationships that we have. These girls are leaving some huge shoes to fill.”

Parkersburg snapped a four-game losing streak to start the season with a 10-0 win at Capital, but slipped to 1-5 after falling 7-4 on Saturday to Spring Valley.

“I expect us to be very competitive in every game we step on the field. We have the talent and we have the will,” stressed the coach. “We are still working on more input from the bottom half of our lineup.

“They are working hard. We just need them to continue to build the proper muscle memory so they can get out in the game and relax and just have fun!”

BOYS TRACK

Seventh place was the end result for head coach Rod O’Donnell’s squad when the Class AAA state track meet concluded last year.

Hope springs eternal and the Big Reds have every reason to be optimistic after opening the year with team victories at the Huntington Invitational as well as Friday night’s Kim Nutter.

PHS returns 18 of its top 29 point scorers from 2025 and that includes eight of the top 12 in senior Landen Deuley (1st), sophomores Javel Chandler (4th) and AJ Payne (5th), seniors Jay Bowling (6th, out for year) and Connor George (7th), sophomore Rogan Mincks (10th), sophomore Alex Greer (11th) and senior Tyler Shahan (12th).

Payne, who returns from last year’s record-breaking state championship 4×4 unit with Deuley, has opened the season by setting meet records in both of his 400 races.

“He’s ahead of last year as far as where he was and Deuely is great,” said O’Donnell. “I mean he’s running as well as he ever has so we have two solid quarter-milers there.

“The key is to find two other guys because I think if we find, and I think we have them, we break that all-time state record again this year. You don’t get to say that very often, but with your two anchors back they are going to get better and all we have to do is fill in what the other two ran last year, and we have enough depth I think we can do that.”

Deuley is the defending state champion in the 400. Greer returns after clearing 13 feet and placing third at state in the pole vault, while George was fifth in the 3200.

Junior Drey Grinter, who won the shot put at Huntington, will look to qualify to state once again.

Big things are expected from Chandler, who qualified for both hurdles events but missed out on the 110 high finals by three thousandths of a second.

“This is a very talented team, but it’s also a very young team,” stressed coach O’Donnell. “With youth comes, we have to make sure they understand the big picture and the big picture is patience. The big picture is trying to peak at the end of the season. The big picture is not get too happy with yourself because everybody else is going to be working, too. Your goal is to try and improve.

“That’s the whole thing with us is improving week to week, keeping people healthy and making sure when we get ready to go for the postseason that we’re ready to go be the best that we can be at those three meets. I think we have a team that has a tremendous future if they all stay on task, all work, continue to set their goals and work toward those goals. That’s what we are trying to educate them on this year as far as what we want to do.”

Although PHS has Greer in the pole vault and Chandler in the high jump, O’Donnell admitted they are not deep in either event.

“When it gets to the state meet very few teams have huge depth in every event, but you got to have those guys that are going to go down there and get it done,” said the coach, who has enjoyed having numerous members of head coach Matt Kimes’ football team competing.

“I think we have several that will place high in the state if everything goes well between now and then. Matt’s the best head coach I’ve ever worked with in football. We get along great. We share the kids and we cooperate with each other. That’s been a key getting a lot of these kids out.”

O’Donnell, who noted the Big Reds qualified all of their relay teams last spring, feels they can accomplish that at the regional once again.

“Things are dynamic and they can change and you just don’t know,” said the coach. “You just hope that everybody is fired up about it as I am.”

GIRLS TRACK

The PHS girls will be looking for better traction this spring as the red and white amassed eight points to finish in 18th place at last year’s state track meet.

Nevaeh Ross, who was fifth in the 300 hurdles and also qualified in the 100 hurdles, is the top returning state placer.

Morgan Metz secured sixth in the 3200 to earn the Big Reds three points and she’ll also be looking to qualify again in the 1600.

Metz and Olivia Carpenter comprise half of last year’s ninth-place 4×4 team while Carpenter, Calli Angelos and Audrey Wagoner, who is currently slowed by injury, are back from the 4×8 unit which placed eighth, but graduated anchor Ellie Hines. Sophia Corbin finished 10th last spring in the shot put while Ava Sayre tied for 11th at the state meet in the high jump.

“Mya Baruwa, Daysha Hastings,” noted coach Fleek of her other key high jumpers as Baruwa is a former two-time state champ in the event at Parkersburg South.

“I have several others that are probably able to get 4-10, 5 feet. Distance, we’re limited. We don’t have as many kids with Audrey hurt.”

The Big Reds are leaving Tuesday and will compete on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Myrtle Beach.

“I’ve been planning this for several years. I’ve been looking to go. We’re going to do the beach run,” said the coach. “It has a relay meet on Thursday and then a two-day meet on Friday and Saturday.

“We’re taking 36 girls. It will be nice for them to see something different and compete against some different people.”

PHS, which dealt with various injuries in 2025, watched Ross, Ashlyn Morris, Chloe Gribble and Allison Poole qualify in the shuttles.

“I think we are going to be pretty solid throughout our relays, whether it be distance, whether it be sprint relays,” Fleek added. “I think we’re going to be pretty strong all around. I have a little faster group this year I think I can put together.

“They won the 4×1 and Kelina (Utietiang) came from basketball and she had four or five days of practice and she had to learn how to give a baton and get a baton, and she did a great job out there.”

PHS has had 25-30 girls routinely conditioning during the offseason and with the flex days since January.

“We’re not worried about winning as much as learning how to get through these events,” stressed Fleek. “Figuring out who needs to go in what events where we can maximize our points. I think if everyone stays healthy we can have a very successful season.

“I really do. We don’t get to score in some events at the state meet, but this year I think we might be able to score in an event sometimes we haven’t scored in the past. I look for them to do very well if we stay healthy, committed and dedicated.”

Thus far into the campaign, the Big Reds have finished runner-up at the Huntington Invite and at Friday night’s Russ Parsons.

“We have a lot of great athletes this year. It’s a nice, nice group,” Fleek added. “We have a nice incoming group. I really like this freshmen group.

“A lot of them worked throughout the winter. They did the conditioning and they did a little at the indoor meets, and it shows.”

Joining Baruwa, Carpenter, Hastings and Sayre in the senior class are Brenan Harvey, Karma Hedges and Makayla House.

“I like the maturity level and I like seeing these girls being leaders,” Fleek said. “I have great senior leadership. They are just great kids. We just have a really nice senior group. We have a nice senior leader group. They are just a nice group of kids.

“Not just how kind they are to the underclassmen, but their work ethic. They are not about themselves. They are about the team. I’m excited for this group of seniors. I’d like for them to have a nice season, for them to send off, and the underclassmen have just been phenomenal. This is a very nice team. A great team.”

TENNIS

When it comes to “team” that’s pretty much the motto for coach Stanley’s tennis program, which has the girls sitting at 4-3 in the early going.

“The team format has been back for the last three years to where the emphasis has turned tennis back into a team sport versus it had been so individualized the last 15 years that the aspect of the team environment is what they key on now,” said coach Stanley, whose lone senior girl is daughter and No. 2 singles player Emma Stanley.

Sophomore Lila Tewodros (No. 1), freshman Avonlea Lewis (No. 3) and junior Camille Tatterson (No. 4) have been competing in singles with Tewodros/Stanley and Lewis/Tatterson occupying the top two doubles teams.

Sophomores Baylee White and Anna Rose Spychalski also have been working at three doubles.

“We’re always going to be working to get better everyday so the lineup can change. Players have good days and bad days,” said Stanley, who also can utilize junior Chloe McCloskey, sophomores Madison Buskirk, Hannah Dunn, Emily Greer and Anabelle Schmidt as well as freshman Campbell Fields.

“The girls are pretty much back. We lost one senior last year and picked up some freshmen this year. We only have one senior this year in Emma Stanley, but they have high hopes of keeping their streak alive.

“If they can achieve their goal they are working toward being in the state tournament for four straight years, which is a big achievement. Their goal is to get back to the state tournament. That’s what they are working on. They’ve got a big hill in front of them. We’ve got the toughest region in the state with Huntington being the defending state champions. We’ve got six teams in our region and we’ve got to be in that top two. That’s what we’re working toward.”

The undefeated boys are led by a trio of seniors in twins Alex and Christan Marshall, who occupy No. 1 and No. 2 singles, and No. 3 singles player Cale Stutler.

Junior Isaac Stephens has been holding down No. 4 singles and teaming with Stutler at No. 2 doubles with the Marshall twins at No. 1 doubles.

Parkersburg’s boys also boast seniors Smit Babariya, Jayden Ervin and Jack McLean, who has been at No. 3 doubles with sophomore Thomas Lindenmuth.

“We took a hit last year. We lost quite a few really important seniors, but this junior class that’s now the senior class was primed and ready to go for this year,” coach Stanley said of the boys. “We’ve got three seniors, actually I’ll say four, that are leading the way for this team. We’ve got the Marshall twins and Cale Stutler, which are the backbone of the boys team. They have been here. They work hard. They are consistent and then you have a new player this year who is senior Jack McLean. He hadn’t played in middle school, but he’d been a soccer player the past couple of years and at the last minute said ‘hey, can I come back to tennis?’

“Open arms. He has been an integral part in that three doubles lineup, and then junior Isaac Stephens in that four seed is a consistent person we can count on. These boys, we talk about it everyday. After having last year, this is another team that any coach would love to have. The potential, the skill, the work ethic these kids have is excellent. Our goal in coaching is we’re trying to keep them healthy and keep them moving forward. The goals for the guys, last year we unfortunately lost by one in the semis. The goal this year is being there back at the state championships.”

Coach Stanley also can call upon the services of juniors Levi Gregg and Jonah Beha, sophomore Charlie Taylor as well as freshmen Landon Collins, James D’eramo, Gabe Floyd, Jake Jackson, Parker Nulter and Ryan Taylor.

“They are very young,” said the coach of his freshmen while adding none has yet to crack the lineup. “They’ve got some development so we continue to work with them, keeping them involved with the team.”

As far as hopes and expectations go this spring they are definitely high at PHS.

“I think the big thing this year for our team is going to be on the boys side. It’s actually both,” added the coach. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had boys qualify for the singles and the doubles tournament in Charleston and we have not one, two, three singles players in the Marshall twins and Cale Stutler, and both our one and our doubles teams are primed and ready to potentially make a run or make it on their own outside the team.

“We haven’t had that for a long time. They’ve been around for many years. They’ve been playing together for many years. They know each other’s style. They know when to pick each other up. The team atmosphere is what we push here. We want to go as a team, but if these guys make it individually we’ll be just as proud.”