Tickets are on sale for the The Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet for the class of 2026.

The banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna.

Tickets are $50 apiece and the deadline for ordering is July 4. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Mail ticket orders to:

Mid Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame

Box 11

Belle Valley Oh. 43717

Make checks out to MOVSHofF. List at which of the inductees’ tables you wish to be seated.

The 10-member class includes outstanding, athletes, coaches, and contributors to the local sports scene from a seven county area in the Mid-Ohio Valley

The inductees include:

Mark Allen Barnhart, Pleasants County: Barnhart posted a record of 277-196 over his 20-year career as head coach of the St. Marys Blue Devils boys basketball program.

His teams made four trips to the WV Boys HS basketball tournament, including three appearances to the final four and a runner-up finish.

Barnhart’s Blue Devils earned a Little Kanawha Conference championship and he was twice named Little Kanawha Conference coach of the year.

Scott Cozzens, Washington County: Cozzens had a successful coaching career in girls basketball at both Parkersburg and Marietta high schools with an overall record of 153 wins and 41 losses.

His Big Reds girls won 2 state championships and 3 conference championships. Cozzens was twice recognized by USA Today as the Girls Basketball Coach of the year in West Virginia.

He also had a brief, but successful 4 year stint as head coach of the Marietta girls team, guiding the Lady Tigers to 3 conference championships and 2 Sweet 16 appearances in the Ohio Girls High School basketball tournament.

Jeff Kefalos, Wood County: Kefalos was a championship tennis player for Parkersburg High School in the early 1970’s. His list of accomplishments is as impressive as it is long. From his anchor position at #1 singles, Kefalos won three straight WV High School Tennis individual championships, and powered the Big Reds to three straight team championships.

His success continued at the University of South Carolina where he posted a record of 104-14 . Kefalos went on to have an equally successful career coaching on the college level.

Shannon Leasure, Noble County: Leasure excelled in three sports at Shenandoah High School. On the basketball court, she set the school scoring record for both boys and girls hoops with nearly 17 hundred points over four seasons. Her talents earned Leasure the Division III Player of the Year honors in 2004.

She also earned All State Honors in volleyball, and in the spring she lent her talents to the Zeps Track team and qualified for the Ohio State Meet.

After a collegiate career at Shawnee State University, Shannon returned to her high school alma mater and was an award winning coach for the Zeps volleyball and boys track team.

Connor Louden, Wood County: Outstanding two sport athlete at Parkersburg High School.

On the football field, Connor was the most accurate kicker in school history, and a formidable weapon as a receiver with 39 catches and nine touchdowns in his senior season.

On the basketball court Connor finished second on the Big Reds all time scoring list with 1,279 points.

He went to Princeton on a football scholarship where he continued his remarkable accuracy as a place kicker for the Tigers.

Mark Martin, Jackson County: Mark is an outstanding broadcaster and sportswriter in the state of West Virginia. He played football at Ripley High School and Marietta College, but Mark’s real talent is behind the microphone and the keyboard.

He’s an award winning sports director for WCHS-TV. Mark’s reporting and high school and college play by play duties have earned him an Emmy and numerous Associated Press honors and admittance into the WV Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

He’s also a recipient of the WV Sportswriters Association’s Gene Morehouse Award for excellence in media.

Larry Maxwell, Wood County: Larry is not an athlete or a coach, but as “Mad Max,” he’s probably attended more high school sporting events in the state of West Virginia than anyone.

He is the official ambassador for Parkersburg South athletics. Wherever and whenever the Patriots take to the field or court of competition, Mad Max is there to fire up the crowd with his enthusiasm and endearing antics.

Jennifer Jones Palagi, Jackson County: Jennifer, affectionately known as “JJ,” ran herself into the record books at Ravenswood High school.

She was a vital part of a Red Devilette track dynasty that won four straight Class AA-A track and field championships in a row, and five in six years.

Twice Jennifer was the high-point scorer in the State Championship Meet, earning numerous first place honors both individually and as part of a relay.

She also won Ravenswood’s first cross country state championship, and that led to academic and athletic success at West Virginia Wesleyan

John Peters, Ritchie County: John is the father of wrestling at Ritchie County School.

He began a successful coaching career at Harrisville high school, reviving a program after a 20 year layoff. John also founded a youth wrestling program in the county that would pay off down the road when he became the head coach of the newly created Ritchie Country High School 40 years ago.

John coached seven individual state champions for the Rebels, five runner-up finishers, and 41 state tournament placers.

His coaching success earned John induction to the WV chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Gary Watson, Wirt County: Gary was one of the best football players ever to suit up for the Wirt County Tigers.

The highlight of his football career was leading the Tigers to the 1975 Class A championship game. That season he rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and averaged better than two touchdowns a game.

Gary reached the end zone 27 times that season, second best in the state that season. Defensively, he had 87 solo tackles, also second best in the state.

His performance earned him a third place finish for the Kennedy Award, which goes to the High School Football Player of the Year in West Virginia.