By Rich Stevens
MaxPreps.com
West Virginia’s first-year postseason setup will give a team the chance of reaching the state tournament with a loss in sectional play.
As luck would have it – good or bad – it also happens to be the first time since the 2001-2002 season that Logan is competing in Class AAA.
The Wildcats will be seeking their sixth consecutive state tournament appearance in March, although their last five have come as a AA team. That includes two semifinal appearances (2006, 2008), one runner-up (2007) and a state championship (2005).
That’s why head coach Mark Hatcher sought the strongest possible schedule for his team – quite possibly pound-for-pound the toughest big school schedule in the Mountain State.
Logan has already hosted the King Coal Classic, featuring Princeton Day (Md.) and Veritas Sports Academy (N.C.).
“I told the guys that it’s going to be like the NCAA Tournament, we’re the 15th or 16th seed and the Big South championship and we’re going up against the ACC champions or something,” Hatcher told the Logan Banner. “That’s how we’re going to approach it.”
The Wildcats have little to show for their efforts so far, with Hatcher hoping to see the results when it counts – tournament time.
Logan is 5-6 with its first loss coming to Orlando Christian Prep – the unbeaten (18-0) and No. 1 team in the Orlando Sentinel’s high school rankings. The game wasn’t close (73-40).
The Wildcats also lost to Lower Richmond (S.C.), South Charleston – the state’s No. 1 Class AAA team – and Mountain State Academy, No. 41 in the Fab 50 national boys basketball rankings. They also lost to Princeton Claremont (Md.) and Veritas.
Logan has lost four consecutive games entering tonight’s home contest against Nicholas County.
Girls Basketball: Always-steady Summers County winning with defense
Teams have come and gone in the Class AA postseason of West Virginia girls basketball, but few have held as steady as Summers County.
The Wayne Ryan-coached Bobcats are chasing their third consecutive middle-class state title since Tucker County won championships from 1996-98. Perhaps to nobody’s surprise, the 1995 championship was won by Summers.
Summers has won four titles since 1994 – more than any other school – and after a three-year swoon (2001-2003) of not reaching the state tournament, the Bobcats have played in three title games.
The Bobcats generate offense from their defense, which helped them earn an 85-37 rout of Class AAA George Washington this week, giving Summers a 15-0 record.
“Everything we do is geared off our defense and the rhythm it creates,” Ryan said. “If we don’t play that defense, five people together at one time, we’re not nearly as good.”
No problem so far, as the Bobcats have given up more than 50 points only twice, more than 40 points three times and fewer than 40 in nine of their victories.
Senior Emily Blevins makes the Bobcats go, and scored 16 points in the win over GW.
In Class AAA, the dominance belongs to Parkersburg South, although it’s close.
Since 2000, the Patriots have played in six state tournaments, winning two titles (2006, 2008) and finishing as runner-up once (2000).
Five teams have won the nine state championships since 2000. They are Huntington (2000), Capital (2001, 2002), South Charleston (2003, 2004) – which was led by former Tennessee star Alexis Hornbuckle and current Connecticut star Renee Montgomery – and Morgantown (2005-07).
In Class A, the catholic schools have rule the roost, winning all but one of the state titles contested since 1991.
Since then, Parkersburg Catholic has won five titles (1991, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006), Mercer Christian has won seven (1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), Wheeling Central has won two (2004, 2008) and Charleston Catholic has won one (2007).
Madonna won the 1992 championship.
The only title won by a non-private school was in 2003, when Fred Sauro’s Williamstown Yellowjackets represented the public-school faction of the state.
In fact, among the 68 teams to play in the semifinals of the Class A girls basketball state tournament since 1991, only 21 of them have been public schools and only six have played in the state title game.
Rich Stevens, a sportswriter for the Charleston Daily Mail, covers West Virginia for MaxPreps.
