Parkersburg High School senior Jacob Smith receives his invitation to attend the NFL Draft April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)
The world in accordance with KP.
Now that the 2025-26 tutorial season is coming to an in depth, it’s time to look again and reminisce about what resonated from my vantage level in phrases of athletic achievements together with the unusual however true.
What follows are three tiers of the very best storylines I used to be blessed to be a component of whereas protecting from the sideline, press field and even on the enjoying floor.
Baseball and softball nonetheless had their stories to inform..
Best of the Best
(1) PHS Senior Jacob Smith (Living the Dream): Wood County Teacher of the Year Sam Vincent labored fairly the magic for a scholar in his Sports in American Culture class at Parkersburg High School.
During a zoom name with an NFL participant through which college students take turns asking questions, Atlanta Falcons superfan Jacob Smith was invited by one of his favorites in broad receiver Drake London to attend the NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Smith’s expression was priceless as he defined to London he was honored. Initially, Smith thought he was amongst these being drafted and defined to London he didn’t really feel he was draft materials.
Smith’s classmates and the 75-some individuals gathered within the PHS library all of the honest response.
At the draft, Smith walked as much as the rostrum throughout a middle-round choose and introduced the Falcons’ choose. He did it with such precision.
(2) Williamstown Golfer Madilyn Buttrey (Anxious Moments): Not as soon as, however twice did Williamstown golfer Madilyn Buttrey have the aptitude for the dramatics.
At the Girls State Golf Tournament, Buttrey fell behind the leaders by six strokes with 10 holes remaining. She finally pulled even with Bridgeport’s Audrey Kerr after 18 holes on the Links at Woodridge then birdied the primary playoff gap to earn medalist honors.
In the postseason on the WVSSAC State Tournament in Wheeling, she stayed on the bubble for all-state honors all through her remaining spherical and was one shot out of competition earlier than sinking a birdie on her remaining gap to complete within the prime eight in Class AA.
(3) South Girls Basketball (Young Guns): Not fairly the Fab Five, Parkersburg South ladies basketball roster had its personal model with 5 freshmen, together with three who began, on a workforce which swept the regular-season sequence with metropolis rival Parkersburg, defeated Hurricane 59-39 to advance to the Class AAAA state match.
South superior to the championship recreation. In an instantaneous traditional televised dwell from Charleston, the Big Reds defeated the Patriots 59-53.
South coach Ed Davis was rewarded for the struggles of the previous a number of years the place the workforce was riddled with accidents. Stories exist that in these attempting occasions, members of the teaching workers have been compelled to be observe buddies as a result of of the dearth of our bodies.
(4) Williamstown Boys Tennis (Digging Deep): Three consecutive days of tennis on the state championships took a toll on Williamstown’s Brady Woodard. A hip flexor harm compelled the senior to default his matches within the singles bracket the place he was the No. 1 seed.
After the Yellowjackets secured a runner-up end within the workforce competitors and his lateral motion restricted, he selected to go ahead with the doubles subject with accomplice Isaac Harris. Both have been in a world of damage as soon as they walked off with the state title, however every so often successful works simply in addition to ibuprofen.
(5) South Basketball Player Harry Silvis (Simply the Best): In practically 60 years of basketball at Parkersburg South High School, Harry Silvis stands as the best participant in phrases of profession scoring.
The senior broke the earlier report in a street recreation then was handled to nice fanfare on Senior Night. Joining previous South head coaches as half of the congratulations at midcourt was Matt Shamblin, who owned the earlier mark of 1,257 – which was established in 2003.
Silvis may fill in at any of the 5 positions. His vary – effectively, there actually weren’t any limitations so long as the ball was previous halfcourt.
(6) Williamstown Girls Basketball (Freeze Warning): Halftime changes. The Williamstown teaching workers seemed like geniuses because the Yellowjackets rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit and defeated Wheeling Central Catholic 53-42 within the semifinals of the Class AA state match in Charleston.
The foremost level of emphasis for Williamstown within the second half was protection and limiting the Maroon Knights to 6 factors after halftime, together with only one made bucket within the remaining 13 ½ minutes.
The momentum stopped there as Williamstown misplaced to James Monroe 50-26 within the state championship.
(7) PHS Girls Swim (The Big Splash): The Parkersburg ladies swim workforce sat in sixth place within the workforce standings previous to the ultimate heats on the ultimate night time of the state meet in Morgantown then climbed up the standings and practically achieved the unbelievable after transferring as much as a runner-up end – just one level shy of state champion George Washington.
Lily Farinash proved to be the iron girl of the workforce after competing in 4 occasions on the identical day. She coated the equal of 750 yards within the morning session and one other 150 yards within the remaining heats.
(8) PHS Boys Tennis (Marathon Man): Given the nickname “The Closer” through the common season, Parkersburg’s Isaac Stephens lived to his billing throughout a essential juncture of the Division II workforce competitors. With the Big Reds’ semifinal match with University tied at three matches apiece, Stephens spent practically two hours on the courtroom in his No.4 singles match deep right into a frigid night time.
Late within the match, Stephens went right down to the bottom holding his knee – and after 10 minutes working with the on-site athletic coach, he walked again onto the courtroom and completed off his opponent 9-7. The Big Reds finally positioned runner-up.
(9) PHS Volleyball (Rallying Cry): Bodies took a toll when Parkersburg volleyball met Hurricane in a Class AAAA regional co-final. Players have been crashing into the scorer’s desk and touchdown within the bleachers whereas trying to maintain rallies alive.
The Big Reds dropped the primary set then rallied for a 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 state-clinching victory.
(10) St. Marys Golf (Like Clockwork): The St.Marys varsity workforce all through the postseason consisted of 4 golfers and no room for error. At regionals, the Blue Devils rewarded coach Catie Hamilton with a seventh straight title in seven years.
At the Class A state meet, Blue Devil freshman Trevor Maley earned all-state honors.The varsity ‘4’ are scheduled to return for the 2026 season.
(11) Marietta Girls Soccer (Mad Dash): After a aim was disallowed for Marietta in a Ohio Division III regional semifinal, the Tigers and Dover have been locked in a 0-0 tie with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.
In the subsequent six minutes which adopted, Marietta’s offense discovered a spark and scored three targets to safe a 3-0 win. Grace Spencer scored the primary two targets for Marietta, and her sister Annaleise accounted for the ultimate aim. Maura Misel turned in a clear slate at goalkeeper.
(12) Warren Boys Soccer: Warren recovered from a 1-0 deficit to Athens in an Ohio Division III district quarterfinal earlier than pulling out a 2-1 additional time victory because of Liam Grosselin’s aim off an help from Zane Ott.
During the common season, Warren’s seniors mae certain to shut out their profession with a minimum of one win over rival Marietta as the 2 groups cut up the home-and-home sequence.
Football Moments
(1) Wirt County loses to St. Marys by 39 factors in regular-season finale. Tigers flip the tables as the identical two groups meet within the opening spherical of Class A playoffs. Wirt County wins 27-14.
(2) Morgan snaps 12-game drought vs. Marietta with 31-16 win – protecting a span of practically 20 years. Morgan finally qualifies for the postseason for the primary time in class historical past. Wins two playoff video games in Division V earlier than dropping to eventual state runner-up (*20*)
(3) Fort Frye defeats Marietta 35-0 and extends consecutive scoreless streak to 22 straight quarters. Earlier within the season, the Cadets defeat eventual W. Va. Class A state champion Wheeling Central 40-0 in a recreation the place the operating clock kicked in.
Brain Teasers
(1) Williamstown-Ravenswood (Connect the Dots): Expect the surprising when Williamstown and Ravenswood meet in an athletic occasion.
During the basketball season, an influence outage within the metropolis of Williamstown moments earlier than the opening tip off of a Class AA regional semifinal with Ravenswood compelled the sport to be moved to Parkersburg High School that very same night. Neither head coaches (Ravenswood’s Mick Price and Williamstown’s Scott Sauro) of their practically 1,500 video games of teaching basketball had by no means skilled this.
The subsequent time these two faculties met in a boys athletic sport, rain and lightning delayed the sport one hour. Prior to the delay, Williamstown trailed 3-2 within the fourth inning. When the sport resumed, the Yellowjackets rallied for a 7-6 win.
(2) Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Girls Basketball (Only Fitting): Parkersburg South’s Emilee Owens made the eventual game-winning 3-pointer and scored a team-high 16 factors as Team West Virginia defeated Team Ohio 79-75 in double additional time.
Owens made 4 3-pointers on the exact same courtroom she referred to as dwelling for 4 years.
(3) Ritchie County Boys Basketball (Potential Math Majors): When the Ritchie County boys basketball workforce traveled to Williamstown, gamers and coaches alike have been conscious of the final time their faculty had defeated the Yellowjackets- 13 years. Or in higher element: 4,699 days.
Those numbers not matter for the reason that Rebels defeated the Yellowjackets 64-59.
(4) Parkersburg Catholic Boys Basketball (Worth the Wait): A humbling experience for Parkersburg Catholic’s Leonardo DeAngelo when he scored his 1,000th level in a 69-66 win over Fort Frye. He remembers how the street started when the Crusaderettes didn’t win a recreation in his freshman 12 months.
DeAngelo additionally skilled the state match for the primary time as PCHS superior to the Class A subject.
(5) Waterford Girls Basketball (Mirror Images): After dropping at Eastern by 39 factors, the actual model of Waterford ladies basketball confirmed up within the second common season assembly and defeated the Eagles 59-56.
Waterford’s win created full chaos within the TVC Hocking Division. Eventually, the Wildcats completed in a tie for the division title.