One of the state's top postseason rivalries will have at it again when Tug Valley and Wyoming East collide in the Class AA semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
One of the state's top postseason rivalries will have at it again when Tug Valley and Wyoming East collide in the Class AA semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
It marks the third time in four years the two power programs have met in the state tournament semis, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings in 2009 and 2010.
"They're the bluebloods of double-A, them and Bluefield,'' said Tug Valley coach Garland Thompson. "They're what a basketball team is. We've got our hands full.
"The first year we played them, they had [Gentry] Shrewsbury and they put one on us pretty good. Then a couple years ago we had them by five and let it get away.''
Tug Valley led Wyoming East 63-58 in the 2010 semifinals with less than 50 seconds left in regulation, but lost 67-63 following a flurry of turnovers.
"I'm hoping that's in their minds and in their hearts,'' Thompson said, "and hopefully the third time is the charm. It's going to be a classic game. It'll be a war. Hopefully they'll fill these bleachers up in here.
"Sooner or later, you've got to exorcise some demons and some ghosts. I tell the kids it's their chance to put their footprints in the sand, so to speak. Everybody knows Greg Davis when we won it in '99, so it's these kids' time now, and it starts Friday.''
Hedgesville exit? Not so fast
The annual state basketball tournament puts a premium on area hotel rooms, prompting a well-meaning tourney official to try and hurry the losing teams out of town as quickly as possible.
Before No. 7 Hedgesville was to face No. 2 Wheeling Park in a Class AAA quarterfinal game Wednesday, the official mentioned the room shortage to Hedgesville coach Kelly Church and betrayed his assumption the Eagles would lose their opening game.
"After we turned in our lineup card,'' Church related, "there was a very kind and respectful gentleman who said in the most polite way, 'Hey coach, after tonight's games, the SSAC's having trouble with hotel rooms because of construction. You guys aren't going to stay [after the game]? You're going to go home?' I smiled, tapped him on the bottom and said best of luck.''
Hedgesville edged Wheeling Park 39-37 in overtime Wednesday and will be staying a few more nights. The Eagles will face the South Charleston-Parkersburg winner at 9 p.m. Friday in a semifinal game.
One of the state's top postseason rivalries will have at it again when Tug Valley and Wyoming East collide in the Class AA semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
It marks the third time in four years the two power programs have met in the state tournament semis, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings in 2009 and 2010.
"They're the bluebloods of double-A, them and Bluefield,'' said Tug Valley coach Garland Thompson. "They're what a basketball team is. We've got our hands full.
"The first year we played them, they had [Gentry] Shrewsbury and they put one on us pretty good. Then a couple years ago we had them by five and let it get away.''
Tug Valley led Wyoming East 63-58 in the 2010 semifinals with less than 50 seconds left in regulation, but lost 67-63 following a flurry of turnovers.
"I'm hoping that's in their minds and in their hearts,'' Thompson said, "and hopefully the third time is the charm. It's going to be a classic game. It'll be a war. Hopefully they'll fill these bleachers up in here.
"Sooner or later, you've got to exorcise some demons and some ghosts. I tell the kids it's their chance to put their footprints in the sand, so to speak. Everybody knows Greg Davis when we won it in '99, so it's these kids' time now, and it starts Friday.''
Hedgesville exit? Not so fast
The annual state basketball tournament puts a premium on area hotel rooms, prompting a well-meaning tourney official to try and hurry the losing teams out of town as quickly as possible.
Before No. 7 Hedgesville was to face No. 2 Wheeling Park in a Class AAA quarterfinal game Wednesday, the official mentioned the room shortage to Hedgesville coach Kelly Church and betrayed his assumption the Eagles would lose their opening game.
"After we turned in our lineup card,'' Church related, "there was a very kind and respectful gentleman who said in the most polite way, 'Hey coach, after tonight's games, the SSAC's having trouble with hotel rooms because of construction. You guys aren't going to stay [after the game]? You're going to go home?' I smiled, tapped him on the bottom and said best of luck.''
Hedgesville edged Wheeling Park 39-37 in overtime Wednesday and will be staying a few more nights. The Eagles will face the South Charleston-Parkersburg winner at 9 p.m. Friday in a semifinal game.
Seeking improvement
Even though Bluefield romped in its opening game of the Class AA state tournament, the coach and team was left wanting more after the top-seeded Beavers downed No. 8 Berkeley Springs 69-38.
Bluefield, which starts three sophomores, advanced to states for the first time since the end of the 2008 season and admittedly was a little nervous.
Sophomore guard Anthony Eades scored 21 points, four below his average, making just 9-of-24 shots while sophomore point guard Lykel Collier had 11 points, nine below his average, and committed four turnovers.
"It was great,'' said Collier of his state tournament debut, "but I didn't play very well. I'm glad to get that first game out of the way and the nerves.''
"After tonight, even though we won, there's a lot of room for improvement [today] at practice,'' said Bluefield coach Buster Large. "The competition is getting a lot better.''
More on Morris
One of the beauties of the state tournament is that it provides a platform for seldom-heard-of players to wow fans from around West Virginia.
Webster County's Brett Morris did some of that during Wednesday's first-round loss to Tug Valley, finishing with 26 points and 13 rebounds, including a breakaway slam dunk in the second half.
The 6-foot-2 junior came into the tournament averaging a shade under 24 points, but because of his remote location few had gotten the chance to see him play.
"I said at the beginning of our season that I thought Brett is probably the best-kept secret in West Virginia,'' said Webster coach Jerry Dean, "because a lot of people haven't seen him, and we are hard to get to. He's an outstanding player who makes everybody better around him. The kids love to play with him.''
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