It might be the furthest away high school sports season at this point in the calendar, but area softball teams, like St. Albans, are making the best of the three-week summer training period. For my Daily Mail article on SA's summer update, click here.
For the Red Dragons, the program will look to replace the production and leadership lost by graduated pitcher Ali Haynes and catcher Mariah Caudill. The duo represent the winningest battery in Kanawha County history.
Not all is lost, though, with seven returning starters.
Instead of scheduling games for the summer practice time, SA coach Greg Garber said he's focusing on teaching his newest players.
“We choose to use our three weeks each year according to our needs,” he said. “Some years we play a lot of games. This year, we’re just trying to incorporate the new ones coming in to how we do things. We’re also using it to look at different positions for next year.”
With Haynes gone, senior Madi Marshall and sophomore Katie Holstein figure to be the top two Red Dragons arms.
“Madi will be the first one we look at, and I expect her to throw quite a bit," Garber said. "Katie Holstein has made a lot of progress. We played a couple JV games against a couple good teams like Cabell Midland and she did real well in those games.”
Senior Whitney Jones, who started last season in the outfield, could also figure into the pitching equation, Garber said.
Returning senior third baseman Alyssa Bonham will get the first look at Caudill's vacated catching spot. Last season, Bonham took reps in practice and caught some junior varsity games, Garber said.
At first, senior Haili McCown returns. Sophomore second baseman Madi Chandler is expected to move to shortstop, with Marshall in the circle.
In the outfield, junior Amber Kemplin returns after starting last season in right field.
Some pieces have departed, others are expected to change positions, though the Red Dragons figure to be contenders as always.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
St. Albans Summer Shootout Preview
The 11th annual St. Albans Girls Basketball Summer Shootout will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.
Each year, the tournament draws many of the Mountain State's most talented teams. For a full breakdown on the tournament, ready my Daily Mail article here. This year's field features each of the three West Virginia high school state champions in Huntington St. Joe (A), Bridgeport (AA) and Parkersburg South (AAA).
“We’ve got a great AA, AAA field," said Scott James, SA girls basketball coach and tournament organizer. "We’ve got some of the strongest programs in the state in AA. I know on Tuesday, we’ve got a great group in Robert C. Byrd, Bridgeport, Tolsia, Clay County, East Fairmont, Sissonville, they’re all in one group Tuesday morning.”
Another top matchup includes AAA Parkersburg South vs. A St. Joe.
“We’re allowed to mix it up," James said of the different classes playing each other. "It isn’t just A vs. A. Like on Wednesday afternoon, I have Parkersburg South and St. Joe playing each other, so it’s a great field. It’s a powerful field.”
In total, 44 teams from 39 schools will participate in the tournament. Some schools will bring an "A" and "B" team, thus more teams representing than schools present.
Below, I compiled a lost of 29 schools that will be present, as related to me by James.
AAA: St. Albans, Nitro, George Washington, Capital, South Charleston, Riverside, Winfield, Hurricane, Huntington, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Preston
AA: Bridgeport, Westside, Poca, Robert C. Byrd, Scott, East Fairmont, Fairmont Senior, Tolsia, Sissonville, Clay County, North Marion
A: Charleston Catholic, Parkersburg Catholic, Gilmer County, Pocahontas County, Huntington St. Joe
In addition, Ironton will also join the field.
In addition to top teams, the field boasts some of the state's top individual players in Notre Dame commit Mychal Johnson of St. Joe, recent Marshall verbal commit Hope Lester of AA runner-up Westside and rising Parkersburg South sophomore guard Taryn McCutcheon, the lone freshman on last season's Class AAA First Team All-State squad.
For more information, be sure to ready my Daily Mail article.
Each year, the tournament draws many of the Mountain State's most talented teams. For a full breakdown on the tournament, ready my Daily Mail article here. This year's field features each of the three West Virginia high school state champions in Huntington St. Joe (A), Bridgeport (AA) and Parkersburg South (AAA).
“We’ve got a great AA, AAA field," said Scott James, SA girls basketball coach and tournament organizer. "We’ve got some of the strongest programs in the state in AA. I know on Tuesday, we’ve got a great group in Robert C. Byrd, Bridgeport, Tolsia, Clay County, East Fairmont, Sissonville, they’re all in one group Tuesday morning.”
Another top matchup includes AAA Parkersburg South vs. A St. Joe.
“We’re allowed to mix it up," James said of the different classes playing each other. "It isn’t just A vs. A. Like on Wednesday afternoon, I have Parkersburg South and St. Joe playing each other, so it’s a great field. It’s a powerful field.”
In total, 44 teams from 39 schools will participate in the tournament. Some schools will bring an "A" and "B" team, thus more teams representing than schools present.
Below, I compiled a lost of 29 schools that will be present, as related to me by James.
AAA: St. Albans, Nitro, George Washington, Capital, South Charleston, Riverside, Winfield, Hurricane, Huntington, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Preston
AA: Bridgeport, Westside, Poca, Robert C. Byrd, Scott, East Fairmont, Fairmont Senior, Tolsia, Sissonville, Clay County, North Marion
A: Charleston Catholic, Parkersburg Catholic, Gilmer County, Pocahontas County, Huntington St. Joe
In addition, Ironton will also join the field.
In addition to top teams, the field boasts some of the state's top individual players in Notre Dame commit Mychal Johnson of St. Joe, recent Marshall verbal commit Hope Lester of AA runner-up Westside and rising Parkersburg South sophomore guard Taryn McCutcheon, the lone freshman on last season's Class AAA First Team All-State squad.
For more information, be sure to ready my Daily Mail article.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
St. Albans Fine Tuning Zone Read
The St. Albans football team will look for greater success this fall with second-year coach Steve Stoffel Jr. and his zone-read offense.
A traditionally power-I program, Stoffel implemented the spread offense last season. The Red Dragons showed flashes of understanding and brilliance, but ultimately sputtered to a 2-8 record following an 0-7 start. For my Daily Mail article on SA's progress, click here.
The Red Dragons return quarterbacks Noah Reed and Taylor Clark, who split time last season. Jacob Grigsby and Ryan Broderick will also battle as Stoffel said the competition for the starting QB role is open to whomever provides the best opportunity to win regardless of experience or past roles.
No matter the quarterback, there will be plenty of talented targets, including Grigsby should he not take the signal-caller position.
“We got three of our top four receivers back," Stoffel said. "Dakota Kelly will be a senior, who’s put in tremendous time and effort for his senior year, for not only him, but for his program. We’ve got Cole Medley, who is one of our top four receivers last year. We’ve got Jacob Grigsby, who may play quarterback, who was the third-leading receiver back, and then we have some other kids that started in skill positions back."
Terrell Lovejoy and Kevic Watkins list among other players Stoffel said he expects to make an impact at skill positions.
SA will take production from anyone it can at running back, following the graduation of talented tailback Drew Kirby.
“We have about five kids that we think will compete quite well to play that position," Stoffel said. "We will play as many as it takes to replace the 1,100-yard rusher that we lost. I’m looking forward to the competition.”
An improved offensive line will set the tone for the running backs.
“This year, we’ve still got decent-sized kids and we move a lot better," Stoffel said. "The kids put in the effort to get better and quicker and we got eight or nine kids we think we can play with up there right now.”
Like most programs during the summer, there's plenty of optimism surrounding the St. Albans football team. Stoffel said he hopes to make the most of the current three-week training period.
The Red Dragons will practice with Capital in a 7-on-7 at the University of Charleston's Laidley Field 4 p.m. Thursday.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Buffalo Volleyball Working Hard Through Summer
I feel like when most think of summer high school workouts, we're thinking of football two-a-days, summer shootout tournaments or cross country runners battling the dog days heat. However, there's another sport -- volleyball -- that takes to it hard during this time, taking advantage of the allowed three-week practice period.
This week, I talked with Buffalo volleyball coach Brian Null and senior Katie Higginbotham about how the Bison are handling the summer as well as expectations and preparations for the upcoming fall season. For my full article in the Daily Mail, click here.
Buffalo missed the State Tournament the past two seasons, but has made the trip to the Civic Center all but three seasons since Class A separated for the postseason in 2002.
“The past two years we’ve gotten beat by the state champion," Higginbotham said. "We have a very stacked region. It’s hard to get out of.”
That region includes 2013 state champ Williamstown, who defeated Buffalo in regional play to end Buffalo's season last year. Other perennial powers in Buffalo's region include Charleston Catholic, Wirt County, Greenbrier West, Gilmer County, Greater Beckley Christian, Doddridge County, Calhoun County and Parkersburg Catholic.
“Generally, our region, the way they’ve realigned it, probably has eight of the top 13 teams in the state year-in-and-year-out," Null said.
To escape the region, teams like Buffalo need talent and dedication. Both can be developed and that starts during the three-week summer practice period.
“We’re trying to use all of the three weeks and we’re looking to maybe get a couple dual scrimmages in with some other teams local," Null said.
Higginbotham said during the summer the Bison practice four to five days a week, and though it's important for the veteran players, the time is predominantly for the players newest to the program.
“Normally our youngest, our summer practices are mainly for the new girls," she said. "We want to get the younger kids in, it really gets them used to what high school sports are about because at Buffalo, we don’t have a middle school program, so they come in as freshmen never having played volleyball before unless they played in like a travel league.”
This year's squad returns solid players though they'll have plenty of work to replace the production and leadership of graduated middle hitter Hannah Toney and four-year starting libero Courtney Persinger, a Class A First Team All-State selection.
"They were great leaders last year and kind of left some big shoes to step into," Higginbotham said. "We have six seniors this year, but two of us, me and another girl, are the only ones who have played all four years, so these new girls are getting a chance to step in and see what they can do to fill in Courtney’s big shoes.”
Higginbotham will undoubtedly be one such player who will be expected to take a commanding role.
“She’s a four-year starter and she’s done a little bit of everything," Null said of Higginbotham, a 5-11 hitter. "She’s a great server. She’s left-handed, which is great, so that gives us a power hitter coming off the right side and most teams don’t have that. She’s our most experienced front receiver and hitter coming.”
Sophomores Shelby Turley and Rachel Martin will also assume key positions for the Bison, Null said. Like Higginbotham, Ali Burdette is a Class A First Team All-State player for the three-time state champ Buffalo softball team. On the court, Burdette is a junior outside hitter, who was named all-state special honorable mention last season.
“I want to say our biggest strength would be our hitting," Higginbotham said. "We have a really good setter (Martin), but we have really strong hitters as well. We’ve really come a long way since last year, but the thing with volleyball is to get the good hit you’ve got to have the good pass and the good set. We looked really good the other day for being on the court for the first time without Courtney and Hannah.”
Though there are some key losses from last year's squad, Null said this could be a breakout season. In fact, he said four years ago he predicted the current class of juniors and seniors would capture a state title.
Time will tell on that prediction. For now, the Buffalo volleyball squad prepares and toils during the summer in hopes of making that dream a realization.
The Bison open the season at St. Albans 6 p.m. Sept. 5.
This week, I talked with Buffalo volleyball coach Brian Null and senior Katie Higginbotham about how the Bison are handling the summer as well as expectations and preparations for the upcoming fall season. For my full article in the Daily Mail, click here.
Buffalo missed the State Tournament the past two seasons, but has made the trip to the Civic Center all but three seasons since Class A separated for the postseason in 2002.
“The past two years we’ve gotten beat by the state champion," Higginbotham said. "We have a very stacked region. It’s hard to get out of.”
That region includes 2013 state champ Williamstown, who defeated Buffalo in regional play to end Buffalo's season last year. Other perennial powers in Buffalo's region include Charleston Catholic, Wirt County, Greenbrier West, Gilmer County, Greater Beckley Christian, Doddridge County, Calhoun County and Parkersburg Catholic.
“Generally, our region, the way they’ve realigned it, probably has eight of the top 13 teams in the state year-in-and-year-out," Null said.
To escape the region, teams like Buffalo need talent and dedication. Both can be developed and that starts during the three-week summer practice period.
“We’re trying to use all of the three weeks and we’re looking to maybe get a couple dual scrimmages in with some other teams local," Null said.
Higginbotham said during the summer the Bison practice four to five days a week, and though it's important for the veteran players, the time is predominantly for the players newest to the program.
“Normally our youngest, our summer practices are mainly for the new girls," she said. "We want to get the younger kids in, it really gets them used to what high school sports are about because at Buffalo, we don’t have a middle school program, so they come in as freshmen never having played volleyball before unless they played in like a travel league.”
This year's squad returns solid players though they'll have plenty of work to replace the production and leadership of graduated middle hitter Hannah Toney and four-year starting libero Courtney Persinger, a Class A First Team All-State selection.
"They were great leaders last year and kind of left some big shoes to step into," Higginbotham said. "We have six seniors this year, but two of us, me and another girl, are the only ones who have played all four years, so these new girls are getting a chance to step in and see what they can do to fill in Courtney’s big shoes.”
Higginbotham will undoubtedly be one such player who will be expected to take a commanding role.
“She’s a four-year starter and she’s done a little bit of everything," Null said of Higginbotham, a 5-11 hitter. "She’s a great server. She’s left-handed, which is great, so that gives us a power hitter coming off the right side and most teams don’t have that. She’s our most experienced front receiver and hitter coming.”
Sophomores Shelby Turley and Rachel Martin will also assume key positions for the Bison, Null said. Like Higginbotham, Ali Burdette is a Class A First Team All-State player for the three-time state champ Buffalo softball team. On the court, Burdette is a junior outside hitter, who was named all-state special honorable mention last season.
“I want to say our biggest strength would be our hitting," Higginbotham said. "We have a really good setter (Martin), but we have really strong hitters as well. We’ve really come a long way since last year, but the thing with volleyball is to get the good hit you’ve got to have the good pass and the good set. We looked really good the other day for being on the court for the first time without Courtney and Hannah.”
Though there are some key losses from last year's squad, Null said this could be a breakout season. In fact, he said four years ago he predicted the current class of juniors and seniors would capture a state title.
Time will tell on that prediction. For now, the Buffalo volleyball squad prepares and toils during the summer in hopes of making that dream a realization.
The Bison open the season at St. Albans 6 p.m. Sept. 5.
Friday, June 14, 2013
North-South All-Star Basketball Classic Preview
Today, the South Charleston Community Center plays host to the North-South All-Star Basketball Classic. The skills competition kicks off at 6:45 p.m. with the tip-off at 7:30 p.m. For my full preview on the game, click here for my Daily Mail article.
Several of the state's most notable graduated seniors will not be participating, including Morgantown product/West Virginia commit Nathan Adrian. Hedgesville's Chris Shields, who once signed with Longwood University before being granted his release, will also not play. From the southern half of the state, Shady Spring's Chase Connor will not play either.
Though some of the state's top players will not be in attendance, both rosters boast plenty of talent as 18 of the 26 athletes will play collegiate basketball, game director Bill Gillispie said.
For my full preview on the game, check out www.dailymail.com
Below are some extra quotes that did not make my preview article.
I'll be covering the North-South game for The Daily Mail. For live updates, follow me on Twitter at @nickbrockman
Chuck Elkins, North coach /Buffalo boys basketball coach
-on working to find the team's strength/identity
“The first half of the first practice we’ll size everybody up and see who fits the spots we’re looking for. I don’t know exactly how we’ll line up, whether we’ll try to go with two post men or one post man or four out or three out, just feel out who we have and what we have. The second practice, we’ll probably try to put in some plays and see what we can do.”
-on the style of game he expects
“We have to play man-to-man at all times, so probably a lot of pick-and-rolls, passing cutting to the basket, a lot of open one-on-one plays is about all we can do.”
Bill Gillespie, North-South director/Charleston Catholic athletic director
-on the style of play/matchups
“I’m sure there will be grudge matches.”
-on game's unique rules
“You can’t press unless you’re down 10 and there’s no zone defense. It’s basically just man-to-man, so everyone can run a basic motion offense.”
Dave Rogers, South coach/Martinsburg coach
-on how he expects game to flow
“You have to let them play and you have to let them have fun, but at the same time you’re there to win the ballgame. They keep score, so you want to win the game. You have to make sure with all-star players that they share the ball.”
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Summer Sportswriting Doldrums
With my Daily Mail coverage of the Class A baseball state championship, I concluded my responsibilities for the 2012-13 West Virginia high school athletic schedule. Now, the summer doldrums begin.
There's not much to be covered from a high school athletics standpoint between school out and summer dead periods -- times when athletes are prohibited to officially practice. That leaves sportswriters like me searching for stories and twiddling our thumbs.
Because the coverage is so few and far between, we, at the Daily Mail, are already looking ahead to high school football season. Check out the statewide football season schedule here as compiled by prep sports editor Derek Taylor.
We're looking ahead to Week One coverage, even as we stand 12 weeks away from the season-opener. Taylor, our trusty coordinator of preps coverage, has already informed me I can expect to cover either Poca at Nitro or Huntington at Hurricane come opening night, Friday, August 30. That's fine with me. It can't come soon enough.
In the meantime, I've been tasked this summer to keep tabs on St. Albans and Buffalo sports. Each of the writers have been assigned a couple schools to follow through the summer for potential stories. So, if you're a Red Dragons or Bison coach, athlete or fan, and you've got news to share, hit me up.
In addition, I've been charged with those two schools with regard to The Daily Mail's annual preseason high school football tab. Later this summer, I'll be in contact with both schools' football coaches and athletes to conduct interviews and develop team previews, as well as individual player features for the tab.
Beyond that, there's not much to report. I look forward to late July and early August. I expect that's when things will pick back up. I'll be looking to do interviews for preseason cross country previews and possibly some soccer stuff, too, as well as the previously mentioned football assignments.
As a track runner in high school myself, I enjoy covering track and cross country. My running exploits were nothing to write about, though there are plenty in the Kanawha Valley who've earned the ink. It's a sport that usually falls below the radar. It seems to me the athletes and coaches always enjoy the coverage and shout-outs, and I feel like I understand the sport a bit, so I can talk to them as peers.
Until August, yeah, the summer doldrums are here. Maybe year-round schooling is the solution. Then, perhaps, we could have sports to cover during this slow period.
There's not much to be covered from a high school athletics standpoint between school out and summer dead periods -- times when athletes are prohibited to officially practice. That leaves sportswriters like me searching for stories and twiddling our thumbs.
Because the coverage is so few and far between, we, at the Daily Mail, are already looking ahead to high school football season. Check out the statewide football season schedule here as compiled by prep sports editor Derek Taylor.
We're looking ahead to Week One coverage, even as we stand 12 weeks away from the season-opener. Taylor, our trusty coordinator of preps coverage, has already informed me I can expect to cover either Poca at Nitro or Huntington at Hurricane come opening night, Friday, August 30. That's fine with me. It can't come soon enough.
In the meantime, I've been tasked this summer to keep tabs on St. Albans and Buffalo sports. Each of the writers have been assigned a couple schools to follow through the summer for potential stories. So, if you're a Red Dragons or Bison coach, athlete or fan, and you've got news to share, hit me up.
In addition, I've been charged with those two schools with regard to The Daily Mail's annual preseason high school football tab. Later this summer, I'll be in contact with both schools' football coaches and athletes to conduct interviews and develop team previews, as well as individual player features for the tab.
Beyond that, there's not much to report. I look forward to late July and early August. I expect that's when things will pick back up. I'll be looking to do interviews for preseason cross country previews and possibly some soccer stuff, too, as well as the previously mentioned football assignments.
As a track runner in high school myself, I enjoy covering track and cross country. My running exploits were nothing to write about, though there are plenty in the Kanawha Valley who've earned the ink. It's a sport that usually falls below the radar. It seems to me the athletes and coaches always enjoy the coverage and shout-outs, and I feel like I understand the sport a bit, so I can talk to them as peers.
Until August, yeah, the summer doldrums are here. Maybe year-round schooling is the solution. Then, perhaps, we could have sports to cover during this slow period.
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