Sports for October 2, 1999

WVU to test Navy front four

by Chris Errington
Sports Writer
MORGANTOWN -- Navy, Rutgers, Temple -- they comprise a three-game, midseason home stretch in which West Virginia figured it would pad its win total and earn the required six victories needed for a bowl.
Instead it's become a critical situation for a team desperately in need of some positives.
"The only good thing is we're home for a while," West Virginia coach Don Nehlen said.
Indeed.
Despite being decimated by graduation and defections to the NFL, West Virginia seemed to have enough parts back to make a fourth consecutive bowl appearance.
Instead, the Mountaineers have earned a master's degree in "Murphy's Law"-- where everything that can go wrong, has.
The statistics are staggering.
WVU is 83rd nationally in total offense and 90th in scoring offense, while its defense is 98th against the run, 85th against the pass and 95th overall.
Those stats can all change today when West Virginia returns to Mountaineer Field to play Navy.
Kickoff is noon and the game will be televised as the Big East Game of the Week (WBOY, channel 12).
But just when West Virginia, a 10-point favorite, thought its troubles were over, "Murphy's Law" once again intervened.
Quarterback Marc Bulger will miss all three games with a fractured index finger on his throwing hand. He will be replaced by sophomore Brad Lewis, who played the entire second half of the loss to Syracuse last week, and third string true freshman Scott McBrien, who's yet to take a varsity snap.
For West Virginia to win today, it must first eliminate the problems that have occurred during a streak of 132 minutes without an offensive touchdown, then find a way to stop Navy's option rushing attack.
The first problem could be solved the way it was in the victory over Miami (Ohio) University. The Mountaineers effectively ran the ball and controlled the line of scrimmage in their 43-27 win.
Tailbacks Avon Cobourne (61 rushes for 288 yards and two touchdowns) and Cooper Rego (51-228) could represent WVU's solution.
Mountaineer fans likely will watch an increase in running plays in an attempt to not force Lewis into critical situations.
It's a solution offensive tackle Tanner Russell welcomes.
"I love to run the ball and that's what we need to do," he said. "We're not a struggling offense. We're an inconsistent offense. We proved we're most explosive when we run the ball well like we did against Miami. When we can run, it opens everything else up."
Statistically, Navy's defense is the worst WVU has faced this season. The Midshipmen (1-3) yield an average of 390 yards and 27.8 points per game, numbers that trouble coach Charlie Weatherbie.
"We feel we're very close to being a good team, but we haven't scored enough and haven't stopped people when we needed," he said. "I don't see us going 1-4, I see us going 2-3. That's the only way you can look at it."
Last season, WVU defeated Navy at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 45-24, but learned a lesson in option offense. The Midshipmen ran an incredible 62 times for 332 yards and three TDs.
Nehlen promises the same won't happen today.
"Every game (Navy) moves the ball all over the field in the first quarter," Nehlen said, "before teams figure out how to stop them. You key on (the quarterback and fullback), but they always have a guy to pitch to. The key is the secondary and how well they roll to the ball.
"We have some things that will hopefully work. We'll give them some problems."
Stopping Navy's option means stopping quarterback Brian Broadwater and fullback Raheem Lambert, who carry the ball on approximately 60 percent of the Midshipmen's rushing plays. Broadwater has rushed for 398 yards on 93 carries, while Lambert has added 330 yards on 45 carries. The two have combined for more than 70 percent of Navy's rushing yards and six of its 10 rushing touchdowns.
"You've got to stop those two," outside linebacker Chris Edmonds said. "They hit some big plays on us last year, but after we figured out their scheme, we pretty much stopped them."
West Virginia limited Syracuse to 227 total yards last week at the Carrier Dome, prompting Nehlen to say it was the first time he'd seen the team play defense this season.
Missing their starting quarterback and desperately in need of a win, Mountaineer defenders know a similar effort is needed today -- especially considering the Midshipmen's propensity for "trick plays."
In last season's game, Navy started by recovering an on-side kickoff, ran a double pass and attempted two fake punts. This year Edmonds said the Mountaineers will be ready.
"We'll be looking for those tricks this time," he said. "You got to watch for them and you've got to watch for them throwing the ball behind you. You can't get too caught up in the run, because then they'll throw a pass and a guy will be alone behind everyone."
While many Mountaineers say establishing an early lead is critical, they know at this stage no game is guaranteed, no matter what the score.
"I don't know how (Navy) works over there," he said. "It's like they're locked in a cage, except for about four hours they give them on Saturdays. Last year they were up 17-3 and then we came back to take the lead and there was no change in their play. They play to win on every play. That's something we need to learn to do."

RCB wins emotional battle

by Mike Nutter
Sports Writer
Worn out from an emotional game, Robert C. Byrd's Luke Wallace tried to put his team's win over Liberty into perspective.
"It was tough out there," he said. "There was a lot of fighting and a lot people going at each other. We wanted this game, though. We stuck together at the end and just played hard."
Coupled with Wallace's two-interception performance, it was Robert C. Byrd's willpower that overcame Liberty's firepower in the end as the Eagles hung on for a 21-12 win.
After three quarters, Class AAA No. 5 Robert C. Byrd (5-0) held a 14-0 lead, and it wasn't until the 6:58 mark of the third quarter that Liberty standout quarterback David Patterson completed his first pass.
Facing a third-and-goal, Patterson was flushed out of the pocket, scrambled to his left and went in untouched. However, J.T. Mossor blocked the extra-point attempt and Liberty trailed 14-6.
On Robert C. Byrd's next possession, it was Wallace who once again came up with the big play. The 6-1 senior took a short out from quarterback Andy Wilhelm faked one defender and went down the Robert C. Byrd sidelines untouched for a touchdown and 21-6 lead.
However, the play appeared to be coming back due to a penalty, but the flag for an apparent illegal substitution was waved off and the score stood.
"This was a physical game on both sides of the ball," Robert C. Byrd coach Richard Iaquinta said. "David Patterson did a fantastic job to bring them back.
Liberty "started to mix the short game and the running game a little, but we had several opportunities (to intercept passes) but we were playing behind guys and didn't come up with the plays."
Liberty (3-3) cut the lead to 21-12 with 3:56 left to play on Max Williams eight-yard TD reception from Patterson, but Tony Shade recovered the on sides kick and Robert C. Byrd ran all but 11 seconds off the clock.
"This is a tough bunch of kids we have," Liberty coach Roger Gorby said. "I think David came out a little nervous, but we settled down and got things going in the second half. The game should've been a little closer to what it was. It'll be a tough week, but we'll come out ready to play next week."
Patterson finished 16 of 31 for 128 yards. Scott Ross finished with 76 yards on 18 carries, including a 17-yard TD run in the second quarter to give Robert C. Byrd a 14-0 lead. Mossor hauled in a three-yard pass from Wilhelm to give Robert C. Byrd a 7-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

Bridgeport defense stifling in shutout win over Lincoln

Indians don't allow first half first down, rush for 289 yards to improve to 4-1

by Jesse Skiles
Correspondent
BRIDGEPORT -- Bridgeport rebounded from last week's near disastrous fourth quarter against East Fairmont to post a 24-0 victory over Lincoln. The Indians rolled to a 24-0 halftime lead and cruised to their fourth victory of the year. Lincoln did not record a first down in the first half.
Chris Cunanan put Bridgeport on top at 1:39 of the first quarter on a two-yard run.
Ryan Nicewarner's kick made it 7-0. The Indians then erupted for 17 second quarter points.
Nicewarner sprinted around left end for a four-yard touchdown at the 11:18 mark, then Jeremy Hinzman broke a series of tackles en route to a 57-yard touchdown at 9:58.
Nicewarner closed the half's scoring with a 28-yard field goal at the 4:08 mark.
Indian coach Bruce Carey began platooning in a scoreless third quarter, and was able to utilize many players throughout the second half.
Lincoln only dressed 25 players for the contest and played some hard-hitting football but was simply outmanned by the 4-1 Indians.
Hinzman led Bridgeport with 97 yards on 12 carries, while Cunanan had 90 yards on 18 carries.
Nicewarner connected on two-of-four passes for 57 yards.
In falling to 0-6, Lincoln was led in yardage by quarterback Jason Salentro, who hit 7-of-21 passes for 104 yards. Matt Ice had four catches for 86 yards. Bridgeport held the Cougars to only 12 rushing yards on 21 attempts.
In the locker room, Hinzman chose not to talk about his 97 yards or his 57 yard touchdown sprint.
Instead he wanted to talk about his buddies on the offensive line.
"Just make sure you mention the line. They really opened some holes and allowed us to control the ball," Hinzman said.
That line consists of center Mike DeRosa, guards Josh Nicewarner, Doug Harver and Aaron Horne (alternating), tackles Eli Romine and James Selario and ends Curtis Nuzum and Joel Horne.
Bridgeport now prepares for its crucial homecoming clash against cross county rival Robert C. Byrd. RCB entered Friday ranked No. 5 in AAA.
"We wanted to jump on them early, and basically stick to our game plan," Carey said.
"The kids executed and we were able to do that."

Trickett revisits Pioneers-Bobcats rivalry today in Glenville

by Greg Talkington
SPORTS WRITER
An old rivalry will be renewed today in Glenville when the Pioneers (2-2) play West Virginia Wesleyan (0-3) at 1 p.m in the conference opener for both.
Meanwhile, Fairmont State (2-1) travels to Montgomery to battle perennial league doormat West Virginia University-Tech (0-3).
First-year Glenville coach Rick Trickett, a 1972 GSC graduate, has been away from the conference for nearly three decades, but he's been well versed by those who have been close to the program the last few years on the importance of the annual Wesleyan game.
"When I was here, Fairmont was the rival," Trickett, a former GSC strong safety, said. "But because Wesleyan has done so well in the '90s and has beaten some really good Glenville teams the past few years and the closeness of the campuses, they've become a rival, too.
"My offensive coordinator and receivers coach (former Glenville quarterbacks Jed Drenning and Trent Sherman) have enlightened us a little about Wesleyan."
For Wesleyan, the 1999 season has been a major struggle.
The Bobcats have been outscored 116-11, leaving veteran coach Bill Struble searching for answers.
"You always look at the conference a little differently than non-conference games," Struble said. "This year, we have to look at them differently.
"Nobody has thrown in the towel here, and we believe we can still turn it around."
Although Wesleyan has struggled, Trickett's not about to overlook it.
"They look like a team that could explode anytime offensively and I hope it doesn't happen this week," he said. "They've got the ingredients, but they've had a hard time finding themselves for some reason.
"I think when they do get it going, they'll be as good as anybody on a given day."
Trickett doesn't think his young team, coming off a solid win over St. Joseph's of Indiana, will be overconfident.
"We're not good enough to be overconfident," he said. "But if they are, I'm fixin' to remind them about it."
With Glenville's talent and Wesleyan's struggles, Struble knows his team will be a decided underdog.
"They have an excellent quarterback in (Jayce) Goree, a talented receiving corps and some really good young players to go with some good vets on defense," Struble said. "Goree's as good as anybody in the league and some of those true freshmen sure don't look like freshmen on film."
Glenville State does most of its damage via a potent passing attack. Lavoris Adams leads the conference with 28 catches and 422 receiving yards while Goree is first in total offense at 255 yards per game.
Meanwhile, Fairmont State coach Doug Sams is confident his team will play well at Tech following a bye week.
"I think both teams will be up since it's the league opener," Sams said. "Everybody's 0-0 at this point and that's what makes it interesting.
"Their new coach (Mike Springston) helped Rich Rodriguez install the run-and-shoot at Glenville and he's running the same offense at Tech."
Sams believes the off-week was beneficial for his troops, following a disappointing 34-10 loss to Slippery Rock.
"We think we got some things corrected from the Slippery Rock game," he said. "Fortunately, the only thing hurt from that game was our pride."
Freshman tailback Khalil Anthony is expected to play for West Virginia University-Tech.
In other WVIAC games Saturday, Shepherd visits Concord and West Virginia State travels to West Liberty. Kickoff for all games is 1 p.m.

N. Marion topples E. Fairmont

From Staff Reports
RACHEL -- North Marion, despite being outgained 421 to 257 yards, squeaked past rival East Fairmont, 28-25, in North Central Athletic Conference action Friday night at Husky Field.
J.J. Davis rushed for 109 yards and passed for two scores to key the North Marion (3-3) win. He connected with Mike Triviso (11 yards) for the Huskies first TD and sealed the win with an 11-yarder to Shaun Saurborn early in the fourth quarter.
The loss overshadowed an outstanding performance by East's Jeff Noechel, who passed for 178 yards and one score while rushing for two more touchdowns.
East (1-5) also got 134 yards rushing from Jason Vennis.
-- MORGANTOWN 56, Wheeling Park 13: Mark Wigal scored four first half touchdowns as unbeaten Morgantown (5-0) rolled past Wheeling Park (3-2) Friday night at Pony Lewis Field.
Wigal, who rushed for 220 yards on just 11 carries, scored on runs of 40, 35 and 81 yards while also hauling in a 20-yard TD pass from Christian Montagliani. Thomas Porchia added 101 yards rushing on nine carries.
-- UNIVERSITY 69, Elkins 26: Behind Adam Cantoni's three touchdowns, unbeaten University romped past Elkins Friday night in NCAC action.
Drew Jackson started things off for University on a 10-yard touchdown reception from Christian Vineyard.
University used a huge second quarter scoring 28 points en route to a 40-12 halftime lead. Cantoni scored three touchdowns in the second period, one of which was a 80 yarder.
-- GILMER COUNTY 34, Calhoun 31: Patrick Morrison completed 19 of 33 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another as Gilmer County held on in Grantsville.
Morrison connected with Dusty Ellyson for three touchdowns and twice for two-point conversions as Gilmer (2-3) had 478 total yards.
Zack Hopkins rushed 29 times for 275 yards and scored on runs of five and four yards for Calhoun (0-4).

Hawks hold off Colts

by Chris Errington
Sports Writer
LOST CREEK -- On a night when Philip Barbour didn't play like your typical 0-5 team, South Harrison's Ben Hall and Drew Toth didn't play like your typical running backs.
Following gaping holes, Hall rushed 19 times for 228 yards and four touchdowns and Toth added 136 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown and two two-point conversions as South Harrison defeated Philip Barbour 34-22.
The victory was South Harrison's third consecutive following an 0-2 start.
"We were expecting a hard battle," Hall said. "I saw (Philip Barbour) play, they're tough kids, tough talent. The holes were there tonight, big time. When the line gives you seven yards, you've got to get the rest on your own.
"Offensively we looked sharp tonight."
Following Toth's four-yard run and a 29-yard Matt Corder to Aaron Yeager pass that tied the score at 6 early in the second quarter, Hall nearly put the game away himself. The Big 10's No. 2 runner scored on runs of 26, 9 and 42 yards to give South Harrison a 26-6 third quarter lead. And when Philip Barbour closed to within 26-14 on Corder's 18-yard strike to Joe Newman early in the fourth, Hall once again was there to break the Colts' back.
The senior took a handoff, cut left, broke a tackle and was gone. Sixty yards later South Harrison led 34-14 - game over.
For the season, Hall has 680 yards on 80 carries (an 8.5 average) and has scored 10 touchdowns.
Still, it wasn't enough to please coach Brad Jett.
"Our offensive line has improved since the first of the year, but we looked very sluggish tonight," he said.
"I'm very upset with the penalties and our defense needs work."
Jett's displeasure was justified as South Harrison yielded 301 total yards and was penalized a whopping 14 times for 130 yards.
Corder completed 10 of 24 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, the last to Yeager from 18 yards in the final minute. Four of Corder's passes, including a 52 yarder on the Colts' first play, went to Newman.
However, Philip Barbour was done in by its own mistakes as it turned the ball over twice and personal foul penalties prolonged two South Harrison scoring drives.
Still, for all of South Harrison's rushing yards, the biggest key was quarterback Joe Jenkins, Hall said.
Jenkins completed three of six passes for 31 yards, including two that resulted in first downs, and helped alleviate the rushing game's burden.
"Our passing is underrated because we don't always have to use it," Hall said. "It takes nine men out of the box and when our linemen get one-on-one blocking, we have one of the best lines around."

Toothman leads Clay-Battelle past Notre Dame, 20-7

by Charles Casey
Correspondent
BLACKSVILLE -- Clay Battelle's Ryan Toothman excited the homecoming crowd with an outstanding performance in leading the CeeBees to a 20-7 victory over Notre Dame in Class A high school football action Friday night.
Toothman, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior quarterback, single-handedly was the difference for Clay-Battelle (4-2).
He completed six of 12 passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 65 yards on 12 carries.
"Ryan is really an exceptional athlete and he just had a stellar performance tonight," Clay-Battelle coach Ryan Wilson said. "He is just a smart player, and I thought his scrambling ability was the difference in the game."
Notre Dame coach Robert Shields agreed with Wilson that Toothman was the difference.
"He just killed us at the absolute wrong times in key situations," Shields said. "When they needed a big play, he came up with it."
After a scoreless first quarter, Clay-Battelle used the passing combination of Toothman and split end Justin Moore to grab a 14-0 halftime lead.
Their first hookup came after a eight-play 36-yard scoring march which ended when Toothman rolled to his right and found Moore in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Toothman then added the two-point conversion run to give the CeeBees an 8-0 lead with 4:22 left in the first half.
After stopping Notre Dame on its next possession, the CeeBees drove 86 yards in five plays to extend their lead.
Toothman gained 13 yards on two runs, and he connected with Moore on two completions for the remaining 73 yards. The final completion was good for a 35-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter to give C-B a 14-0 advantage.
Moore was the leading receiver in the contest with three receptions for 82 yards.
Notre Dame (1-5) finally got a scoring march going in the final two minutes of the third quarter. It drove 46 yards in 10 plays with workhorse Jeremy Wright scoring from one yard out on the third play of the fourth quarter.
John Alfera's extra point kick brought Notre Dame within 14-7 with 9:47 remaining in the game.
However, Notre Dame never threatened again, as Clay-Battelle's defense was able to hold. Clay-Battelle put the game away when Toothman found Brandon Bane for a 17-yard TD pass, Toothman's third of the game, with 5:06 remaining to give C-B a 20-7 lead.
Wright had another solid performance for Notre Dame with 159 yards on 34 carries and completed two passes for 32 yards.

Lewis County blanks Buckhannon-Upshur

by Chris Schimmel
Correspondent
BUCKHANNON -- Lewis County used an aggressive rushing attack led by a pair of sophomores Friday night to spoil Buckhannon-Upshur's homecoming.
Curtis Holden rushed for 53 of Lewis County's 180 rushing yards in the 21-0 victory. His 3-yard touchdown run capped a physical first possession by the Minutemen (2-3), who burned 5:41 off the clock before taking the 7-0 lead.
Lewis County would add touchdown runs of 1 yard by Brian Hefner in the second quarter and Bill Chenoweth in the third as it dropped Buckhannon-Upshur to 3-3.
In addition to senior Hefner's 47 yards on nine carries, another sophomore, Dave Robinson, added 35 yards on six carries for LC.
The output from his underclassmen had Lewis County coach Eddie Williams beaming.
"Holden and Robinson did a real good job for us," Williams said. "The key to the win was our line doing a real good job. They controlled both sides."
And how.
On defense, Lewis County throttled Buckhannon-Upshur's rushing attack -- the Bucs had minus-4 yards on 19 runs.
"Defensively, we've played well all year," Williams said. "We thought we could keep them from running."
B-U did manage 239 yards passing from quarterback Billy Baisden, who hit 19 of 31 passes. However, he was intercepted once and was pressured throughout the game.
"We got whipped physically," said Buckhannon-Upshur coach Don Swisher.
"We just couldn't stop them," Swisher said. "Our line had problems; we just didn't do the job (defensively)."
The play that may have broken Buckhannon-Upshur's spirit on defense was a halfback option with 4:10 remaining in the first half.
Jimmy Butcher took the pitch from quarterback Bill Chenoweth, then went to the left before pulling up and throwing a 27-yard strike to Lucas Oldaker.
That set up the 1-yard touchdown run up the middle by Hefner with 2:20 left in the half for a 14-0 lead.
Buckhannon-Upshur's offense then suffered a huge blow just before the break. After driving all the way from the B-U 23 deep into Lewis County territory, Baisden hooked up with Joey Mayle for 37 yards on a fourth-and-28 from the LC.
But Buckhannon-Upshur's next play -- the final one of the half -- was an incompletion in the end zone.

Youth Sports Spotlight

Robert C. Byrd takes over 1st place

From Staff Reports

West Virginia Rim Rockers Fall Basketball League & youth football:

Varsity

-- ROBERT C. BYRD 56, North Marion 43: Matt Oliveto scored 14 points and Michael Defazio added 12 as Robert C. Byrd knocked off North Marion.
Nick Carbacio led North Marion with 19 points.
Seth Barker added nine points for North Marion and R.J. Coleman scored eight for Robert C. Byrd.
-- SOUTH HARRISON 51, Liberty 64: Mitch Gould scored a game-high 30 points as South Harrison jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead and cruised to an easy victory.
Four other players reached double figures for South Harrison as Jerrad Novotny followed with 24 points, Robbie Shingleton had 20, Tommy Cohen added 17 and Stephan Greathouse scored 15.
Sam Davis led Liberty with 28 points. Jason Grimmet had 13 for Liberty, while Eric Courtney and Tyler Turner each added eight points.
-- EAST FAIRMONT 83, Bridgeport 65: East Fairmont broke open the game with a 44-31 second half scoring advantage to defeat Bridgeport.
Billy Tiano led East Fairmont with 19 points, while Joey Romeo scored 17. Robert Harold and Jimmy Wyant each scored 16 points.
Ryan Post led Bridgeport with 16 points, while Greg Harrison and Curt Martin each followed with 12 points. Curt Nuzum and Chris Liebig each had nine points for Bridgeport.
-- LINCOLN 59, Grafton 40: Lincoln built a 33-21 lead at halftime and never looked back, defeating Grafton.
Jared Bryant had 18 points, on six 3-pointers to lead Lincoln, while Jordan Toth scored 17 and Nick Barron had nine.
Brody Mayle led Grafton with 12 points, while Chad Morris scored 11.
-- GRAFTON 70, Liberty 43: Grafton jumped out to a commanding 37-12 halftime lead and never looked back.
Chad Morris scored 18 points for Grafton, and teammates Jason Rosier and Derek McQuain followed with 17 and 10 points, respectively.
Zach Williams led Liberty with 14 points, while Nate Moebus scored nine. Grafton's Chris Gum and Brody Mayle each had eight points, while Eric Courtney and Sam Davis added eight each for Liberty.
Adam Cross rounded out the Grafton scoring with seven points.
-- ROBERT C. BYRD 46, South Harrison 37: Matt Oliveto scored 17 points as Robert C. Byrd held off South Harrison.
Mitch Gould led South Harrison with 14 points, and Jerrad Novotny followed with eight points.
Andrew Barberio and R.J. Coleman scored nine and eight points, respectively for Robert C. Byrd.
-- BRIDGEPORT 73, Liberty 48: Bridgeport broke open a 29-29 tie at intermission by outscoring Liberty 44-19 in the second half for the win.
Ryan Post and Greg Harrison led Bridgeport with 25 and 19 points, while teammate Vincent Veltri scored 10.
Sam Davis led Liberty with 19 points, while Justin Nutt scored 16.
-- ROBERT C. BYRD 63, North Marion 60: Robert C. Byrd built a five-point halftime lead and held on to defeat North Marion.
Matt Oliveto had 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while Michael Wolfe and R.J. Coleman added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Chris Exilus led North Marion with a game-high 32 points, while J.R. Ruzic scored 15.
-- EAST FAIRMONT 52, Lincoln 47: Robert Harold scored 18 points as East Fairmont held on for a win over Lincoln.
Joey Romeo and Rodrus Clay each had nine points for East, while Jared Bryant led Lincoln with 11 points. David Ray Harris and Mitch Barnes scored 10 and eight points, respectively for Lincoln.
-- NORTH MARION 71, East Fairmont 65: Chris Exilus scored a game-high 34 points and Nick Carbacio added 23 as North Marion held off East Fairmont.
Robert Harold led East Fairmont with 16 points, while teammates Joey Romeo scored 14 and Derick West had 10.
J.R. Rusic scored 10 points for North Marion.
-- SOUTH HARRISON 85, Grafton 66: Mitch Gould had a game-high 44 points to lead South Harrison over Grafton.
Stephen Greathouse scored 17 for South Harrison, while Grafton's Chad Morris and Jason Rosier scored 21 and 15 points, respectively
-- LINCOLN 82, Liberty 61: Lincoln jumped out to a 10-point lead at intermission and went on to hand Liberty a loss.
Steve Howe led Lincoln with 15 points, while teammates Carmen Simms and David Ray Harris scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.
-- HIGH SCHOOL STANDINGS: Robert C. Byrd took over first place with an 11-3 record followed closely by North Marion at 10-3. East Fairmont stands at 8-5, while South Harrison is 5-6. The rest of the field is made up of Lincoln (4-7), Bridgeport (3-6), Grafton (3-7) and Liberty (2-9).
-- HIGH SCHOOL SCORING LEADERS: North Marion's Chris Exilus leads the league in scoring with an average of 31.7 points per game, followed by South Harrison's Mitch Gould with 27.9 and Bridgeport's Ryan Post with 24.4. North Marion's Nick Carbacio (23.5) and East Fairmont's Robert Harold (17.9) round out the top five scorers.
The remaining scorers in the top 10 are Liberty's Sam Davis (17.1), South Harrison's Jarred Novotny (16.1), Lincoln's Mitch Barnes (15.8), Grafton's Chad Morris (14.6) and East Fairmont's Joey Romeo (14.3).

Junior varsity

-- CAFE INVESTERS EAGLES 62, Sheltered Workshop Wildcats 59: Michael Rowand scored 18 points as the Eagles held on for a win over the Wildcats.
Wes Osbourne and John Paul McCartney led the Wildcats with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Byron Spiker added 15 points and Michael Koreski had nine for the Eagles. Jake Lockett and Chris Carey each had eight points for the Wildcats, and teammate Timmy Swiger scored 10.
-- REEP GRAPHICS INDIANS 53, Groundbreakers Tigers 45: Tyler Dodd had 15 points and Brandon Brumage tallied 14 as the Indians defeated the Tigers.
Daniel Compton had 10 points for the Indians, while Billy Swiger and Bobby Menendez had 13 and 12 points, respectively. Ricky Menendez had eight points for the Tigers.
-- ONE VALLEY BANK MOUNTAINEERS 47, Quality Satellite Irish 42: Aaron Wolfe had 13 points as the Mountaineers defeated the Irish.
John Romano and Chris Pettrey led the Irish with 10 points each, while teammate Logan Howard followed with nine points.
Josh Pulice had seven points for the Mountaineers.
-- SHELTERED WORKSHOP WILDCATS 66, Quality Satellite Irish 64, OT: Mike Menear buried a 3-pointer with time running out in overtime as the Wildcats defeated the Irish.
Meanear finished with 20 points, while Michael Rowand had 17 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the Wildcats.
John Romano led the Irish with 18 points, while teammates Chris Pettrey and Robert Tiano scored 17 and 11 points, respectively. Byron Spiker added 16 points for the Wildcats.
-- CAFE INVESTORS EAGLES 64, Reep Graphics Indians 57: John Paul McCartney scored a game-high 21 points and Wes Osbourne added 16 to lead the Eagles over the Indians.
Daniel Compton led the Indians with 16 points, while Brandon Brumage and Tyler Dodd scored 13 and eight points, respectively.
Jake Lockett and Frank Sutton had 11 and 10 points for the Eagles.
-- JUNIOR VARSITY STANDINGS: The Irish lead the junior varsity division with an 8-3, record, while the Mountaineers trail by just one-half game at 7-3. The rest of the field consists of the Eagles (5-4), Indians (6-6), Tigers (2-6) and Wildcats (1-7).
-- JUNIOR VARSITY SCORING LEADERS: The Eagles' Wes Osbourne leads the league with an average of 17.8 points per game, followed by the Wildcats' Michael Rowand with 16.5 and the Mountaineers' Aaron Wolfe at 14.1. The Indians' Brandon Brumage and Tyler Dodd round out the top five scorers with averages of 14 and 13.8, respectively.
The rest of the top 10 scorers are the Irish's Chris Pettrey at 10.8 and the Tigers' Travis Shaw at 10.2, while the Wildcats' Byron Spiker, the Irish's John Romano and the Mountaineers' Joey Book each average 10.

Middle school

-- SPECIAL K SPORTS BUCKEYES 51, SNL Computer Bruins 50: Matt Bealko's 21 points helped lead a second half comeback for the Buckeyes.
Jordan Gwinn added 19 points and Josh Wagner had eight for the Buckeyes.
Nick Alex led the Bruins with 24 points, followed by Scott Rowan (18) and Whitney Mantino (eight).
-- DESIGN N STITCH Jayhawks 49, American Vending Blue Devils 48: Logan Dodd paced the Jayhawks' narrow victory with 19 points, followed by Andrew Folio with 17 and Cole Dodd with seven.
Matt Barberio and Andrew Spatafore each had 16 points for the Blue Devils. Heath Knotts added 12.
-- HARRY GREEN'S HOYAS 56, SNL Computer Bruins 42: Behind Evan Nuzam's 18-point effort, the Hoyas jumped out to an 11-point halftime lead and cruised past the Bruins.
Adam Southern and Scott Haynes added 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Hoyas.
Scott Rowan paced the Bruins with 15 points, followed by Ryan Sullivan (13) and Nick Alex (six).
-- HARRY GREEN'S HOYAS 53, American Vending Blue Devils 32: Adam Southern led the Hoyas' lopsided win with 20 points, followed by Evan Nuzum with 14.
The Blue Devils were led in scoring by Matt Barberio (14) and Andrew Spatafore (six).
-- NICK'S UNION 76 TAR HEELS 64, American Vending Blue Devils 39: David Lawson paced the Tar Heels' victory with 27 points, followed by Adam Young (12) and Ben Francis (10).
Andrew Spatafore led the Blue Devils with 15 points, followed by Heath Knotts with 12.
-- DESIGN N STITCH JAYHAWKS 65, Nick's Union Tar Heels 50: Andrew Folio led three Jayhawks scorers in double figures with 25 points in a win over the Tar Heels.
Craig Starkey added 19 points and Cole Dodd had 13 for the Jayhawks. Logan Dodd had six points.
David Lawson paced the Tar Heels with 21 points, followed by Derek Hotsinpiller with 12 and Steve Pride with eight.
-- SNL COMPUTER BRUINS 62, American Vending Blue Devils 41: Scott Rowan led the Bruins past the Blue Devils with a game-high 24 points.
Ryan Sullivan added 17, followed by Nick Alex with 14 and Whitney Martino with seven.
Heath Knotts paced the Blue Devils with 18 points, followed by Andrew Spatafore with nine and David Fogg with eight.
-- HARRY GREEN'S HOYAS 52, Nick's Union 76 Tar Heels 33: The Hoyas cruised past the Tar Heels behind Adam Southern's 22 points.
Evan Nuzum added 18 points and Scott Haynes had six for the Hoyas.
David Lawson led the Tar Heels with 13 points, followed by Steven Pride (eight) and Derek Hotsinpiller (six).
-- HARRY GREEN'S HOYAS 41, Special K Sports Buckeyes 33: Mallory Menendez led three Hoyas in double figures with 26 points to spark the win over the Buckeyes.
Adam Southern added 15 points, followed by Evan Nuzum with 10.
Matt Bealko led the Buckeyes with 11 points, followed by Jordan Gwinn with nine and Josh Wagner with eight.
-- HARRY GREEN'S HOYAS 53, American Vending Blue Devils 29: Adam Southern paced the Hoyas' win with 19 points, followed by Sam Tricase (12), Evan Nuzum (11) and Michael Fulks (six).
Andrew Spatafore paced the Blue Devils with 13 points, and Heath Knotts added nine.
-- SNL COMPUTER BRUINS 63, Design N Stitch Jayhawks 51: Scott Rowan's 23 points paced the Bruins past the Jayhawks.
Nick Alex added 18 for the Bruins, followed by Whitney Martino with eight and Ryan Sullivan with seven.
Andrew Folio paced the Jayhawks with 18 points, followed by Craig Starkey (13), Logan Dodd (nine) and Cole Dodd (six).
-- SPECIAL K SPORTS BUCKEYES 44, Nick's Union 76 Tar Heels 39: Kevin Bealko and Jordan Gwinn had 21 and 11 points, respectively, to lead the Buckeyes past the Tar Heels.
David Lawson led the Tar Heels with 20 points, followed by Ben Francis and Derek Hotsinpiller with six each.
-- MIDDLE SCHOOL STANDINGS: The Hoyas hold a comfortable lead at 10-1, followed by the Jayhawks (4-4), the Blue Devils (4-5), the Bruins (3-4), the Buckeyes (3-5) and the Tar Heels (2-6).
-- MIDDLE SCHOOL SCORING LEADERS: The Blue Devils' Matt Barberio leads the league, scoring at a 19.5 per game clip.
He is followed by the Blue Jays' Andrew Folio (18), the Tar Heels' David Lawson (17), the Bruins' Scott Rowan (16.28), the Hoyas' Adam Southern (16.18) and Matt Bealko (14.33), the Bruins' Nick Alex (12), the Bucks' Jordan Gwinn (11.55) the Blue Devils' Heath Knotts (10.55) and the Bucks Josh Wagner (10.37).

Youth football

Jake Toth scored from 17 yards out in the fourth quarter to help South Harrison secure a 22-14 win over the Clarksburg Little Eagles and remain unbeaten.
The Eagles' Spencer Farley scored on a 78-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give his team an 8-0 lead.
South Harrison tied the scored on Nate Nutter's five-yard touchdown run just prior to halftime and took a 16-8 lead on Toth's 27-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Farley then cut the lead to 16-14 on a 49-yard touchdown, before Toth put the game away.
In other Junior Middie games in the Mountaineer Youth Football Conference, Idamay defeated Elkins 39-6, the Clarksburg Panthers beat Bridgeport 13-6, Lewis County defeated Barbour County 32-19 and Buckhannon shutout Grafton 8-0.
In the Junior Ranger division, South Harrison held off the Clarksburg Little Eagles 13-12, Idamay shutout Elkins 48-0, Bridgeport defeated the Clarksburg Panthers 25-6 and Grafton defeated Buckhannon 20-8.