The House of Delegates has voted in favor of studying the possible creation of a business court to help expedite matters of commercial law, complex litigation or other court cases affecting businesses and corporations.
I think this is a concept
2008-02-13 Indians survive road scare Sports messenger Horace Blankenship Full HTML
The Lady Indians of Berkeley Springs faced a motivated East Hardy squad and a hostile crowd in Baker on Thursday, February 7, and barely escaped with a 48-47 victory. This has always been a tough place for Berkeley Springs to play and it was no different this time around.
Things did not start well for the Indians, as Holly Wilkins scored 13 first-quarter points to give the Cougars an 18-10 lead heading into the second quarter of play.
Berkeley Springs was able to contain Wilkins in the second quarter and cut the deficit to six points, 30-24 at the half. Jessica Haynes scored seven points in the quarter and Rebecca Trump five, but it was the defensive effort of Haynes and Lesley Yost that caught head coach Dale McCumbee's eye.
Jess (Haynes) did a terrific job on Wilkins tonight, said McCumbee. After Wilkins burned us in the opening quarter, we put Jess on her and she pretty much shut her down for the rest of the game. And, Lesley came in near the end of the first quarter and really hustled on the defensive end and gave our team a lift.
Amber Booher, who was quiet in the first half, scored eight third-quarter points as Berkeley Springs turned a 6-point deficit into a 4-point lead, 43-39, heading into the final quarter of regulation.
Trump's bucket gave the Indians a 6-point lead 45-39, but the Cougars scored the next three points, reducing the deficit to 45-42. Lesley Yost gave the Lady Indians a little breathing room when she nailed a 2-point shot, for a 47-42 lead with time running down.
However, East Hardy wasn't done. They scored to cut the lead to 47-43, before Trump made one of the two free throws, giving the Indians a 4-point lead with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Molly Look then nailed a long 3-point bomb with nine seconds remaining, to cut Berkeley Springs' lead to a single point, 48-47.
East Hardy was able to get the ball back, but their last second shot was blocked by Booher to preserve the hard-fought win.
This was a pretty good win for us, said McCumbee. We showed a lot of character coming back on the road and then hanging on for the win. Games like this help build character and confidence.
Booher led a balanced offense with 10 points, Haynes and Trump added nine points each, Tamez had seven, Yost netted five, Katie Whittington scored four, while Chelsea Hessler and Kelsey McCoy rounded out the offense with two points each.
Look and Wilkins led the Cougars with 18 and 17 points, respectively.
The Lady Indians of Berkeley Springs faced a motivated East Hardy squad and a hostile crowd in Baker on Thursday, February 7, and barely escaped with a 48-47 victory. This has always been a tough place for Berkeley Springs to play and it was no different this time around.
2008-02-13 Berkeley Springs High School science fair winners honored Schools messenger Full HTML Berkeley Springs High School held its 2008 Science Fair on Friday, January 25. The research-based projects covered a variety of different topics, from the extraction of DNA to the physics of golfing.
The students presented their projects to two teams of judges. First place winners included Jenny Burdock (Biochemistry), Roy McNelly (Engineering), McKenzie Ambrose (Earth and Space Science), Dylan Beddow (Physics), Jacob Wise (Behavioral and Social Sciences), Austin Reece (Medicine and Health), and Stephanie Schultheis and Stephanie Price (Team Category).
.Other winners and participants were Liz Kerns, Catie Sorochinski, Audry Goller, Brooke Hessler, Andrew Rickli, Zac Solomon, Mariah Ryan, Lauren Patrick, and Sabrina Barnes.
The participants were honored with a lunch at the school on Monday, February 4. The lunch was provided courtesy of O'Bros Pizza and Food Lion.
Berkeley Springs High School held its 2008 Science Fair on Friday, January 25. The research-based projects covered a variety of different topics, from the extraction of DNA to the physics of golfing.
The students presented their projects to two teams of judges. First place winners included Jenny Burdock (Biochemistry), Roy McNelly (Engineering), McKenzie Ambrose (Earth and Space Science), Dylan Beddow (Physics), Jacob Wise (Behavioral and Social Sciences), Austin Reece (Medicine and Health), and Stephanie Schultheis and Stephanie Price (Team Category).
2008-02-13 Schools get aid for internet costs Schools messenger Full HTML Morgan County Schools are being awarded $28,800 to assist students with access to the internet. U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller co-authored the E-Rate program, which provides discounts on telecommunication services to schools and libraries.
This program has leveled the playing field and provided these opportunities for people across our state. It reaches schools and libraries in every corner of West Virginia, making sure that no one is left behind in this age of information, Rockefeller said.
Ten years ago, Rockefeller worked with his colleagues in the Senate to author the E-Rate program. At the time, only 14% of classes were connected to the internet and only 5% of classes in disadvantaged schools were connected. During the last decade, the number of schools connected to the internet has grown from 14% to 92% nationwide.
Since the inception of the E-Rate program, West Virginia has received over $89.5 million in funding with over $8.2 million in the 2007 funding cycle to help schools and libraries pay the cost of linking to the internet. Morgan County Schools are being awarded $28,800 to assist students with access to the internet. U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller co-authored the E-Rate program, which provides discounts on telecommunication services to schools and libraries.
This program has leveled the playing field and provided these opportunities for people across our state. It reaches schools and libraries in every corner of West Virginia, making sure that no one is left behind in this age of information, Rockefeller said.
2008-02-13 Little League baseball registration at Paw Paw Community News messenger Full HTML The Paw Paw Youth League (PPYL) announces registration for the 2008 Little League Season. Boys and girls ages five to 12 as of May 1 are welcome to sign up. Registration will be held at the Paw Paw High School Gymnasium Saturday, February 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. A fee of $25 or $20 if more than one family member registers will be applied.
The PPYL offers Sanctioned Little League baseball to any eligible young athletes wanting to participate. Participating Young Athletes known as The Paw Paw Pirates compete against teams in the Bi-State Little League. Bi-State is composed of seven independent organizations from West Virginia and Maryland. Divisions are, Tee-ball (ages five and six), Coach Pitch (ages seven and eight), Minors (ages nine and 10) and the Majors (ages 11 and 12). All youngsters are encouraged to participate and ages 11 and 12 are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity before they outgrow it. Practices and home games will be held at Pirate field located within Paw Paw Park.
The PPYL is a non-profit organization that tries to keep athlete expenses as minimal as possible while providing adequate to above average facilities and equipment. Along with volunteers, local and county support the PPYL has managed to continue to support area youths. The PPYL is always accepting donations and volunteers. To volunteer or to donate to the PPYL, call 304-492-5553.
The Paw Paw Youth League (PPYL) announces registration for the 2008 Little League Season. Boys and girls ages five to 12 as of May 1 are welcome to sign up. Registration will be held at the Paw Paw High School Gymnasium Saturday, February 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. A fee of $25 or $20 if more than one family member registers will be applied.
The PPYL offers Sanctioned Little League baseball to any eligible young athletes wanting to participate. Participating Young Athletes known as The Paw Paw Pirates compete against teams in the Bi-State Little League. Bi-State is composed of seven independent organizations from West Virginia and Maryland. Divisions are, Tee-ball (ages five and six), Coach Pitch (ages seven and eight), Minors (ages nine and 10) and the Majors (ages 11 and 12). All youngsters are encouraged to participate and ages 11 and 12 are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity before they outgrow it. Practices and home games will be held at Pirate field located within Paw Paw Park.
2008-02-13 Honor Roll Schools messenger Full HTML Special Honors
Sixth grade: Micah Cheshire, Collin Donadieu, Ryan Fischer, Courtney Glascock, Tyler Orr, Taylor Risinger, Logan Robertson, Colton Smith, Allyson Strawderman, Austin Unger and Katelyn Zakrezewski.
Seventh grade: Morgan Ambrose, Emma Bostic, Lindsay Grace, Taylor Haines, Julie Jenkins, Nativa Kesecker, Kaitlin Larue, Amber Light, Rachel Michaels, Scott Morris, Holly Payne, Logan Reed, Sneha Shrestha and Brittney Stotler.
Eighth grade: Brooke Booher, Toni Davison, Charlotte Lawhorne, Dakota Maravelis, Moguen McKee, Breana McNelly, Tyler Miller, Nettie Ruppert-Tilton, Brady Smith, Rex Truax, Kelsey Weimer, Zachary White and Rachel Wurster.
Honor Roll
Sixth grade: Arianna Aiello, Sarah Allman, Lauren Appel, Aleah Backstrom, Robert Bellissimo, Ivory Bittorie, Maximilian Bland, Tiffany Brown, Daniel Burns, Caitlin Cain, Rachael Canterbury, Amanda Case, Elisha Clark, Morgan Clark, Ryan Cole, James Corsa, Kyra Creek, Alyssa Davis, James Davison, Elizabeth Derrick, Brandi Dick, Kaylee Douglas, Brandi Fairbrother, Brianna Florian, Kaden Frickle, Brett Fultz, Colten Ganoe, Ashley Godnig, Joseph Grant, Rachel Grizzle, Allissa Guinta, Sarah Haynes, Destiny Hedrick, Dorothy Hendershot, Kamen Henry, Courtney Hiles, Holland Hook, Adrienne Ismail, Brittany Johnson, Michael Kearney, Kyleen Kelly, Anthony Kerns, Kevin Kerns, Hailey King, Richard Knapp, John Kuykendall, Samantha McBee, Kelsey McCarty, Magdalena McCormick, Summer McCoy, Brittany McCumbee, Aimee McNelly, Bradley McNelly, Colin McPeak, Georgia Michael, Gerald Michaels, III, Bailey Mills, Brenna Moss, Cameron Moyers, Amber Neff, Ashley Neff, Katie Offord, Landon Orndorff, Tristen Owens, Marisa Padinha, Rachael Peck, Benjamin Puffinberger, Dalton Redick, Hannah Reed, Dylan Reynolds, Joy Rickli, William Rightnour, Zachary Royer, Kayla Savasten, Tiffany Sheppard, Zachary Simmons, Jessica Sipes, Jencie Smith, Ty Smith, Rachael Stone, Breana Stotler, Rebecca Stotler, Brittney Stumbaugh, Ashley Stupi, Inga Sullivan, Samantha Thomas, Tyler Tritapoe, Jacob Truax, Jasmine Unger, Samantha Veara, Andrew Wachter, Daniel Wachter, Lourissa Wagaman, Janet Watson, Billy Wilson, Gina Wilson, Nathan Wood, Zachary Woods, Amy Woodward, David Woodward, Tyler Zinzow and Brittany Zombro.
Seventh grade: Erin Alexander, Courtney Amos, Leslie Anderson, Kyle Appel, Kaleb Athey, Alexandra Ball, Jenna Barch, Tyler Bradley, Colton Brandenburg, Ivory Brown, Zachary Bullock, Tiffany Carter, Stephanie Catlett, Brian Close, Robert Colby, Mark Cowles, Cody Cox, Christine Crouse, Emily Defibaugh, James Dodson, III, Casey Doxzen, Emily Ebert, Victoria Edwards, Robin Fleece, Dollie Gomez-Venegas, Willa Hahn, Samantha Handlos, Richard Hensley, Scott Hessler, Joseph Holt, Cody Hovermale, Idalis Hovermale, Kelly Jackson, Michael Jenkins, Amy Keefer, Sarah Keefer, Brandi Kerns, Paige King, Skylar Kroschinsky, John Langenstein, Cody Light, Latisha Lopez, Diandra MacLeod, Victoria McCumbee, Tiffany Michael, Ashton Miller, Elizabeth Miller, Caitlyn Napfel, Matthew Narango, Deborah Nichols, Theby Niven, Thaddeus Osborne, Matthew Parkinson, Nathan Quarantillo, Austin Quincy, Natalie Redick, Isaac Reed, Katie Rich, Lauren Schetrompf, Lauryl Scott, Kortni Shambaugh, Kyle Shambaugh, Corey Shetler, Brittany Shoop, Courtney Smith, Casey Solomon, Jared Spielman, Kirklyn Spielman, Faith Stivenson, Taylor Stull, James Taylor, Brittney Thayer, Ashley Tomlinson, Kyle Trail, Michael Trump, Austin Tyser, Joshua Vanreenen, Johnpol Vidal, Catherine Watson, Paige Weber, Zachary Wise, Ashley Wolfe, Sara Younker and Candace Ziler.
Eighth grade: Jordan Bennett, Tory Bennett, Caitlyn Booth, Joshua Bragg, Emily Breeden, Amanda Burns, Lydia Butts, Katherine Campbell, Erin Close, Derrick Cowles, Malinda Crumbacker, Amanda Divel, Barry Eaton, Jr., Chelsea Fischer, Destiny Fox, Richard Fox, Charles Fultz, III, Josie Ganoe, Jessica Graham, Rosemary Grizzle, Rebekah Henry, Macy Houck, Alethia Hovermale, Dustin Hovermale, Matthew Johnson, Leah Kidwell, Anthony Lafollette, Rebecca Lane, Rachel Lawhorne, Justin Lewis, Rebecca Martz, Monica McBee, Courtney McPeak, Samantha Michael, Kayla Mundey, Caleb Murray, Rachelle Myer, Brittaney Napfel, Mark Nicholson, Isaac Parrill, Patrick Peck, Brittany Pugh, Kayla Richards, Amber Ritchie, Kathryn Robinson, Chelsea Royster, Zarren Rutledge, Corey Spring, Amanda Stevens, Anita Thomas, Dylan Trip, McCraigan True, Lauren Tyser, Matthew Walters, Casidy Watson, Paige Weimer, Victoria Wilson, Arissa Wingard and Samantha Wingard. Special Honors
Sixth grade: Micah Cheshire, Collin Donadieu, Ryan Fischer, Courtney Glascock, Tyler Orr, Taylor Risinger, Logan Robertson, Colton Smith, Allyson Strawderman, Austin Unger and Katelyn Zakrezewski.
2008-02-13 Honor Roll Schools messenger Full HTML A Honor Roll
12th grade: Kristi Barrett, Anthony Bellissino, Rachel Buser, Morgan Buzzerd, Dennis Clark, II, Katie Close, Kayla Dolby, Benjamin Earle, Brittany Ferguson, Brittany Fox, Justin Gloyd, Dennis Golden, John Gordon, Emily Hornbaker, Courtney Jones, Clayton Macleod, Jessica McLaughlan, Jeremy Michael, Meghan Mock, Kari Mundey, Casey Munson, Meagan Napfel, Jessica Payne, Jordan Reedy, Kelsey Schoenadel, Amanda Smith, Russell Smith, Jr., Paul Truitt, Amanda Waltman, Ian Whibley and Samantha Zahnow.
11th grade: Kyle Baxter, Geoffrey Blankenship, James Butts, Jr., Mark Carter, Jessica Close, Alissa Devall, Ariel Francis, Matthew Griffith, Joseph Hansroth, Christina Hetzer, Heather Hosgood, Katlyn Kesecker, Dylan Kraft, Kayla Mcdurfee, Andrew Omerzo, Madaline Parrill, Brittney Potter, Seth Przybocki, Ryan Redick, Bradley Reed, Jr., Tiffany Remsburg, Leonard Roach, Danyelle Ross, Tiearra Saville, Katlyn Spriggs, Mercedes Stivenson, Robert Torres, Rebecca Trump and Bernard Walter.
Tenth grade: Heather Baker, Matthew Beadenkopf, Carrie Boone, Alicia Clark, Corbin Clark, Symbria Coultas, Toni Darby, Sarah Davis, Joshua Duckworth, Brian Fairbrother, Chelsea Fox, Rebecca Fox, Kimber Golliday, Stephanie Handlos, Lauren Hill, Derek Hovermale, Lance Hovermale, Myrceela Hovermale, Marlene Howell, Courtney Jamison, William Keefer, Sarah Kerns, Katelyn Labree, Logan Lyda, Corrine Martin, Ashley Mason, Jessica Meyers, Chenaya Milbourne, Andrew Mitchell, Katarina Napfel, Betty Nazelrod, Ardath Osborne, Lauren Patrick, William Reece, Megan Robinson, Mariah Ryan, Mary Schultz, Alyssa Spielman, Matthew Stevens, Ashley Stotler, Cody Stotler, Catherine Weber, Cory Yarrington and Lesley Yost.
Ninth grade: Alexis Albanese, Mckenzie Ambrose, Ashley Amos, Dylan Beddow, Rachael Blonberg, Benjamin Brooks, Jennifer Burdock, Kevin Close, Korinne Cowles, Bridget Dawson, Emily Develing, Corinne Dowling, Hope Eaton, Joshua Fox, Lacee Fulton, Kelsi Gloyd, Leslie Greer, Jenna Hansroth, Chelsea Hessler, Ariel Hoover, Tyler Lambert, Robert Mann, Merrissa Meade, Dillion Munson, Stephanie Price, James Reece, Robert Rickli, Beverly Sheppard, Stephen Siu, Zachary Solomon, Holly Walter and Brittany Youngblood.
B Honor Roll
12th grade: Chad Besaw, Nathan Buchholz, Michael Florian, Ashley Hargett, Kayla Hill, Clarissa Householder, Donald Lambert, III, Justin Mang, Shawna Moyers, Joseph Phillips and Michael Roach.
11th grade: Remington Arnold, Amber Booher, Maegan Case, Sandy Crum, James Dimitroff, Ashley Harford, Christine Knable, Dillion Lechliter, Matthew Martin, Kiarra McBee, Brittany McCarty, Stacey Potter, Brittany Reville, Rachel Shambaugh, Anna Sheppard, Ashley Stevens, Tyler Unger, Daniel West and Whitney Wilt.
Tenth grade: Sandra Adams, Michael Bland, Andrew Brock, Brittany Creek, Trenten Derryberry, Tiffany Didawick, Tiffany Franklin, Ridge Gordon, Megan Gunnoe, Michael Hensley, Catherine Hill, Jacob Hinkley, Kasi Jackson, Elizabeth Kerns, Kinja Knepper, Maxwell Langenstein, Matthew Omerzo, Ronald Rankin, Lucas Redick, Emily Roach, Caitlin Sorochinski, Dylan Spielman, Alexis Stotler, Michael Stotler and Brittany Swaim.
Ninth grade: Joseph Anderson, Sabrina Barnes, Courtney Baxter, Ashley Burns, Damen Capper, Mary Margaret Chaffee, Andrew Coble, Jessica Farrow, Abigail Fry, Jessica Fry, Miranda Hobday, Tara Kontra, Alicia McJilton, Zachary Risinger, Shawn Sarti, Stephanie Schultheis, Colleen Seager, Stephanie Steiner, Jacob Wise, Emily Yarrington and Alexis Young. A Honor Roll
12th grade: Kristi Barrett, Anthony Bellissino, Rachel Buser, Morgan Buzzerd, Dennis Clark, II, Katie Close, Kayla Dolby, Benjamin Earle, Brittany Ferguson, Brittany Fox, Justin Gloyd, Dennis Golden, John Gordon, Emily Hornbaker, Courtney Jones, Clayton Macleod, Jessica McLaughlan, Jeremy Michael, Meghan Mock, Kari Mundey, Casey Munson, Meagan Napfel, Jessica Payne, Jordan Reedy, Kelsey Schoenadel, Amanda Smith, Russell Smith, Jr., Paul Truitt, Amanda Waltman, Ian Whibley and Samantha Zahnow.
2008-02-13 Lady Indians storm past Golden Tornadoes Sports messenger Horace Blankenship Full HTML A tornado hit Berkeley Springs on Saturday, February 9. In fact, it was the Golden Tornadoes from Keyser High School. They swirled into town angry and with revenge on their mind. But, by the time the night was over, the storm was quieted by a blistering offensive display by the Lady Indians from Berkeley Springs, as they dismantled Keyser, 80-53, to sweep the season series between the Class AA, Region II, rivals.
Unfortunately for Keyser they ran into a Berkeley Springs team that was hitting on all cylinders, especially in the first half, when the Tribe scored 50 points to take a 30 point lead, 50-20 into intermission. It was an offensive explosion, the likes of which have not been seen around these parts for some time.
We played as good as we could have played in the first half, said Berkeley Springs Coach Dale McCumbee. This is as good a half that has been played by any team since I've been at Berkeley Springs. They did so many things well and made so few mistakes.
The Indians jumped out of the gates on an 8-0 run.
Jessica Haynes got things started with a 3-point bomb, Rebecca Trump then hit a floater in the lane, before Haynes drilled another 3-pointer from the baseline, giving the Indians an 8-0 lead with nearly six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Keyser made one of two free throws to end the run, before point guard Alex Tamez knocked down back-to-back 3-point shots to extend the lead to 14-3.
The Golden Tornadoes finally came alive on offense and pretty much traded baskets with the Indians for the remainder of the quarter, but found themselves in a deep hole, 24-11, after the opening eight minutes.
Berkeley Springs dominated the first four minutes of the second quarter, going on a 12-0 run to extend their lead to 36-11. The Indians got baskets from Shauni Stevens, Haynes, Lesley Yost and five points from Amber Booher during the run, to take full control of the contest.
Leading 45-16 with under two minutes remaining in the half, Tamez then scored an old fashioned 3-point play when she was fouled on a driving lay-up, before Haynes made two free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining for the 30-point halftime advantage.
It was the first time in McCumbee's 17-year coaching career that one of his teams had scored 50 points in a half. It was a thing of beauty as the Indians showed patience on offense, shot well, scored off the offensive glass, had few turnovers and were unselfish with the ball, illustrated by the fact that they recorded 11 first-half assists, while only committing five turnovers.
It is often difficult to maintain the intensity and focus in any sport with such a huge lead and that seemed to be the case with Berkeley Springs for much of the third quarter.
Despite maintaining a comfortable margin and never really being in any danger of losing, the Indians were not the same team after the break.
In fact, they had five turnovers in the first 3:18 seconds of the third quarter, as many as they had the entire first half and had already committed five team fouls with more than three minutes remaining in the quarter.
We haven't been in that position where we had that big a lead before and I really don't think the girls knew how to handle it, said McCumbee. We certainly weren't the same team at the beginning of the third quarter.
Despite the sloppy play a 3-point bomb from Haynes, her fifth of the game, and an old fashioned 3-point play by Tamez in the final minute-and-a-half of the quarter gave Berkeley Springs a 63-34 advantage with eight minutes left in regulation.
Berkeley Springs reasserted itself to open the final quarter as Booher scored off the offensive glass, Yost hit from the outside and Booher scored once more on an assist from Trump to extend the lead to 69-34.
The Indians lead 75-38 with nearly five minutes remaining in the game, when McCumbee emptied the bench.
This had to rank among one of the most satisfying efforts in McCumbee's long coaching career.
The one thing I really like was the way we bounced back at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, McCumbee said. This came at a really good time and should give us the confidence we need heading down the stretch. I thought this was as good a team effort as I've seen in a long, long time.
Haynes led all scorers with 23 points (20 in the first half), Tamez added 16 points and seven assists, Booher had 11 points, Kelsey McCoy eight, Yost six, Spielman and Stevens five each, Trump four, while Kati Whittington rounded out the offense with two.
Berkeley Springs, the winner of its last four games, is 13-7 on the year. The Indians will now try to close out one of the most successful regular seasons in some time with road games at Clear Spring and Jefferson County this week.
The Indians played at Clear Spring on Monday, February 11 and will end their regular season at Jefferson County this evening, February 13, before preparing for the sectional game against Frankfort. That contest will be played at Hedgesville on Thursday, February 21. A tornado hit Berkeley Springs on Saturday, February 9. In fact, it was the Golden Tornadoes from Keyser High School. They swirled into town angry and with revenge on their mind. But, by the time the night was over, the storm was quieted by a blistering offensive display by the Lady Indians from Berkeley Springs, as they dismantled Keyser, 80-53, to sweep the season series between the Class AA, Region II, rivals.
Unfortunately for Keyser they ran into a Berkeley Springs team that was hitting on all cylinders, especially in the first half, when the Tribe scored 50 points to take a 30 point lead, 50-20 into intermission. It was an offensive explosion, the likes of which have not been seen around these parts for some time.
2008-02-13 Indian grapplers earn six top seeds at regional Sports messenger Horace Blankenship Full HTML Berkeley Springs is only taking 10 wrestlers to the Class AA, Region II Tournament on Saturday, February 16. Though the Indians might be short on numbers they certainly aren't lacking talent, evidenced by the fact that six of the 10 wrestlers received top seeds in their respective weight classes and two others were seeded third.
In fact, Berkeley Springs has twice as many top seeded wrestlers as any other team in the region.
Derek Hovermale, Brad Reed, Josh Connor, Damen Capper, Cody Reed and Jake Stotler were all seeded first, while both Cohen Hovermale and Zac Risinger were seeded third.
The six top-seeded wrestlers for Berkeley Springs have a combined record of 208-27 this season. Derek Hovermale (112) has a record of 38-3, Brad Reed (119) is 35-8, Connor (125) is 29-4, Capper (130) is 32-8, Cody Reed (189) is 33-0 and Stotler (285) is 41-4.
Cohen Hovermale (103) is 23-15 and Risinger (140) is currently 20-18.
Also wrestling for Berkeley Springs will be Matt Truax at 152 and Preston Jamison at 160. Truax is 12-22, while Jamison currently stands at 14-17.
The Indians will have four vacant weight classes when they travel to Grafton on Saturday and that will likely prevent them from bringing home the team title. Not being able to score any points in nearly one-third of the weight classes is a huge disadvantage and one that will likely be hard to overcome.
Keyser would have to be considered the pre-tournament favorite. Though they do not have a top seeded wrestler in any of the 14 weight classes, they do have 10 wrestlers seeded and fill the other four weight classes.
What is most important for Berkeley Springs is to wrestle well and advance to the state tournament.
We need for our kids to have a good weekend, said Berkeley Springs Coach Darrell Bennett. We have six top seeded kids and we need for all of them to win. Winning your weight class generally puts you in a better position to place at the state tournament. The two kids that are seeded third need to qualify as well, and hopefully one, or both, of our unseeded wrestlers can pull of an upset and earn a ticket to Huntington. It would be nice to have a good team showing at the regional, but without a full lineup that is difficult. So our focus is more on the individual this week.
All wrestlers that finish in the top four positions in their respective weight classes will qualify for the State Tournament beginning on Thursday, February 21, in Huntington. Berkeley Springs is only taking 10 wrestlers to the Class AA, Region II Tournament on Saturday, February 16. Though the Indians might be short on numbers they certainly aren't lacking talent, evidenced by the fact that six of the 10 wrestlers received top seeds in their respective weight classes and two others were seeded third.
In fact, Berkeley Springs has twice as many top seeded wrestlers as any other team in the region.
2008-02-13 Indians lose a heartbreaker in overtime, 79-72 Sports messenger Horace Blankenship Full HTML Clear Spring had beaten Berkeley Springs by an average of 15 points in their previous two meetings, both in Berkeley Springs. So the odds of the Indians beating the Blazers on the road seemed long. But, the Tribe had much to prove after an embarrassing loss to Frankfort earlier in the week and the they responded with a brave effort in Clear Spring on Friday, February 8, before falling to Clear Spring, 79-72, in overtime.
A morale victory, to be sure, but a loss nonetheless. And the pill was that much harder to swallow when a free throw here, a free throw there, or an errant pass might have been the difference.
The game was close throughout and the smallest of mistakes contributed to the final outcome.
We missed a couple of free throws down the stretch and they made a pair to tie the game, said Berkeley Springs Coach Chad Brinegar. It's a game I feel we should have won, but we didn't. Though I'm disappointed with the loss I really like the way our guys played. We played much better than we did at Frankfort. We were much more patient and did a good job of passing the ball on offense. We went into this game looking at it as a practice and I was pleased with practice. We want to be able to play our best game of the year on February 28 (sectional contest against Frankfort) and I think this game was a step in the right direction.
Berkeley Springs took a 2-point lead, 13-11, after the opening eight minutes of play, with Lenny Roach scoring four points, while Ben Earle, LJ Wright and Lucas Redick added three points each.
Despite six points each from both Roach and Wright in the second quarter, Clear Spring outscored the Indians 17-14 for a 28-27 halftime advantage.
The seesaw contest continued after the break, with Berkeley Springs outscoring their Maryland foe 17-15, for a slim one-point lead, 44-43, heading into the final quarter of regulation.
The two teams battle back and forth in the final quarter of regulation and were deadlocked, 63-63, when the buzzer sounded.
One team finally took the upper hand in the extra period, but unfortunately they were wearing the home white. The Blazers got a lift from the hometown crowd and outscored the Indians, 16-9, for the final margin of victory.
Wright and Roach led the Indians in scoring with 26 and 21 points, respectively. Lucas Redick, Jeremy Michael and Ryan Redick added six points each, Earle netted three, while both Devin Walsh and Michael Twigg scored two points each.
Kyle Crist and Keith Gilchrist led a balanced Clear Spring offense with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Berkeley Springs also fell to Frankfort, losing, 59-42, at Frankfort High School on Tuesday, February 5.
It was hard to watch according to Brinegar.
We had a complete and utter meltdown, said Brinegar. We were leading 19-2 early in the second quarter and just laid an egg.
In fact, the Falcons went on a 21-1 run to end the second quarter and grabbed a, 23-20, halftime lead.
The one-sided run continued after the intermission with Frankfort outscoring the cold handed Indians 20-8 in the third quarter for 43-28 lead, and then coasted to the 17-point victory.
We gave up way too many easy baskets in transition and we couldn't make a thing, Brinegar said in summarizing the loss.
Roach and Wright lead Berkeley Springs with nine points apiece, Lucas Redick eight, Twigg seven, Tommy Malone four, Ryan Redick three and Michael two.
Logan Woolford lead the Falcons with 17.
Berkeley Springs, 5-13, will host Keyser this Friday, February 15. They will then travel across the Potomac on February 19 to play Hancock and then end their regular season at home against the top-rated team in the state, Hedgesville. Clear Spring had beaten Berkeley Springs by an average of 15 points in their previous two meetings, both in Berkeley Springs. So the odds of the Indians beating the Blazers on the road seemed long. But, the Tribe had much to prove after an embarrassing loss to Frankfort earlier in the week and the they responded with a brave effort in Clear Spring on Friday, February 8, before falling to Clear Spring, 79-72, in overtime.
A morale victory, to be sure, but a loss nonetheless. And the pill was that much harder to swallow when a free throw here, a free throw there, or an errant pass might have been the difference.
2008-02-13 Berkeley Springs high students make case at basketball game Sports messenger Full HTML Fans attending the Berkeley Springs vs Petersburg Boys Basketball game saw more that just the ballgame; they also saw the Berkeley Springs RAZE crew talking about tobacco.
Students educated attendees with a RAZE commotion during halftime of the varsity game. RAZE is a statewide led youth movement against tearing down the lies of big tobacco.
The RAZE crew was joined by Ciggy, a large cigarette costume character as they carried signs of some of the harmful ingredients in tobacco to include nicotine, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzopyrene, and acetone. Some other fact cards included: 4,200 West Virginians will die this year from tobacco-related illnesses; 44,000 Americans die annually from secondhand smoke; nicotine is more addictive than heroin and smokeless does not mean harmless.
RESA VIII Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Donna Kuhn, coordinated the event. For more information about RAZE contact Elizabeth Ramsey at Berkeley Springs High School. Fans attending the Berkeley Springs vs Petersburg Boys Basketball game saw more that just the ballgame; they also saw the Berkeley Springs RAZE crew talking about tobacco.
Students educated attendees with a RAZE commotion during halftime of the varsity game. RAZE is a statewide led youth movement against tearing down the lies of big tobacco.
2008-02-13 Chip Shots Sports messenger Jim Buzzerd Full HTML Huggins makes call
West Virginia Unversity Basketball Team has hit a rough patch lately and that patch seems to be wherever a Mountaineer takes a shot. The Mountaineers are 16-7 overall and 5-5 in the league and in recent weeks have seen a couple wins turn into losses.
A loss to Georgetown at home two weeks ago came after WVU led the entire game and a DaSean Butler shot attempt at the buzzer was blocked by Patrick Ewing. WVU fans wanted a goal tending call and Georgetown fans held their breath to make sure the call wouldn't be forthcoming. The call was not made and West Virginia suffered a one point loss.
While the non-call could be debated, because it was very close, what can not be debated is if WVU had been even below average from the foul line they would have won the game. In that game the Mountaineers were 12 of 23 from the foul line.
Four days later the Mountaineers were better from the line, but were 10 of 50 from the field, or 20%, in a 62-39 home court loss to Cincinnati. That game was one of the worst home court performances in recent memory.
West Virginia went on the road and had a nice outing at Providence where they won by a 77-65 score. The score would not indicate that foul shooting was critical, but WVU was a respectable 14-18 which was good enough to keep the Friars at bay.
The opposite was true in Pittsburgh last Thursday. West Virginia lost 55-54 on a Ronald Ramon buzzer beater. In that game the Mountaineers were 7 of 17 from the line. So, while it is not hard to account for a loss to Cincinnati, merely respectable foul shooting against Georgetown and Pitt would have the Mountaineers at 18-5 and 7-3. At that point the Mountaineers would be very much in control as far as getting a spot in the NCAA tournament. With eight games remaining, even six more wins may not be enough to do the trick.
The Pitt loss was particularly disturbing to first year Mountaineer mentor Bob Huggins who was very vocal about his displeasure with his team in his post game comments. Winners win games like this, said an obviously distraught Huggins. Huggins did not go as far to call his team losers, but the inference was there.
Huggins also singled out a player, but not by name. He mentioned that he had told one player there would be no more plays run for him to take a shot. We are not going to run plays for a guy who does not want the shot. Huggins continued the rant for a few moments making it clear the player in question was clearly in the doghouse, the only question looming was just which player he was talking about.
At first I thought he was talking about Alex Ruoff, but then I leaned toward Joe Alexander. Both players are counted on heavily for scoring in WVU's offense. On that night Ruoff took just one shot from the field, making a three pointer. Alexander took 11 shots, but made just two. Both players finished with just five points. No matter which player Huggins referred to, both of these guys need to regain their early season form. Huggins makes call
West Virginia Unversity Basketball Team has hit a rough patch lately and that patch seems to be wherever a Mountaineer takes a shot. The Mountaineers are 16-7 overall and 5-5 in the league and in recent weeks have seen a couple wins turn into losses.
2008-02-13 Reimbursement upped for trips to VA centers Community News messenger Full HTML Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito commended the recent increase in travel reimbursement payments for veterans, many of whom are forced to travel long distances to receive care at Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
Our veterans who travel to receive care should not face financial hardship simply to get the health care they need, said Capito. These new increases will more than double the reimbursement rates for veterans and their families. Many of our state's veterans live in rural areas far from a VA medical facility, and this increased reimbursement will provide much-needed relief in the face of increased gas prices and travel costs.
Beginning this month, the per-mile reimbursement rate for travel to and from Veterans Affairs medical facilities will increase from 11
