Sports

Several Berkeley Springs High School athletes recently received post season honors, including eight players from the football team that were All-State honorees.

Amber Booher scored a double-double in the championship game of the Eddie's Tire Service Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, December 15 at Warm Springs Middle School, leading Berkeley Springs to a 50-35 win over East Hardy and their second title in the three-year history of the event.

Berkeley Springs High School Girls Basketball Team opened the season in Charleston in the Tournament of Champions at the Charleston Civic Center on Tuesday, December 11 against Class AAA opponent Lincoln County, falling to the Panthers, 64-42.

"The final outcome wasn't truly indicative of the game," said Berkeley Springs coach Dale McCumbee. "We didn't play real good defense and got into foul trouble as a result. We were reaching and standing around too much, instead of bending our knees and moving our feet. When you combine that with some poor shooting we just couldn't get it done. But, to think it was totally one-sided would be wrong. We actually held a one-point lead at one time in the third quarter, before the roof fell in."

The Berkeley Springs boys basketball team lost back-to-back games to Clear Spring, Md., and East Hardy, respectively to begin the season 0-2.

The Indians opened the year at home on Tuesday, December 11, losing to Clear Spring 65-48.

Paw Paw Jr. High won their first basketball game in several years on December 10. They beat WV School for the Deaf 34-33 by a game winning layup with 23 seconds left in the game.

Damian Powell grabbed an offensive rebound and made the game winning layup.

Bowling scores for Guys and Dolls Bowling League on December 8:

In order are high team game, high team series, high individual game and high individual series for the Jr. and Sr. leagues.

Southern Garrett, Md., the defending champion of the Max Horz, Jr. Invitational, crowned three champions and easily won the 23rd annual event on Saturday, December 15 in Berkeley Springs. The Rams had eight wrestlers in the championship final and placed two other wrestlers in the top six to amass 215.5 points, 27 more than runner-up Northern Garrett.

Berkeley Springs finished seventh with 125 points, led by 189 pound champion Cody Reed. Derek Hovermale placed second at 112, Jake Stotler third at 285, Damen Capper fourth at 130, while Cohen Hovermale (103) and Brad Reed (119) finished fifth.

On December 14 and 15, Berkeley Springs High School will host East Hardy, St. James Academy and Mt. Carmel Christian Academy in the third annual Eddie's Tire Service Tip-Off Classic at Warm Springs Middle School.

The Indians, who had last week's contest against Clear Spring, postponed due to inclement weather, will face St. James Academy of Hagerstown, Md. in the opening round of play on December 14 at 8 p.m. Their game will be preceded by Mt. Carmel Christian Academy from Luray, Va. and East Hardy, the defending Tip-Off Classic champion. That contest is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Berkeley Springs High School Wrestling Team will host the 15-team Max Horz Invitational this Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15.

As usual, this will be one of the premier wrestling events in the tri-state area, featuring teams from West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. The field includes defending champions Southern Garrett, Md., Berkeley Springs, Dematha Catholic, Md., Cameron, Hedgesville, Independence, Jefferson County, Millbrook, Va., Musselman, Nitro, North Marion, Northern Garrett, Md., Sherando, Va. and Strasburg, Va.

Huggins off to good start

It may be years before Mountaineer fans come to grips with the debacle which was the loss to Pitt that cost the Mountaineers a spot in the national championship football game. Needing only a win over a 4-7 Pitt team at home to reach the title game is an opportunity which may never pass this way again.