BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
NAUGATUCK, W.Va. — The Tug Valley boys basketball team is coming off an outstanding 22-6 season in which the Panthers won the Class A state championship.
The Panthers beat a good Tucker County squad in a low-scoring (35-32) game in Charleston.
With key starters back and several reserves returning, Coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson’s Panthers are a strong contender again for the state championship. The only starter lost was senior center Buddy Marcum.
Tug Valley would love to go back-to-back this spring like it did back in 2012 and 2013 under the guidance of Thompson.
Junior point guard Braydun Ferris returns to help lead the team. He was a first-team All-State selection last year and the Panther coaching staff expects him to improve this season.
Other starters returning for the 2024-25 season are Ashton Davis, Kaden Hale, Brady Brewer and Bryson Elia. Others who could start or see plenty of playing time on the hardwood are Carson Newome, Cameron Slone, Preston May, Ethan Ferrell, Jace Hale and Derek Jewell. Kaden Hale was a second-team All-Stater, while Davis was on the honorable mention list.
With the success of the football team going deep into the playoffs, several of the players have not been able to hit the basketball court and were still on the football field. That could hinder the Panthers a bit in the early games, but most of the football players are expected to take up where they left off on the hardwood.
Tug Valley played well in a couple of preseason scrimmages against Martin County and Huntington but without those players who were still practicing with the football team.
Thompson and his staff have put together another tough regular season schedule. They will have games against rivals Tolsia, Mingo Central and St. Joe of Huntington. They will also take on powerhouses like Logan, Webster County, Charleston Catholic and Tucker County just to name a few schools.
Tug Valley has been placed in an 11-team regional in Class A Region 4 for the upcoming season. They will be joined by Man, Sherman, Tolsia, Van, Huntington St. Joe, Calhoun County, Gilmer County, Hannan, Wahama and Wirt County.
The Panthers will host the Kaydence Maynard Memorial Classic between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. They will play twice in the Hatfield McCoy Shootout at the historic Williamson Fieldhouse.
This upcoming season will be a season of change for high school basketball in the state of West Virginia in that the traditional sectional tournaments have been eliminated.
All regional tourneys will be single-elimination: one loss and you are out.
There is no doubt Tug Valley will be ready for tournament play in March and make another run at the state tournament and back-to-back state titles.
Tyler Hodge, Curt Fletcher, David Ledger, Ronnie Blankenship and Dr. Jerry Mounts will once again assist Thompson.