BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

NAUGATUCK, W.Va. — It is hard to win a state championship and even more difficult to repeat. Tug Valley High School did that last March in Charleston, soundly defeating rival Tucker County in the finals. That gave the Panthers of Coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson back-to-back titles.

This was not new to the veteran coach or the TVHS program. Coach Thompson, who has led TVHS to four state championships, won two in a row in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Tug Valley will attempt to win its third straight state title this season.

Returning starters Braydun Ferris, an All-State senior point guard, and junior shooting guard Carson Newsome will help lead the way.

Another key senior, Bryson Elia, who also started the last couple of seasons, unfortunately will miss his senior season due to a severe knee injury he suffered in football.

Jace Hale, Preston May and Cameron Slone, three key players who played last season, also return to the TVHS roster. Transfer Zade Rash comes from Phelps High School (KY) and before that played at Belfry. He brings a lot of talent to Naugatuck.

Aiden Fleming and Bennick Bishop could see more playing time this season. The same goes for freshmen Jackson Jewell and Bryson Richardson, who could see varsity action.

Tug Valley was last year’s No. 1-ranked team and received the top seed heading into the postseason. They closed out a remarkable season with a 25-2 record, including a 21-game winning streak.

The Panthers will play another tough regular-season schedule, including home games against Tucker County, local rivals Mingo Central, Tolsia and Man, Wyoming East, Independence, Bluefield and Huntington St. Joe. They also have single games scheduled with Belfry, Logan and Shelby Valley (KY).

Once again Thompson has a bounty of assistant coaches, including Tyler Hodge, Ronnie Blankenship, Curt Fletcher, David “Moose” Ledger and Dr. Jerry Mounts.

Look for Tug Valley to have another great season in basketball and make a run at another state title in March 2026.