BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
NAUGATUCK, W.Va. — Seth Ooten has taken over as head coach of the Tug Valley girls’ basketball program after serving as an assistant to former coach Clyde Farley.
Ooten is a former 3-sport athlete at Tug Valley with plenty of local ties.
What is the difference between being the top assistant and now being head coach?
“Being an assistant, you could really just focus on basketball and not worry about the peripheral things,” Ooten said. “Being the head coach, you step into the spotlight with every moving part of the program. It has been exciting taking on more responsibility and seeing all that goes into being a head coach.”
The Lady Panthers return several players with experience that should help with the transition.
“We have three returning starters, Kenzie Browning, Bailee Hall and Haven Deskins,” Ooten said. “They are the foundation of this team and who we are looking to lead us by their experience and play.” Some other players who have been making an impact early in the season, according to Coach Ooten, are Brooke Spaulding, Katelynn Richardson, Riley Porter and Mindi Darnell. “They have been instrumental in creating competition in practice. I feel like I need to also mention the freshmen that round out the team: Peyton Sheppard, Zoey Hensley and Maria Pilkins.
“The first five win games, the second five win championships. Each day these girls push themselves and their teammates so that we can have a better chance to win,” Ooten stressed.
As always, Tug Valley will play a tough schedule.
“As a Tug Valley fan, it’s always exciting to get a chance to play Tolsia and Man,” Ooten said. “There are some tough games in our section that give you some insight into what to expect in the sectional tournament. Tucker County was a game we wanted because they always seem to be in the state tournament and have been a perennial power in Class single A for several years,” said Ooten. “Some other tough games will be Martin County, Shelby Valley and East Fairmont. We didn’t want to water down the schedule for wins, but rather wanted to push ourselves by making a tough schedule to get ready for postseason play.”
The final regular season game will be interesting and fun for the fans.
“The final game we have is with Mingo Central. That is something we will try to keep each year moving forward. It just made sense. Mingo is a close and competitive game, and it’s a game our fans want to watch and our girls want to play in,” said Ooten. The Lady Miners were one of the top Class AA teams in the state last season.
“For me, I won’t judge the success of our team off wins and losses. It will be how we grow throughout the season. Of course, we want to be in the state tournament and win it all, but success will be how we grow as a team and as individuals,” Ooten said. “Over the past week, I have seen the girls go harder each day in the drills and they are developing a good work ethic. From girls who are starters to girls competing for minutes, it doesn’t matter; they just want to work and be pushed. At the end of the day that’s all I want as a coach. The winning is a byproduct of those things.”
Tug Valley won its first and only state championship in 2021 in Class A. They hope to make it back to Charleston in March and compete for another title.
Look for Ooten to lead the Lady Panthers to another successful season.
TUG VALLEY GIRLS
BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
11/30/23 – 6 p.m. H – CROSS LANES CHRISTIAN
12/04/23 – 7 p.m. A – MAN
12/05/23 – 7 p.m. A – MARTIN COUNTY
12/15/23 – 5:45 p.m. A – BRAXTON COUNTY
12/16/23 – 7 p.m. A – TBA
12/21/23 – 7 p.m. H – WESTSIDE
12/22/23 – 4 p.m. H – EAST FAIRMONT
12/28/23 – 3 p.m. A – RIVER VIEW
12/29/23 – 7 p.m. A – TYGARTS VALLEY
12/30/23 – 7 p.m. A – TBA
1/02/24 – 6 p.m. H – SHELBY VALLEY
1/03/24 – 7 p.m. H – MARTIN COUNTY
1/09/24 – 7 p.m. H – TOLSIA HIGH
1/12/24 – 7 p.m. H – RIVER VIEW
1/13/24 – 3 p.m. A – TUCKER COUNTY
1/20/24 – 7 p.m. A – WESTSIDE
1/23/24 – 7 p.m. A – VAN
1/29/24 – 7 p.m. H – MAN
1/30/24 – 7 p.m. A – TOLSIA
2/02/24 – 7 p.m. A – SHELBY VALLEY
2/05/24 – 7 p.m. H – VAN
2/09/24 – 7 p.m. A – MINGO CENTRAL