The recent extremely cold winter weather has been tough on everyone. But some good things have happened over the last week or so.
Big congratulations go out to both of Martin County’s high school basketball teams.
The Lady Cards, led and coached by local legend Robin Harmon Newsome, won the 15th Region All “A” Classic at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville, defeating a good Betsy Layne team 41-40 in the finals.
“It’s the first All ‘A’ title for Martin County High School girls, so they made history,” Newsome told the Mountain Citizen.
The boys team did the same, winning the All “A” tournament—defeating rival Paintsville by a convincing 68-51 defeat. Coach Jason James has built a strong team.
Both squads were headed to the state tournament in hopes of winning their first state championship at the time I wrote this column.
They have brought a lot of pride to Martin County. We wish them the best of luck in February and March.
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On the other side of the Tug River, both the girls and boys squads at Tug Valley High School have been enjoying solid regular seasons so far.
The Lady Panthers, led by second-year head coach Seth Ooten, have greatly improved from last season and should make some noise in the postseason.
The boys team, led by veteran head mentor Garland “Rabbit” Thompson, are the defending Class A state champs in West Virginia and have been ranked at the top of the Single A classification all season long.
They have an excellent shot at repeating that feat up in Charleston in March.
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Most everyone in the Bluegrass State is a University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan. They are die-hard and also have support from fans who live in other states.
They have been re-energized by the success of first-year head coach Mark Pope. He played for the Wildcats and knows what the team means to the state and their die-hard fans.
Pope served as a team captain of Kentucky’s 1996 NCAA national championship team.
Playing in the very competitive SEC makes it tough, but Pope has brought excitement back to the program.
He has made fans forget about former coach John Calipari.
Over here in the Mountain State, West Virginia University also has a new head coach. Darian DeVries has built a solid team up in Morgantown.
A program that was down the last couple of seasons has returned to the top 25 rankings and owns wins over great programs like Gonzaga, Kansas, Arizona and Iowa State.
Devries had tough shoes to fill after former WVU alumnus and legend Bob Huggins was fired a couple of seasons ago. But he is doing that and more. The Mountaineer fans suffered through a tough season last year with an interim coach, but they are now smiling with a competitive squad in the tough Big 12 Conference.
Both the Wildcats and the Mountaineers will make the NCAA tournament and local fans are hoping they can make some noise in March Madness.
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The snowy weather, extreme Artic blasts and frigid temperatures have made it tough on basketball schedules for most schools in the region. Coaches and athletic directors are doing their best to make up games that were postponed due to the weather.
Getting student-athletes out to even practice can be difficult. But hats off to all of those who make it happen and keep the games going.
This could be a historic season for local hoops teams. Try to get out and support your favorite school and enjoy some great basketball.
Until next time.
(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)