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Dominion Post
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Messerly's relief effort sees Morgantown through to Class AAAA state title game with 7-5 semifinal victory over George Washington
CHARLESTON – The Morgantown High School baseball team earned its spot in the Class AAAA state championship game with a gritty 7-5 victory in the semifinals of the 2025 WVSSAC state baseball tournament on Friday night at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston. Senior relief pitcher Judd Messerly entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a 6-5 lead as the Patriots had scored five runs in the frame. Messerly finished the game on the bump for the Mohigans, allowing only one hit in 3.1 innings with two walks and two strikeouts in 45 pitches. His effort, combined with a five-run second inning, propelled the Mohigans into the Class AAAA state championship game to battle top-seeded Hurricane Saturday night. The Redskins defeated Hedgesville 5-3 in the other AAAA semifinal. 'We came into a tough environment tonight against a very talented team and showed a high level of maturity to pull that win out,' MHS head coach Pat Sherald said. 'I can't tell you how proud I am of their effort tonight. Our mission was to come down here, compete, have fun, and give ourselves a chance to win a championship. They've answered that call, so now it's time to go back and rest up and come out prepared to face another very talented team.' Offensively, senior Vinnie Aloi was the difference for MHS as he drove in four runs in the contest, including a bases-clearing double that capped a five-run second inning. His sacrifice fly in the first inning opened the scoring. Sammy Watson reached on an infield single, followed by a walk to Kai Henkins. After two strikeouts, a pitch hit Bowers to load the bases, and a walk to Koa Silvers forced in a run, doubling the lead. Just three pitches later, Jackson Bredeson was also hit by a pitch, bringing in another run. With the bases still loaded, Aloi stepped up and delivered a massive blow with his double off the left field wall that cleared the bases and brought all three runners home, extending the lead to 6-0. George Washington punched back in the fourth with a five-run inning of its own, including a three-run double by Corbin Dixon off the left field wall. Messerly then entered the game for MHS and stopped the bleeding, making way for his offense to add an insurance run in the top half of the sixth. 'I literally told them 'thank you' after that happened,' Messerly said. 'That was such a huge run and helped me settle down in that seventh inning when my nerves started to set in. My heart started beating pretty fast in that last inning.' Sherald says Messerly has earned the nickname 'The Fireman'. 'When everything's burning down around, we call on him to come in and put out the fire for us, and that's exactly what he did,' Sherald said. He competed for us. We've put him in every high-leverage situation that we've had this season, and he's gone out and just competed for us.' Morgantown and Hurricane will battle for the Class AAAA state championship in the nightcap of Championship Saturday, with first pitch being scheduled for 50 minutes after the conclusion of the Class AAA championship, slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. BOX SCORE Morgantown 7, George Washington 5 MHS 150 001 0 – 7 4 1 GWHS 000 500 0 – 5 6 1 Morgantown – Mazey 3100 Bowers 2211 Silvers 2101 Bredeson 2101 Aloi 2014 Boggs 4000 Watson 3020 Henkins 3100 Nipper 2000 2B: Aloi 3B: Bowers George Washington – Fala 2111 Dixon 4013 Smith 3000 Kelley 4000 Gordon 2000 Barton 4110 Nelson 3120 Ellis 2100 Stewart 2100 2B: Dixon 3B: Nelson (W) Messerly: 3.1ip 1h 0r 2bb 2k (L) Barton 1.2ip 2h 6er 5bb 3k
Dominion Post
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
University softball bows out of 2025 state tournament with 5-1 defeat to Jefferson
SOUTH CHARLESTON – The University High School softball team saw its 2025 season come to a close in the WVSSAC state softball tournament at Little Creek Park on Saturday morning with a 5-1 defeat to Jefferson in an elimination game to kick off Day 2 of action. The Cougars used a strong outing in the circle from Jersey Rummel and some sound defense behind her to stifle the Hawks' normally potent offense and earn their way into the Class AAAA championship series later this afternoon against Cabell Midland. 'We just didn't get the hits we needed when we needed them,' MHS head coach Mindy Parks said. 'It was a very situational game, and things just didn't go our way. It happens that way sometimes, and we know that.' Eight hits yielded only one run as the Hawks stranded eight runners on base. Three of those hits came in the top of the first inning as it seemed UHS had momentum early, loading the bases with only one out. Lexi Elza hit a bouncer to the pitcher that allowed Maddie Campbell to score the game's opening run, but the Hawks wouldn't cross the plate again in the contest. A four-run third inning gave Jefferson the boost it needed to take control and never look back in a key postseason matchup against University High School. The Cougars strung together five consecutive hits to open the third, starting with a run-scoring double from Brooke Allen. Grace Dodson and Savannah Smith followed with RBI singles, and Caroline Abe capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to center, giving Jefferson a 4–1 lead. From that point on, Rummel settled in, allowing just one hit per inning from the second through the sixth. With a comfortable lead behind her, she pitched confidently, trusting her defense. Jefferson added another run in the sixth when Ainsley Phillips led off with a triple and scored on Madison Clark's double, giving Rummel a four-run cushion to finish the final two frames. The Cougars finished with 13 hits, led by Allen, who went 3-for-4. Rummel, Smith, and Clark each had two hits. For UHS, Sophia Lehosit allowed four runs over two innings, while Maddie Campbell delivered five strong innings in relief, giving up just one run on five hits. University High, last year's Class AAA state champion, ended the season 24-7-1. A tough 6–5 loss to Cabell Midland on Friday night pushed them into the losers' bracket, making their path back to the title an uphill battle. 'We know what it's like to be in the winner's bracket, and we said last night this is going to be hard,' said head coach Parks. 'We didn't get in bed until midnight, and then we're up early, but that's just part of the game. Yesterday was a very long day for everybody.' UHS will say goodbye to a lone senior in Kelsey Park, whose impact will be missed, but will return key players on the team next season as the Hawks aim to return to Little Creek Park to fight for a state championship. 'We'll be back,' Parks said. 'I'm confident in that. These girls will be hungry next season. BOX SCORE Jefferson 5, University 1 UHS 100 000 0 – 1 8 0 JHS 004 001 0 – 5 13 1 University (1-2) – Park 4020 Campbell 4100 Lehosit 3010 Masoner 3010 Elza 3021 Cox 3000 Brown 3010 Shaver 2010 Royce 2000 Jefferson (2-1) – Cowan 4010 Rummel 4120 Munslow 4110 Allen 4131 Dodson 4111 Smith 3021 Abe 2001 Phillips 3110 Clark 3021 3B: Phillips (W) Rummel 7.0ip 9h 1r 1bb 1k (L) Lehosit 2.0ip 8h 4r 1bb 2k
Dominion Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Trinity Christian, University boys sit second; Morgantown, UHS girls hold top spots after Day 1 at 2025 state track and field meet
MORGANTOWN – It was a successful opening day for Monongalia County Schools in Charleston on Day 1 of the 2025 WVSSAC state track and field meet at Laidley Field on Friday. The Morgantown and University girls' teams pace the field, holding the top spots in the overall standings. However, the Mohigans hold a 15-point advantage, with 46 points to the Hawks' 31. MHS took the top two spots in the girls' 3200-meter run. Senior Maraid Johnson won the state title with a time of 10:57.34, and sophomore Allison Hawkins placed second at 10:58.91. The result earned MHS 18 points. Sophomore Harlyn Nelson won the girls' Pole Vault with a height of 11-00.00. MHS took second in the Shuttle Hurdles and third in the 4×800-meter relay to sit comfortably in first entering Day 2. UHS did not see a girls state champion on Friday but did finish well in most events, including second in the girls 4×800-meter relay and third and fourth spots in the 3200-meter run, as seniors Claire Von Boetticher and Caroline Ballard collected points for their team. In Class A, the Trinity Christian boys' team is second overall with 26 points, two ahead of Doddridge County and trailing first-place Magnolia, which tallied 45 points on Friday. TCS took points in five of the six events that held finals on Day 1, highlighted by senior Chase Livengood in the field events as he took home the state title in the Long Jump and second in the High Jump. His winning distance of 21-09.50 was over a foot longer than the runner-up at 20-05.75. The UHS boys' team didn't find a state championship winner on Friday but sits only one point behind Hurricane in the team standings. The Hawks tallied 28 points on Friday and are ahead of Spring Mills by 8.5 points. Senior Tyler Umbright took second in the 3200-meter run with a time of 9:19.19 and was followed by freshman Micah Gainer in third. That pair also helped UHS to a second-place finish in the 4×800 relay, while the Hawks finished third in the Shuttle Hurdles. MHS junior Joel Moreland took second in the Pole Vault at 14-00.00. Day 2 of the 2025 WVSSAC state track and field meet will begin Saturday at 9:00 a.m. from Laidley Field in Charleston.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Morrisey says student-athletes should be allowed to ‘take a stand' against transgender student injunction
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey released a statement on Tuesday speaking against track and field coaches who he said are reportedly 'threatening to force girl track and field athletes to compete' amid an injunction that allows a transgender athlete to compete on a girl's team. In the statement, Morrisey alleged that some track and field coaches were threatening athletes with suspension if they chose not to compete against 'a boy.' A suspension could impact a student's eligibility to participate in the WVSSAC State Track Meet on May 23-24, which Morrisey says 'cannot stand.' Although Morrisey did not give specifics, he was likely referring to the case of B.P.J., a transgender student who was granted an injunction to compete on the girls team at Bridgeport despite being assigned male at birth. In his Tuesday statement, Morrisey called the injunction 'wrongly-decided.' Manchin slams West Virginia move to ban ranked-choice voting He asked that coaches 'let these brave athletes take a stand for what is right without unfair punishment,' and that officials 'keep a full set of results so that true winners of each event may be recognized when the Supreme Court rules in our favor.' Morrisey has asked that the case of West Virginia's 'Save Women's Sports Act' be taken to the Supreme Court. The law, which requires athletes to compete based on the sex they were assigned at birth, was deemed unconstitutional by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals last year. Several student-athletes at Lincoln Middle School were suspended from competition in 2024 after protesting the Fourth Circuit Court ruling by choosing not to throw in the shot put field event. A federal court later granted an injunction to those athletes. Below is the guidance on student protests from the WVSSAC Rules and Regulations Handbook for 2024-2025: If a team, or student participating in an individual contest, leaves the playing area in protest and fails to complete the contest, the contest is forfeited and the school principal or designee and the violator may be required to appear before the WVSSAC Executive Director to indicate why additional action should not be taken. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WVSSAC names new executive director
PARKERSBURG, (WBOY) — The past year has featured a lot of change for the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission (WVSSAC), including the reclassification of several schools across the state. Now, the organization is also approaching a change in leadership. Wayne Ryan In a release Tuesday afternoon, the WVSSAC announced that Wayne Ryan will become the organization's next executive director on July 1. Ryan, an alumnus of Hinton High School in Summers County, will replace current Executive Director David Price, who plans to retire later this year. 'I appreciate the board of directors' confidence in me,' Ryan said. 'It is an honor to serve in this position, and I am humbled by this opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the board and all stakeholders to continue to serve our student-athletes and our member schools. Our staff will work very hard to better serve and support our member schools and help advance the mission of education-based athletics.' Bleachers being removed from Hite Field for safety reasons Ryan currently serves as associate executive director at the WVSSAC and was an assistant director between 2016-2023. He has also previously served in leadership roles outside the WVSSAC, including a stint as president of the West Virginia Athletic Directors Association. Ryan's background also includes times serving as a coach, teacher, athletic director and assistant principal during his 30 years in Summers County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
