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Doege works diligently to implement Air Raid offense

— By Bill Cornwell

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Spot the ball.

That’s been a common cry of coaches and players operating in Air Raid offenses over the years, meaning they want to utilize an uptempo attack that can create explosive plays through the air and on the ground.

First-year Marshall offensive coordinator Seth Doege has played and coached in Air Raid systems, and now he’s in the early stages of installing the system in Huntington as spring practice progresses.

Doege was the tight ends coach at Purdue last season and he’s had other coaching stops at Southern California, Ole Miss and Bowling Green.

Doege was a standout quarterback at Texas Tech and threw for more than 8,200 yards with 67 touchdowns in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Doege was a 2012 semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given annually to the top quarterback in college football.

Doege was hired at Marshall last December following the dismissal of former offensive coordinator Clint Trickett. 

“We’ve been contending for a championship the moment I got here,” Doege said. “We’re trying to do a great job of challenging the mentality here that no matter where the ball is put, the expectation is to score and we’d better do it.”

Doege is currently working with four quarterbacks in spring drills — returning signal-callers Cole Pennington and Colin Parachek, Tulsa transfer Braylon Braxton and true freshman JacQai Long from Hurricane High School, a December graduate and early enrollee.

Another transfer quarterback will join the other four this summer in Mitch Griffis of Wake Forest.

“Cole has some ability or he wouldn’t be here,” Doege said. “When he wants to do things the right way, he’s pretty special, but he’s also got some development left to do. Colin has a strong arm and can get the ball where it needs to go. Braylon is an athletic freak. He’s big, fast and talented, but this is a new system for him.”

Doege admits there’s a learning curve for the quarterback room this spring as they get used to his coaching and he adapts to their skills.

“There’s a development and growth in the scheme for the quarterbacks in just learning how I do things, the drop mechanics that I teach, how I read certain plays, the timing and the rhythm of the concepts and when the ball is supposed to be delivered,” Doege said. “Them getting used to me and the way I teach and how I want things done is gonna be a process.”

While Doege has past experience working at Power 5 programs, he’s soaking in the early experiences in Huntington and a greater degree of responsibility.

“I tell them that you have to be a tough dude to survive Marshall,” Doege said. “If you want an opportunity to bet on yourself and prove to the world that you’re better than what you are and if you want to come to a place with tough people and a tough mindset that’s going to make you a tougher person, and if you want to come to a place that expects you to win, then Marshall is the place for you.”

Marshall will conduct its third spring practice Friday afternoon at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

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Class AAAA Boys Basketball All-State List

The Class AAAA boys basketball all-state team by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association:

First Team

Sharron Young, Morgantown; Sr. (Captain)

Caleb Thomas, Spring Mills; Jr.

Aiden Davis, Wheeling Park; Jr.

Mikey Johnson, Huntington; Sr.

Elijah Redfern, Woodrow Wilson; Sr.

Noah Lewis, George Washington; Soph.

Roman Kellum, South Charleston; Jr.

Izzy Everett, Morgantown; Sr.

Second Team

Akwasi Opoku-Achampong, Spring Mills; Soph. (Captain)

Sha’lik Hampton, Hurricane; Jr.

Jaiden Gladney, Jefferson;  Sr.

Tate Adkins, Spring Valley; Sr.

Cole Joy, Parkersburg South; Sr.

Phoenix Sickles, Bridgeport; Sr.

Keshawn Cheek, Martinsburg; Jr.

De’Shad Williams, South Charleston; Soph.

Honorable Mention 

Max Anderson, Spring Mills; Xavier Anderson, Spring Mills; Zach Ayoob, Bridgeport; Ethan Blackburn, Cabell Midland; Ashton Curry, Bridgeport; Mykel Davis, Wheeling Park;  Coby Dillon, Woodrow Wilson; Nik Fleming, Princeton; James Fortney-Garbart, University; Zyon Hawthorne, Woodrow Wilson; Jamari Jenkins, Jefferson; Jacob King, Morgantown; Malachi Lewis, Oak Hill; Carson O’Dell, Hurricane; Gabe Patton, Greenbrier East; Clay Robertson, Spring Valley; Nate Rodriguez, Parkersburg; Brogan Samms, St. Albans; Landon Sanders, Bridgeport; Koen Sartin, Princeton; Brady Savage, Morgantown; Harry Silvis, Parkersburg South; Jackson Smith, Parkersburg South; Layton Toepher, Brooke; Jaden Westfall, Buckhannon-Upshur; Carter Zuliani, Buckhannon-Upshur.

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MetroNews This Morning 3-29-24

Today on MetroNews This Morning:

–West Virginia Turnpike expects heavy holiday traffic on this Good Friday

–Some lawmakers say the vaccine bill vetoed by the Governor will come back next year

–Bridge collapse in Baltimore has an impact on coal shipping out of West Virginia

–In Sports: WVU welcomes new head men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries

Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 3-29-24” on Spreaker.

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Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department closes

DUNLOW, W.Va. — The Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department has voluntarily closed operations.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed Thursday that Dunlow VFD did not have a valid workers compensation insurance policy in place. The department then agreed to close voluntarily.

The closure of the Dunlow VFD is in effect until proper insurance coverage is in place.

According to Wayne County 911, there are plans in place for neighboring departments to provide coverage in the meantime.

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Beanie Bishop posts top 40-yard dash time at Big 12 Pro Day

Former WVU cornerback Beanie Bishop clocked in with the best 40-yard dash time on the first day of Big 12 Pro Day at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.

Bishop posted identical times of 4.39 seconds in his two attempts at the 40-yard dash.

Four other Mountaineers worked out in front of NFL scouts on Day 1. Devin Carter, Noah Massey, Marcis Floyd and Malachi Ruffin represented WVU at the three-day event.

Zach Frazier, Doug Nester, Lee Kpogba and Davoan Hawkins are scheduled to compete Saturday.

West Virginia’s 2024 Big 12 Pro Day Results

Player                        1st 40                            2nd 40                           1st 20                            2nd 20

Noah Massey             4.68                              4.69                              2.72                              2.73

Devin Carter              4.66                              4.65                              2.73                              2.75

Malachi Ruffin           4.64                              4.57                              2.72                              2.71

Beanie Bishop Jr.       4.39                              4.39                              2.59                              2.57

Marcis Floyd              4.53                              4.50                              2.67                              2.63

 

Player                        1st 10                            2nd 10                           Vertical jump              Broad jump

Noah Massey             1.72                              1.65                              30                                9-10

Devin Carter              1.66                              1.70                              31-5                             9-8

Malachi Ruffin           1.62                              1.65                              35                                10-3

Beanie Bishop Jr.       1.53                              1.50                              33-5                             10-0

Marcis Floyd              1.59                              1.64                              37-5                             10-6

 

Player                        20 Shut                        3 Cone                         BP                                Height

Noah Massey             4.60                              7.45                              16                                6-3

Devin Carter              4.33                              7.05                              12                                6-3 3/8

Malachi Ruffin           4.28                              7.25                              14                                5-9 1/2

Beanie Bishop Jr.       4.15                              7.05                              –                                   5-9 1/8

Marcis Floyd              4.17                              7.04                              12                                5-11 1/2

Player                        Weight                         Arm                             Hand                            Wing

Noah Massey             234                              34 3/8                           10 1/2                           80 3/4

Devin Carter              207                              32 3/8                           9 1/4                             79 1/2

Malachi Ruffin           193                              32 1/2                           9 1/4                             75 1/2

Beanie Bishop Jr.       180                              30 3/4                           9 3/8                             71 1/8

Marcis Floyd              196                              31                                9                                  75 1/2

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Herbert Hoover improves to 10-0 with 2-1 win over Hurricane

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fifteen innings of softball produced a pair of 2-1 victories for Herbert Hoover Thursday in the Guard the Capital Invitational at GoMart Ballpark. The Huskies defeated Hurricane, 2-1 in the tournament finale after knocking off St. Albans in eight innings earlier in the day.

“I liked how we battled,” said Herbert Hoover head coach Missy Smith. “It was the same thing against St. Albans. We played a good team and we played all seven innings. When things didn’t go our way at the plate, we made some plays defensively. That’s how you win these tight ball games.”

In the nightcap against Hurricane, the Redskins opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Jaden Jones scored on a wild pitch.

The Huskies answered with single runs in the first and second innings. RBI singles from Laila Varney and Jaylee Carper gave Herbert Hoover a 2-1 lead.

Pitchers dominated the rest of the way. Hurricane’s Kate Justice struck out 11 batters in six innings while Varney struck out 10 in seven innings of work. Both pitchers allowed five hits.

“She is a big-game pitcher,” Smith said of Varney, “She likes the ball when the game is on the line. That’s not something I can teach them. They come that way. She has put in the work in the offseason to look good right now.”

Played at the home of the Charleston Dirty Birds, temporary bases and a temporary pitching circle were installed. Smith says communication on defense was important with different dimensions than a typical softball field in place.

“Defensively, you have to talk in order to be successful. They talked through the extra noise from the speakers and the extra space. They really pushed through that today.”

The Redskins fell to 4-3 while the Huskies improved to 10-0.

“We’re 0-0 going into tomorrow and are just trying to play our best softball every time we put the uniform on.”

Alexandra Anderson collected a pair of base hits for the Redskins while Addi Chapman and Carper each had two hits for the Huskies.

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Some notes on Easter and religion as we begin the holiday

(Editor’s note: This is a reprint of a commentary I posted last Easter.)

–West Virginians are among the most religious of any state’s population, but not the most religious. World Population Review reports that Alabama is at the top of the list with 77 percent of adults who say they are religious. West Virginia is seventh at 69 percent. The New England states of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are among the least religious states.

–The largest plurality of Christians in West Virginia—39 percent—is evangelical protestant. Twenty-nine percent identify as mainline Protestant. Six percent are Catholic. Two percent are historically Black Protestant, and another two percent are Mormon. West Virginia has a small Jewish population, only about 2,500.

–We are approaching holy time for Jews as well. Passover began at sunset on April 22nd and ends at sundown on April 30th.  The holiday is a festival of freedom commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt.

–Pew Research finds that, globally, Christianity is the most popular religion with an estimated 2.4 billion adherents, representing 31 percent of the world’s population. Islam is next at 25 percent and 1.9 billion followers. Sixteen percent of adults around the globe describe themselves as secular, not religious, agnostic or atheist. Just so you know, about 600-thousand individuals are Rastafarians.

–The Easter bunny, colored eggs and candy represent the secular side of Easter. The tradition began in this country with German immigrants in the 1700s who brought to this country their stories of a rabbit that laid eggs.

–According to Marshall University research, “The first churches west of the Blue Ridge Mountains are said to have been a Presbyterian and a Baptist church in Berkeley County in the eastern panhandle.” Harpers Ferry is home to one of the oldest Catholic churches in the state. St. Peters was dedicated in 1833 and escaped serious damage during the Civil War by flying a flag indicating its neutrality.

–The “Our Lady of the Pines” Catholic church at Silver Lake in Preston County lays claim to the smallest church in the country.  It seats 12 people and the exterior measures just 24 feet by 12 feet. There is debate over whether it actually is the smallest church, but it is certainly worth a visit when traveling through the area.

–Every Christian knows there are many Bible verses about the Easter story and the resurrection. One of the most common is the simple phrase from Matthew 28:6, “He is risen.”

Happy Easter!

 

 

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Independence bests Wahama, 10-2 in the Guard the Capital Tournament

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Independence collected nine hits in four-plus innings to defeat three-time defending Class A state champion Wahama, 10-2 (5 innings) in the Guard the Capital Invitational at GoMart Ballpark.

Emma Simpson went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in for the Patriots. Ava Parks, Emma Lilly, Keandra Spurlock and Harmony Mills all drove in runs as the Patriots scored in four of the five innings.

Lilly went the distance in the circle for Independence. She allowed five hits while striking our four batters.

Fiona Van Matre went 2-for-3 for the White Falcons.

Both teams are now 6-4.

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As Yeager Airport’s Wildlife Patrol Dog turns 7, a new dog comes in to learn from him

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia International Yeager Airport is celebrating its beloved Wildlife Patrol Dog’s 7th birthday, as well as welcoming in a new pooch to learn the ropes of runway-guarding.

After starting his career as the Wildlife Patrol Dog at CRW in 2018 when he was just one and half years old, a birthday party was held for Hercules on March 27 at the Kanawha County Public Library branch in Charleston.

Yeager Airport Director and CEO Dominque Ranieri told MetroNews that library staff as well as the community love Hercules and wanted to take part in celebrating him.

Dominique Ranieri

“He is 7 years old which is a huge deal, we’re so excited,” Ranieri said. “The Kanawha County Library does a great job with getting Hercules out into the community, especially with the younger community, so we love the opportunity to be able to celebrate him with them.”

However, since Hercules is now 7, Ranieri said they have to start planning for what’s next in their wildlife control program.

In doing so, Ranieri said they just welcomed another Border Collie to join the team. And she said he’s so new they don’t even have a name for him yet, but they are currently working on coming up with one.

Meanwhile, the new Border Collie is getting acclimated and receiving training for his soon-to-be role of deterring wildlife off of the runway.

Ranieri said Hercules will take in the new pup as his wingman so he can learn everything the job entails.

“He will work with Hercules on the airfield, learn from Hercules exactly what needs to be done in keeping all of the wildlife away from the aircraft, and as Hercules transitions to just doing his marketing roles, the new Border Collie will take on the bulk of the runway work,” she said.

She said since Hercules has been serving at the airport, the wildlife population on the airfield has dropped immensely, from birds to rabbits, and even the coyotes that prey on those animals have all backed off of the airfield and the surrounding area.

Ranieri said wildlife patrol is an important task at the airport.

“It has improved our wildlife control program so much over the years since Hercules has joined us, we know it’s effective, we know that it works for the different species we face here on our fields,” she said.

She said the wildlife patrol dog allows for the aircraft to land safely and without interruptions.

Ranieri said CRW will introduce the soon-to-be Wildlife Patrol Dog to the community soon after he gets acclimated at the airport.

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Photo gallery: University defeats Bridgeport, 12-3

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Photo gallery from University’s 12-3 (5-inning) win over Bridgeport.

(Photo gallery courtesy of Joey Signorelli/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

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