As much as I'm looking forward to vacation at the end of next month, it's not quite time to start thinking about that too much yet.
For starters, there are just too many things going on in the Little Kanawha Conference.
Braxton County is trying to repeat as the Class AA state baseball champions while the Class A track programs - Williamstown's girls and either the Doddridge County or St. Marys boys - should give the LKC a pair of state team champions come Saturday afternoon.
Of course, there is also the fact both St. Marys and Ritchie County are alive in regional softball championship games, which are expected to be played this evening.
On top of that, the LKC banquet was held on Sunday where the annual awards were handed out and the All Sports Champion went to St. Marys, which just edged Ritchie County as the top athletic program in the conference.
Calhoun County volleyball coach Kelley Houchin, who led the Red Devils to just their second state tournament appearance in school history, was honored as the Dick Wildt Girls Coach of the Year. The Kenny Wright Boys Coach of the Year award went to now retired Roane County football coach Tom Hardman. Hardman guided the Raiders to a 33-28 victory against host Point Pleasant in the Class AA postseason to give the squad their first playoff victory.
Also, Williamstown boys head track coach Doak Markley was selected as the LKC's top coach and was handed the Wayne Underwood Award. Markley's thinclads have claimed two of the past four Class A state track titles.
Keith Smith, Harold Erwin, Donna Newberry, Charles "Chup" Robinson and Tracy Wyatt-Raban will join an elite class, which also includes ex-GSC head football coach Rich Rodriguez. Both Robinson and Newberry are being inducted posthumously.
Speaking of Rodriguez, the ex-Michigan and West Virginia University grid boss will be in Glenville on Friday to help raise money for the Pioneer football program. A golf outing is planned for that morning. There are still a couple slots available and anyone interested in participating should contact GSC head football coach David Hutchison at 304-462-6230.
Chip Rossetti, who has his own production company, has made a DVD titled, "The Frontier League: The Early Years," which is available at www.chiprossetti.info or by contacting the league office. The documentary, the first installment of a two-part series, highlights all of the teams which competed in the league in 1993 and 1994.
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com
