Free-for-All Sideline Edition: Brett Hathaway, South Harrison

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Sports fans, it's time for the Friday Free for All.
Over the next two hours, we'll bring you all the
latest from across the region in high school and college sports.
Now Here are your hosts, Chris Johnson and Alex Wiederspiel.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome in everybody. Good morning. It feels good to be here,
Yes it does. Friday Free for All brought to you
by Dan Cavatota, Buick gmc fields. Very good to be here.
Good morning folks, Happy Friday. And yeah, if you can
believe it. With the fourth of July officially over, it's
July eleventh, or post Independence Day, my mind is on football.

(00:50):
That's where we're headed. That's where my brain is going now.
It is going to be all football, all the time.
And yeah, well I'll probably try to talk a little
soccer as well. Points not today though, We're gonna mostly
do football. Get a little Legion baseball talk as well
with Chris George coming up a little bit later towards
the end of the show. But got some great guests

(01:12):
lined up for you today. I got a chance to
catch up with head coach Brett Hathaway from South Harrison
as starting off our coaching interview series as we like
to chat with pretty much every coach we can in
the region. Brett's going to be our first one, and
then we'll jump around the rest of Harrison County as
we dive a little deeper. Next week, got a chance
to catch up with Michael Minnick of wv news dot

(01:34):
com and Eric Little of the Eric Little Football Podcast,
and the two of them were together in fact, so
I got a chance to talk to them simultaneously. We
had some fun jumping around from classification to classification, and
then of course my partner in crime, Chris Johnson. He
is on vacation this present moment, but he was kind
enough to come in and sit down with me in
the studio earlier this week so that we could talk
a little South Harrison, a little Bridgeport, and a little

(01:55):
Philip Barber and kind of get the ball rolling on
some of the teams we're most excited about coming into
this football season.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
We are pretty excited about what rcb's potential is as well,
but we didn't quite get the time wise didn't have
time for them today, but we're going to spend a
lot of focus later this month on RCB and Lincoln
and the like here in Harrison County. This is the
Friday Free for All brought to you by Dan Cavatata
Buick GMC. Let's take a very quick break and then
we'll dive right into it. Chris Johnson coming up on

(02:22):
the other side.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Time for more high school sports talk on the Dan
Cavatoyota Buick GMC Friday Free for All.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
This is the Friday Free for All brought to you
by Dan Kavateta Buick GMC. It is our first I
guess I can't technically call it all football show, but
it's basically all football, majority football. And on that note,
Chris Johnson, who is on assignment this week now, he's
out enjoying some well earned time off and he is
in Texas as of right now. Thankfully I got a

(02:53):
chance to catch up with him earlier this week. We
talked a little Bridgeport, little South Harrison, little Philip Barber,
and we're going to bring that conversation to you now
as we begin to turn our full attention onto high
school football. Let's talk a little football because we are
it's crazy, We're we're fast approaching it.

Speaker 4 (03:10):
Now.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
I got a chance to catch up with with Michael
Minnick and and Eric Little yesterday of the Eric Little
Football Podcast, we talked some football. I guess that was
on Monday. We talked some football, and we kind of
jumped around a little bit. We're gonna be a little
bit more focused today. We didn't spend as much time
in Harrison County. We only really talked Bridgeport, but I
did still want to talk with Bridgeport. This is, after all,

(03:32):
the flagship station of Bridgeport football for radio coverage of
Bridgeport football, and we're gonna be talking about them plenty
this year, and sort of the the early conversation we've
been having, and I'd be curious to know because you're
you're obviously a much more dialed in on this stuff
than I am with Bridgeport because you cover them. The
early kind of conversation we've been having and and sort

(03:53):
of seems to be the thought is Bridgeport was so
good last year that even if they take a small
step back this year with all the talent that they lost,
they're still likely going to be there. Right at the
end of the season. It you'd be hard pressed to
think they're not going to be part of the final
four and likely in playing in the final game of
the season. In Class Triple A. Again, this was a
team who's average margin of victory a year ago was

(04:15):
forty nine points seven touchdowns. Every game had a running clock,
so it was just it was a historic year. I'm
curious where you kind of fall on this and and
not just where you fall in this, but having chatted
at all, if you've had a chance to chat it
all with Tyler Ferris about kind of what they're looking
at as far as reloading, because we know they lost
a lot of talent, they lost two Division one players

(04:38):
in fact, But but are they thinking about it the
same way in the sense that you know, they're they're
you know, they know that they lost a lot, but
they're they're they're ready to go because of the way
the Bridgeport system is run.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, I think that is the key, you know.

Speaker 5 (04:55):
And obviously there was a lot of excitement on winning
the state title in football. By the time January rolled around,
that was that was last year.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
It's time to start looking for four to twenty twenty five.

Speaker 5 (05:10):
This program takes off season and weight room as serious
as any program in the state, maybe even the country. Uh,
you know, so I know guys have been part of
work on that aspect.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Do you remember, by the way, do you remember Tyler Ferriss,
what did he tell us last offseason? I'd have to
go back and find the exact quote.

Speaker 5 (05:31):
He enjoys that process as much as he does, you know,
you know, the celebration after, you know, right, winning a game,
winning the state time.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Like for him, the job doesn't the job doesn't stop
like it just it's a year round job for him.

Speaker 5 (05:43):
Yeah, and a lot if you look at a lot
of your really dedicated, good coaches, and we've got tons
of them, you know, throughout the state, you know, throughout
you know, North soimper West Virginia. I think it's great
that they all and they're sincere about it. They enjoy
that process of seeing a kid get it, you know

(06:07):
too oh something finally clicks, and practice and the hard
work that they put in because yeah, they won't to
win football games, but they're also educators and coaches and
teachers you know, of the game.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
And life, you know, above anything else.

Speaker 5 (06:23):
And I think it's really cool that dad is such
an important job, an important process to so many of
the coaches we talked to, and you know, Tyler's you know,
without questions, is one of them.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, I think one of the things about about Tyler
that also, you know, he I remember asking him about
as I recall he had the way he was talking.
It occurred to me, had he read Bill Belichick's book,
And I believe he said he had that not only
had he read it, but that he he does tended
to agree that, uh, that there's almost a soccer like

(06:56):
mentality in his mind that, you know, because we've given
we've definitely given a lot of a lot of credence
to the idea of the chess match in football, where
you've got you know, coaches, whether it's the head coaches
or the offensive coordinators, the you know, defensive coordinators, whatever,
but there's sort of a chess match between coaches. But
he kind of subscribes to that this kind of thought

(07:17):
that somewhere well over ninety percent of what you need
to do to win is not happening on game day itself,
that the prep work, that everything that goes into it,
whether that's in the weight room or and of course
that's obviously it's a really interesting way of looking at
it because that's a much more soccer way of looking
at it. Now again, coaches still have more influence on

(07:38):
game day and play to play than a say, a
soccer manager would, right, because there's only so much you
can do once your guys are out there playing and
they've got forty five minutes and you're pretty much only
responsible for what like the occasional substitution or like changing
a tactic, but those guys still have to kind of
execute it. But this is changing it play to play.
But I did think that's interesting because football is a
sport that is designed to kind of put coaches more

(08:00):
in the spotlight. And even in his mind, he's basically
saying the work that we have to accomplish, it has
to be accomplished in January, it has to be accomplished
now in June and July.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, and you know.

Speaker 5 (08:13):
A lot of times you're talking about fifteen year old
sixteen year old kids. How can you not you know,
I don't know what the right word is, but you know, hey,
we were undefeated last year, we were the state champions.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
He had kind of had that mindset. I probleimse you
that coaching staff when they've already done it.

Speaker 5 (08:34):
But you know, from day one where we started looking
to the next season, all right, you guys haven't accomplished
a thing in twenty twenty five. That was twenty twenty four.
And like I said, that's just one of the things.
Bridgepoord just excels at getting that mindset across the board
for a roster. And and you know, I mean there,

(08:56):
Like you said, can they duplicate the way they did
things last year? That's a tall task concerning what they lost,
you know they did. They lost two Division one players.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
Other than Wes Brown.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
They've got every starter on offensive lineback's enormous.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
A healthy.

Speaker 5 (09:15):
You know young man who missed all of last season
with an injury that this time last year was considered
the second best offensive lineman on the team. You know,
I mean so right, there's the foundation you know for
everything the team wants to do. We're gonna be strong
up front. I don't it's me two and I can't

(09:36):
take full credit for this, but a new potential nickname
emerging in the off season.

Speaker 6 (09:43):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (09:44):
And I'll give credit to to who suggested this to
me went because one of his sons is one of
the members. But we're perhaps getting ready for the five
G connection era of the Bridgeport offense.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
I love this.

Speaker 5 (10:00):
You got Graham, Vincent, Gavin Williams, Gay, Martin Aiden, Gorby,
Landon Gillam.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
Those five guys are going to be key components in
that offense.

Speaker 5 (10:12):
Now, Graham's uh father, Dustin Vincent, you know who I've
known you throughout the years as former city councilman for
the city of Bridgeport.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
You know that's he kind of.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
Suggested that to me last time I ran into him.
So I got to give full credit to Dustin.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
That's really good. That's a really good That's hey.

Speaker 5 (10:34):
And I'm not we don't want to get into like
N I L situations and stuff. But that's marketable, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
That is really good. Yeah, this where this where one
level up we'd be.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
We would so bootleg T shirts five g connection out.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
That's pretty good. You know that's pretty good. Hey, So
let me ask you one more thing before we before
we we switch gears away from away from Bridgeport. You
think there are any other guys who, even if they're
not right now, might emerge as after this season? You
might go, Okay that actually, as it turns out, that
kid might be a Division one prospect.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
There always is. I mean, honestly, I I I haven't.

Speaker 5 (11:11):
Uh familiar as myself with this year's roster, you know
that much to give you a name, but I mean
i'd say there will be one or two at Bridgeport,
or be one or two Fairmont Senior, be one or
two of Bird I mean, you know, and you maybe
one a Lincoln.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
Uh, maybe a couple of Elkins. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, maybe that's a good segue.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
We'll get to that.

Speaker 5 (11:35):
No, it's just I mean, you know, and that's kind
of part of the fun of this time, you know, right,
you know, you know this part of the years, like
you know, everybody's a state champion, everybody's a first team
All State or every everyone's a D one prospect. And
there's gonna be kids that aren't on our radar that
are gonna fully be on our radar before the opening

(11:57):
week of the season.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
Uh, there's gonna.

Speaker 5 (12:00):
Even kids were talking to I know, I talk a
lot about Gay Martin, who I think is going to
have a faint. I mean, there's a good stay he's
going to even exceed expectations, you know.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
So man, let's get excited.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
Let's switch gears to the southern end of the county
and to South Harrison High School. We're going to talk
with Brett Hathway a little bit later h today and
or I'm sorry, a little bit later today. We're gonna
talk with Brett Brett Hathway a little bit later on
the Friday Free for All, but I I wanted to
I wanted to to talk about So we had heard

(12:37):
rumblings of this couple weeks ago, and it is now
official that star running back Jaden Hatfield is transferred to Elkins,
which is really interesting because he is one of two
star running backs who transferred to Elkins this year. Now,
of course, as we know, Boy and Elkins run the ball.
They they they they similar to South Harrison. They run
an offense they are they are going to highlight those

(12:59):
running backs and so wish them all the best. But
now so you have a South Harrison team where the
as I understand it, the numbers have been decent so far.
They had given out twenty eight helmets already this summer,
which is pretty good. They're still expecting more. I think
they're expecting to be somewhere in the thirties, which for
a small enrollment double a school, pretty good. They're expecting

(13:23):
to be in the thirties. They're bringing back almost all
of last year's playoff team. They're going to have some
holes on the offensive line, but primarily almost everywhere else
they're returning, and even at running back, where obviously it's
going to be hard pressed replacing junior Jaden Hatfield. They
have a lot of experience there with guys like sophomore
Zane Harlow and freshman I'm sorry, junior Wow, Okay, both juniors.

(13:47):
Now that's how that's where my brain was at juniors
Zane Harlowe and Shepherd Paul, who of course at different
times played running back Zay as a sophomore, Shepherd as
a freshman. So there's gonna be some room for those
guys to get a little bit more action. But the
big loss he was he was he was the the
driving force behind that offense last year. So so the

(14:09):
Hawks have a lot coming back. I think you would
look at this team as a playoff lock if Hatfield
were there. I still think they've got a really good
shot to get there based on everything they have coming back,
assuming the offensive line situation sorts itself out, which I'm
hearing good things about. But it's a big loss. It's
a really big loss for the Hawks.

Speaker 5 (14:26):
Absolutely, and you know, I agree with everything you said.
You know, you know, first of all, there's definitely still
talent with that, you know, especially with Paul and Harlowe.
You know, so with those two in particular, you gotta
kind of gotta take it as you know, well, you
know at your tongue, you know, next man up, you know, philosophy.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Jade Hatfield's also they don't grow on trees.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah, he said, a whole bunch of prs. By the way,
in track you probably saw it live in this last spring.

Speaker 5 (15:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean want an impact you know that'll
have on Elkons even track and field program as well,
you know part of it. I mean, this is reality
that we're living in now with high school football in
West Virginia. And uh, it's a quick sidebar. I was
at a media committee meeting at the w v S

(15:25):
s A C. And the notion was brought up on
like where you can go to the s SAC website
can get another team's rosters. Someone brought up a point
is like would it be helpful just because there's so
much for to list, like where a kid transferred from me?

Speaker 2 (15:43):
As I just letting you know, as a play by play,
I would would be tremendous, tremendous, And that's it's.

Speaker 5 (15:50):
Not, like I said, We're not in the business of
telling a kid if they think they've got a better
opportunity to to go someplace else and play and like and.

Speaker 7 (16:00):
And we still don't know.

Speaker 5 (16:01):
I mean, you know, a lot of times, you know,
I mean, families are allowed to move.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, you know that is that happens.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
It just happens.

Speaker 5 (16:10):
I mean, so it's I mean, but I mean, the
reality of it is, there's a lot of players who
were on different rosters last year throughout the entire state
that are gonna be on different teams this year. And
I just think that that might be a helpful piece
of information for fans, media, uh, you know, opposing coaches,

(16:30):
you know. So, I mean, it wouldn't be in a
manner to like, you know, bring attention to like all
these kids are transferring. It's just like, I mean, there's
just so many that it will be helpful to know
where in the world did they come from.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
It would definitely be helpful for the people who are
covering the sport and trying to trying to bring it
to the bring it to the fans for consumption. So
I mean I'm I'm in favor of it.

Speaker 5 (16:53):
But back to Jaden, I mean he said, I mean
I think South Harrison will be fine.

Speaker 6 (16:59):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (17:00):
Again, given the choice, if someone comes to any coach
in this state and says, would you like to have
Jaden Hatfield on your football team, every coach.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
In the state is going to say yes.

Speaker 4 (17:09):
Right.

Speaker 5 (17:09):
I don't care if it's South Harrison, Elkins, Martinsburg, Huntington.
I mean, yeah, schools there's big they would find a
place for Jaden hat.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
Right, And I can see why from his perspective, I
I can understand why I want to. You know, you
go face Triple A competition now, and if that gives
you a better chance at going and playing in college again,
more power to you.

Speaker 7 (17:28):
You know.

Speaker 5 (17:29):
But but you know again, I mean we're talking about
losing a fringe Kennedy Award candidate, right, Uh, you know,
most a Locke for first team All State again, you know, Lelone.
You know, guys like you know, Saint Tina Cava and
Freddy Canary are probably breathing a little side of relief, like,

(17:49):
hey man, some of our Russian records are are are
safe now. But you look at it from the Elkins perspective.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
Not only do you add.

Speaker 5 (17:58):
The player to Caliber and Jade, but you kind of
alluded to it logan beam from Hillo Barber.

Speaker 3 (18:03):
Yeah, but both those cause are going to I mean,
I mean, Elkins right now is like looking pretty good.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
They look like they're loading up for a bit of
a run in Triple A, and I think they they
must know that they've got a shot, you know, if
they can host a playoff game, for example, if you
can get yourselves into listen, it's gonna be real hard
cracking that top four right now, but you can get
into that. I think it's plausible to be in that

(18:32):
like five to ten range as far as best teams
in Triple A, right, I think it's it's achievable. So
I get it.

Speaker 3 (18:39):
I do. I.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
You know you're not going to turn down those guys
come and coming to play for you. Uh, let's let's
let's switch gears real quick. Actually, hold on, before I
I was gonna say, let's switch gears to full Barber,
We're gonna do that in a second when I I'm
going to talk with Brett obviously a little bit later,
and you know, he's always one of our favorite guys
to talk to you covered him when he was a player.
Of course, he's a heck of a coach now. South
Harrison's made the playoff player twice in what four years

(19:02):
under Brett Hathaway now and they were real close to
winning a playoff game. Last year came down to basically
the final play of the game on the road in
a blizzard like conditions.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
Uh. In one of those years they didn't make the playoffs.
Some believe they were like, you know, the last first team.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
Out or yeah there were yeah close, Yeah they were.
They were really and that was a down year for
That was a real down year for them, and they
were still right there. But I am I am curious
what would be if some something that you know, obviously
you're not gonna get a chance to talk to him
this time around, but we'll be talking with him again,
I'm sure many times this this this fall. What's something
that you would want to ask him coming up that

(19:40):
you'd want to know from him about this season?

Speaker 5 (19:43):
Yeah, I mean, I I think you get you got
to start with you with in with the Hatfield situation,
but you know, approaching from the aspect of it was like, Okay,
he was here, he's not anymore.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
How do you.

Speaker 5 (20:00):
Get all of his former teammates is like, hey, he's
not here anymore. I mean, I mean, do you treat
it like he was injured? I mean, do you treat
it like, no, he went to a different school? Is like, because,
I mean, you can be upset, you can be happy
for him, and bottom line is he's not playing football
for South Harrison. Yeah, So how do you approach that

(20:25):
with the kids that it affects the most?

Speaker 3 (20:28):
Right?

Speaker 5 (20:30):
Yeah, And I can say without hesitation, Brett Hathaway will
figure out the right way.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
To do it.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah, we're gonna We're gonna spend a little bit more
time next week on schools like Lincoln and RCB. We're
gonna spend a little bit more time on that next week.
I wanted to switch gears to Philip Barber, just because
it is such a unique situation here where you have
both these kids, these two running backs, these two great players,
one from South Harrison, one from Philip Barbara. And I
talked a little bit about this with with Mike and Eric,

(20:59):
about the fact that there is sort of you and
I are like, we are shipping a South Harrison Philip
Barber rivalry. That's what we want to see long term.
As a South Harrison, Phillip Bark I get that. Philip
Barber's also a little bit bigger enrollment size in Class
Double A, but they're both in Class Double A. Now
they are pretty close to one another. You know, you know,
there is a chance for this to really turn into something.

(21:20):
It has kind of turned into a rivalry in baseball,
which is is fantastic.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
U basketball is right there, Yes, yes, ready as well,
yes so.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
So looking at this from Philip Barber's perspective, Now, obviously
this program has really really just taken off over the
last few years. And again they continue to accomplish something
new every single year. And now you know this past
year was win a playoff game, when a playoff game
at home, you know, get that first home playoff game
they did all those things, lost in the second round. Obviously,

(21:54):
losing Logan Beam is tough. I guess the question is
can they take one? Is there another step to take
this year? Because the one thing worth remembering is progress
is not linear. You know, especially it's one thing in
pro sports, but in high school sports and in college
sports where you're you're changing out guys constantly, Yeah, it's
not linear. But so the question is is there another
step to take this year for Philip Barber's a football program.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
Yeah, I mean a lot can change in the calendar
year when it comes to you know, high school athlex,
especially in rural areas. I think the biggest thing that
has already happened is we talked about this with Brian
Biby several times last year. We talked about it when
coach melee you know what you want us on the show.

(22:38):
Culture has changed at that school. I think this is
a program now that expects to make the playoffs. This
isn't a program now. It's like, oh man, we got
into playoffs. This you know, gollie, g whiz, this is
this is you know, so exciting. They expect to make

(22:59):
the postseason. So I guess that next step would be like, Okay,
we've made it, we've been making it, we expect to
make it.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
We've won games.

Speaker 5 (23:07):
Let's figure out how to win multiple games, you know,
Let's figure out how to put us in a position.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
To be one of the teams that makes it to
Charleston Place for a state title.

Speaker 5 (23:17):
But that happened this year.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
I don't know. I mean, like, like I said, earlier.
Right now everyone's you know, state champion contender.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
It's hard not to believe in what they're doing though,
Like again, I don't. I don't know the roster specifics
and not the culture.

Speaker 5 (23:30):
Has changed as far as expectations, as far as off
season work in the weight room.

Speaker 3 (23:35):
It's you know, uh, I'm just roster size. Uh.

Speaker 5 (23:41):
Like I said, I think that's the next step is
all right, we we we We've been there. Now let's
figure out how to win multiple games in November.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, okay, very good, Chris, thanks man much, appreciate.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
It absolutely, man.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
Like I said, they got a big trip to Texas,
and then where are you going to Texas?

Speaker 3 (24:00):
Uh, Dallas are Arlington? Okay, okay, big wrestling show. But
I I was excited to try, uh some new food,
you see.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
Some some sights, you know, I some some barbecue. I'm
guessing I.

Speaker 5 (24:17):
Would probably root for the Russians before I would the
Dallas Cowboys, but.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
I would like to.

Speaker 5 (24:27):
I mean, I'm gonna be right there and see you
where they play and that's a pretty impressive venue.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Yes, no, no kidding, you know what I mean.

Speaker 5 (24:33):
So, yeah, we're gonna do a little bit of touristy
stuff and uh yeah, I.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Know you won't be near Austin because it's again, Texas
is so gigantic that.

Speaker 5 (24:44):
My desire to go to Austin is isn't like sports
or wrestling related. It's more music and oh yeah, amazing,
would love to make that trip.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Amazing city.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Here.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
Here's here's a crazy fact for you. So Austin is
in consider ration to get the next NHL team. They
put their their foot Austin I don't believe has a
single pro sport and they have put their foot in
the ring and they'd be going head to head with Houston, uh,
trying to get an NHL team. So something something I
just thought i'd throw out there. But an incredible city,

(25:17):
yeah for for music and food and.

Speaker 5 (25:19):
No im, I'm looking forward to the barbecue some you know,
authentic tacos.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:25):
You know what I've never I've.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
Never eate a Waller Burger.

Speaker 3 (25:28):
Oh man, So yeah, I.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
Mean so yeah, I mean my dog, we we've already
like kind of scoped out.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
I was like, Okay, well where can we eat? It
isn't too far from the hotel. Who will door dash?
You know? So we are right, We got that.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Part, very very good.

Speaker 8 (25:41):
What you got to get there.

Speaker 5 (25:42):
That's actually my first time actually getting off a plane
inside the state of Texas, so it's just one state
I've never really visited. So I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
Very nice. Chris, thanks again, and we will talk with you,
uh next week in in person.

Speaker 3 (25:56):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (25:57):
Man, It's it's kind of like what we're doing now.
But but but this is folks for yah for folks total.

Speaker 5 (26:02):
Next week I should be back and a regular routine.
This was Friday mornings. Come in by here and you
can go on to the office.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
And yeah, very good. Yeah, oh it's coming very very good.
That is Chris Johnson much appreciated bringing him on to early.
In fact, bring him on. He came in and hung
out with me in the studio on Tuesday just so
we could chat about all that before he left for
his trip. He'll be back in full in regular next

(26:31):
week in regular is that is that right? He'll be
back next week?

Speaker 3 (26:34):
All right.

Speaker 2 (26:35):
That said, we still got some other great guests coming
up on the show today, going to talk with Chris George.
Plus I got a chance to catch up with Brett
Hathaway earlier this week as well. The head coach of
South Harrison High School, to start our new as we
like to do every year, a new round of head
coaching interviews and head coaching conversations that we like to do.
So that's what's coming up later on in the show.

(26:55):
We're back after this.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
Now back to the Dan Cavatoya at GMC Friday three
for all on one O three three w KMZ.

Speaker 2 (27:05):
Now joined opening up our segment talking with coaches from
around the region, and we're starting off with South Harrison's
Brett Hathaway this year. As we're we're in July, we're
past July fourth and it is it is really time
to bear down and start looking at football and coach,
I really appreciate as always you joining the show. I

(27:26):
knew we'd get back here eventually. Uh like football has
been uh slowly creeping up larger and larger on my mind.
I'm sure for you, Uh, you've got to be you've
got to be amped to finally be closing in on
the start of the season.

Speaker 7 (27:41):
Yeah, one hundred percent. You know what's the ball's over.
It's it's nice to take a couple of weeks, maybe
a month or two, to relax and reflect on how
the year went and what you can do better and
after you know that month or two passes, you know
you're you're ready to get back after so as you said,
you know, we're we're after you know, past the fourth
of July now, and it's it's really time, you know,
it's right around the corner. And looking forward to it

(28:03):
and seeing what this group of you know players can do.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
This has been This is sort of we're entering what
I would describe as kind of the third year of
this group of players. You obviously had that big playoff
appearance two years ago. You guys had that huge win
over Tucker County in the last game of the regular season,
really really physical game, and that was a very senior
heavy group. That group graduates. Then year one of the

(28:28):
new group kind of up and down. I think it
was a four and six record. That was two seasons ago.
Last season, they take a big step forward in the
new classification system, make the playoffs, go on the road,
and lose a very very tight one that came right
down to the wire. How do you how do you
take what this group has done over the last two years,

(28:50):
and obviously there's gonna be some pieces moving in and out,
but sort of the core pieces of this group over
the last two years, when you look at it in totality,
how do you how do you kind of evaluate their
play over this period going into year three of these guys.

Speaker 7 (29:05):
Yeah, so, you know, I think pretty much it's what
you've expected so far. If you if you know these guys,
it's freshmen, you know that a lot of them thrown
them the fire and you had a lot of good,
but you also had a lot of bad and that
to be expected. And last year they you know, took
a big step forward, which is what we expected as
a coaching staff, went down, gave Bluefield all they could handle,

(29:25):
ultimately came up a little bit short. And you know,
that's that's been on our minds all offseason, you know,
as you know, we got to come away to get
back into the playoffs and get a win this year,
and the kids know that what the expectations are now.
And you know that junior group, they've come close, but
close isn't good enough. So we're looking forward to seeing
if we can take that next step.

Speaker 2 (29:46):
Yeah, let's talk a little bit more about this group,
and of course the two big names who are going
to be I think high on the list of names
that I'll be I'll be calling I'm sure on game day.
Shepherd Pod and Zane Harlowe guys who have put a
lot of game on tape over the course of their time.
They were basically thrown into the fire as freshmen, asked

(30:06):
to do a lot of different things, and both of
them have I think over the course at time, and
in particular Shepherd have really grown and kind of developed
into their role. In particular, I want to highlight Shepherd
on defense. Last year was kind of a revelation at times.
You would talk a little bit about about those two
players and this junior class and what they have accomplished

(30:27):
as well.

Speaker 7 (30:29):
Yeah, Zane in the last two years, he's been a
main ballcarre force as freshman and last year's sophomore, we
knew if we need a few tough yards, we can
go to him. That's gonna be no different this year.
He looks good this offseason. He looks faster, he looks
more sure of himself, more confident. So we're excited to
get him, you know, his carries and see what he
can do. You know, you mentioned Shepard and it's been

(30:51):
a little bit different for him. He's had his moments
on offense, but he's really been a key, you know,
decender forces last two years, leading tackler last year, a
line really the second half the season, I really thought
he'd turned it on on that side of the ball.
I think something clicked for him. I think, you know,
you got to think, you know, to last year. These
kids were still sophomores. You know, they're still growing up,
they're still getting experience, And about halfway through last year,

(31:14):
I really thought something clicked with Shephard. He came ready
to go every single game, had a great game against
Bluefield down there in the playoffs, and we're really excited
to put the ball in his hands a lot more
this year too on offense and you know, just see
what he can do. You know, you when you talk
about offense, defense and special team, Shepherd Paul's your guy.
I mean, he does a little bit of everything for

(31:35):
us and we're looking forward to see if that he
can take. Yet, he gave him another stuff this year.

Speaker 2 (31:40):
Obviously a difficult situation where your your lead rusher from
last years has transferred out and he's headed to Elkins.
But Zane is a guy who has actually carried the
rock quite a bit. Yeah, he's I'm doing the math
in my head. Here's something like two hundred and seventy
five carries in his first two seasons, So it's not
like he is unaccustomed to being back there and having

(32:02):
a big role. I think that's kind of part of
the the allure of the of the South Harrison running
game is that even if you're number two on the
depth chart, you're gonna get a lot of touches.

Speaker 7 (32:13):
Yeah, we have all the confidence in the world with
our backfield. That's honestly not even problem that I think
we're facing one end of the year. You know, you
talk about Zane and I already mentioned him a little bit,
already mentioned about getting Shepherd more touches on the offense
side of the ball and getting him more.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
Used to it.

Speaker 7 (32:29):
And somebody we haven't even mentioned yet, Xavier Tustin. You know,
he's played up back for us the last couple of years,
but we fully intend on getting him more carries, and
a couple of times when he was able to get
carries over the last couple of years, he's looked really good.
So we have three running backs that we're very excited about,
and you know, I couldn't say more about the three guys.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Absolutely, Let's talk a little bit about the incoming freshman
class obviously actually had been from what I understand, the
South Harrison Middle School had actually been playing pretty well
the last couple of years. A couple of incoming freshmen
who you think might potentially have some some early impact
with this otherwise relatively veteran group.

Speaker 7 (33:12):
Yeah, the freshman that's come in and done a really
nice job, you know this summer. A few guys off
the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm gonna
forget a couple of one, not meaning too but Lucas Nutt,
he's come in, he's gotten a lot of reps at
quarterback this summer, and you know, if we are in
a stick, I wouldn't be surprised if you know, he's
out there at least pushing some of one of those

(33:32):
guys at quarterback because he's done a really good job
this summer. And then we got Christian Ferrell, who's he'll
be one of our bear kids freshmen. He'll you know,
I say, he'll factor in it both tackles on offense
and defense. And then John arbergast really good looking kid
at defensive end at tight end, and you know, we

(33:52):
don't know how much those kids are gonna play yet.
You obviously like to ease those freshmen in, but those
are three off the top of my head that's really
caught my eye the summer well.

Speaker 2 (34:01):
And it's it's interesting because the big roles to fill,
of course, seniors who graduated, Big Luke and then Leyton Wagerman,
who is a multi sport athlete, and actually Luke was
a multi sport athlete for for the first couple of
years of his of his time in high school focused
on football last year, but you know, both tackles heading

(34:21):
out graduating, and so as you kind of alluded to,
there's some uh, you know, there's gonna be some opportunity
there for some guys to step up.

Speaker 7 (34:30):
Yeah, you know, we're pretty confident with what we have
on the interior. With Charles Langford, we'll have back at
a guard, just a great football player, white council factor
in either at center or guard. He started last year
as well, and we got a couple other options that
we're pretty happy about that we can fill out either
at that other guard or center. So it's really about
finding a couple of tackles, as you mentioned, and you know,

(34:52):
I just said Farrells one of them. But we've got
a you know, a few sophomores, few other juniors that
are going to be battling over their spots and you
know that they're going to be up for grabs. And
that's probably the main focus on the entire team right
now is finding a couple of tackles because you know,
if we're in a stick, you know, it's it's important
to f you know, one of two good tackles that
you can run on playing, you know, every single play,

(35:14):
and that are going to bring a tough mentality to
each and every snap. So we're playing on having a
couple of offenses this year, you know, the stick, and
we'll spread things out a little bit because we got
guys like calling Seagull on the outside that needs to
catch the ball some So we're we're excited, you know,
to give these kids the opportunity to go out there
and compete and see who can step up and start

(35:36):
game one.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yeah, I know, you guys started installing like a pistol
package last year. And another thing that was that was
kind of a fun, fun kind of change, not really
a change but a wrinkle I guess you would say
in the offense was oftentimes there were a few games.
I have to go back and watch the tape, and
I'm sure you know this better than I do, but

(35:59):
there were a couple of games where it seemed like
you guys were starting off in play action attack deep,
and it wasn't always a completed pass. Sometimes it was
a shepherd paw draws, you know, a pass interference call.
Sometimes it's Jeremiah Kreeling goes forty five yards and all
of a sudden, has you guys in the red zone.
There were a couple of different instances, but it seemed

(36:19):
like in order to back teams up out of the
the their strict desire to kind of stack the box,
you guys would open things up passing either in a
couple of different ways, but usually out of that stick eye.
Do you want to talk a little bit about the
development there and the progress there that you guys have made,
because that was definitely a big step forward last year.

Speaker 7 (36:39):
Yeah, was past game out of the stick was, you know,
really huge step in the right direction force. But yeah,
we went into the here last year thinking, you know,
if teams are going to put none in the box
against us. We got to be able to throw the ball.
You know, we got to be able to throw the ball.
We gotta be able to get our tight ends or
up back, and we got to be able to get
those guys and cool fade in the past game. And
I think we did a really good job as avolving

(37:00):
those guys when teams did that to us. And as
you said, you know, sometimes maybe it wasn't to complete
the pass, but it does loosen these you know, linebackers
up a little bit, it does loosen safeties up, and
it can't help your run game out even if you're
not completing those passes. So our goal was, hey, you know,
if if teams are gonna put nine in the box,
we're gonna take our chances over the top. And you know,
this year, I think we're just taking a step forward.

(37:22):
You know, I think, you know, we're gonna have our stick.
That's always gonna be our base because everything, you know,
just you know, stems off of that. But we're hoping
to spread some things out a little bit. We got
some guys, as I mentioned, that can catch the ball,
and we got you know, shepherds. I mean, he's gotten
some reps and practice in a pass at quarterback, and

(37:42):
that could be somebody that sees some of those snaps
if we are able to spread things out.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
You mentioned before we we jumped on here, you actually
mentioned to me that the entire secondary is coming back,
and there were some there were some some really solid
moments from that group, a young group, I might add,
last year, whether it was someone like Landon Ross who
was starting for the first time or Colin Seguyin who

(38:08):
crazy enough is now as senior and has been kind
of growing into this this role over the last couple
of years at corner. But talk a little bit about
your secondary because at a time when we you know,
you guys are obviously still a very run heavy team,
but we're certainly seeing the proliferation of passing across West Virginia.
I think a great example of that when you guys

(38:30):
played Tucker County a couple of years ago, when you
guys played Clay County last year. These are teams that
like to throw the ball, and they will throw the
football and you got to be ready for it. So
talk a little bit about the secondary.

Speaker 3 (38:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (38:41):
Absolutely, As you mentioned, more and more teams every single year,
it seems you know, are trying to spurge you out
and throw the ball. I was actually just looking at
our schedule a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, man,
you know, we got four or five teams on the schedule,
it are gonna try to throw it quite a bit.
So having four guys back in the secondary is huge.
You know, who knows one of those guys might have
to come down to play outside linebacker force this year

(39:02):
or something like that. We don't know exactly if it'll
be the same exact four in the same you know,
four positions, but with Colin and that in the corner,
Ross and Toussen and safety, we really like what we
have back there. They just got better and better as
the year went on. They got more confident in their
alignment and the coverages, and you know, that's something that
we're gonna have to touch on, you know a little

(39:23):
bit and August because we haven't been able to do
it this summer. But we're excited about those guys and
employees that they can make and not just you know,
defending the pass and coming up and stopping the run,
but the ability to create some turnovers, which is something
we're gonna need to do this year. So really happy
with those guys and just again, you know what, we
got to take another step forward, you know in that

(39:44):
department as well.

Speaker 2 (39:45):
Heck of a schedule you guys have and what I
have on the w SSAC website. You tell me if
this is the final version of what this is going
to look like. I assume it is. But open opening
the season August twenty ninth, and then four consecutive home
dates Braxton County, Lincoln, Richie County, and PoCA. Then on
the road for three straight Clay County, Philip Barbar Dodge

(40:07):
Ridge County hosting Williamstown in what I assume we'll be
Senior Night, then Tyler consolidated a bye, and then wrapping
up the regular season at Ravens with a team that
you guys handled pretty well. That's a that's a pretty
meaty schedule for you guys.

Speaker 7 (40:22):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, our schedule has never been anything
to you know, sneeze at, but it's it's tougher than
it probably ever has been this year, so we we
got to come ready to play, you know, and I
tell the kids this too. I mean, don't me wrong.
Our schedule is tougher, but we if we don't play
our game, it doesn't matter who we play. So we
just got to focus on ourselves, get to where we

(40:43):
can be get better each and every day, and then
come out on Friday and prove that to ourselves. Because
if you don't play your game, you don't doesn't really
matter who you play. So we're looking forward to just
getting better ourselves and playing whoever we play, you know,
in that certain week.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
Well, I'm excited and I'm looking forward to that South
her In Philip Barber game. I don't know how how
often you've heard the show this summer, but the last
couple of months, really Chris Johns and I have basically
been shipping South Harrison and Philip Barber as natural future
rivals when you consider the proximity and of course the
classification a situation now where I know, kind of on

(41:19):
opposite ends the spectrum in terms of class double A size,
but it makes for kind of a natural geographic rivalry
between the two at a time when it's harder than
ever to come up with geographic rivals.

Speaker 7 (41:31):
Yeah, you know, and that game just made sense. As
you said, we're both in the same class, We're you know,
both just you know, essentially right down the roads and
et Cether and all very far away at all. And
you know, it took us a little bit of time
to make sure we could get a calm and date down,
but you know, as soon as we saw the classifications
and you know what we needed to do, it was

(41:51):
something that me and coach Mail both wanted to get done.
And so we were able to get a two year
deal done. And you know, I'd say, as long as
we're both in the same class, that's that's a game
that we'll continue to play.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
We we love to hear Chris will be thrilled to
hear that we've been we've been especially after I mean
South Harrison and Philip Barber. We're in the regional regional
final for baseball this past season, and uh, there's there's
again there's just like a there's a there's there's a
real opportunity to I think, to to build something fun there.
So uh, and I'm sure the players eventually, you know,

(42:24):
the more the more guys play, uh, the easier it
becomes to to to kind of build that rivalry.

Speaker 3 (42:30):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (42:31):
That said, also have Lincoln on the schedule as well,
and I know obviously you know that that's that's in
kind of the same spot where you guys would normally
play Liberty. Uh So is that something that we're gonna
see more of? Is this a one off where how
did that come about?

Speaker 7 (42:46):
Yes, as far as I know, that's also to your
deal for right now. Again, I'd say it's pretty much
gonna be the same thing as Philip Barber. You know,
as long as we're both in the same class, it's
a you know, relatively easy game to travel to. So
we're gonna kind of on the opposite side of the county.
But you know, if as far as some of the
games are some of the places that we do travel,
it's a pretty easy place to travel. So uh yeah, Lincoln.

(43:10):
I don't think that South Harrison has played Lincoln since
I've been out there, but they used to every year
before then, so it's been a few years. But you know,
we're we're happy to get them back on the schedule
since we're in the same class.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
And you know, I always before I let you go,
I like to get uh I like to get as
many philosophy like coaching philosophy questions in as possible. Uh So,
let's let's uh, let's wrap with one when you're when
you're walking into uh A season like this one, and
you did kind of allude to this already where the
last thing that everybody remembers is throwing basically the kitchen sink,

(43:43):
uh at the kitchen sink in a in a in
a playoff game and coming up just a little bit short.
How do you use that for the guys who are back,
How do you use that to motivate them? Do you
even need to use that to motivate them or are
they already feeling it?

Speaker 7 (43:59):
Yeah, you hope that you don't have to use it
too much, you know. I'm sure it's something that I'll
bring up early on in August a little bit. But
at the end of the day, it's it's a new team.
It's a lot of the same kids. It's a new
team every single year. You know, you get you have
to have a new DNA, you have to have a
new mindset. And I'm hoping that the kids that are
back and that we're out all there in the field
and that you know, and the harsh elements, I'm hoping

(44:21):
that's something that's stuck in their mind as you know,
as much as it's stuck in my mind because even
though we went down and you know, a tight game
against a you know, great program, that's still one of
my favorite games but that I've been a part of. However,
you know, you know, it doesn't matter, you know, whether
you lose by two or two hundred, loss is a loss,
and I'm looking forward to seeing our guys can rebound

(44:43):
from that and being strong and vitality. And I'm hoping
that being in that close game and a couple other
close games last year can maybe be the difference in
pulling out a close game or two this year. So
looking forward to seeing how they react to it and
respond to it, and I'm hoping that, uh, you know,
I'll be happy with how they do that.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
Yeah, it's a really interesting way of putting it to
when you talk about like the new DNA, I'm sure
there are elements from last year's team that you'd like
to you'd like to carry over, but there's also there's
a I imagine especially with you know, especially in this
age where you guys are going to have transfer players
coming in, You're gonna have obviously of course freshmen who
are going to be big. You know, I'm sure those

(45:23):
guys don't care as much about what happened last year,
So you got to build that identity about this year
as you were kind of alluding to, because those good
for those guys, that wasn't real.

Speaker 7 (45:32):
For them, right, Yeah, like you, like you said, sir,
we're gonna have some guys back, and we're gonna have
some guys off there this year, and we'll have some
new ones, and you know, we're just looking forward to
coaching the guys that you know want to be there
and are happy to put on the South Arison uniform,
and you know, we're we're stated to coach them, and
you know, just see what this group of kids can do.

(45:53):
You know, I tell the kids every single year, it's
your team, it's not my team. So I'm looking forward
to seeing what this group of seniors can lead and
the juniors they're gonna have to stuff up and lead
some more this year than what they have been and
just seeing what they can do as a group. And
I'm really proud of those guys and I'm excited to
be their coach.

Speaker 3 (46:10):
All right.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
That's head coach Brett Hathaway, and of course we'll be
chatting with him plenty more over the course of this
season and shameless self promotion time. You can hear their games.
South Harrison football games can be heard live on Sky
one six five dot com. You'll check it out. There's
a link there with the embed and you can listen

(46:31):
to those games fully online and they are archived there
as well, just in case folks want to listen to
them after the fact. Coach, much appreciate it, Thank you,
and best of luck this season. We'll be talking with
you again very soon.

Speaker 7 (46:44):
Absolutely, I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
All right, We're going to take a quick break. The
Friday Free for All continues after this, brought to you
by our friends at Dan cavat to you to buick GMC.

Speaker 1 (46:55):
Time for more high school sports talk on the Dan
Cavatoyo Wick GMC Friday Free for All.

Speaker 2 (47:02):
Okay, I had a chance to catch up with Michael
Minnick of wvdews dot com and Eric Little of the
Eric Little Football Podcast. Is also a play by play
broadcaster who has done some work for WVRC Media as
well covers some of the schools down in the Parkersburg area.
I got a chance to catch up with both of
them earlier this week. I'm going to play that conversation
for you. Now, we're basically six weeks away and we've

(47:25):
already started seeing preview pieces. We've already started seeing preview
pieces for teams for entire classifications. There are a lot
of really cool storylines floating out there. I'm going to
start close to home. I don't know if this is
what the rest of the state is thinking about, but
because we're in Harrison County, I'd be remiss if I
didn't start with Bridgeport and a quest to defend their title,

(47:46):
which I think if you look right now, you'd be
hard pressed to think that they're not going to be
at bare minimum one of the final four teams. They
lost a lot, but they have a lot coming through
that system. Nobody does it seemingly as well other than Martinsburg,
at least certainly in Class Triple A. Maybe nobody does
it as well as Bridgeport in replacing talent. The Indians

(48:08):
look like they're going to be right there at the
end of the season. Again, it's gonna be a question
of what happens in those highest leverage moments of the
highest leverage games. And Mike, we can start with you
on this because I know you covered them quite a bit.
Bridgeport I think they look not quite as good as
last year, but it's not far off well.

Speaker 8 (48:24):
And the thing is they were historically great last year,
so a step back for Bridgeport is still probably going
to be, like you said, maybe a step or two
ahead of the whole field, not just about everybody in
the field. And I think what really helps them is
they were so dominant last year. They were able to
play sophomores, juniors, even freshmen a lot because they were

(48:47):
way ahead. I mean, they got to the running clock
when every single team they played, So that creates a
lot of opportunities to get your players better. And I
think also when you go all the way to Charles
and especially last year you had an extra week because
of the lawsuit, that's an extra month plus of practice
for those guys. So I think they're gonna be really prepared.

(49:09):
I know they're obviously very committed to their strength program,
getting stronger in the weight room and getting better in
the off season. So yeah, I mean, I think the
Bridgeport has to be consensus number one until somebody proves
they can even hang with them in Triple A.

Speaker 6 (49:22):
I think you hit on an earlier Alex when you
mentioned Martinsburg. The thing that separates those programs from other
programs in the state is a level of buy and
they have up and down the feeder system. You get
the Bridgeport Middle school program, the jds, the freshmans, all
the way down to the youngest levels running the same program,
and you get to high school knowing what the expectations

(49:44):
will be, and then it's your turn. So every year,
I think we say this very rarely do you see
a team that thinks they have a lot coming back
or thinks they're in good shape coming back, and then
lo and behold, you get eleven weeks later and somebody's
ten and zero or nine and one, and the guys
that stepped up to fill the voids from the graduation
losses were pretty good, was as we found out, And

(50:07):
I think Bridgeport's one of those programs that perennially is able.

Speaker 4 (50:10):
To find that next guy.

Speaker 6 (50:11):
And so I expect them, as Michael said, to kind
of base on the experience they got last year, to
build on the experience they got last year and a
lot of those blowout games, to take the next step
this year.

Speaker 2 (50:22):
I would expect that let's let's let's scale out a
little bit now as well, And I know, it's tough
because one of the one of the biggest challengers for
Bridgeport is Fairmont Senior. They've got a new coach that's that,
and granted quite a bit of continuity there, he was
already on the coaching staff, but there's there's a little
bit of change there. I guess the thing I'm curious about,

(50:43):
whether it be in Class Triple A or or Class
Quadruple A with Martinsburg, you scale out a little bit
around the state, who do you like to have a
realistic shot at challenging these teams, Because again, as Mike,
as you noted, last year was historic for Bridgeport. They
really were not challenged by almost anybody. Fairmont Senior had
a couple had a couple of moments in their games

(51:05):
where they challenged Bridgeport a little bit, but by and large,
I think the average margin of victory for the Indians
last year was forty nine points, so seven touchdown difference
in those games. I'm curious who you think if anyone
across the state can can and we'll start with Bridgeport,
we can also look at Martinsburg who can challenge Right now?
Who are the powerhouses at the top of the state.

Speaker 8 (51:28):
Yeah, I think you're starting the conversation with a lot
of the teams that did well last year. Herbert Hoover
will be interesting because Hatfield was so much of what
they did, they lose him to graduation. I think Fairmont
Senior certainly is in that conversation every year. I think
the continuity is good. They kind of went through this
when Jael Abbott left and Nick Bartk stepped up, where
you had a guy on the staff that knew how

(51:49):
things worked step to the head coaching position. They didn't Missisibi.
Of course, it didn't help then hurt that they had
two Stills brothers and Zach Fraser to help with that
transition too. But I think Fairmont Senior sort has to
be in that conversation. Princeton's another team that has had
a lot of athleticism in the last couple of years,
has got to a highest level championship game two years ago.

(52:10):
I think they're gonna be really good. And I also
look at a team that Bridgeport saw in the playoffs
last year in Nitro that's got a lot coming back.
It was really explosive in the passing game. I think
they're a team that could potentially because it seems like
when Bridgeport's had trouble, and it hasn't been much, it's
been teams that can score with them. We saw that
with Princeton two years ago. Nitro is the team that
can put points on the board. I think they're a

(52:31):
team that could be playing Bridgeport potentially in Charleston in December.

Speaker 6 (52:35):
I'm gonna tooot the Princeton Horne a little bit louder
because they got my guy in Nate Tanner is their
head right this year, they did suffer one of what
I think is the biggest losses, not so much to
transfer or whatever, but Dan Jennings, who is a junior
last year with a massive mountain of a running back
and offensive weapon, is not coming back to play a

(52:56):
senior year. He's going to play at the college level
next year. So he's not playing this year to prepare
for that. I believe he's early enrolling in the winter
and so he's preparing for that. So he's last I heard,
not coming back, and so that will be a bit
of a challenge for Tanner and his staff. But again,
you've got so many other weapons there, and you've got
an offensive minded head coach in Nate Tanner. And an

(53:17):
innovator and a guy who has a good quarterback to
work with. I look for the Princeton Tigers to be
able to score points again this year, and again I
think Fairmont seeing you're not far off with that. That's
a program's maintained continuity. Looking at the four A level,
it's going to be whoever manages to get new pieces
to fit in the best. I see Parkersburg South as

(53:40):
a team that's been in transition because their new head coach,
Larry Thompson is going to step up from the assistant ranks.
There's not a lot of transition to the staff, but
it's how do you fit the pieces that are there.
Same thing in Parkersburg with Matt Comes, he's got I
believe a couple of transfers coming in that he's going
to have to find a place for it and find
out how they work out in a system. Wheeling Park

(54:00):
as a team that always finds a way to compete
even when they lose impact transfers. You can't look too
far away from Morgantown. Of course, Martin's burgency four hundred
pound gorilla in the Eastern Panhandle that always finds a
way to get it done, joined very closely by the
three hundred pound gorilla in the room.

Speaker 4 (54:18):
That's spring Mills. It's up, it's an exit up the road.

Speaker 6 (54:22):
That school, that program, that athletic department is really finding
some footing, so so much athleticisms in the Eastern Panhandle.
That's really a shift of where Class four A is going.
But there's a lot of contenders and a lot of
things that are wide open. I think the first five
weeks of the season are going to tell us a
lot about what we can expect from November and December.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
We're going to drop down to the lower classifications here
in just a second. But I did want to circle
back to something that Eric just mentioned, and I'm sure
it's more common now than I'm privy too, but I
had not heard that, and I have not heard of
that happening very often, a player skipping their senior year
just to focus on playing in co college. I mean,
it's so fascinating where we've reached this point of the

(55:03):
debate between what type of development a player needs versus
staying healthy in a sport that he is obviously as
brutal as this one, and sort of the benefits familiarly
and for a family that come with playing both college
and of course pro football in this day and age.
But that is still kind of wild to because you
would just never have heard that ten years ago.

Speaker 9 (55:25):
Well I know in my area.

Speaker 6 (55:27):
Yeah, of Strange and Parkersburg High School didn't play basketball
his senior year because he graduated in December and focused.

Speaker 4 (55:34):
On playing for playing in college.

Speaker 6 (55:36):
Because he was committed to Penn State, he early enrolled
there was able to get involved in their spring practices,
And I think that's a lot of what it is.
It's if you graduate, you know, three and a half,
you can go and get in someone's spring practices and
be in their program in the spring, so you don't
show up in August as a true freshman and getting
your feet wet. Then it just gives you a bit

(55:56):
of a jump start there. And the results kind of
speak for Brenton Strange catching passes from Trevor Lawrence right now,
So you know something to be said for that. I'm
with you. I think that's a bit of an unorthodox thing.
And I think Michael I had a lot of talk
about this on the drive the other day, about the
transferring in about what that does for you in terms

(56:17):
of your social life and really for what gain, you know,
like the idea of experiencing that senior year, graduating with
your friends. And I think people miss out on a
lot when they pursue athletics above that. I mean, granted
I didn't do that, and you know, I didn't have
that opportunity. It wasn't something that was on my radar screen.

(56:38):
But if it is on your radar screen, you think
that's going to advance you. The more power to you.
But it's just a different age and different choices, not
necessarily better or worse choices that people are making, but
those are just, as they say, business decisions and you
just kind of have to take it for what it is.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Yeah, let's before we jump down to those smaller classifications.
Last question on tripa A. For like, obviously last year
Robert C. Byrd really made you know, some progress. They
had some of those really really tight wins that when
you look back a year later, when you could look
at the whole season, you go, Wow, what a difference

(57:14):
that goal line stand right, What a difference that goal
line stand makes, or what a difference that third down
conversion makes. RCB had multiple moments like that, and for
a young team took some real positive steps. They obviously
had a tough draw in the first round of the
playoffs last year, but ultimately got in. And that experience,
as you alluded to with Bridgeport, is helpful when you

(57:37):
get a couple extra weeks of practice, especially when you
consider the lawsuit that occurred as well that ultimately resulted
in everybody having that extra week off. Do you like
RCB to take a step this year? They've been good
historically and this has probably been one of their weakest
stretches in a really long time. You know, the stats
would indicate they're due for a step in the right direction.

Speaker 8 (58:00):
Yeah, And I think this is the case really across
the board for Bird in sports. They were young last year,
the basketball team had no seniors. The football team was
rawing on guys like Junior Smith that still have a
lot of football to play. So I think last year
getting the playoffs was what they probably were setting out
to do. I think this year, as you said, it's
a step forward. Can you get in that top eight,
can you get a home game, can you win a

(58:22):
playoff game?

Speaker 4 (58:23):
I think that's the goal.

Speaker 8 (58:24):
And Bird's really success in the past has been great
running backs, Jovon Davidson, Jung Jin's right Jeremiah King most recently,
they need to find that guy. They've been okay at
running back the last couple of years, but I think
if they can find a guy that can get them
a thousand yards to go with Junior, who's a great
running quarterback, I think they can make that step. And
I do feel like the Big Ten is up for

(58:46):
grabs once you get by Bridgeport and Pharamount Senior just
about every year. So who's that third team gonna be?
Usually when that third team is a team that can
make it to a quarterfinal, a semi final, I think
Bird is in that conversation the North Mary and it's
another team that also could bounce back this year after
having a weaker year by their standards last year. I
think they're a team that Darren Hayes likes a lot
that I think could be a team that that's fighting

(59:07):
once again to be in that second week into the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (59:11):
All right, let's let's drop down to double A and
single We've got a few minutes left here and double A.
Last year a couple of really good performances in the
opening rounds. South Harrison went to Bluefield and in a blizzard,
we're able to come within a play of winning that game,
and Philip Barber got their first home playoff win. Ultimately
would go down in the second round on the road

(59:33):
against a very good Independence team. But those are two teams.
Chris Johnson and I talk about it all the time.
We're like, we are shipping a South Harrison Philip Barber
rivalry because they're they're basically they're they're very close to
each other. They're now in Class Double A. There's a
little bit of a size difference. One is at one
end of the spectrum in the Double A enrollment size
and one is at the other end. But there's some

(59:54):
there's some potential there for both of these teams, and
it feels like just a matter of time, especially after
the two met in baseball this year in the regional final.
It feels like just a matter of time before this
budding rivalry blooms. Thoughts a little bit, Mike on South
Harrison and Philip Barber before we jump over to Class
Single A.

Speaker 8 (01:00:13):
I think both those teams are hiving the same conversation too,
about how we gonna replace our best running back. They
transferred to Elkins. Jayden Haffield goes from South Harrison to Elkins.
Wellcan Bean goes from Philip Barbara to Elkins. So those
are holes I don't think they expected to have to fill,
but now they do. I feel like South Harrison is
in a good position with Zane harl coming back, a
couple of pieces they have in the backfield, another year

(01:00:33):
of experience for their starting quarterback. I think they're gonna
be another team that I think the goal with that
plays like South Harrison, Like you said on the smaller end,
is can we be a playoff team or playoff contending
team every year? And I think they can do that
with what they have coming back. They'll miss Hatfield, but
I think they'll be pretty good. Philip Barber is a
program that a couple of years ago was at the bottom.
They were a team that struggled to win a game. Now,

(01:00:55):
as you said, they're a team that's winning playoff games
two in years in a row. They've been in the
playoffs and to the second round. So I think continuing
that process is going to be the goal for them.
Get in again. Hopefully you get the right drawl, Hopefully
you win one and get to that second round.

Speaker 2 (01:01:10):
And then we can we can wrap, and I'll leave
this sort of for both you guys over in class
single A kind of curious your thoughts about who emerges
to if anyone challenge Wahama who has been as good
as they have been. Could it be a Tucker County?
Can it be a Doddridge County who is always seemingly

(01:01:30):
right there and can never quite finish? Is there anyone
in single A who can challenge Wohama.

Speaker 8 (01:01:36):
Wiil In Central now that they've decided to play single
A football and just be double in everything else, They've
got a lot of tradition of winning. I think Wiiling
Central is where the conversation starts and finishes.

Speaker 6 (01:01:45):
This year, I think Doddridge County also benefited from the
Liberty Harrison diaspora and they were able to get some players,
and that's become a destination for people who want to
transfer because of the facilities, because of the tradition of win,
because of the coaching. So you know, really that's the
team that you have to locord. But yeah, I think

(01:02:06):
the conversation begins and ends with Wheeling Central.

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
All right, I hope I got you guys, nice and
nice and warmed up now because we're gonna be doing
this for the next five months. Basically, all right, you guys,
you guys ready for this?

Speaker 8 (01:02:18):
Yeah, and real quick, I think the Odders is in
double A this year.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
Just just to put that out there, but I thought, yeah,
you're right, you're right, You're right. I boy, this is
gonna be tough every single year dealing with the Uh,
I'm gonna have to have the sheets up in front
of me. You can never assume anything anymore.

Speaker 6 (01:02:31):
Apparently changed three times in three years. Yeah, and there
and for me, there are schools that I cover that
have changed with them three times. And there's probably some
areas of the state that haven't been impacted as hard
as others or or as much as others.

Speaker 4 (01:02:45):
But that makes it difficult.

Speaker 6 (01:02:47):
And I think what we're finally starting to see, or
we're finally going to see, is a little bit of continuation, and.

Speaker 4 (01:02:52):
At least that aspect of things I wish.

Speaker 6 (01:02:55):
I think this is something that I wish the s
SAC as a whole would consider a little bit more
than they seem to. Is just what they can do
to make high school sports easier to follow for the
casual fan, because not everyone's like you, and we're three
people that are in this and we're not even sure
from day to day or from year to hear who's

(01:03:16):
in what classification, who's not? How is Aunt Flow or
Uncle Johnny or you know, Grandma Sally supposed to be
able to follow this on a regular basis. I thought
they were going to play them. They played them last year. No,
I think anything we can do, anything the SSAC can
do to make high school sports easier to follow for
just that casual fan who wants to know what the

(01:03:38):
kids in their town are doing.

Speaker 4 (01:03:40):
I think that's a move in the right direction.

Speaker 2 (01:03:41):
Thanks to Michael Minnick and Eric Little, they of course,
were by the way in Kansas City for the Pirates
Royals series and the joke that we made before the
part that you didn't hear on this show. The joke
that we made was what was more likely the Bridgeport
Indians to win four playoff games or the Pirates to
score four runs in any of those three games? And

(01:04:01):
guess what, the Pirates did not score four runs in
any of those games. So now the Bridgeport Indians have
the chance to take the win. All that said, we're
gonna go ahead and we'll take another break and then
we're going to go to Chris George coming up here
on the Friday Free for All brought to you by
Dan Caviatato buick GMC.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
Back to the WKMC locker room for more high school
sports on the Dan cavatoyot w at GMC Friday Free.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
For All, Friday Free for All rolling on here and
this is going to be our only baseball segment of
the show today. Chris George joining us now to talk
a little Legion baseball. Might also talk a little Pirates,
JJ weatherhold kind of we'll go around the horn, so
to speak. Chris, what's up man?

Speaker 9 (01:04:47):
Oh, just live in a dream of baseball? Man, It's
it's coming, buddy, It's every day. It's I'm surprised. My
phone may not make the summer. It may just croak,
it ain't come.

Speaker 2 (01:04:59):
It sounds like you've been a busy guy. And of
course we didn't have a show last week because of
the Fourth of July holiday being on on Friday, So
we got a lot of baseball to catch up on,
a lot of Legion ball to catch up on. And
I'm gonna let you do your thing. Let you take
it away. So what is the latest going on around
the state.

Speaker 9 (01:05:16):
Well, right now around the state, we're into our last
Now we do have some recro season games early next week.
Right now, we're basically in the last week around the
state for teams area tournaments around the state. We've got
four areas, so area tournaments will start. Area one starts

(01:05:36):
on Monday, Area two starts on Tuesday. Area three it's
either gonna be winter Thursday, Area four Wednesday or Thursday.
So that's kind of how it looks, you know, well
just kind of hop around look at some of the
top teams. Those areas real bick but we'll start at
home here quickly. In Area two. Right now, the number
one seed looks like it's been clinched. More Town posts

(01:05:58):
two despite lose last night to Clarksburg. They walked seven
guys walked in seven runners at the bases load to
do the same bases on balls. It's just crazy. And
then Morgantown won the number one seeds. They're going to host.
The four seed will be Bucanning. The number two seed
or number three seeds gonna be between clark and Bridgeport,

(01:06:20):
and that'll come down to a run differential we'll have
to see that ends up being. I don't have that
for you right now as we talk. We'll get there shortly.
They split their regular season series, so that starts just
to start next Tuesday. Area two which is host to Morgantown.
So Area one Wheeling is the top seed right now,

(01:06:40):
looks like they're going to hold off Parkersburg for the
top seed, and then after that Wellsburg will be to three.
As we speak today, Ritchie, the four play tonight in
a doubleheader determine that mauncil I had to disqualify them
for the rest of the year to I'm not following
the rules and doing a lot of things that were
not legal. We'll just leave it at that. It's unfortunate,

(01:07:04):
it's it's a decision that me and the committee hated
to do what we had to, but at four to one,
and you know, we're a national organization. People don't understand
that this is a national organization. Yeah, it's stick run
by the state, but it we're national too. So got
a bad by the rules. So good luck to them.
They'll be back next year. That they were struggling with
miss year, but they'll be back. So Area three, I

(01:07:26):
don't have a clue. They've still got a lot of
games this weekend. Right now, South Charleston is the id's
on favorite to win it. That leads right there, Charleston's
right there three way about for all three spots. We
got games here this weekend coming up. I'm going down
today down to Capitol High School of Charleston to watch
Charles take on South Charleston the critical doubleheader. I'm going
to be down there for that, just take it in

(01:07:47):
and kind of examined some things. And then the Area
four North Berkeley pose sixty. The Knights looks that they
are in in the store for the one seed. They
swept Berkeley beat Night eight to four. It will be
the first time Berkeley hasn't been the one seed long time.
So North Berkeley's like, you're going to get the one seed. However,
they played double header, well not really double hair. They

(01:08:09):
played Petillon Valley in two games Friday or six Saturday
and Sunday, one of them being at Shepherd, and sixty
wins one out of those two, they will clinch the
top spot. I just have to wait and see. That's
kind of where we're at. And of course, the Junior
States real quick that's coming up next weekend. The Junior
State tournament that's seventeen under that has been decided. Right now,

(01:08:32):
I can give you the BRACS. This is all games
being played at Bridgeport High School on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
That's fly eighteenth to the twentieth. At ten am on
game number one, it's the Area one Junior champion living
against the Area four Junior champion Berkeley Post fourteen. And
then at one o'clock Morgantown, the Area two Junior champion

(01:08:53):
will go on Beckley the Area three Junior champion, and
then bridge Fork the host, will await the winner of
the morning game.

Speaker 4 (01:09:02):
It's wheeling in.

Speaker 9 (01:09:04):
Berkeley, and then the Junior concludes through the weekend. A
championship game is set for one team on Sunday at
Bridgeport High School, and Junior is not. It's sanctioned state
to state, but Nationals doesn't have a sanctioned regional or
we're ries for. It's kind of like eleven year olds

(01:09:25):
a little league. They just play a state level competition
in all fifty states lesion, it's fifty one states in
count Puerto Rico because because the state according to US
and how we do it because they represent Legion Baseball.
But the big stuff starts on twenty four. We'll talk
more about that next week as the state tournament in
Morgantown for the year, that's when the Big Boys takes

(01:09:46):
their stage.

Speaker 2 (01:09:49):
Anything so far this season that has obviously having to
deque a team, as I imagine, surprising, but anything major
that has surprised you so far this season, whether it
be individual performance or team performance.

Speaker 9 (01:10:03):
Balance, We got a lot of balance this year. I
can't tell you. I was asked today my friend of
mine over at Moorefield, Scott Stutler, who's the current assistant
coach at Moorefield. He's also the Morefield boys basketball coach,
and we talked frequently all the time. We've been noticed
since college. We went to college together. He asked me, hey,
Chris's going to win the state this year, and I said, Scott,

(01:10:24):
I have no idea. It's up in the air. All
the teams I mentioned to you are capable. Morgantown, you know,
believe that they're not. Morgantown now currently is nine and twelve,
but their skill strength is just unbelievable. And you look
right now, Wheeling Curry is twenty three six and one,
Parkersburg twenty four and seven. Berkeley is fifteen and six.

(01:10:48):
South Charleston has one to eleven. They won and lost too.
South Charlet's only lost two games. They've had so many
games rained out though, it's crazy. And North Berky it
is fourteen and six. They've lost a lot of games
to the rain as well. But keeping on teams and
there's others. The Beckley bashdown in Beckley, I mean the
sixteen to nine to one, so we any of those
teams can win it this year and that's what's make

(01:11:08):
it fun ballance like everyone call it.

Speaker 2 (01:11:13):
Yeah, that's what you like to hear at this at
this time of year. I like the idea that there
could be some there could be some level of of surprise.
So how much officially, how much time is left in
the season at this point, it's it's winding down, right.

Speaker 9 (01:11:29):
Yeah, regular season for some teams or playing games nex
Monday and then the area tournaments starting to see The
state tournament will be July twenty fourth to twenty eight.
The winner of the States could Hanover, Maryland to Coppin State.
Their baseball office in Hanover, Maryland is outside of Baltimore.
To play in the regional I think that's the fifth,

(01:11:51):
sixth something like that. I don't have the dates in
front of me. And then the America Leasi the World
Series is in Shelby, North Carolina at the middle part
of August where it's always that or the eight recial
champions head for the World Series to play for the
national title. And we'll see. I mean West Virginia represented
by Wheeling last year, they got it. They got a
great shot to win back to have to wait and see.

(01:12:12):
But it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be a fun
state tournament again. You can call games on the Metro
News TV app, every one of them. The Legioncy Tournament
July twenty fourth through twenty eighth. Productions from Video Productions
are going to produce it and you can also catch
their site as well. Big shout out to Butch Mouse
to help that get that going for the foreseeable future.

(01:12:34):
So'll be partners with Metro News TV, of course, who
we worked for and should be fun. I'm very proud of.
We're gonna get them on there. It's an exposure for
these fine these fine gentlemen and these good coaches.

Speaker 2 (01:12:45):
That's a real solid plug right there. Let's let's talk
a little bit about so Baseball All Star Game is
coming up, All Star Futures Game coming up in just
a couple of days. Actually it might be tomorrow now
that I think about it, but one of the big announcements.
And he's just been making news seemingly all week. JJ
Weatherhold had another big night last night. Hit a home

(01:13:06):
run I believe in it was his first Triple A appearance,
hit a home run at a tow home run game
in Double A as he worked his way up hit
three hundred and sixty two games. Former Mountaineer of course.
And I know we talked about him plenty last year.
But some thoughts on JJ Weatherhold here during our Baseball segment,
is he just it seems like real, really seems like

(01:13:27):
we might be seeing him in the Major We might
see him in the show this year.

Speaker 9 (01:13:30):
It feels like, Yeah, in the old days, Major League
Baseball used to extend their rosters to your forty man roster.
Now you're only allowed to to come September first, So
that kind of hurts his chances a little bit. But
I think I would have to think if he tears
up Triple A he's got a great shot to be
called up in September, maybe to get a taste of it.
I think next year's for sure he'll be given an

(01:13:53):
opportunity to make the team. The A I don't want
to say it's working against him, but you got to
remember he's not twenty twenty one. He's a little bit
older because he's a college graduate. He did school way
I think wrong with that, but he's a little bit
older than some of the guys here. So what he's
doing is very impressive now for his age. Maybe not
as much because we've seen many players younger than him do,

(01:14:17):
but this is only really his first year in pro
ball and he's already made the lead from Springfield, Missouri
from play up to Triple A Memphis. We're playing for
the red Birds, and for those wondering, you can watch
these games on the MiLB dot Com is the Minor
League Baseball app, and bali ive streams all the games,

(01:14:40):
so you'll be able to watch it. I think it's
free to be honest with you, but JJ Weatherholt, what
a great story he is. We knew if he could
stay healthy he could hit. I think the only question
we had going forward what would would be his position
school Pipy second base with they're wrong with that.

Speaker 3 (01:14:57):
You know.

Speaker 9 (01:14:58):
Kyle Wiggs works for US, a huge Cardinals fan, you know,
and he made a point on sports Line last week.
I caught it and he was like, the Cardinals are
solid in their infield.

Speaker 7 (01:15:07):
You know.

Speaker 9 (01:15:08):
They got win and they got Donovan, they got guys
set in their right now, there's no room for Weatherhold.

Speaker 7 (01:15:13):
Now.

Speaker 9 (01:15:14):
You can always make real good player, especially young when
coming up. So who knows what the trade deadline has
in store. The Cardinals will be buyers, not sellers, because
they're in position to make the house run this year.
So we'll see how it plays off. I think weather
hol is this an unbelievable job. He's done what he
did in college. It's a hitting machine, and he's done

(01:15:34):
at the old school way hard work. Here's the guy
that was lightly recruited out of Pittsburgh, in the Pittsburgh area.
He you know Mars High School. David Bednar also a
player from there. Of course he's a pirate right now.
But you know, here's here's a guy that you know,
lightly recruited, picked it, really want, didn't even offer you,

(01:15:56):
and he's came to West Virginia and just worked his
tail off and became a player. And I think that's
what I love to see. You know, so many kids
in every sport get unnoticed because a lot of time
gals look at your forty times, your sixty time, how
hard you throw, what's your max fila, what's your exit

(01:16:17):
velocity off the bat? Weather holds like Jid Jerko, they're
so alike. Weather holds a little bit more athletic. Maybe
the Jed was at that age, but their old school
do it right, do it the right way, hard working
guys that just hit the cover off the ball. And
those guys still play today Image League baseball. You don't

(01:16:38):
have to worry about all this other PC with exit
velo and you gotta run like a deer. Just play
the game. Guys like That's why guys like John Cruck
from Where Virginia were all stars. He was as athletic
as maybe my left phone. And I'm not athletic at
all whatsoever. But he was just a baseball player, way
better than I ever thought I could even dream to be.

(01:17:00):
I think it's a great story.

Speaker 2 (01:17:03):
Yeah, no, it's it's fantastic. And again, the futures all
Star Game. I'm gonna double check this. I want to
say it's set for Saturday. Hold on MLB Futures All
Star Game. I swear I had this as July twelfth
on my calendar, but the twenty twenty five. Yeah, so
it is Saturday, four pm at Truest Park in Atlanta,

(01:17:27):
and he is of course set to play in that
game as the arguably number one recruit in the Cardinals
organization and a probably top twenty recruit in major recruit
I'm sorry, prospect in major league recruit. My brain's on.
My brain's on college football right now, but top twenty
prospect in all of Major League Baseball. So extremely exciting

(01:17:51):
to see that potentially, And I think, you know, I
was talking about this earlier on my other show, but
you know, between him and Victor Scott, like there's this
feeling like what a boon this is going to be
for the Mountaineer program is for the baseball program. As
you start seeing these guys not just pop up in
Major League Baseball, but when they're playing together or playing

(01:18:11):
against one another, and you're gonna, you know, you see
this proliferation that's gonna do I think pretty well, Wonders
for recruiting. What you're already seeing now w having a
heck of a recruiting class both in the portal line
and high school in baseball right now. And I'm not
saying that's a direct result, but you got to think
that that is, that's at least a piece of it.

Speaker 9 (01:18:31):
Yeah, you know, I'll go back on Cruck real quick.
In baseball, you don't have to be the most athletic
you could. Just a hard working type of guy would
be good. You looked at Scott, We knew he was athletic,
he kind of his story was the opposite. We knew
how he was, how athletic he was, but what he
did was the opposite. He got with the Cardinals organization,

(01:18:52):
which Saint Louis has done a heck of a job
for decades developing their own talent through the system. Or
Scott was struggling at the play it as a mountaineer.
Eyone knew he could run, he could catch, he could
cover ground. It was the bat was just the question.
Now look at him, he's a hitting machine because the
Cardinals developed JJ weatherhol on the other hand, developed with

(01:19:13):
his defense in the Mire leagues. The Cardinals have worked
on that thought that he was a bad defensive player
before everyone knew JJ hitter. Well, he still hits. He's
also playing the pretty good defense. Is a great story.
I think the success that these former Mountaineers have being
drafted by organizations that know how to develop the most
important thing in baseball. I say it and I stressed

(01:19:34):
it all the time. I have seen guys with my
own eyes, guys we played against in the past in baseball.
Brent Metheni was the best high school ball player I
have ever seen in West Virginia, better than Jerko, better
than Devil. He got drafted by the White Sox. It
was just a bad place, a bad organization and moving

(01:19:55):
the just didn't get the break he needed and get
out of Double A. He could have been drafted by
the Card played in the majors for ten years.

Speaker 6 (01:20:02):
I don't know.

Speaker 9 (01:20:03):
Travis Harper got crafted by the right team. Came up
with the Rays. We know how the race they do,
good job, they two excellent and he ended up playing
an eight year career fish career with the Yankees. So
there's been some outstanding players in this state, and it
all depends who drafts you. Maybe we're thankful the Pomps
didn't draft him because they tend to mess up some

(01:20:23):
guys in the Myor League, especially position player.

Speaker 2 (01:20:26):
Well let's wrap on the Pirates here, because it's been
it's been rough. They went on a they had a
really nice winning streak going and things were looking pretty good.
I want to say they won six in a row,
seven in a row, something like that, and the bats
started to come alive a little bit, and then the
wheels fell off when they went out to Seattle, got

(01:20:48):
shut out in all three games they played against the Mariners,
outscored eight nothing in three games. So again, these guys
gave up a total of eight runs in three games
and lost all three of them because they couldn't manufacture
a single run. Then they get swept in Kansas City.
So yeah, that's right, six game winning streak they had
been on. They swept the Mets, they swept the Cardinals,

(01:21:09):
and they shut out the Cardinals three times. Kind of
a wild stretch for the Pirates here, just swings back
and forth, and things didn't go particularly well. And of
course the Paul Skins trade conversation is coming back up again,
and from what I've seen, I don't think like the
folks that I followed don't seem to think he's gonna
get traded this year, but they do think that sometime

(01:21:32):
in twenty twenty six or twenty twenty seven is seeming
more likely if the Pirates can't build a winner around him.
And it's unbelievable. He's got an era under two and
he's four and seven. So real quick, Chris, we're down
to our last couple of minutes here. But the Pirates
they are. There's a little bit of Jecko, a little
bit of hide. But when you're you know, eighteen nineteen

(01:21:53):
games under five hundred, I think you pretty much are
what your record says you are. And it's been a
rough go for the last couple the last couple of
days for the Buckos.

Speaker 9 (01:22:02):
Well, you know, when you're twelve and thirty five on
the road, I mean that just saysn't right there. I
mean they went six in a row at home, and
then now they're twelve and thirty five. They got twelve
and thirty six after last, after Wednesday night or Thursday
night on the road. It's just unbelievable, and uh, you know,
something's got to give, you know, I've been I saw

(01:22:24):
a report today from Jason Mackie of the Third Post Gazette,
and it basically said he's here and from here sources.
I'm reading right now from Andrew Philippony, who is well
liked by many up there at ninety three to seven
The Fan and basically said specation from long times Pirates

(01:22:45):
beat Man turned to call on us Jason Mackie on
ninety three to seventh The Fan that the Pirates will
allow Ben Cherrington to trade Mitchi or Brian Reynolds at
the deadline because Cherrington could be a lame duck general manager.
Oh boy, now that's his sources. Nothing, it's speculation, there's
nothing factual. Yet it's his. But when you hear guys

(01:23:08):
like this and to me talking chirp, they're hearing things.
There's smoke there. And that's why I said a long
time ago when they fired Derek Shelton, they should have
fired a joe made. Do you want Ben Sherrington running
another draft coming up here in two weeks? I don't
have any confidence in it. And him making trades the deadline,
when his trades that he's made, he took three for

(01:23:31):
fifteen in trade since his ten years started six years ago.
I mean, he had some horrendous trades out of the
Bailey Falter trade for Randolfo cashtro was great. But if
that is true, and again it was put out there
in a tweet by two of you guys that hear stuff.
Now Philiponi's more wrong, He's right, but that's neither here
or there. But I believe it. I think there's something

(01:23:51):
that and I think the Pirates organization may want to
look for a new Joe macfore they decided to know
what they want to do with their team going forward,
because I'd be better to wait to the off season
anyways to try to get what they want. But maybe
they'll get more liable slate and see.

Speaker 2 (01:24:06):
Yeah, Jason Mackie had a tweet earlier today. Have a
feeling I might be asked to defend my take that
I'd rather see the Pirates stay conservative around the MLB
trade deadline because I don't trust the GM to get
this right. And then the story is posted or is
published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and I agree.

Speaker 9 (01:24:26):
Yeah, I'll listen to his show. I'll listen to his
show back on Third, back on Alex and he was
talking about that for a whole segment. I agree.

Speaker 2 (01:24:34):
He's right, Yeah, brutal, brutal times for the Pirates, it
feels it feels like they're further than ever away from
being competitive. But we'll leave it there, Chris. I appreciate
you as always jumping on to talk a little baseball
with us as we kind of jump around legion ball.
Will talk about more in depth next week, I assume

(01:24:55):
as we get closer and closer to postseason play. Much appreciated.

Speaker 7 (01:24:59):
Man.

Speaker 9 (01:25:01):
You ever starting to wrap up and then August comes around,
we can start talking. That little ball has two white
lines on it, right, it's.

Speaker 2 (01:25:08):
Uh the focus of the rest of our show today.
If you can believe that that's the first time that's
happened in a real long time.

Speaker 9 (01:25:16):
A lot of these guys are in football mode already.
I can't get into a talk or I won't have
a job. I got to focus on what I'm doing now.
I'm in trouble.

Speaker 2 (01:25:24):
That's that's true, And because we need to talk to
you about it next week too, so we need we
need you to keep up with it, which I know
you will. Of course, we'll go ahead and take a
break and come back right after this with more on
the Friday Free for All brought to you by Dan
Cavato to Buick GMC.

Speaker 1 (01:25:40):
We're back in just a moment, time for more high
school sports talk on the Dan Cavatoyo Wick GMC Friday
Free for All.

Speaker 2 (01:25:51):
This is the Friday Free for All brought to you
by Dan Cavato to Buick GMC. Alex Weederspiel here with you,
and I want to thank all of our guests today.
They were fantastic. Got a chance to catch up with,
of course Chris George, appreciate him out and following up
as always on what's going on with the Legion baseball scene.
Got a chance to talk with Bret Hathaway, with Eric

(01:26:12):
Little of the Eric Little Football Podcast, Michael Minnick of
wvnews dot com, and of course Chris Johnson, my partner
in crime. Will be back with us in just a
couple of in just a week, actually there's a couple
of days, just a week. I'm looking forward to that.

Speaker 3 (01:26:27):
Hey.

Speaker 2 (01:26:28):
So before I let you go, though, folks, I did
want to quickly just say CFB twenty six finally is out,
and I would love to hear who you're planning on
using other than other than West Virginia. Okay, I'm assuming
that you're probably going to start a WVU dynasty. I
think that's a safe bet that you're going to start

(01:26:51):
a WVU dynasty. But who else are you planning on using.
I've got I've got a couple up my sleeve that
I plan on trying out. The first one a bit
of an odd one here, but I'm i'm. I do
an online dynasty every every year. That when the old
game existed, the old run of Games, we did an

(01:27:12):
online dynasty every year with my group of friends, and
now we started one again last year. So I used
Minnesota last year and this year we're thinking about Rutgers
because we're going all three stars or less. Share who
you're planning on using Friday Free for All WV at

(01:27:35):
gmail dot com. Again, that is Friday Free for All
WV at gmail dot com. And I'd love to hear
from you Friday Free for All WV at gmail dot
com on who you're planning on using for the new
CFB game. I'm super excited about it. Not going to
get a ton of opportunity to play it this weekend,
it's the only downside. So when I when I'm I'm

(01:27:57):
back from New Jersey early next week, but still with
a couple of days off, I'll have a chance to
really dive into it. So no, by the way, we'll
have a new show next Friday for the Friday Free
for All and looking forward to that, but we'll be
diving even deeper into the football scene. Maybe we'll talk
a little college football twenty six when we get back.

(01:28:17):
Gotta go, folks, I'll see you all next week.

Speaker 1 (01:28:33):
You've been listening to the Dan cavatoyot of you at
GMC Friday Free for All. Be sure to tune in
every Friday as we review and preview local high school sports.
This has been a special presentation of WVRC Media and
one O three three WKMZ.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Free-for-All Sideline Edition: Brett Hathaway, South Harrison

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

All Episodes

Free-for-All Sideline Edition: Brett Hathaway, South Harrison

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce