Basketball Preview 2016

Lots of Questions for Granato, Riders

By MIKE MATHISON WEIRTON — Things will look a lot different for coach Mike Granato and the Weir High boys’ basketball team. “The preseason started out in a difficult manner with the loss of both Cam Pierce and Cody Enrietti with leg injuries during football, which will keep them out for the entire season,” Granato said. “When you add in the transfer of Grant Carrigan, we lost a lot of experience.” There was also the graduation of Jonathan West and Marques Smith, along with Angelo Cassiadoro and Ethan Gilbert. “Our summer program allowed the emergence of ...

Harkness, Bulldogs Must Replace Kroll

By KIM NORTH BRIDGEPORT — The Bridgeport girls’ program has been one of the top small school units in the past decade, but the Bulldogs will have an entirely new look this season under first-year head coach Greg Harkness, who takes over for Rob Zitzelsberger. Gone is the school’s all-time leading scorer in Caitlyn Kroll, who tallied more than 2,000 points in her illustrious career. In addition, the St. Francis, Pa., freshman was the Bulldogs’ leading rebounder, assist person and shot nearly 90 percent from the free-throw line. She suffered a knee injury late in her ...

Bridgeport Looks For Better Results

By KIM NORTH BRIDGEPORT — To say Bridgeport has had better seasons than the Bulldogs logged last winter would be a correct statement. A program steeped with tradition only won two games a year ago. However, it was ravaged by graduation the campaign before and only had one returning letterman. “Last year was definitely a down year for us,” head coach Donnie Cash said of his 11th season. “We got hit hard by graduation and didn’t have many returners.” This season will be different in that aspect. “We have the majority of our players back this year. We ...

Cameron Poised To Make a Run

By CODY TOMER CAMERON — It was a tough end to the 2015-2016 season for the Cameron girls’ team but with the majority of its players returning this year, the Dragons are poised to make a run in the postseason. In a sectional contest with Weirton Madonna last season, the Dragons held a halftime lead over the Blue Dons, despite having two players out with injuries. The Dons rallied in the second half to win and eventually advanced to the state tournament in Charleston. Injuries took a bit of a toll on the Dragons last season and is already making an impact this year as ...

Dragons Hope To Continue Success

By CODY TOMER CAMERON — Times are good at Cameron after the Dragons football team just completed their first unbeaten regular season since 1999. First-year boys’ basketball coach Tom Hart looks to pick up where football coach Scott Holt left off, by using a talented and athletic roster and helping it get better. Hart was an assistant coach for the Dragons a season ago but after last year’s coach Chad Clutter took over the reigns at John Marshall during the offseason, Hart stepped up and took over the position and is ready for his team to take the court. “We are ...

Plenty of Spots Open for Fighting Irish Girls

By SETH STASKEY BELLAIRE — There have been a few times during the summer and even into the preseason where veteran St. John Central girls’ basketball coach Robert “Bubba” Kapral has found himself looking around wondering if and when the likes of Marissa Rose, Lindsey Froehlich and Jessica Alvey are going to walk into the gym. And who can blame him? That trio — along with Emily LeMasters and Rachel Porter — did combine to score 3,900 points and win 67 games and the 2016 OVAC Class 1A title during the course of their careers. Unfortunately, for Kapral and the Irish ...