WVU basketball legend selected as next principal at JKES

Winchester Public Schools announced the selection of Kevin Pittsnogle as the next Principal of John Kerr Elementary School.

Pittsnogle currently serves as Principal at Martinsburg North Middle School and has experience as an assistant principal at both middle and high school levels.

Under his leadership at North Middle, Pittsnogle helped the school exit both State of Emergency and Comprehensive Support and Improvement Status within one year.

Pittsnogle is a native of Martinsburg and regarded as one of the best basketball players in West Virginia University history after leading the Mountaineers to back-to-back Sweet 16s in the mid 2000s.

He still holds the WVU record for most games played in a career with 128 and is 2nd all time in 3 point FG percentage with 41.1%.

He will begin his role at John Kerr following the retirement of Kimberly Pryor.

In the announcement, Superintendent Jason Van Heukelum said, “Kevin Pittsnogle is a results driven leader who understands how to build strong school cultures and support both students and staff… We are excited to welcome him to Winchester Public Schools.”

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

The Sports Dogs Podcast: The Crown…NOT!

The Dogs touch on the iconic College Basketball Crown, for about 60 seconds…then it’s The Final Four, Nats Therapy, and the start of another Little League Season in Front Royal. Brought to you by Class A Licensed Energy Windows LLC. Call Dave NOW at 540-671-9243 for windows, doors, siding, gutters, and even attic insulation! Find out more at https://energywindowsllc.com

Sports Dogs Podcast: Some Kibbles and Bits

The Dogs cover a variety of subjects from the sports world this week, including college hoops and the Winter Olympic Games. Plus Duke’s Three Pointer zeros in on local sports!

Snubbed

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Greetings from The Booth!

I’m pretty sure I’m through with college sports…at least until football season. I’m very sure that I’m done with the NCAA.

To the disbelief of many experts and analysts around the sports world yesterday, the West Virginia University men’s basketball team was left out of the NCAA Basketball Tournament on Selection Sunday. Like many WVU fans, I was expecting my team to have its name called, but as each region’s bracket was announced, reality set in. WVU was on the outside looking in, the first team out of the tournament. Despite many “bracketologists,” including Joe Lunardi, deeming the Mountaineers safely in the 68-team field in the hours leading up to Selection Sunday. The NCAA Selection Committee felt differently.

However, the committee did feel like North Carolina and 15-loss Texas were deserving of a spot, and also invited 14, count ’em, 14 teams from the SEC to the party, a new record for a conference. UNC seems to be the team that displaced West Virginia, so let’s consider the following:

The 19-13 Mountaineers had 6 Quad 1 wins (wins against tournament-quality teams), while the 22-13 Tar Heels had a Quad 1 record of 1-12. WVU  had quality wins, albeit early in the season against Gonzaga, Arizona, and Kansas (at Kansas). The Mountaineers also had a very bad loss to 16-seed Colorado in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament, and probably would have been a lock had they won that game. WVU was also 10-10 in the Big 12, one of the toughest basketball conferences in the country. Admittedly, West Virginia did not play well in the second half of the season, but if the committee considers the entire body of work, as they say they do, there’s no question that the Mountaineers are deserving of a place in the big dance. Carolina is clearly in the tournament field on blue blood reputation.

It’s not a good look for the selection committee that its chairman is Bubba Cunningham, who is the AD at…wait for it…North Carolina. With a name like Bubba, surely there couldn’t be any backroom backslapping, right? Cunningham supposedly left the room during any discussion about his Tar Heels, but I’m not buying into the purity of that. Committee members know who their chairman is. I might also point out that Cunningham has a bonus system that increases the further Carolina advances in the tournament. Also not a good look.

Bubba’s reason (excuse) for WVU being left out? The Mountaineers would be without the injured Tucker DeVries in the tournament. DeVries, the son of West Virginia Head Coach Darian DeVries, hasn’t played since December, and suited up for a grand total of 8 games for West Virginia. Tucker DeVries hasn’t played for most of the season, so this reasoning makes absolutely no sense. Obviously, Cunningham didn’t do his homework, or had to pull something out of his backside to explain himself.

And, let’s not forget that WVU sued the NCAA in the 2023-24 season to get ineligible player RaeQuan Battle reinstated. The Mountaineers won that case and Battle returned to the court in the second half of the season. Would the NCAA hold a grudge against West Virginia because of that lawsuit? Just asking for a friend.

I wrote recently that doing the eye test would show that WVU is not tournament-worthy. But to be left out this way reeks of something like the infamous WWE “Montreal Screwjob.” However, there is little that can be done. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey held a presser today (Monday) and hinted at litigation, but I’m not sure anything will come of this. It will be difficult to prove that there was a conspiracy to leave the Mountaineers out of the NCAA Tournament . I still like the move, as it continues to keep the kitchen light on as the roaches scurry.

In the meantime, dominos have started to fall at WVU. The Mountaineers have declined invitations from the NIT, and a new 16-team postseason tournament called The Crown. Freshman 3-point ace Jonathan Powell has entered the transfer portal, and rumors that Coach DeVries is leaving for Iowa continue to grow.

It is not a great day to be a Mountaineer.

RW

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sports Dogs Podcast: Putting A Bow On HS Basketball, A Mounties Rant, And More Moves By The Commanders

Lots to cover in this edition, as the Sports Dogs congratulate our local basketball teams, look ahead to Selection Sunday, and break down lots of moves this week by the Washington Commanders…

The Perfect Sports Day

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Greetings from The Booth!

It doesn’t happen often, but on Saturday the stars aligned and I had the perfect sports day. That doesn’t happen very often because I am a fan of the WVU Mountaineers, who have crushed my hopes and dreams time and time again. I am also a fan of the Washington Football Franchise, a laughing stock for over 20 years now. I also root for the Washington Capitals, who, with the exception of their 2018 Stanley Cup, always seem to be one and done in the playoffs. Saturday, I hit the trifecta.

My perfect sports day began around 5, when West Virginia Men’s Basketball took the floor of the WVU Coliseum against #2 Iowa State on Jerry West Day, as the packed house celebrated the life of the most famous sports icon in the history of the Mountain State. Surely, “Zeke From Cabin Creek” would be looking down on the boys as they tried to take down their 4th nationally ranked team of the season. And that’s exactly what happened, as Darian DeVries’ gritty Mountaineers stunned the Cyclones. WVU boasts one of the top players in the country in Javon Small, and he took over the game down the stretch, as the Mounties improved to 13-4. When the clock hit zero, and fans rushed the floor to sing Country Roads, I knew it was going to be a good day.

At about 7, the Capitals hit the ice to take on their archrival Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps have been a pleasant surprise in a season that was supposed to be all about Alex Ovechkin’s all-time goals record. Instead, the Capitals have the NHL’s best record, and seem poised for a Stanley Cup run. In contrast, the Pens are going in the other direction, and the game was no contest, as Washington easily won 4-1.

Finally, the cherry on the sports sundae was the stunning 45-31 victory by the Washington Commanders over the number-one seed Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional round. Playing in a hostile environment against arguably the best team in the NFL did not faze the Commanders, as the legend of Jayden Daniels added another chapter. The moment was not too big for the rookie QB, who kept the high-scoring Lions at bay time after time with clutch plays. Despite giving up over 500 yards, the burgundy and gold defense forced five Detroit turnovers as Washington shocked the football world, and is now just one win from playing in the Super Bowl. The game may not have ended until almost midnight, but the clock has not yet struck twelve for the Commanders, who kept their magical season alive for at least one more week.

So, thank you Mountaineers, Capitals, and Commanders for a great sports day this past Saturday! My only regret is that I didn’t buy a lottery ticket.

Until the next visit from The Booth…”LET’S GO!” “ALL CAPS,” and “HTTC!”

RW

 

 

Bying(ton) A New Coach

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Greetings from The Booth!

It’s a great time to be a fan of the JMU Dukes. On the heels of an 11-2 season, which included a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl, the Dukes’ basketball team, at the time of this post, is 29-3 and 2 wins away from a Sun Belt Tournament Championship, which would insure them a place in the NCAA “Big Dance.”

On the other hand, these are not good times for WVU fans like me. In recent years, about midway through the football season, fans long for the basketball season to begin. This season, it’s been a complete one-eighty. The Mountaineer football team posted a solid 9-4 campaign (boy, would we love to have that Houston game back!), earning Neal Brown at least another season at the helm.

Meanwhile, the WVU basketball team has been an unmitigated disaster. The Mounties finished the regular season  at 9-21, and if optics are any indication, will be one and done in this week’s Big 12 Basketball Tournament. The season began unraveling before it even started, when former Head Coach Bob Huggins made inappropriate comments on various radio shows, and later was found drunk in his SUV on a Pittsburgh street, unaware of how he had gotten there. His resignation and subsequent transfers left WVU basketball in shambles. Assistant Josh Eilert was named interim HC, and although Eilert was dealt a bad hand, you can only ride that pony so far. He has been way over his head, and in recent games it appears his  players have quit on him.

With this lost season just about over, it’s safe to say that WVU Athletic Director Wren Baker already has some names in mind for the Head Coaching job, and one of them is surely JMU’s Mark Byington. He 47-year old Byington is at the top of a lot of the lists of Mountaineer fans and followers, and why not? After compiling a 131-97 record at Georgia Southern, the one-time Virginia Tech assistant has led the Dukes to a 79-35 mark, and has returned the Harrisonburg school to basketball relevancy.

Byington currently makes a mid six-figure salary at JMU, and with bonuses will probably make in the neighborhood of $650k this year. You can make a pretty good living in the Shenandoah Valley on that kind of income. But what coach wouldn’t want to try his hand with a brand name program in arguably the best college basketball conference in the country, the Big 12? Not to mention, make a seven-figure salary. In Mark Byington, WVU would get a bright young basketball mind who could turn the Mountaineers around quickly. And at just 47, he could be a long-term hire for West Virginia.

For Baker and Mountaineer fans, it’s time to “By” in and get this guy hired!

Until the next visit from The Booth…GO EERS!

RW

 

 

Huggy Bear

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Greetings from The Booth!

I will start by saying I hate writing about the non-sports side of sports. The reason I watch sports is to escape the problems of the everyday world. The problem is that the everyday world has found it’s way into sports, and I can’t tell the difference between the two. It’s to the point now that I rarely watch a sporting event unless it involves the Washington professional football team (usually not a pleasant experience) or my beloved WVU Mountaineers.

Speaking of the old Blue and Gold, the Mountaineers’ legendary Hall-Of-Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins is now in hot water for (twice) casually using a homophobic slur during a recent radio interview on Cincinnati’s 700 WLW. In case you don’t know the backstory, Huggins was once the coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, who had a fierce rival with Xavier, also located in Cincy. During the WLW interview, Huggins weighed in on the Xavier fans–you can look up what he said exactly–using the anti-gay term. Four hours later, “Huggs” released a statement of apology, and WVU said it was “reviewing the matter”

It now looks like there will be no firing of Huggins by the University. Instead, he will lose $1 million in salary, serve a suspension, and have to complete a sensitivity training course before he is allowed back on the sideline. Reaction on social media fan boards was mixed, with some wanting everyone to “move on,” while some wanted Huggins fired outright. Many thought the punishment amounted to no more than a slap on the wrist.

I love Bob Huggins. He bleeds Blue and Gold. But there is no good excuse for what he said, and Huggins admitted as much. Today’s coaches have to be aware of the day and age in which we live. That being said, I don’t believe in cancel culture. Bob Huggins has done a lot of good for the University and the state of West Virginia. That has to be considered when arriving at a just punishment. It’s easy to come out of the woodwork as so many pundits have done and reach for a rock to throw. The greatest Man to ever walk the Earth once said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Huggins has built enough equity to deserve a chance at redemption.

There are many who think that Huggs is a dinosaur, and that the game has passed him by. Those people now have some fuel for their fire. It does seem at times that Huggins is disinterested and devoid of energy as he sits on his courtside stool on game day, and has complained over and over about navigating the current landscape of college hoop as it applies to NIL and the transfer portal.

Huggins has since found a way, with the help of a wealthy coalition of West Virginians, to embrace the portal, and the Mounties have had one of the best off-seasons in the country. Until this incident, Mountaineer Nation was counting the days until basketball season in Morgantown. Now, we hold our collective breath hoping that the new players don’t jump ship. Time will tell.

It should be an interesting 6 months for Mountaineer fans…

Until the next visit from The Booth, GO EERS!

RW

 

 

Vipers

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Greetings From The Booth!

A bit late this week, as I spent yesterday agonizing over WVU’s early exit from March Madness. The Mounties’ 67-65 loss to Maryland was no upset, by any stretch (Maryland was actually the higher seed), but kicked off a day of bracket-bustin’ that saw me go 9-7 in yesterday’s games–by far my worst performance in a long, long time. BTW, who had Virginia losing in 2018 UMBC fashion to Furman? Furman?!? I’m hoping to recover somewhat today, although at the time of this writing, the Kennesaw State Owls (who? see what I did there?) are leading perennial tournament team Xavier by 13.  Well, at least my Final Four is still intact.

Today is the perfect storm of St. Patrick’s Day and NCAA Basketball, so be responsible and remember to hand those keys to a Designated Leprechaun!

Staying within our b-ball theme this week, were you aware that the Winchester area had a pro basketball team? I have to admit that I did not, until Kenny Gordon, a friend and longtime co-worker at the Shenandoah University basketball scorer’s table, texted me recently to see if I would be interested in doing the public address announcing for the Virginia Valley Vipers.

The expansion Vipers are part of the Indianapolis-based TBL, which stands for “The Basketball League,” and kicked off their season earlier this month. They will play a 24-game schedule in the league’s Eastern Division, against teams from Reading, Syracuse, Atlantic City, York, and the Tri-State. The Vipers’ home games are played at the spacious Wilkins Center at SU.

The team is owned by TMOs (Team Market Owners) Rodney, Tina, and Rze Culbreath. Rze is part of the local flavor of the Vipers, having played some of his basketball at Millbrook High. He is not only an owner, but on the active roster of the Vipers as a guard, and has also played professionally in Europe. Other players include former Hornet Chris Chaney. The team’s Head Coach, Andrew Oates, also has local roots, having served as Assistant Coach at both Clarke County High School and at Shenandoah.

The basketball is high-level, but so is the team’s mission of community outreach. Visit the Vipers’ website https://virginiavalleyvipers.com and you will see their mission statement displayed prominently displayed on the home page: “…to strengthen our community through positive, family-friendly entertainment and provide athletes with the financial opportunity to continue their passion while giving back to the community.” To that end, players are vetted with background checks and social media activity to insure that they represent the team and the community in a positive way. In addition, players will be part of the Top Of Virginia Young Professionals group, and the team will partner with Winchester CCAP.

So, if you can pull yourself away from the NCAA Tournament this weekend, check out a Vipers game over at Wilkins on March 18th against the Reading Rebels and/or March 19th against the Tri-State Admirals. And don’t forget to wear your purple.

Until the next visit from The Booth…enjoy the Madness, and GO VIPERS.

RW