WHEELING — Football is king in the Ohio Valley. That is stating the obvious. The calendar just flipped to July but the pigskin sport is going full tilt.

West Virginia prep teams recently completed their three-week state-mandated practice window. They will continue conditioning work until official practices commence in August.

Ohio schools continue their workouts spiced by 7-on-7 passing scrimmages. The OVAC All-Star Game is less than three weeks away.

While much work is being done in weightrooms and fields across the Ohio Valley, a group of coaches took to the classroom Friday night to glean some additional gridiron knowledge.

Bryan Nardo is a football coaching junkie. The 2004 St. John Central grad and current Emporia State defensive coordinator has spoken at numerous coaching clinics. They, however, were all based in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, close to the Emporia State campus.

The Ohio University grad has harbored hopes of delivering such a program back in the Ohio Valley. Those hopes came to fruition Friday as Nardo presented a free clinic to OVAC coaches at the Ogden Newspapers’ tech center in Wheeling.

Nardo, who also coaches the linebackers at Emporia State, was assisted with the clinic by his older brother, Matt. He is currently the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Emporia State. Matt, a starter on the 1999 St. John Central 9-1 playoff team, has also coached at University of Pikeville (Kentucky), Marietta College and Muskingum University. He also was head coach at Bishop McLaughlin High School in Florida.

“I truly look up to all of the coaches I had growing up,” Bryan said. “Playing in the OVAC gave me a lot of great memories, but more importantly, it helped shape me into who I am today. There is never anything I could truly do to repay all of my coaches, so the closest thing I felt I would be able to do to give back to the coaches in the OVAC was to set up something like this.”

Friday’s football forum attracted a nice collection of prep head coaches and assistants. Schools represented at the event included John Marshall, Weir, River, Linsly, St. John Central, Cameron, Bishop Donahue and Shenandoah.

“This is a very good thing. Every school should be represented,” River High head coach Mike Flannery said. “The presenters brought a lot to the table. And it was free and local. I commend the Nardos.”

The other clinicians, in addition to the Nardo brothers, included:

Vince Cashdollar, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Manchester University in Indiana. He previously was a graduate assistant at West Virginia and a quality control coach at Ohio University.

Josh Pyles, a Shadyside High graduate who owns and operates his own speed training facility in Wheeling, spoke on strength, conditioning, nutrition and recovery of athletes. He has trained countless D-1 athletes.

Bryan Nardo plans to make the clinic and annual event.

BUBBA’S BITS

MORGANTOWN HIGH’s football program is undergoing change. John Bowers recently stepped down as head coach after 12 years at the Mohigans’ helm. During that time, he guided Morgantown to a 129-36 record and state titles in 2004 and 2005. The Brooke High grad will now become assistant principal at South Middle School in Monongalia County. Matt Lacy has been named to fill the post. He has been the Mohigans’ defensive coordinator.

KUDOS TO Wheeling Central athletic director and head football coach Mike Young and his committee on plans to establish an athletic hall of fame. The Maroon Knights’ have an athletic tradition second to none. There will be no end to worthy HOF candidates.

CLEVELAND HAS shed its label as the city of losers in impressive style. The Cavaliers are reigning NBA champs and the Indians are winning like never before. The Tribe is definitely the team to beat in the AL Central.

THE MORGANTOWN Black Bears, the Pirates New York-Penn League affiliate, were 8-7 heading into last night’s home game against Auburn.