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It's hard to believe that in less than 48 hours, we'll be celebrating another new year. You might need all of that time to digest what's ahead.
It's time for 2007 to officially be etched into our memories and time for us to make room for another year of what always starts with great anticipation, but from time-to-time takes turns for the worse.
However, that's just the way life is. When you think you've got it figured out, you quickly realize you don't. That's exactly the way it must have felt for several members of the sports community this year both locally, regionally and nationally.
Even when the crystal ball hits the bottom of the pole Monday night in Times Square and 2008 officially begins, it won't be anytime soon where folks forget what happened during the year before.
That is especially the case in the Ohio Valley sports scene where it wasn't as eventful a year as some in the past, but still issued numerous memories and other times it issued memories that some would like to soon forget.
It was another year of great success, but also of tragic loss. However, again, that's the way life works. Whether it's real life issues or this little piece of the world known as local sports, it's going to happen.
After probably failing miserably to try to explain life or why things happen, I guess I will cut to the chase and try to somehow recap the year in Ohio Valley sports in terms of a list. The following are based solely on how I saw things happen this past year, and again let me reiterate…A LOT HAPPENED.
So, without further ado here comes the top 10 Ohio Valley (and regional) sporting events or stories of the past year.
10. The West Virginia Mountaineers turned in a fine season, winning a share of the Big East and earning a spot in the Fiesta Bowl later this week. However, it's not for those reasons that we etch the Mounties into this spot.
It's for the way they didn't get it done. West Virginia had the college football season right where it wanted it. The Mountaineers lost in the middle of September to South Florida and fully expected their BCS Championship hopes had gone with it. However, as the wild and wacky season unfolded, the Mountaineers kept winning and teams above them kept losing.
The Mountaineers eventually climbed to No. 2 in the BCS Rankings and were just a win over rival, but 28-point underdog, Pitt away from playing for the title. The Mountaineers proceeded to lose 13-9, sending the entire state of West Virginia into a case of mourning, which helps to explain by the university is going to get stuck with about a million dollars worth of tickets.
Along with that came the sudden departure of Rich Rodriguez. The born-and-bred Mountaineer accepted the Michigan job after pledging just a year previous that WVU was his dream job. Sounded kind of shady when it happened and now after about two weeks have passed, it still seems kind of shady.
9. Last year in about this same spot in this same year-end column, we wrote about the freshman exploits of Bellaire High graduate Nate Davis at Ball State University. Well, he didn't have a sophomore slump. He came into the season as the starter and showed all year that he was well worthy of the hype he received. Davis led the Cardinals to this Saturday's International Bowl and was named the team's most valuable player. He set school records for passing yards (3,376), passing attempts (429), passing completions (245) and touchdown passes (27). Davis and Cardinals can be seen Saturday on ESPN against Rutgers.
8. Coming into the prep football season, a lot of people expected big things from both St. Clairsville and Union Local. The pair did nothing to disappoint.
The Red Devils had one of their finest seasons in their lengthy history. Coach Brett McLean and his staff guided the Red Devils to a 12-1 mark and a runner-up finish in the Region 15 playoff. The Red Devils did with a versatile offense that featured a talented and probably underrated offensive line along with some talented skill players. The Red Devils were also a force defensively.
Union Local, meanwhile, did something it had never done before. Qualify to play football beyond week 10. The Jets became the last team in Belmont County to accomplish such a feat. The Jets went 9-1 during the regular season, falling only in double overtime to St. Clairsville. However, their playoff stay didn't go as planned.
They fell in the opening round after making the lengthy trip to Waverly. But, history was made in Morristown.
It's probably not going to be the last time that either of these two schools are heard from.
7. The Bridgeport School District had a year to remember. It opened a brand-new school building in Wolfhurst and with that came a brand-new gymnasium. The Bulldogs -- with an athletic tradition that rivals anyone around -- dedicated their gymnasium to former Bulldog, Ohio State Buckeye and NBA legend John Havlicek. The formal dedication occurred early in January last year.
However, that wasn't the only dedication in Bulldog Country. The Bridgeport baseball field was officially renamed the Niekro Diamond. There's a beautiful monument sitting down the right-field line of the baseball field, which honors both Phil and the late Joe Niekro for their accomplishments, dedication to their sport and also their dedication to Bridgeport High School. The only disappointing fact was that Joe had passed away before it was done. There was a fitting tribute to him and it was nice that his widow and son were able to attend the event.
Bridgeport also brought back its wrestling program last year. The Bulldogs had an OVAC placer and a state placer and it's nice to see grappling back in Bridgeport especially when you think that a guy named Bobby Douglas roamed in Lansing and attended Bridgeport.
6. The Ohio State Buckeyes had a year to remember in some circles, but also a year to forget in others. The OSU football team was wire-to-wire No. 1 in 2006 and qualified to play in the BCS Title Game against a Florida squad that some debated even belonged in the title game. Needless to say, the Gators proved they belong after they went into Columbus West and dismantled the Buckeyes and then Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith to a tun of 41-14. Let me just tell you, it was a long trip back to the Buckeye State.
Then a couple of months later with now NBA players Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook leading the way, the Buckeyes marched to the Final Four and then knocked off Georgetown in the national semifinal, earning them the right to meet Florida for the title. And much like the outcome in January, the Gators were just too much for the Bucks. After the game and a couple of weeks later, the three aforementioned players opted for the big dollars and Thad Matta was left with a team of youth, which just improved to 9-3 on the season.
The Buckeyes' men's soccer team recently advanced to the finals of the NCAA Tournament and they too fell, but at least it wasn't to Florida. The Wake Forest Deamon Deacons did them in.
5. Getting back to the local aspect, the year put forth by Barnesville junior Stephanie Morgan in the running sports of track and field and cross country. Morgan and her family returned to Barnesville after a highly-successful freshman campaign in Michigan. She came into the season extremely bally-hooed and didn't disappoint. Morgan ran away from the competition in the regular season and continued to do so in the postseason last spring. She went on to claim the state championship in both the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, posting times of 4:45.21, which is a state record and also 11:04.77. After going on and winning a national track championship during the summer, Morgan returned to Belmont County and began preparing for her junior season of cross country.
Again, she didn't disappoint. Morgan ran away from the field locally and only tasted defeated once the entire season in a meet in Columbus. She ran away from the field and did something none of her highly-successful sisters accomplished during their time at Barnesville and that was win the state cross country title in a blistering time of 17:27.36, which was more than a minute faster than the next finisher. She went on to compete in the Foot Locker National Meet in San Diego earlier this month.
Also earlier this month, Morgan was recognized at a Belmont County Commissioner's meeting with a proclamation. It's supposedly the first-ever individual honored by the commision.
4. Staying in the Mountain State, it just wouldn't be a school year if the Wheeling Central Maroon Knights didn't win a state title in football. Well, it's officially a school year then because the Knights' juggernaut ran roughshod through the regular season and the playoffs en route to their fourth straight title. The Knights did it with a spinning style offense that Mike Young incorporated, utilizing their talents at quarterback and running back. If I were a betting man, it would be probable that we could see the Maroon Knights in the same spot in this space next year.
3. The last two years we wrote about the state championships won in football by Steubenville. Well, the Big Red didn't bring home the gold trophy in their first season in Division IV, but they did win all of their regular season games again. With a lot of new faces, including a sophomore quarterback, the Big Red Machine kept rolling. They won some games in blow-out fashion, but they also won games in come-from-behind fashion at the buzzer in essence. To win 50 regular season football games in a row is an amazing accomplishment no matter who or where you play.
2. The St. John Central Lady Irish accomplished something that no other team had done since 1982. The Lady Irish pocketed the Division III girls' state track championship after scoring 42 points. The Lady Irish didn't do like some track teams who have one horse to ride. They scored in seven different events, including the high hurdles, low hurdles, 100 meter dash, 4×200, 4×800, 1600 and 3200 meter runs. That's a track team. When you can score in that many events in that many areas means you've got a strong unit on your hands. The scariest part for other area teams that the Lady Irish is all but three of those competitors are back in the fold for this coming spring.
To win a state title in anything is an amazing accomplishment, but to win one after finishing second the previous two years means you've got a good thing going, and needless to say, the Lady Irish track program has got it going. There's a good chance -- barring injuries or false starts -- that the Irish could be right in the mix again in 2008. Stay tuned.
1. This is a tough one because for the second straight year, a local team winning a state title is over-shadowed by a Ohio Valley legend who went on to great success at a national scope passing away. Former Linsly and Wheeling Central coach Skip Prosser who went on for great coaching success at the collegiate level passed away on July 26 of this year after a sudden heart attack. Prosser touched many people in the area who are currently involved in the basketball circles. He's a man who'll never be forgotten anywhere whether it's right here in the Ohio Valley or if it's in Cincinnati on the Xavier campus or in Winston-Salem, N.C. at Wake Forest. Prosser's passing allowed former Ohio Valley standout Dino Gaudio to become the head coach of the Demon Deacons. However, it's probably a safe guess that Gaudio would have rather become a head coach at a major college in some other way.
While amassing this list is difficult and I am sure there are some other events that I missed or some that others may feel are more important. That's probably because year-in-review pieces are always debatable. Anyway, having said all that, I feel compelled to add a brief honorable mention list. Here are some of the other stories that were considered…Jay DeFruscio leaving Wheeling Jesuit for the Indiana Pacers; Martins Ferry celebrating 100 years of football and debuting with new Field Turf at Purple Rider Stadium; Edison's run to the state baseball tournament; Success of local wrestlers at the Ohio State Tournament; Wheeling Park claiming the West Virginia state boys track and cross country titles and the list goes on and on.
There's a good chance that next year at this time when you are sitting down with your morning paper, reading this column, you'll see that there are another truck-load of events to write about and chronicle. That's what helps make the Ohio Valley a special place in terms of athletics.
Anyway, if I keep going anymore, you all might miss your New Year's Eve parties, so in conclusion, Happy New Year. Be Careful and Be Safe, but enjoy the year ahead.
Staskey can be reached at sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com