CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The argument can be made that Class AAA is the deepest of the four state tournament brackets. Each team is at least four games over .500 and seven had at least 16 wins. Defending champion Shady Spring (23-1) is back as the top seed. Head coach Ronnie Olson says the team’s lone loss, which came in their fourth game at Logan, may have been a good thing.
“That kind of opened our eyes,” Olson said. “We started the season 3-0 and we go to Logan and they knock us off. They beat us. There’s no excuses. I really feel like that was a wake-up call for our guys.”
The Tigers have drawn North Marion (13-9) as their quarterfinal opponent. The Huskies feature a balanced scoring attack with four starters averaging in double digits.
No. 2 seed Logan brings a 22-2 record and a massive fan following up Route 119. The Wildcats hope to complete a rare state title sweep following their girls championship on Saturday.
“I’ve got three guys in my starting lineup who have already won a state championship, whether in basketball or baseball,” said Logan head coach Zach Green. “They have been in those situations. They are experienced. I think they are comfortable in that situation. Our community support is second-to-none.”
Logan will face Cardinal Conference rival Scott in the quarterfinals. The Skyhawks rebounded from a 2-4 start to go 16-9.
Fairmont Senior is the No. 3 seed and Dave Retton’s club is seeking their first state title since 2018. The Polar Bears played their way out of a competitive region with an impressive record of 21-3. They’ll face Herbert Hoover (19-6) in the quarters. The Huskies are returning to Charleston for the second year in a row. They were unable to field a full roster last May however due to COVID.
And in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game, last year’s Class AAA runners-up from Wheeling Central Catholic (20-3) are back in the field. Veteran head coach Mel Stephens says all eight teams in the bracket present challenges.
“With the way things are set up now with the sectionals and regionals, you usually get your eight best teams down there,” Stephens said. “There’s no easy ones anymore.”
The Maroon Knights will face a Grafton Bearcat (18-7) team that handed Fairmont Senior one of their three losses.
“It is very rewarding, especially with the section and the region that we are in,” said Grafton head coach Michael Johnson. “It is very difficult. So to have the opportunity to play in Charleston is very rewarding for our kids and our community.”
Class AAA seeds:
- Shady Spring (23-1)
- Logan (23-2)
- Fairmont Senior (21-3)
- Wheeling Central Catholic (20-3)
- Grafton (18-7)
- Herbert Hoover (19-6)
- Scott (16-9)
- North Marion (13-9)
Class AAA quarterfinals:
Game 1 – No. 6 Herbert Hoover vs. No. 3 Fairmont Senior – Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2 – No. 7 Scott vs. No. 2 Logan – Wednesday, 1 p.m.
Game 3 – No. 8 North Marion vs. No. 1 Shady Spring – Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
Game 4 – No. 5 Grafton vs. No. 4 Wheeling Central Catholic – Wednesday, 9 p.m.
Class AAA semifinals:
Game 5 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner – Friday, 11:15 a.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner – Friday, 7:15 p.m.
Game 7 – Championship – Saturday, 5:30 p.m.