HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The latest marker of achievement in the legendary coaching career of Jefferson High School frontman John Lowery is one that allows his Cougars to play on Semifinal Friday at the state tournament. JHS defeated county and conference rival Washington, 7-1 in the Class AAAA quarterfinals, giving Lowery 1,500 wins in his career guiding the Cougars.
“I have been fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time and we’ve had a lot of people that have contributed and have been interested in the program and supported the program over the years. Great coaches, great boosters, great administrators, it is not a one-man deal. It is a community deal. We have been fortunate in that regard,” Lowery said.
“I tell them that if they can get an education out of baseball, baseball is doing a favor for them. Everyone wants to play in the big leagues, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you can use it to get to school, you like it and it helps get you through school, I think it is a great asset to them.”
The No. 5 Cougars scored three runs in the second inning to build an early lead and they tacked on insurance runs throughout the game. Blake Kutcher, Nayan Dominguez and Liam Healey each drove in runs in the second inning. Healey led Jefferson with two hits and two runs batted in.
Starting pitcher Jett Gross tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits and struck out four.
“The kids did a good job today. I thought Jett pitched extremely well. We got a couple of timely hits. We fielded the ball very well and had a great play at second base [by Teagan Moulton] up the middle to get the out at second.”
Jefferson (29-7) will face No. 1 George Washington (30-5) in the first Class AAAA semifinal Friday at 5 p.m.
Sven Dupree had two of Washington’s (23-11) five hits.
MetroNews broadcast interview from Chris Lawrence with Jefferson head coach John Lowery on earning his 1,500th career victory in the Class AAAA state tournament: #wvprepbase @MetroNewsSports pic.twitter.com/Gzyxo39G6V
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) June 10, 2026