Kyle Lovern

Sports Editor

CHARLESTON – The Tug Valley Panthers are now ranked No. 1 in Class A in the Associated Press high school poll.

Tug Valley will take on the previous No. 1 team Charleston Catholic Wednesday afternoon at the Civic Center in Charleston. CCHS is ranked No. 2.

The Panthers of coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson received eight first place votes. Tug Valley has had a slow climb to the top of the rankings.

Tug Valley won the Class AA title last March, but then moved down to Class A this season because of a drop in enrollment.

Tucker County is ranked No. 3, while Magnolia, another team that dropped from AA to Single A, is ranked No. 4. Parkersburg Catholic is ranked No. 5.

Greater Beckley Christian, the team that Tug Valley beat last Saturday, is now No. 7.

Three Class AA teams from the region are in the middle of the Double A rankings. Tolsia is tied for No. 4, while Westside is No. 6 and Wyoming East No. 7 in this week’s poll.

The Associated Press high school boys basketball poll with first-place votes in parentheses and total points:

Class AAA

TeamRecord Pts. Prev.

1. Martinsburg (5) 17-2 86 2

2. South Charleston (4) 16-1 85 1

3. Woodrow Wilson 15-4 67 3

4. Greenbrier East 17-1 57 5

5. Parkersburg South 15-3 56 4

6. Washington 13-4 44 7

7. Hedgesville 13-4 34 6

8. Morgantown 14-4 18 8

9. Huntington 12-5 17 9

10. George Washington 13-4 15 10

Others receiving votes: Hurricane 11, Princeton 2, Preston 2, Musselman 1.

Class AA

1. Bluefield (9) 14-2 90 1

2. Poca 15-2 74 4

3. Fairmont Senior 13-5 70 2

4. Robert C. Byrd 11-6 56 3

4. Tolsia 12-6 56 5

6. Westside 15-6 54 6

7. Wyoming East 12-6 37 7

8. Webster County 12-3 15 8

T9. Roane County 13-4 12 10

T9. Bridgeport 12-5 12 -

Others receiving votes: Scott 8, Ritchie County 5, North Marion 4, Liberty Raleigh 1, Summers County 1.

Class A

1. Tug Valley (8) 15-3 89 2

2. Charleston Catholic (1) 15-2 79 1

3. Tucker County 14-2 68 3

4. Magnolia 12-4 62 5

5. Parkersburg Catholic 16-3 56 4

6. St. Marys 16-3 44 7

7. Great. Beckley Christian 10-2 34 8

8. Buffalo 15-2 32 6

9. Tygarts Valley 13-4 12 9

10. Valley Fayette 11-6 9 10

Others receiving votes: Clay-Battelle 7, Greenbrier West 2, Notre Dame 1.