Webster's Path to the Playoffs

According to the prognosticator on wvtailgatecentral.com, the Webster County Highlanders have a narrow path to make the playoffs.  

Currently, with their win last night, Webster should move up from 21st to 20th place in the battle to be one of the top 16 teams that make the playoffs.  

To move into the 16th slot and a berth in the Class A playoffs, the following results must happen:

1.  Webster beats Clay next Friday (a loss eliminates Webster conclusively).

2.  16th ranked Tyler Consolidated loses next week to 9-0 St. Marys.

3.  17th ranked Clay-Battelle loses next week to 1-8 Madonna.

4.  18th ranked Mt. View loses next week to 7-2 Summers County.

5.  19th ranked Bishop Donohue loses next week to 7-1 Wheeling Central.

The Highlanders need to take care of business against Clay and then see if the cards fall in their favor.

Highlanders on Four Game Win Streak

The Highlander football team won their fourth straight game to improve to six wins, three losses on the season after beating Tygarts Valley 50-28 Friday evening.  

Webster plays its final home game of the season against Clay next Friday "for all the marbles" with a possible playoff berth at stake.  While a loss next week ensures Webster's season will come to an end, a win does not necessarily mean a playoff berth but will depend on the results of other teams ahead of Webster in the rankings.

WV High Court Rules Drunk Driving on Private Property Illegal

Today, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals decided that if you are drunk and drive a motor vehicle anywhere in the State, whether on public or private property, you can be charged with DUI and lose your driver's license.  Previously, a person could only be charged and lose their driver's license if the drunk driving was on a public highway.  Today's decision overruled the prior law.  The full text of the Court's opinion can be found here:  Drunk Driving on Private Property Case

Highlanders Projected to Remain Ranked 21

Based on computer rankings by wvtailgatecentral.com (which uses the same mathematical formula as the WVSSAC rankings), the Highlander football team will remain ranked 21 out of the 44 Class A teams despite their victory Friday against Calhoun County.  

Only the top 16 ranked teams make the playoffs.  Under all possible scenarios, Webster County must win its final two games to finish with seven wins, three losses on the season, to have any chance at the playoffs.  The Highlanders play at one win, seven loss Tygarts Valley next Friday followed by their final home game against Clay County (currently with three wins, five losses) in two weeks.

Rain Soaked Highlanders Prevail at Calhoun County

The constant rain dampened only the Highlanders margin of victory as they prevailed Friday night against the host Calhoun County Red Devils by a score of 16 to 0.  Webster improves to five wins, three losses on the season and will likely move up in the rankings as at least one team ahead of them lost.

Highlanders Inch Closer to Possible Playoff Berth

After their two most recent wins improving their record to four wins, three losses on the season, the Webster County Highlander football team is now ranked 21 out of the 44 Class A teams.  Webster moved up from 24th place to 21st place in the battle to be one of the top 16 teams to qualify for the playoffs.  The Highlanders have three regular season games remaining.  They play at Calhoun County and at Tygarts Valley before returning home for the regular season finale against Clay County.

Former Webster Coach Enjoys Continued Success

Steven Nutter (left, back row) is shown here with the St. Mary's cross country teams he now coaches after leaving Webster County this past Spring.

Former Webster County high school coach Steven Nutter is continuing his successful ways in his new job as head coach for the St. Mary's Blue Devils cross country teams.

Nutter, who led the Highlanders' success in track, cross country, and boys' basketball, coaches both the boys' and girls' cross country teams at St. Mary's.  Recently, the Blue Devils' boys team placed first to win the Little Kanawha Conference Cross Country Championship held at North Bend State Park in Doddridge County on October 13.

Out of the 12 boys' conference teams, Webster placed a distant 11th behind St. Mary's.  Highlander senior Brent Wamsley turned in Webster's best time, finishing 39th out of the 90 boys' runners in the meet.

Also, of the seven girls' teams competing in the LKC championship, St. Mary's finished third, and Webster County was sixth.  Highlander senior Sierra King placed 23rd out of the 62 girls who competed for Webster's best finish in the meet.

Another Lopsided Win for Highlanders

For the second week in a row at Highlander field in Upperglade, the Webster County football team rolled their opponent, this time by a score of 43 to 6 against the winless Ritchie County Rebels. 

Webster put up 36 first half points in a game which junior varsity players saw significant playing time.  Kicker Jared Romano was perfect in five point after touchdown kicks and Webster made a two point conversion on their other touchdown. With the win, the Highlanders improve to four wins, three losses on the season.  Webster travels to Grantsville next Friday to play Calhoun County. 

At halftime, the team and fans honored a fan who has attended every home football game for the past 40 years since the school opened at Upperglade.

Video below shows punter Michael Malcomb with a nice kick.

Sex Offender's Jury Conviction Upheld by WV Supreme Court

WARNING:  The Court's opinion includes graphic details of the sexual assault, summarized below. If you are easily offended by such details, you should leave now.

Today, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the guilty verdict and sentencing of a Webster County man convicted of first degree sexual abuse and sexual abuse by a parent.

According to the opinion of the Court, a father was accused of molesting his seven year old child. The primary evidence against the father was his own statements that he gave to investigating State Police officers.  In those statements, the father admitted to masturbating in bed while the child was also in his bed, and/or that he was teaching the child how to masturabate.  The State also presented the testimony of a psychologist who said the child exhibited signs of sexual abuse.

The father testified that the police beat the statements out of him.  He claimed he was hit in the eye when he would not give a statement to police.  He said his booking photo would show his swollen shut eye, but at the trial the booking photo showed no such thing.

After the jury convicted the father of the two crimes, he was sentenced to concurrent terms of 5 to 25 years and 10 to 20 years, for an effective sentence of 10 to 25 years.

The Supreme Court found no error in the trial, in the jury's verdict, or in the sentence handed down by the Circuit Judge.

The full text of the Court's opinion can be found at this link:

Court Opinion

Highlanders Ranked 24th Out of 44 Class A Teams

After their lopsided win against Meadow Bridge last Friday, the Highlanders improved to an even 3 win, 3 loss record and are currently ranked 24th out of 44 Class A football teams according to rankings released by the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission.  

The WVSSAC rankings determine the top 16 teams that will qualify for the playoffs.  In its remaining four games, the Highlanders face three Class A schools currently ranked below them and one Class AA team.  A sweep of the remaining four games could land Webster County with a high enough ranking to make the playoffs.  

The Highlanders face the Ritchie County Rebels this Friday at Upperglade with a starting game time of 7:00 p.m., with homecoming festivities preceding the kickoff at 6:00 p.m.  The weather is currently forecasted to be clear with game time temperatures in the mid-fifties.

Glenville Basketball Team Includes 3 from Webster County

Former Webster County Highlander basketball players Robbie Cogar (#21 on far left), Hunter Given (#22 fourth from left), and Brett Morris (#23 sixth from right) will play for the Glenville State College Pioneers this upcoming season.

The 2016-17 men's basketball team for the Glenville State College Pioneers includes three former standouts from the Webster County Highlanders. Seniors Brett Morris and Hunter Given are joined by incoming freshman Robbie Cogar as the Pioneers get ready to open their 2016-17 season next month.

Supreme Court Justice Tired of WV Being Raped

"I, for one, am tired of out-of-state companies coming in and raping our state and not providing the citizens their fair share."

So said West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis today during arguments over whether the Mountain Valley Pipeline ("MVP") can force landowners to allow their surveyors onto private property to survey for their proposed pipeline.

MVP lawyers argued the surveyors would cause no damage to landowner's property.  Landowner lawyers argued that the MVP serves no public purpose as no West Virginian would have access to even the first drop of gas flowing through the proposed pipeline and therefore MVP has no right of eminent domain.

MVP's proposed pipeline crosses Webster County from north to south and could generate (if MVP claims are to be believed) as much as $1.6 million in personal property taxes in its first year of operation.

A decision by the high court is expected within 60 days.

Highlanders Rout Meadow Bridge 54 to 6

The Webster County Highlander football team improved to an even three win, three loss record with a rout of the visiting Meadow Bridge Wildcats by a score of 54 to 6 Friday evening.  The Highlanders racked up 19 first quarter points and exploded for another 22 points in the second quarter enroute to a 41 to 6 halftime lead.  The Wildcats only score came on a kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter.  Despite intermittent rain during the game, Highlander fans stayed supportive throughout the game.  Meadow Bridge dropped to one win, six losses on their season.  The Highlanders play next Friday at home against Ritchie County, who are winless in seven games this season.

West Virginia Drug Laws Out of Whack

West Virginia legislators need to take a hard look at penalties for some of its state drug laws.

A person convicted of selling one small marijuana cigarette faces a penalty of not less than one but not more than five years in prison, and/or a $15,000.00 fine.  A person convicted of selling 100 marijuana cigarettes faces the same exact penalty.

1 Joint

Vs.

100 Joints 

Same Penalty

Who's the real drug dealer who needs to be in prison?

Highlanders on Three Game Skid

The ninth ranked Class A Summers County Bobcats proved too tough for the visiting Webster County Highlanders who suffered their third loss in a row by a score of 41 to 6 Friday evening in Hinton.  

The Highlanders' record now stands at two wins and three losses.  They return home Friday, October 7, to host the Meadow Bridge Wildcats.  The Wildcats sport a one win, five loss record this season.