Mark Barnhart hopes W.Va. boys can counter Ohio’s length | News, Sports, Jobs

St. Marys’ Grant Barnhart (31) defends during the Blue Devils’ Class AA state semifinal matchup against Bluefield in Charleston. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — The familiarity angle is taken care of. The obstacle left to tackle for Mark Barnhart: Devise a rotation and solve the length Team Ohio brings to the table for Friday’s Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Basketball Classic.

Selected to coach Team West Virginia for the second time, and first time since his ballclub lost 113-111 in 2017, Barnhart will be joined by staff — Larry Johnson and Tyler Satterfield — from St. Marys High School in the boys basketball game scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start Friday at Rod Oldham Athletic Center on the campus of Parkersburg South High School.

“It’s unbelievable how many of these guys playing this game have played with each other,” Barnhart said. “All of them have played at one time or another at the Elite Sports Center through different leagues and sometimes with their school teams.

“They do have familiarity, but we still have to put them into groups for Friday night. We will put groups together with a little bit of length because we don’t have as much length as Ohio.”

Barnhart figures that of the 12 members on the West Virginia roster, nine have played either together or against one another a significant amount of time through the years. Several from Team Ohio can be thrown into that mix as well.

Little Kanawha Conference Player of the Year Grant Barnhart from St. Marys and Parkersburg South’s Ashton Mooney are designated captains for Team West Virginia. St. Marys is also represented by Waylon Moore and Brandon Lawhon, While Mooney’s teammate Brady McMullen is also on the roster.

Parkersburg High School received two selections with Bryson Singer and Sammy McCale. Rounding out the West Virginia representatives are Wood County Christian’s Tyler Lanham, Williamstown’s Gavin Bosgraf, Magnolia’s Trevor Williamson, Tyler Consolidated’s Caleb Strode and Ravenswood’s Ashton Miller.

This past season, Barnhart led St. Marys to a semifinal appearance at the Class AA state tournament and was named the LKC Coach of the Year for the second time. The Blue Devils closed the season at 23-3.

“It’s always an honor to do this game because it’s for a wonderful cause,” Barnhart said. “The cause is ultimately the most important thing. When it involves kids, it’s a treat for them. For some of them, it could be their last game. No matter what they do in the future and as they get older, they will look back as something that was fun to do.”

This year marks the 19th edition of the BACF Basketball Classic after a two-year hiatus. The most recent BACF Basketball Classic featured 111 3-point attempts from the West Virginia boys. Ohio won the game 148-107. In the overall series, the West Virginia boys hold a 12-6 edge.

“My 87-year-old mother said when I coached the game a few years ago, ‘Boy, they do a lot of scoring,’” Barnhart said. “To be honest, we never have had that many guys who can score the ball. That’s very unique.

“It’s special to get this opportunity for a game of this magnitude and be around these players. It’s a neat thing for our staff and for players from all levels.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at [email protected]