What a weekend it was for sports fans from the Mingo-Pike County areas!

Belfry Middle School won the state football championship over Louisville Catholic on Sunday. They had to play on back-to-back days. They won in the semi-finals on Saturday by beating T.T. Knight of Louisville.

No one really came close to beating the young Pirates in the playoffs. They rolled over every opponent.

… Both the Tug Valley and Mingo Central cheerleading squads won in the regional tournament on Saturday. The Panthers continued their success and will go for another state title – this time in Class A. Mingo Central won the Region IV title and will go to their first state tournament.

… Both the Mingo Central and Tug Valley football teams made the playoffs. Tug Valley beat Clay County on Friday night to assure a top 16 spot, while Mingo Central stomped Herbert Hoover to help themselves into the playoffs for the first time in school history.

… Tug Valley would have made it in, even with a loss, but they didn’t want that to happen. The Panthers came up with a big win over Class AA Clay. Mingo needed a win and some help from other teams, and it all fell into place for the Miners. (Honestly, I didn’t think they would make it in, but the stars were aligned just right for Mingo Central.)

Other regional teams that made it were Wyoming East, River View, Scott and Wayne – all in Double – A. Logan just missed out finishing ranked No. 17 in Class Triple - A.

… The Mingo Central volleyball team had a good showing in the regional tournament. They just missed out on a trip to the state tournament. But they have improved and have a young team and bright future to look forward too.

… Belfry High School rolled to an easy first round playoff win over Knott County Central. The Pirates played their JV in the second half and reserves were already playing by the second quarter. Belfry continues to be a force in Class 3A in the Bluegrass State.

FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT:

Mingo Central senior running back Joe May rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-0 win over Herbert Hoover. May passed the 1,000 yard mark for the season and has scored 18 touchdowns. The win helped move them into a playoff spot.

Justin Johnson, a junior tailback for Belfry, had been out of the last three games with an injury. But on Friday night, he scored three TDs – the first three times he touched the football. Two by rushing and the other via the pass.

Tug Valley’s senior running back Aaron Muncy rushed for 132 yards and scored both of the Panther’s touchdowns to help his team win. The victory also moved them up a couple of spots in the final rankings in Class A.

The entire Belfry Middle School football team for winning its first-ever state football championship. They dominated the playoffs and finished with an unbelievable 17-0 record.

SHORT STUFF:

J.W. Endicott has returned to the hardwood as one of the assistants for the Tug Valley Lady Panthers basketball squad. Endicott served as a non-comp assistant a few years ago. He has also coached the girl’s squad at Kermit Middle School. It will be good to see this former all-state players back on the sideline and helping out with the Tug Valley hoops program.

… WXCC 96.5 radio will carry both the Tug Valley and Mingo Central football games this weekend. Both teams have to travel to the north to play. Mingo Central plays on Friday night at Keyser. The air time is 7:05 p.m. and the game time is 7:30 p.m. Tug Valley plays at Weirton Madonna on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The air time will be 1:05 p.m.

… WVU has gotten two commitments for the basketball program for next season. Kentucky needs to rework its playoff system for football. The first round games feature teams that should not be anywhere close to the post season. One came from 6-foot-8, 220-pound power forward Devin Williams, a four-star recruit according to many scouting services.

Williams is currently at Monteverde (Fla.) Academy, but is a native of Cincinnati. He’s ranked No. 84 of ESPN’s 100 list and is No. 90 nationally according to Rivals.

He has been called the No. 1 power forward from Ohio. Williams also had offers from Ohio State and Memphis.

Meanwhile, big man Elijah Macon, who previously committed to WVU from Huntington Prep, committed again Saturday night. He is playing another year in Prep School and is getting his grades up to be able to play for the Mountaineers. He was ranked as one of the top power forwards in the country.

… I’m not sure if some WVU fans want to watch anymore games. This year’s team has been a big disappointment. Talk about peaks and valleys. Right now the Mountaineers football team is far down, they will have a tough time climbing back out of the huge canyon they are living in.

However, the Big 12 Conference has announced that the Nov. 10 conference game between West Virginia and Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., will be aired on ABC at 3:30 p.m., ET. The game will have a reverse mirror on ESPN2.

(Kyle Lovern is the sports editor for the Williamson Daily News. Comments or story ideas can be sent to klovern@williamsondailynews.com)