Thursday, November 18, 2010

Riverhawks at home - Friday.




The WVU Parkersburg Riverhawk basketball team will be at home this Friday, Nov. 19 sorta......the game will actually be played at PHS beginning at 7:00 pm. Admission is free so come on out for a really cheap date and support your team. They are currently 1-1 on the young season having defeated Rio Grande U. and losing a tough one at OU Zanesville. See you there.


Riverhawks Defeat Rio Grande, 87-76

by Abbie Sweeney

The Riverhawks won their first game of their season against Rio Grande 76-87. Rio Grande had not lost a game in their season until this loss to the Riverhawks.

Number 45 Cameron Lancaster won the tip off and then Sophomore Anthony Caplinger scored with a three-point shot to start off the game. Not even 20 seconds later, number 41 Sean Michael scored another three-point shot making the score 6-0 Riverhawks.

However, at half time, Rio Grande had the lead 42-40 by scoring the last two points three seconds before the buzzer went off to end the first half. “We need to shutdown their inside passing,” said Coach Louis Roy after coming out of the locker room. He also stated that the players needed to “move the ball around more.”

The game intensified in the second half. Number 31 Keith Penn received his fourth foul but signed to Coach Roy that he wanted to stay in the game. “I knew I was not going to make my last foul,” said Penn. He explained that when most players know they can’t foul again they play smarter and less aggressive which Penn actually thinks helped him to play better.

Number 43 Alex Tracewell was fouled In the fourth quarter with the referee explaining clearly to the Rio Grande players, “You can’t touch people.” A fan member shouted out “nice fake” because hardly anyone from Rio Grande believed that Tracewell was truly fouled. Fans were wishing that the referees would just “let them (the players) play ball.”

But Tracewell wasn’t the only source of disagreement for the Rio Grande fans and players. Penn was fouled in the fourth quarter, also, and stepped up to the line to shoot four shots. The first two were because of a regular one and one. The second two were added because of a technical against #52 for Rio Grande, and then the Rio Grande coach himself. It wasn’t made quite clear if Penn should have received four shots. One of the fan members for Rio Grande was screaming “Can I shoot one? Why doesn’t everyone just get a shot?”

The next game for the Riverhawks will be Nov. 17th, against Ohio University at their Zanesville campus.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Profile of Sophomore Basketball Player Anthony Caplinger


by Abbie Sweeney

Sophomore Anthony Caplinger (jersey number 21) started his basketball career in fifth grade at Fairplains Elementary School. He then transferred his skills to Edison Junior High School. In his ninth grade year he decided to play for a recreational league at Jefferson Elementary School. When it was time to move on to high school, Caplinger attended Parkersburg South where he chose to play basketball all three years.

His senior year was the time when Caplinger’s skills seemed to be given the most credit. He was MVP at the Ground Hog Tournament, he was third team all state, he won athlete of the week, and he also won many player of the week awards.

Caplinger took a break from basketball his freshman year of college, but then decided to play for WVU Parkersburg this year. “I was already coming to this school and I love basketball so I decided to play because we have an awesome group of guys here and its actually pretty fun to play here,” Caplinger said.

The team consists of 14 traveling players and 22 overall players. “We have an excellent team this year” Coach Louis Roy said. According to Roy, the Riverhawks have a better schedule this year and had more practice time before their first game.

Even though this is Caplinger’s first year playing basketball for the Riverhawks, he has taken on the role of a captain along with his teammate Rodeny Shawver. “My role as captain is to just be the leader of my team and keep our attitudes right and keep the team focused,” Caplinger said.

Throughout his basketball profession, Caplinger’s family has tried to support his as much as possible. “They come to my games and help me raise money that I need to for certain things,” Caplinger said.

Next year he plans on playing for the Riverhawks. As for his educational pursuits, he might transfer in a couple years or he may graduate from WVU Parkersburg. He is unsure of his major right now, but plans on doing something with psychology.