High School Sports

Wheeling Central Girls Returning To Charleston

WHEELING -- Qualifying for the state basketball tournament never gets old.

Just ask Penn Kurtz. He knows that feeling better than about anyone.

The ultra-successful Kurtz is in his 28th campaign as Wheeling Central's head girls' basketball coach. Amazingly, this season marks the 25th time he has taken his Maroon Knight teams to the state tournament.

"There is nothing better than going to the state tournament. It never gets old. It is extra special with this team," Kurtz said after his charges dispatched Ritchie County in the regional title game. "We were 9-11 at one point and these girls could have quit. A lot of people gave up on us. They kept working and kept getting better and we became a very good team again."

That constant improvement helped Kurtz's crew pocket the OVAC Class 2A championship. Making the Central turnaround even more impressive is that the Knights did it without one of their stars. All-state guard and Columbia University-bound Eden Gainer has been sidelined all season due to a knee injury.

Central embarked on its Charleston trip today following practice. The Knights launch tournament play Thursday morning at 9:30 against Gilmer County.

Central (14-11) enters as the No. 6 seed. Gilmer (20-5) is the No. 3 seed.

"I like playing the 9:30 game. You get up and get ready to play," Kurtz said. "You don't have to sit around and wait all day. If we beat Gilmer we play Friday at 11:15 which is also good."

While Gainer has missed the season, Kurtz has relied on his other two senior stars.

Kaylee Reinbeau, a returning all-stater, has turned in another sparkling campaign despite missing some time with an injury. She is also D-I bound, signing to play at Bucknell next year.

Classmate Hannah White, meanwhile, has delivered a superb season, bouncing back from last year's season-ending ACL injury. The 5-foot-7 dynamo poured in 33 points in the Maroon's regional win over Ritchie County.

Reinbeau is averaging 19.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. White, meanwhile, checks in at 17 points and five steals a contest.

"Kaylee and Hannah have had great seasons. Kaylee is a double-double machine, while I am so proud of how Hannah has bounced back from her knee injury," Kurtz said. "They have also provided great senior leadership. I am certain they will be able to calm any of the nerves our younger players may have Thursday."

Central also features two other players who came into the season as returning starters in juniors Marissa Horan and Tristen White.

Horan is a 5-6 sparkplug of a point guard. She is a defensive stopper who can apply excellent ball pressure while also having the ability to knock down the three-ball.

White, meanwhile, is a blue-collar six-footer. She is the ideal complement for Reinbeau as she is a solid rebounder and paint defender.

"Marissa and Tristen mean a lot to this team. They do a lot of things that don't always show up in the box score," Kurtz said.

Rounding out the starting five is Naliah Lekandus. She is a 5-5 bundle of energy.

Alexis Mills, a 5-10 junior, is one of the top players off the bench. She is joined by a promising and productive freshmen class including Elle Canestraro, Lily Vogrin, Reagan Olejasz, Abby Jones and Keiera Wilkinson. Sophomores Sara Gruber, Srena Geyer and Gia Campbell also see time.

In Gilmer County, Central will be facing a well-balanced and athletic squad.

The Titans have just one player scoring in double figures – Trinity Bancroft. The 5-5 sophomore guard averages 16 points a start.

Gilmer will not present a size issue for Central. The Titans have only one player standing at least 5-10, that being Autumn Gibson.

"Gilmer has five players who can score. They run the floor very well," Kurtz said. "They don't press much. They play good half-court defense.

"The big key will be stopping them in transition. We need to make them play offensively in the halfcourt," he added. "I like some of our matchups. I also like how we are playing right now."

Kurtz is supported by a quality staff – Roberta Olejasz and Paul Kurtz. Olejasz is a Wheeling Central Hall of Famer who earned a hoop scholarship to D-1 VCU.

The Central-Gilmer winner will face the survivor of the Parkersburg Catholic (25-0) vs. Tucker County (18-7) contest.

Kurtz has guided Central to state crowns in 2004, 2008 and 2018. Gilmer has one state girls hoop title in its archives.