Rickie A. Buzzard, 62, of Kenna, died March 26, 2016. Elk Funeral Home, Charleston, is honored to handle the arrangements.

Debra Kay (Larch) Bands, 50, of Charleston, passed away Monday, March 28, 2016.

Born April 17, 1965, Debbie was the loving daughter of Jerry Larch and Sandra Larch.

Debbie was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents; mother-in-law, Barbara Bands; and her loving nephew, Bryant Lawrence. She was also preceded in death by several loving pets.

In addition to her parents, left to cherish Debbie's memory are her beloved husband, William Bands; her father-in-law, William Bands; her sisters, Sherry Neely (Matt), Kelly Anderson (Pete) and Bobbi Raines; sister-in-law, Susan Brixius; three nieces; three nephews; two great-nieces; one great-nephew; her father's companion, Janet Haynes; and her beloved dog, Ellie.

Debbie was a friend to so many, and always had an open door for one of her specially prepared meals. Cooking and entertaining was one of Debbie's greatest passions. Debbie loved to throw on a sundress and flip flops and work for hours in her flower gardens. Debbie was loved by so many and will be greatly missed.

A visitation will be held on Friday, April 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar with a graveside service following at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston with Pastor Andy Neely officiating.

Additional information and personal condolences may be found or left at www.kellerfuneralhome.net.

Black, Arley E. — 10 a.m., Black Family Cemetery, Fraziers Bottom.

Burton, Rex — Noon, Danville Church of Christ, Danville.

Hale, Frances B. — 10 a.m., St. Anthony Catholic Church, Charleston.

Jarrell, Mary — 7 p.m., Leonard Johnson Funeral Home, Marmet.

Lanham, Tamma K. — 11 a.m., Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.

Leary, Norma J. — 2 p.m., Handley Funeral Home, Danville.

Murphy, Hearold E. — 2 p.m., Marmet Cemetery, Marmet.

Perrine, Audree M. — 10 a.m., West Virginia Memorial Gardens Chapel, Calvin.

Samples, Stacy J. — 11 a.m., White Cemetery, Camp Creek.

Sharp, Sybil C. — 2 p.m., Casto Funeral Home Chapel, Evans.

Smith, Richard E. — 2 p.m., Waybright Funeral Home, Ripley.

Westfall, Bobby D. — 11 a.m., Green Valley Church of God, St. Albans.

Kids attending the Public Employee's Daycare Center on the state Capitol complex may come home caked in dirt and mud next year, but parents likely won't mind.

As the Gazette-Mail's Samuel Speciale reported, the facility soon will begin work on renovating its playground to create natural learning environments. The playground will have three areas for children to explore: an art area, a butterfly and hummingbird garden and a space for music. The playground will be constructed with natural materials.

Karen Frazier, director of the center, said children are fascinated by nature. Rather than play on the playground equipment, many would rather dig in the dirt.

After some research, Frazier found that fusing playtime with learning has many benefits for children. She decided to give them a bucket of dirt and a bucket of water and let the children explore at their own pace.

"They're learning that if they take water and dirt, they can create something different," Frazier said. "That's very important for their imagination."

Young children tend to be very tactile and learn by doing. Sure, playing in the dirt isn't exactly clean, but the benefits far outweigh the mess.

According to an article from NaturalLearning.org, connecting children to nature can have a positive effect not found through technology. Putting down the iPad and playing outside can help children: develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically; expand their creativity and problem solving skills; enhance their cognitive abilities; improve their academic performance, self-discipline and social relations; and reduce stress, among others.

"The majority of children are in childcare for extended periods of time, often eight to ten hours per day, which makes greening their environment by adding natural elements vital to their overall health and functioning," according to the article.

But the Public Employee's Daycare playground is working to change that. The playground is not just for those kids, but will be open to the public at times when the facility is closed.

"A lot of kids in the community don't have somewhere to go," Fraizer said. "I know it will be used."

Other similar playground renovations are being planned at Oakhurst Child Development Center and Zion Child Development Center.

Great job to the adults who think beyond the norm and embrace creative ways to help kids learn, and great job to these little tykes who are taking an interest in playing outside and getting dirty. We could use a lot more of both.

The more that Donald Trump is forced to expound on issues, the more jaw-dropping gaffes, inconsistencies and contradictions emerge.

That was vividly on display Wednesday when he suggested in an MSNBC interview that under an abortion ban he would want “some form of punishment” meted out to women. His campaign quickly put out a statement reversing that, while denying that it was reversing anything:

“If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed — like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.”

This is quintessential Trump. He wanders into a policy arena unknown to him (meaning any policy arena), says something silly, and then must wiggle out of it either by contradicting himself immediately or by having aides try to clean it up later.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, put out a statement aptly describing Trump. “Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention,” Cruz said.

“On the important issue of the sanctity of life, what’s far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child; it’s also about the mother — and creating a culture that respects her and embraces life. Of course we shouldn’t be talking about punishing women; we should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world.”

Had Trump bothered to learn anything about the pro-life movement since his claimed conversion from his pro-abortion stance, he would know that his stance is unacceptable within the pro-life movement, not to mention with those favoring abortion rights.

Trump does not, however, seem to possess the slightest intellectual curiosity — about beliefs he says he now holds, about foreign policy, about the Constitution or even about the delegate rules (as he let on in CNN’s town hall on Tuesday).

“This is what happens when somebody who is pretending to be pro-life and has a penchant for demeaning women tries to answer tough questions about abortion,” Tim Miller, communications director of the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC, told me.

“Donald has unprecedented unfavorable ratings with women and if he is our nominee we will suffer massive losses down ballot beyond what people are currently predicting.”

We are not alone in noticing how little Trump knows about anything other than his real estate business.

Andrea Mitchell remarked: “He would stop importing oil from Saudi Arabia if they don’t pay more for their defense. We need oil. We are not energy independent. We rely on oil still for our daily needs. He is completely all over the lot. On Iran he complained that Iran isn’t buying our planes. It had to be pointed out to him that Iran is still under sanctions and cannot buy American planes. He thinks North Korea and Iran are the biggest trading partners when North Korea’s biggest trading partner is China. He is completely uneducated about any part of the world.”

It is odd, since he presumably has access to experts (at least he keeps saying he does), staff to provide material to him and plenty of time on his jet to plunge into briefing books.

When he says NATO does not address terrorism (other than the Afghanistan war?!) or will not rule out using nuclear weapons in Europe or wants to let Japan and South Korea get nukes or says things like “The problem is we have the Geneva Conventions, all sorts of rules and regulations, so the soldiers are afraid to fight,” it becomes obvious that he lacks even a rudimentary understanding of national security. (Imagine asking him what specifically is wrong with the Geneva Conventions.)

When he says cutting out “waste and fraud” will take care of Social Security, he plainly has not looked at the facts. There is no reason — other than pure ignorance — for him to say his Supreme Court nominee would look into Hillary Clinton’s email scandal or his sister the judge “signs” bills.

The media keep insisting that this is all a devilishly clever plan to distract the public. Perhaps it is. But what is to be gained, for example, by displaying a shocking lack of understanding as to what the judicial branch does?

It is equally if not more likely that Trump is entirely out of his depth. By his own admission, all he does is work and play golf, so it is not as if he has spent years learning public policy, let alone history and Constitutional law.

Being focused on constantly making money (and ancillary functions like litigation, book tours and social events) does not leave much time for reflection or learning about non-business-related matters.

It is also entirely possible that his massive ego will not allow him to acknowledge what he does not know and get up to speed. The result is a campaign increasingly manic in tone with serial blunders.

Whether he can accumulate 1,237 delegates before the wheels come completely off the (campaign) bus remains an open question.

Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.

They entered as a harmonic duo.

Maxine Davis was on the mandolin, while her twin brother, Nial, played the guitar. The twins were 12, but they knew what they were doing.

They had been playing music for years.

Their mother, Jeanette, had started them in piano lessons when they were little. They sang their first duet in church, "Jesus Loves Me," at the age of 3. Over time, they gradually migrated from the piano keys to string instruments. They could harmonize, were comfortable playing with each other and found a natural ease in performing. They played country songs in talent shows up and down southeastern Ohio.

By the time the pair took the Ohio State Fair stage in 1938, they were practically seasoned musicians. The state fair's amateur competition had attracted hundreds. To whittle down the contestants, Nial and Maxine had to perform for the fair's judges in a preliminary round a few months before the fair. By the time the two traveled to Columbus to compete in the fair, the judges had whittled the entrants down from 200 to about 20, Nial recalled.

"Not bragging, but about every amateur program we went to, we won first place," Nial said.

Nial can't remember what they sang now, but it must have been good. At 12, the Davis twins won the Ohio State Fair's amateur competition. It earned them $50, a fancy cup and a lot of attention.

It especially earned them the attention of radio station WWVA, the home of the Wheeling Jamboree. Two representatives from the station drove to the twins' home in New Lexington, Ohio.

As they were already broadcasting notable names, like Doc Williams, the twins would make a great new addition to the Jamboree's cast, the WWVA representatives told the family. But the allure of fame wasn't enough for Jeanette Davis. She told them her kids, although talented, were too young.

But WWVA persisted. And two years later, when representatives returned to the family's home, Jeanette agreed.

Nial and Maxine moved to Wheeling with their mom. Their father, Nial Sr., stayed behind with their older brother.

The twins would be working for WWVA. They'd do short performances on the radio every day, play in the Saturday night Jamboree and travel throughout the region doing personal appearances.

But before the two could begin, they had to fix one thing - their names.

Nial and Maxine didn't necessarily roll off the tongue. They needed something catchy for radio. The WWVA producers didn't have to look far to find it.

Maxine's sweetness and kind looks had earned her the nickname "Honey," Nial said.

"She was always so cute. ... Mom kept her looking sort of like Shirley Temple all of the time because she had natural curly hair."

"They call her Honey, so we'll just call you Sonny," Nial said the producers told him. "I said, 'OK.'"

They've been Sonny and Honey the Davis Twins ever since.

nnn

On a recent Friday, the twins are sitting next to each other. They're on a love seat in Sonny's St. Albans' home. Sometimes, Honey has a hard time hearing Sonny. But even when they disagree or when Honey asks loudly for Sonny to speak up, they're kind to each other.

It's been 76 years since Sonny and Honey got their start. They ended their musical careers in the 1980s. And since then, they've had a lot of time to reflect. They stuck around Charleston. Honey raised her family in Elkview, and Sonny built a life in St. Albans.

After they got their "big break" with the Ohio State Fair win, the Davis Twins' move to radio proved wise. Throughout their high school careers, Sonny and Honey moved from Wheeling to Fairmont to Youngstown, Ohio and then back to Wheeling to work for various radio stations.

A typical day for the high school juniors entailed a morning performance on WWVA that started at 6 a.m. After they finished their 15-minute musical numbers, they'd head to Wheeling High School for the day. By 2 p.m., they were back on the air for another number and then again at 4 p.m.

After their final radio show, the twins and their mom would pack up the car and head to an evening show. Sometimes, they wouldn't return home until the middle of the night. Then, they'd have to get up and do it all over again.

"We didn't have time to be too sociable," Sonny said. Managing a musical career while trying to finish high school was tough. And when they graduated from Wheeling High School in 1944, an even bigger challenge was thrown their way - World War II.

"We graduated one night and I left for the Navy the next morning," Sonny said. He was gone for two years. It was the first time the siblings had been apart.

A few weeks in the Navy, Sonny said he remembers standing guard at a doorway. He just stood there crying.

"An officer come by and say 'What's the matter Davis? You home sick?'

"I said, 'Yeah.'"

"Boy, did I miss him," Honey said. She had to find a new singer.

When Sonny returned the twins rejoined the Jamboree to even more popularity. At a time when fan mail and mail-in subsciptions gauged a performer's popularity, Sonny and Honey drew many, many fans. In just one day, the pair drew 7,000 pieces of mail, according to a 2013 article in Goldenseal.

WWVA had expanded its power to become a 50,000-watt station in 1942, said Ivan Tribe, author of "Mountaineer Jamboree: Country Music in West Virginia." People could hear Sonny and Honey sing a country duet as far away as Ontario and parts of rural New England. They performed with a number of well-known musicians, like June Carter Cash.

Honey married a fellow WWVA musician and comedian, George "Sleepy" Jeffers. And in 1948, the trio set off for a new market - Charleston.

For years, Sonny worked as a deejay on a number of local stations. Sleepy did, too. Sonny and Honey continued to travel through the region for live performances. And when radio started falling to the wayside, Sonny and Honey made the leap to television. They performed regularly on "The Buddy Starcher Show," which ran on WCHS-TV in Charleston from 1960 to 1966. When Jeffers started a new morning show, "The Sleepy Jeffers Show," Sonny and Honey performed there as well.

Every morning, Charleston residents could turn on WCHS-TV to enjoy live country music and comedic performances. A YouTube clip from the final "Sleepy Jeffers Show" in 1973 shows Sonny and Honey sharing a mic. Sonny tells a corny joke before they begin into "You've Got to be the Greatest."

nnn

They used to know 200 songs by heart, Sonny said. On a recent March afternoon, Sonny is struggling to find the words to a song they recorded many years ago, "You and Me." Sonny still has tons of records of their songs stored away.

"You and me together, life's a pleasure," Sonny sings sweetly. That's all he can come up with. Honey doesn't have any more lyrics to add. She mainly listens.

She admits that she's forgotten a lot of those songs. Sometimes, lyrics will pop into her head, but over time a lot of those tunes have faded. She lets Sonny do most of the talking. He seems to have a better recollection of their youth, their fame.

When Sonny recalls an old scene, like that day they got thousands of pieces of mail at WWVA, Honey will close her eyes, lean her head against the couch and smile. The two just celebrated a birthday together. On March 13, the Davis twins turned 90.

"Ninety is great," Honey said, "if you can remember it."

Sonny tries to remember a different song, "That Little Girl of Mine." He used to sing it to his oldest daughter.

"Those rosy cheeks, those big bright eyes. How sweet she smiles, how cute she cries ..." Sonny sings. He keeps repeating the beginning. "Those rosy cheeks, those big bright eyes ..."

"I can't remember. There's one more verse," Sonny said.

"See, you're the same age as I am," Honey tells him.

They both laugh.

Reach Anna Patrick at anna.patrick@wvgazettemail.com or 304-348-4881.

Dear Readers: I couldn't let April Fools' Day go by without featuring a few of the more colorful letters that have shown up in my mail recently:

Dear Abby: I'm getting ready to undergo my first-ever prostate exam. To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. What should I expect? Also, what's the dress code for something like this? I'm thinking about wearing nice slacks and a collared shirt.

The doctor has been patient and kind. He hasn't put any pressure on me. I want this to be special. I'm thinking about bringing a bottle of wine. After all, it's only the first time once. Advice? - Untouched from the Virgin Islands

Dear Untouched: Your attire isn't as important as your attitude. Just relax and let the doctor "handle'' things. As to the wine, I have it on good authority that a nice bottle of cabernet sauvignon goes well with a prostate exam if you drink enough beforehand.

Dear Abby: I recently got a wedding invitation in the mail. However, it was meant for the previous occupants who used to live here. My question is, would it be wrong for me to crash the wedding?

After all, I DID receive the invitation. I won't make a fuss, and I'll only be there for the free food. - Likes Good Deals in Missouri

Dear Likes: Like so many others.

Dear Abby: My boyfriend won't stop asking me to marry him. The first time he proposed, we were in the middle of a fancy restaurant.

It was very sweet. Naturally, I said yes.

He must have liked the way the restaurant patrons and staff applauded us. Since then, he has proposed to me at a basketball game, in a museum, at a crowded party and in five other restaurants.

When I tell him to stop, he says he loves me so much and wants everyone to know.

What can I do about him? I feel he's turning me into a con artist. We're no better than those people who tell servers it's their birthday just to get a piece of cake. - Engaged in Deceit

Dear Engaged: Your fiance appears to like repeat performances. Now cross your fingers and hope he feels the same way about the wedding night.

Dear Abby: I love it when my husband mows the lawn. He does it shirtless and in his cutoff jeans, and it really gets me going. I'm so turned on by his pasty white skin and beer belly, it's hard for me to control myself.

Unfortunately, he has the same effect on other women in the neighborhood. I see them peeking through their curtains, staring at him. One woman sits on her porch with binoculars, blatantly ogling my man.

What should I do? I considered telling my husband to remain fully clothed when he does yard work, but that punishes him far more than it does them. - Huffy Hoosier

Dear Hoosier: Silly girl. With a husband so mesmerizing, think of the money you could make selling tickets!

Dear Abby: My dog Fred watches your column religiously. I don't think he understands the written word, at least not completely. But he sure tries. He sits there and looks at it intently. Sometimes he slobbers over the horoscopes - he's a Pisces - but never on your column.

I read your column out loud to him, too. He always barks during the funny parts. He's the smartest dog I've ever seen. Abby, I just wanted you to know you have a four-legged fan out there. - Rosie in Roswell

Dear Rosie: I'm "aarf-ully'' touched to know that Fred's a fan.

Wishing you and Fred and all of my readers a Happy April Fools' Day. - Love, Abby

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

By the top of the fifth inning Thursday night, Herbert Hoover was looking at the very real possibility of a 10-run loss to visiting Charleston Catholic in Falling Rock.

Nearly 90 minutes later, the Huskies got a two-run single by junior infielder Tanner Purdy to clinch an 11-10 win over the Irish that put Hoover over the .500 mark for the second time in nine games this season.

"That's what we've done all year. We get runners on and we get them in scoring position, then we can't get them across the plate," Hoover coach Brian Young said. "We've been struggling to get the ball out of the infield and then the last couple of innings we've been able to do so.

"It just goes to show that you don't quit. I'd like to score a little bit more of those early on. It'd make it a lot easier on me."

Hoover upped its record to 5-4 while Catholic slipped to 3-3.

The Irish had complete control of the game until starting pitcher Nick Russo began showing signs of fatigue in the sixth inning with the Irish leading 10-3. Hoover's Aaron Putillion led off the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third when Jake Grayam reached on one of Catholic's eight errors.

Russo got Hoover junior Patrick Mikeal to ground out to third, but then the starter threw nine consecutive pitches out of the strike zone, walking Huskies leadoff hitter Colin Stover and Kody McGraw in the process. Chase Stover then followed with a bases-loaded, two-run single to center that also scored McGraw when Irish center fielder Luke McKown misplayed the bounce after Stover's hit landed.

"We played very well defensively for two-thirds of the game," Catholic coach Bill Mehle said. "They had runners on second and third with one out two or three times and we worked our way out of that ... we made some quality plays. Our pitching ran out of gas there.

"Hoover's obviously an excellent hitting team, and they put some hard-hit balls on us in the last couple of innings."

Catholic had managed to cobble together a significant lead despite the fact that the Irish put their leadoff runner on base just twice in the game. Back-to-back doubles by Brandon Combs and John Hufford in the first inning helped Catholic take an early 2-0 lead, and a two-run single in the second by Trae Swisher highlighted a three-run second inning.

As Catholic's pitching began to fade, however, so did its defense, which committed five errors in the fifth and sixth innings. Meanwhile, Hoover junior Chase King got the call to the mound to start the fifth inning and threw three frames of shutout ball after starting the game at first base.

"He did real well. He came in and threw strikes," Young said of King. "You can't defend a walk, and we had too many walks. At that point [when King entered] I think we had five walks and a hit batsman, and I think three of those six runners scored.

"He came in and threw strikes and kept them off balance."

King struck out three and issued one walk.

Matt Justice went 3 for 4 for Hoover and drove in a pair of runs while Purdy, Chase Stover and McGraw each had two RBIs. Hufford had a pair of doubles and drove in three to lead Catholic.

CHAPMANVILLE - About the only thing Poca junior shortstop Casey Skeens is chewing up faster than opposing pitching these days is the black and white mouthpiece she gnaws on between pitches.

Her offensive exploits, defensive prowess and the aforementioned quickly deteriorating mouthguard were on full display in the opening game of the Chapmanville Lady Tigers Invitational on Thursday afternoon as the Dots cruised to a 10-2 win in five innings over Man to improve to 5-2 on the season.

"I've already ripped it and I'm only seven games into the season," Skeens said of the mouthpiece. "I get so nervous, so I chew on the inside of it and I can feel it falling apart."

She plays anything but nervously, and the Dots show no signs of falling apart thanks in large part to Skeens' presence at the top of the lineup. She's hitting .684 (13 for 19) with a .739 on-base percentage and has registered 11 stolen bases after leading the Kanawha Valley with 32 in the regular season last year.

Skeens added to those totals on Thursday, going 3 for 4 with a pair of RBIs while also swiping two bases against the Hillbillies.

After hitting .500 and earning Class AA all-state special honorable mention last year, Skeens is filling a new defensive position this season at shortstop after playing catcher over her first two seasons at Poca.

"It's different for sure," Skeens said. "In [the second game of the season at] Sissonville I had five balls hit to me, so I was like, 'This is my test.' I fielded them all and threw everyone out so I said, 'All right, I can do this.' Now that we're into the season a little bit I'm confident I can stop any ball that's hit to me."

"She's handled it well," Poca coach David Skeens (no relation) added. "It's made our defense real strong. We've put her out there and that means we can move some people around. She's so athletic, she just wasn't making many outs for us behind the plate."

Skeens also plays center field for the Beverly Bandits, an American Softball Association/USA team based in Frankfort, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

In her first game with the team, Skeens was spotted by Eastern Michigan and, after a visit to the school, committed to roam the outfield for the Eagles after graduating next year.

"It was an overwhelming process to be honest," she said. "I got a call from Bill Conroy who runs the Beverly Bandits and he said, 'I have a spot for you and I want you to be on my team.' My very first time with them, Eastern Michigan saw me and invited me to come up for a visit and from there I just loved it all."

Skeens provides the Dots with more than a Division I-caliber bat and speed. Her leadership was also on display Thursday as she called an infield meeting at the mound in the fourth inning after the Dots yielded the only two runs of the game for Man.

She is the point guard on the Poca girls basketball team and now, as the shortstop, is in a position that requires leadership in both sports. While standing only 5-foot-2, most teammates are looking down at Skeens, but they're looking up to her for direction on the field and on the court.

"I have experience with both of them," she said about the leadership role in both sports. "My coaches have always expected me to be a leader and to be a vocal leader and to lead by example. I strive to be perfect every game and that's what I want my teammates to do, to strive to be absolutely perfect on the field."

"She leads by example, plus she can lead with her verbiage," David Skeens added. "She's the best player I've been around and she can do what she says, too. She expects a lot out of other players and they're following and coming right in line with what's going to make us be the best we can be."

How good Poca can be remains to be seen, but an early-season 9-2 win over Sissonville provided a boost of confidence. The Dots have to contend with what has been a stacked Class AA Region 4 field that has produced the last four state champions (Sissonville last year, Herbert Hoover in 2014 and Wayne in 2012-13).

All three of those Region 4 powers will be playing this weekend in Chapmanville, as will the host Tigers, who are off to a 5-1 start and have handed Poca one of its two losses.

After a 10-19 campaign last year, the Dots are hungry to take a step forward, and no matter what position Skeens has to play, she said she is ready to do whatever it takes to help make that happen.

"This team, David said, 'I need you to just focus on being our shortstop and hitting the ball,' " she said. "I said, 'All right I'll try and do that.' My goal is get to states and that's what I want to do, I want to be a state champion before I graduate high school."

Sophomore starter Garrett Eads tossed a one-hit shutout as Capital blanked host Man 4-0 Thursday in high school baseball.

Eads struck out eight and walked just one in a complete-game effort. Ian Rose went 1 for 2 with two RBIs and Kavin Kincaid knocked in a run for the Cougars, who plated all four runs over the third and fourth innings.

Austin Gent took the loss for Man, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out four in four innings. Seth Chapman doubled for the Hillbillies.

Nitro 16, Monsignor McClancy 0: Andrew Stone pitched a five-inning one-hitter and Jacob Bradley blasted a grand slam to lift the Wildcats (3-4) to a win over New York-based Monsignor McClancy in the Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Also for Nitro, Jason Douglas (three RBIs) and Stone had two hits each and Matt Harrison homered.

Archbishop Haban 15, George Washington 5: Ohio-based Archbishop Haban tallied 11 hits to take down George Washington in the Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Josh Bonner and Travis Erkseach had three RBIs for Haban. Druw Bowen went 2 for 2 with two doubles, Ethan Hartney had two RBIs and Grant Wells knocked in a run for GW (7-2).

South Harrison 7, Ritchie County 4: South Harrison scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to put away visiting Ritchie County. Dakota Jarrett went 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs and Brock Herrod knocked in two runs for the Hawks (5-0). Brody Drinko went 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Rebels.

Hurricane 12, Riverside 2: Katie Adams struck out eight and allowed just two runs on four hits as host Hurricane beat Riverside in four innings. Adams went 2 for 3 at the plate while Zoe Dunlap went 3 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs, Maddie Hebb had a double and two RBIs and Caiti Mathis homered for the Redskins. Kerigan Grady went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs for the Warriors.

Herbert Hoover 10, Westside 0: Herbert Hoover plated nine runs in the bottom of third as the Huskies blanked visiting Westside. Madison Bowles drove in two runs and Kayla Seafler, Rachel Stevens and Taylor Carpenter each tallied an RBI for Hoover (5-4).

Cabell Midland 6, Point Pleasant 3: Cabell Midland scored three runs in the top of the fifth to pull away for a road win. Olivia Canterbury went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs and Victoria Harden added a double and an RBI for the Knights (8-1). Leah Cochran doubled and Tanner King collected two hits for the Big Blacks (6-5).

When Villanova and Oklahoma meet in Saturday night's basketball Final Four, I'd imagine most folks in the Mountain State will root for the Sooners.

OU, after all, is in the Big 12, alongside West Virginia University. The Sooners have helped the league rack up a total of $30.3 million from the NCAA tournament - so far. There are millions of good reasons for Mountaineer fans, anyway, to pull for OU.

Yet I'm torn. I don't know which team to cheer on. I suspect at least a few other old-timers are as well.

See, WVU and Villanova have history. They have Eastern 8 history. (Hoopster Rooster!) They have Atlantic 10 history. They have Big East history. And, as someone who covered much of that history, I, well, have history with all of the above.

If you watched ESPN's "30 for 30" piece on the Big East, you no doubt saw former commissioner Mike Tranghese and Tom Odjakjian. Those men worked with me as I covered WVU navigating into and then out of the Big East.

Yet embedded in my soul is a stretch covering the Big East from June of 1984 to May of 1985.

Ring a bell? Yep. That was the season three league schools - Villanova, St. John's and Georgetown - made the Final Four. (Give yourself bonus points if you knew the fourth was Memphis State.)

I'd rolled the dice working without a full-time job in Pittsburgh and landed an internship as well as stringer work. I wrote for the then-Pittsburgh Press, Associated Press and then-United Press International. (Kids, ask your parents about the latter.)

What I stumbled upon was magic.

Covering games at Pitt's old Fitzgerald Field House, I met and interviewed college basketball legends. I watched incredible talent and unforgettable characters. Little did I know, I was knee-deep in very special proceedings. It only grew my love for the games I cover.

Pitt's Roy Chipman had nice talent that year: Charles Smith, Curtis Aiken and Demetreus Gore. The team finished with a respectable 17 wins. But it couldn't hang with the tornado of talent that blew through the Big East.

Georgetown had Patrick Ewing and company. (I once interviewed Ewing and shook his hand. In doing so, I looked down. My hand disappeared as a child's would in that of an adult.) Syracuse had Rafael Addison and "Pearl" Washington. (I've written about scorekeeping for a "Pearl" game.) You could go down the line. Boston College had Michael Adams. Seton Hall had Andre McCloud.

Two memories, however, glow in my mind. The first had to do with St. John's, which won the Big East regular-season title that year with Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and Bill Wennington. More specifically, though, it had to do with the coach, Luigi P. "Lou" Carnesseca.

As a young reporter working for the Associated Press that day, I had to get quotes from both teams. I went first to Pitt's press conference before dashing back to the St. John's locker room. What I found was the SJU presser had broken up. I saw, however, a drooping Carnesseca.

"Coach," I said, "I'm sorry I missed your press conference, but could I just ask a couple questions?"

"Sure, son," he smiled weakly. "If you don't mind sitting down with me I'll give you as long as you need. I'm just not feeling too well."

We sat on a wooden bench and he was kind enough to do so.

Yet it was that day, that January day, he first wore the famous "Sweater." Because St. John's won that day, he continued to wear his "lucky sweater" as his team rode into the Final Four. When his team met up with Georgetown, coach John Thompson famously unveiled his sport coat - with a replica of the sweater underneath. The streak ended that day.

Yet the hideously famous red, blue and brown "Sweater" will go down in college lore. Today, it sits in the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. And I was fortunate enough to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Carnesseca that afternoon as he broke it in.

The other vivid memory centered on Villanova. I chuckle because the coach then wasn't as dapper as today's Jay Wright. It was quite the opposite, a disheveled cross between Danny DeVito and Joe Pesci: Rollie Massimino.

In case you're unaware, the Wildcats pulled off one of the most remarkable and stunning national championship victories that season. They beat Georgetown in the finals by shooting 78.6 percent from the floor.

But the season before, while covering WVU's football team in the Hall of Fame Classic, I'd met the main characters: Massimino, Ed Pinckney, Dwayne McClain, Harold Pressley and the gang. I was working for the Martinsburg paper that year and was sent to cover the bowl. As an aside, we were given hoops passes for the Birmingham Classic, which pitted Alabama-Birmingham and Villanova.

What the heck, right? I went and, afterward, simply introduced myself. (I didn't cover it because who in Martinsburg cared about a Villanova-UAB hoops game in 1983?) Little did I know that bunch would go on to provide one of the most amazing NCAA tournament runs in history.

Little did I know what I was witnessing that season. The kicker? WVU and Marshall were having good seasons as well. Gale Catlett's crew, complete with Lester Rowe and Dale Blaney, were winning the Atlantic 10. (Villanova had left the league five years prior.) MU, under Rick Huckabay, won the Southern Conference tournament and went on to play VCU in the NCAA event.

So it was a special time. You'll have to forgive me if I do root for the Wildcats on Saturday. Within the Big East, there were characters, there were special moments. I don't know if the Big 12 can recreate the magic, the texture, of that season. I don't know if any league ever can - ever.

Yet the Big 12 has a heck of a coaching lineup. There are indeed characters within. And many in West Virginia would love to see something similar.

Don't we all, after all, love magic shows?.

HUNTINGTON - The best example of Chase Litton's confidence may not come from his work behind center.

Picture this, if you can: A raw freshman quarterback, still months from his first collegiate snap, comes into a coach's office and recommends a former teammate to walk on to the team.

Not a former football teammate, a former basketball teammate, one who is on a Division I scholarship.

Again, that's in basketball. And add this: The prospective walk-on didn't play football after his freshman year in high school.

Yeah, go ahead and sell that to a college football head coach.

"Chase Litton came to me," recalls Marshall coach Doc Holliday. "You know how kids come to you and tell you that somebody wants to walk on, they're a good player. About 90 percent of the time, you're wrong."

Meet Michael Clark, who looks more and more like a member of that other 10 percent. The 6-foot-7 sophomore from St. Petersburg, Florida, has not only been accepted into the Thundering Herd fold, he seems likely to play.

The only question is how much.

This spring, he is sharing snaps at "X" receiver with veteran Justin Hunt and sophomore Raylen Elzy. He isn't getting cheated on first-team reps, either, running routes against a promising (if not tall) cornerback in T.J. Griffin.

Clark is using his size, which you can't coach, and a newfound strength to get position and snag passes out of the sky. He doesn't look out of place.

"He's a gifted athlete," Holliday said. "There's a big difference in him right now than what I first saw when he first got here in August, because of his strength. When he was a basketball player, he never got in that weight room like he should have."

Clark played his basketball at St. Francis in 2014-15. He played 43 minutes over 12 games, with six points and six rebounds.

He said Thursday he was thinking of giving football a try even before his first dribble on the campus in Loretto, Pennsylvania.

"It probably started in high school, my senior year. I didn't feel satisfied," he said. "I was happy I got a Division I scholarship, but felt like I was cutting myself short, so I did a lot of asking questions. It wasn't a simple decision, though."

He called around to friends about certain schools and dialed up Litton, a Tampa native. The two played AAU ball against each other in fifth and sixth grade, but became teammates for several years after their teams merged.

As Clark considered his options, he didn't know a lot about Marshall, except that Litton was going there.

That and, "Randy Moss. That's about it," Clark said.

Yes, that name is still attracting wide receivers, as a generation who watched Moss' 14-year NFL career grows up. The thing is, college players have gotten to the age where they are too young to remember Moss playing at Marshall.

By March 2015, Litton was starting his first spring season and Clark was hooped out.

"It was last year around this time," Litton said. "Mike was telling me he had stopped playing basketball at St. Francis, and he told me if I just get him a shot, give him a look with Marshall. I showed some [video] to my coaches, and it all worked itself out.

"We got him here for camp, and now we see him now."

Clark put on No. 83 in August and felt his way through a redshirt season, causing trouble for starting corners as a scout-teamer. Now he's No. 7, his weight has increased from 200 to 211 pounds, and he presents a mismatch for the Herd's young corners.

"Adjustment-wise, getting ready for physical contact, I have a frame," he said. "I'd never really been around a weight room at all until this year."

Litton said Clark has taken advantage, and then some.

"His numbers have shot through the roof," Litton said. "He's gone up 150 [pounds] on bench, 200 on squat. You can just tell his work ethic is 10 times harder. He really wants to play and he really wants to succeed at the sport."

Oh, and Clark's vertical jump has been a point of emphasis, as if he needed it.

"Thirty-five, 37 [inches], which is kind of crazy when you're 6-7," Litton said. "But we'll take it; he's an athlete."

BRIEFLY: The Herd dons full pads for its third workout at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday pattern repeats next week.

Patricia K. Kendall, 78, of Little Birch, died March 30, 2016. Service will be 4 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Greene-Robertson Funeral Home, Sutton, with visitation one hour prior.

James C. Hultin, 75, of Milton, passed from his earthly home on March 30, 2016 at Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House on the banks of a river called Ohio.

He was born Sept. 4, 1940 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of the late Edwin Carl and Selma D. Nelson Hultin. He served during Vietnam in the United States Army. Jim was a retired producer for West Virginia Public Television. He will be remembered for his passion for music. He played with the Marshall Jazz Ensemble and the Greater Huntington Symphonic Band.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Barbara Ann Korpowski Hultin. He is also survived by two daughters, Britta Moss (David) and Kimberly McDonald (Keith), and three grandchildren, Bradley Moss, Amelia Moss and Matthew McDonald.

Funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Wallace Funeral Home, Milton, with Chaplain Greg Creasy officiating. Friends may visit one hour prior to the service on Saturday at Wallace Funeral Home, Milton. Inurnment will be at a later date at Rittman Cemetery, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House or the Greater Huntington Symphonic Band.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.

Mrs. Juanita Harrah, 95, died peacefully on March 30, 2016 in Aiken, SC. Juanita was born in Powellton, WV, and was the daughter of the late Wyatt and Mattie Oxley. She was preceded in death by her husband Dale Harrah, son Kent Harrah, brother Wyatt Oxley, and sisters June Williams, Louise King and Reba Elkins.

Mrs. Harrah is survived by her daughter Tamara Jones of Aiken, SC, sisters Shirley Grose, Beckley, WV, and Bette Jo Sturgill, Beltsville, MD, and brothers Tom Oxley, Indian Trail, NC, Don Oxley, Orange Park, FL, and Phil Oxley, Chesapeake, VA. She is also survived by her grandchildren Brian Jones, Albuquerque, NM, Mike Jones, Cornelius, NC, Jessica Bronson, Los Angeles, CA, Richard Harrah, Seattle, WA, Jeff Harrah, Long Beach CA, and seven great-grandchildren.

Juanita lived most of her life in West Virginia where she worked at John W. Eye Co. She moved to Aiken, SC, to be closer to her loving daughter Tammy. She enjoyed playing computer games and was especially proud of her Jeopardy skills. Juanita will be remembered by family and friends for her quick wit and kind heart that brightened the life of those around her.

A memorial service and entombment will be held at a later date at the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum in Beckley, WV.

Family and friends wishing to make a memorial contribution can send it to Trinity on Laurens, 213 Laurens St. NW, Aiken, SC 29801.

Elsie Marie Garrett, 74, of St. Albans, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at home.

She was preceded in death by daughter, Teresa Garrett; two granddaughters, Tracie and Marissa; sister, Aileen Atkinson; and parents, Russell and Junie Schultz.

She was a Christian and attended Grace Baptist Temple, St. Albans, and Alum Creek Independent Missionary Baptist Church.

She is survived by sons, Wesley Garrett and Craig Garrett; daughters, Sherry (Greg) Kirby, Lisa (John) Nomar and Bobbie (Robert) Cobb; seven grandchildren, Wesley, Adam, Travis, Ryan, Mitchell, Devin and Breanna; and sisters, Carol (Richard) Barger, Gloria (Carl) Johnson, Judy (Sterling) Ball and Marlene (Dale) Lacy.

A private family graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Schultz Cemetery, South Charleston, with Pastor Frank Chapman officiating.

The family would like to give a special thank you to Hospice, especially her nurse, Joan.

Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting www.curryfuneralhome.org.

Curry Funeral Home, 2097 Childress Road, Alum Creek, has been family owned and operated since 1950.

Sonya Beth Blake Chapman, 78, of Craigsville, went home to be with the Lord and her late husband, Raymond, on Monday, March 28, 2016 at Summersville Regional Medical Center, Summersville, after injuries sustained in a traumatic car accident.

Sonya was born Dec. 15, 1937 in Curtin to the late Gayel Lester and Della Gray Stacy Blake. She was a devoted wife and a loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She always doted over her grandchildren. She enjoyed knitting and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. She was a member of Temple Baptist Church in Craigsville and was also the pianist. She worked at and held numerous jobs over the years; she was employed by Gainer Enterprises for 30 years as a secretary, she served as a personal assistant to Carl Gainer, served on the Richwood City Park Board, Craigsville Cemetery and the Richwood City Chamber of Commerce and president of the RHS Alumni Association. She served as co-director, along with her late husband, for the Richwood Feast of the Ramson for over 30 years. She was still working as a tax consultant and for her son, Craig. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Raymond Hugh Chapman, and son, Jeffrey Ray Chapman.

Survivors include five children, Beth Ann Chapman and fiance, Greg Carden, of Fredericksburg, Va., D. Craig Chapman and wife, Lee, of Summersville, Col. Bryan K. Chapman and wife, Melissa, of New Delhi, India, Dewayne A. Chapman and wife, Jessica, of Canvas and Michelle and husband, Jamie Woods, of Craigsville; three siblings, David Blake of Craigsville, Judy and husband, John Greer, of Richwood and Nancy and husband, Jerry Mullins, of Chandler, Ariz.; eight grandchildren, Christopher Chapman, Elizabeth Chapman, Alyssa Chapman, Alex Woods, Josie Chapman, Aidan Chapman, Skylar Chapman and Zane Chapman; one great-granddaughter, Madeline Chapman; several nieces and nephews; and a ton of friends.

Funeral service will be 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Temple Baptist Church, Craigsville. Interment will follow at Craigsville Cemetery, Craigsville.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the RHS Alumni Association, P.O. Box 408, Richwood, WV 26261.

Simons-Coleman Funeral Home, Richwood, is in charge of all arrangements.

Donald K. "Si" Chaffins, 87, of Smithers, died March 30, 2016. O'Dell Funeral Home, Montgomery, is in charge of arrangements.

Rickie A. Buzzard, 62, of Kenna, passed away March 26, 2016.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ira and Mary Buzzard, and a brother, Robert.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sharon; sons, Ricky J. of Kenna, Jason A. (Tracy) of St. Albans and Christopher L. of Kenna; granddaughter, Jessica; brothers, Lonnie of Kanawha City and Lester of Leon; and several nieces and nephews.

Private memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Elk Funeral Home, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave., Charleston. Family will receive friends from noon until service time Saturday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Hubbard Hospice House West, 4605 MacCorkle Ave. SW, Charleston, WV 25309.

Elk Funeral Home, Charleston, is honored to serve the Buzzard family.