Devastating River Floods Impact Central Region: Our Fight for the 2A Title

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Devastating River Floods Impact Central Region: Our Fight for the 2A Title

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SHOOTING FOR 3 — Catholic Central’s Mara Delaney takes a shot during the OVAC Championship game against River. – Andrew Grimm

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Veteran coach Rick Isaly has dedicated over twenty years to guiding the River girls basketball team. This year, he faced new challenges, but his hard work paid off.

On Saturday night, in a thrilling match at the ECO Center, River (13-8) shocked top-seeded Catholic Central by a score of 55-21 in the OVAC WVU Medicine Class 2A Girls Basketball Championship. This victory marked River’s third consecutive conference title, defying predictions after losing key players to graduation.

“We’ve worked hard for this moment,” Isaly noted. “I’ve never coached harder in my 21 years than I have this year. These girls really have the potential to be champions.”

Freshman Carleigh Trifonoff was a standout, scoring 16 points, including four three-pointers that helped propel River to a solid 16-6 lead early on. By halftime, they were ahead 28-12.

“She really stepped up today,” Isaly said of Trifonoff, who was named the John Howell Most Valuable Player. “I knew from the beginning she could play like this, and today she showed her talent.”

Catholic Central’s coach, Rocky Bragg, recognized his team’s struggles. “We knew this season would bring challenges. Today was another tough shooting day for us,” he shared. The Crusaders shot just over 20 percent in the first half and finished the game at 21.1 percent, struggling to find the basket.

“It felt like the atmosphere was too much for us,” Bragg said, but he remains hopeful. “These girls are determined and hungry to come back stronger next year.”

River’s strong defense was key to their success, particularly in the second quarter when they forced nine turnovers from Catholic Central.

“We practiced against their traps all week, but it felt different in the game,” Bragg admitted. “Everything looks different when you find yourself in the heat of competition.”

River not only had a solid defense but also shared the scoring load. Kaylee Hagan scored 13 points, and Reese Hobbs added 11, combining for 24 points along with Trifonoff. For Catholic Central, Mara Delaney was the top scorer with 12 points, while Mary Rohde grabbed nine rebounds, the highest for her team.

This victory adds to Isaly’s impressive coaching record, with five OVAC championships in eight appearances. River is poised for more success in the future as they continue to build their program.

Final Score:

River 55, Catholic Central 21

Scoring Recap:

  • RIVER: Hobbs 11 (5-13), Trifonoff 16 (6-10), Isaly 7 (3-6), Hagan 13 (4-9), Fox 6 (3-9), Maddy 2 (1-4)
  • CATHOLIC CENTRAL: Rohde 4 (1-5), Bolster 4 (2-5), Cherepko 1 (0-8), Delaney 12 (5-14)

Three-point shots: River made 8 of 16, while Catholic Central managed only 1 of 14.



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