East Fairmont seniors raise the bar for Bees
May 26—FAIRMONT — With heights of success the East Fairmont Bees had not climbed in some time — or ever, in some cases — this past year was the kind that resets expectations for a school.
Record-setting win totals and long-awaited returns to postseason play characterized the 2022-23 school year, coming in no small part from efforts that this year's senior class helped reach, both in their play throughout their season, and in the time they put in through four years to get their team to that point. With several notable careers coming to a close, here are a selection of top performances from each of the Bees' graduating athletes.
Lindsey Abel
May 3, 2022: Playing in a sectional double-header against North Marion, Abel hits a home run in each game, a two-run shot in the first game that punctuated a 3-3 performance, and a three-RBI bomb in the second leg. East won both games.
Joey Alvaro
April 25, 2022: Alvaro reaches base three times, scores twice, and helps turn two double plays in a 6-1 win over South Harrison.
March 17, 2022: Alvaro reaches three times, drives in a run, and scores the run which triggered a mercy-rule win in five innings, 12-2, over Liberty.
May 10, 2023: Alvaro pitches one out shy of a complete game in a sectional contest against Oak Glen. Though East would lose 4-0, Alvaro finishes his day on the mound without being charged with an earned run, and strikes out five batters.
Mason Baker
Oct. 23, 2019: Baker helps hold Berkeley Springs to a single goal in a 14-1 sectional semifinals victory.
Evan Bartholow
Sept. 16, 2022: Bartholow catches three passes for 45 yards and snags an interception in a 42-6 win over Braxton County for the Bees, a game that would kick off a six-game winning streak for East.
Oct. 9, 2021: Bartholow makes two catches for 37 yards and returns a kickoff for a touchdown in a 57-22 rout over Philip Barbour on East's homecoming game.
Oct. 28, 2022: Bartholow reels in a seven-yard touchdown catches and totes one carry for five yards in a playoff-clinching 31-6 win over Lewis County.
Tanner Bartholow
Aug. 4, 2022: Bartholow paces the Bees in their outing at the Stonewall Resort, carding a 92 at the six-team event.
Sept. 22, 2020: Bartholow finishes with a 47 at the Marion County Championship, third among all finishers.
Sept. 21, 2022: Bartholow makes All-Conference second team during the Big X Conference tournament, finishing with an 87-stroke day to help East to a top-five finish.
Zoe Boyles
Aug. 31, 2021: Boyles shuts out the Grafton Bearcats in a 2-0 victory for East Fairmont, locking down the goal with 10 saves.
Aug. 24, 2021: Boyles records seven saves for East Fairmont in a season-opening 3-0 win over Wheeling Catholic.
Sept. 10, 2021: Boyles repels several late-game shots by Fairmont Senior to preserve a 1-1 tie between East and West.
Carter Brown
March 21, 2023: Brown reaches base three times, and collects a two-RBI single in the sixth inning which gave East the lead in an eventual 5-4 win over North Marion.
April 15, 2022: Brown goes 3-3 at the plate with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in a 15-3 win over Berkeley Springs.
Eleanor Capuder
Oct. 31, 2020: Capuder puts together a qualifying run at the state cross country meet, finishing 18th to help the Bees to a fourth-place finish.
Sept. 12, 2020: Capuder finishes eighth at the 4th Annual Buffalo Creek Invitationa, helping East Fairmont finish in first place as a team.
Levi Carpenter
Dec. 31, 2022: Carpenter records his 100th career win at the Big X/Cardinal Challenge with a first-period pin.
Feb. 19, 2022: Carpenter punches his ticket to the state wrestling tournament with a win in regionals, one week after being crowned the Big X Conference Champion at 113 pounds, pinning Fairmont Senior's Bryce Nichols in the final.
Aug. 21, 2021: Carpenter scores two goals and assists on a third in a 4-1 win over Frankfort.
March 5, 2022: Carpenter finishes his season strong at the state wrestling meet, finishing as the state runner-up at 113 pounds.
Allie Church
Oct. 21, 2020: Church locks the game down as part of an East Fairmont backline that shuts out North Marion 6-0 in the sectional semifinals.
Morgan Cochran
Feb. 11, 2023: Cochran records a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double along with two steals in a 93-49 win over Herbert Hoover, the record-setting 20th win of the season for East.
Jan. 14, 2023: Cochran puts up eight points, nine rebounds and three steals in a 58-55 win over Sissonville.
Dec. 23, 2021: Cochran pulls down 11 rebounds and nabs four steals to help East move to 5-1 in a 53-49 road win over Hedgesville.
Dec. 21, 2022: Cochran finishes with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double in a top-10 clash against North Marion. East fell 64-51.
Alex Culp
Oct. 7, 2022: Culp powers the Bees to a 34-33 overtime win against Philip Barbour, finishing with seven catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns, while recording 12 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.
Sept. 16, 2022: Culp finishes with three total touchdowns against Braxton County, getting a pick-six and garnering two receiving touchdowns while piling up 92 receiving yards on four catches in a 42-6 win.
Sept. 25, 2020: Culp reels in two interceptions and catches two passes for 31 yards to get East their first win of the season, 31-14, over Cameron.
Oct. 21, 2022: Culp finishes with 124 receiving yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 45-0 win over Berkeley Springs.
Gage Dean
Oct. 14, 2022: Dean blocks for an East Fairmont attack that scores 48 points against Liberty, while holding down the Mountaineers to seven points on defense.
Oct. 23, 2020: Dean finishes with a team-high six tackles and two tackles for loss in a 23-8 win over Hampshire.
Seth Donlin
Sept. 22, 2022: Donlin helps East's backline hold off Keyser in a 2-1 victory.
Oct. 21, 2020: Donlin helps control the ball for East in a 6-0 sectional semifinals win over Frankfort.
Andrew Franks
Jan. 22, 2022: Franks is part of a 200-meter freestyle relay team that claims first place in the Marion County Championship, coming within two seconds of breaking a school record.
Vaughn Frederick
Oct. 28, 2022: Playing in his first action since coming back from an injury, Fredrick carries the ball five times for 27 yards and one touchdown in a 31-6 senior night triumph over Lewis County.
Oct. 9, 2021: Frederick runs in a 17-yard touchdown as part of a 57-22 rout of Philip Barbour.
Matthias Freeman
Jan 22, 2022: Freeman places first in the 100-yard backstroke with a 1:48.26 during the Marion County Championship.
Conner Graffius
May 12, 2023: Graffius delivers the go-ahead hit in extra innings to push the Bees ahead in a 4-3 sectional victory over rival Fairmont Senior. Graffius finished the game 1-2 with two walks, a run scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases.
April 18, 2023: Graffius tallies three hits and throws out a would-be base stealer in a 16-7 victory over Grafton.
Evan Helm
Oct. 21, 2022: Helm gets a sack and helps shutout Berkeley Springs in a 45-0 win for East.
March 4, 2022: Helm makes it to the state heavyweight semifinals, with wins over Independence's Logan Isom and Braxton County's Ryder McLaughlin at the state tournament.
Feb. 5, 2022: Helm claims the Big X conference crown at 285, going undefeated on his way to the top of the podium.
Oct. 28, 2022: Helm finishes with a sack, a tackle for loss and multiple QB hits, including a fourth-quarter hit on a fourth-down pass attempt that sealed a 31-6 win over Lewis County.
Joseph Hutson
Aug. 4, 2022: Hutson cards a 111 at a six-team event at the Stonewall Resort.
Kaytlin Kelley
Aug. 31, 2022: Kelley collects seven kills across two games in a county twi-match, both wins for East Fairmont.
Natalie Kerekes
Sept. 12, 2020: Kerekes finishes 23rd at the 4th Annual Buffalo Creek Invitational, helping East Fairmont finish in first place as a team.
Maddie Lott
Oct. 23, 2021: Lott finishes with a three-goal hat trick to help East Fairmont win their first ever sectional title, 4-1, over Fairmont Senior.
Oct. 20, 2021: Lott scores two goals to start East Fairmont's postseason play, the Bees winning 5-0 over Frankfort.
Aug. 30, 2022: Lott piles up three goals to help East cruise by Grafton, 4-1.
Chris May
Sept. 22, 2022: May helps East's backline hold off Keyser in a 2-1 victory.
Joshua McPherson
Feb. 5, 2022: McPherson qualifies for the state meet in the 500 freestyle, completing a 6:01.16.
April 1, 2021: McPherson finishes the Big X Conference Meet as the runner-up in the 500 freestyle, and places fourth in the 200 freestyle. McPherson was also part of two top-five relay teams, the 200 medley and 200 freestyle.
Darrell Moman
April 4, 2023: Moman finishes in 11th at the Marion County Championships in the 100-meter dash.
April 14, 2023: Moman finishes in 19th at the Husky Invitational in the 400-meter dash.
McKenzie Moyer
Feb. 24, 2023: Moyer scores 13 points with four assists and four steals to help East to a sectional title victory, 66-48, over Philip Barbour. It was the Bees' first sectional title since 2007.
March 1, 2023: Moyer scores 10 points to help East advance to the state tournament for the third time in school history, beating Lincoln 61-51.
Jan 27, 2023: Moyer scores 11, including five in a pivotal fourth-quarter, to help East come back from a 38-36 deficit on the road against Lewis County, 56-51.
Feb. 18, 2022: Moyer finishes with 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals in a 53-29 rout over Hedgesville.
Lucas Mullooly
Oct. 14, 2022: Mullooly blocks for an East Fairmont attack that scores 48 points against Liberty in a 48-7 Bees win.
Nicholas Myers
Sept. 23, 2022: Myers records eight saves in a 2-1 intra-conference win over Elkins.
Tyson Nicholas
Feb. 14, 2023: Nicholas scores six points in a 79-54 senior-night win over Philip Barbour, converting a pair of triples.
Nick O'Dell
Nov. 4, 2022: O'Dell snags an interception in the 102nd East-West game against Fairmont Senior. East dropped the game 46-7.
Oct. 21, 2022: O'Dell comes down with an interception in a dominant 45-0 win over Lewis County.
Oct. 14, 2022: O'Dell finishes with 27 yards on three carries to go with a rushing touchdown in a 48-7 win over Liberty.
Sept. 16, 2022: O'Dell picks off a pass on defense and records 32 rushing yards on offense in a 42-6 win over Braxton County.
Evan Parr
Feb. 14, 2023: Parr goes for 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 79-54 senior night win over Philip Barbour.
Feb. 3, 2022: Parr scores a season-high 27 points with four rebounds and four assists, shooting 5/8 from beyond the arc and only playing in the first three quarters of East's 89-51 win over Philip Barbour.
Dec. 11, 2022: Parr finishes with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, seven steals and a block on 7/11 shooting in a 77-60 win over Scott.
Sept. 5, 2021: Parr scores five goals and two assists in a 7-1 blowout over Berkeley Springs.
Tyler Parrish
Sept. 16, 2022: Parrish racks up three tackles for loss and blocks for a potent offensive day for the Bees in a wire-to-wire 42-6 victory over Braxton County.
Oct. 14, 2022: Parrish blocks for an East Fairmont attack that scores 48 points against Liberty in a 48-7 Bees win.
Zoie Pheasant
May 18, 2022: Pheasant helps a Bees 102.5x4 meter shuttle hurdles team composed of Pheasant, Abreonna Parilak, Allyson Comas, Gabriella Townsend to a fifth-place finish at the state track meet.
Mahaylah Ramage
May 5, 2023: Ramage finishes 21st in the 100-meter dash at the Big X Championships.
Kameryn Smock
March 27, 2023: Smock finishes a multi-hit game against Fairmont Senior with a RBI and a walk. East fell 11-4 on the day.
Kyrston Teagarden
April 12, 2022: Teagarden finishes 10th in the 100-meter dash during a meet at Buckhannon-Upshur.
Connor Tingler
May 9, 2023: Tingler pitches into extras in an eventual 3-1 sectional win over North Marion, pitching 7.2 innings, striking out nine and allowing a single run.
April 12, 2023: Tingler goes 3-4 at the plate with a double, a triple, two runs and an RBI, while pitching 5.2 innings and striking out 11, picking up the win in a 10-4 blowout over Philip Barbour.
April 25, 2022: Tingler pitches six innings of one-run ball against South Harrison, striking out nine while picking up the win on the mound in a 6-1 win.
April 15, 2022: Tingler goes 2-2 at the plate with a walk and a three-run home run, striking out nine on the mound in a 15-3 win over Berkeley Springs in five innings.
Gavin Townsend
Jan. 25, 2023: Townsend swims the 50 freestyle in 31.97 seconds during a meet at Elkins.
April 4, 2023: Townsend finishes 10th in the 100-meter dash at the Marion County Championships.
Riley Trotto
April 4, 2023: Trotto finishes sixth in the 400-meter dash at the Marion County Championships.
Feb. 10, 2023: Trotto picks up a win in day one of the Big X Wrestling Tournament.
Jakob Vincent
March 21, 2023: Vincent sparks a five-run sixth inning for East Fairmont with an RBI double against North Marion. East came out on top 5-4 while Vincent went 2-3 with a double, a run and an RBI.
April 15, 2022: Vincent knocks an RBI double and scores a run in a 15-3 win over Berkeley Springs.
March 12, 2023: Vincent legs out a bunt for an RBI hit, and scores a run in a 4-3 sectional victory over rival Fairmont Senior.
Savannah White
April 4, 2023: White places fifth in the shot put at the Marion County Championships.
Euan Wright
Sept. 22, 2022: Wright helps East's backline hold off Keyser in a 2-1 victory.
Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-2548, on Twitter @nfhenthorn_135 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.
