From left, Williamstown’s Cassie Sites, Sydney Anderson, Ava Lightfritz and Lexi Wynn run with the pack during last month’s Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Inviational. The Yellowjacket girls of head coach Mike Taylor are seeking a four-peat at Saturday’s Chick-fil-A Invitational in Mineral Wells. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — The 23rd annual Chick-fil-A Invitational is set for a 9 a.m. start with the varsity girls on Saturday at the Wood County 4-H Grounds in Mineral Wells.

Parkersburg High School head cross country coach George Angelos is trying to restore a winning culture for the Big Reds, who are ranked sixth by runwv.com in Class AAA for the girls and seventh for the boys.

“I’m really excited about where we’re at as a program,” noted Angelos. “What we’re trying to create as a program has done a complete 180 from just two years ago. It’s been exciting to be a part of, but we’re nowhere near having arrived. How much improved are we? We’ll find out in the coming weeks, including this weekend. I think our ceiling is even a bit higher than those rankings.

“Our boys team is about as tight-knit and committed group as I’ve ever had and our girls team was outstanding last weekend. However, there’s a special DNA to high caliber teams as they are able to grind and take care of every day, week, while having a big picture mindset that extends through October. Most of our athletes haven’t been through something like this, so it will be exciting to see how we mature as the season progresses.”

There will be new champions for the boys. Wheeling Park isn’t in the field and last year’s first-place finisher Aiden Kneeland of Woodrow Wilson is now a junior at Cabell Midland.

Mike Taylor, the head girls coach at Williamstown, would like nothing more than to see his Yellowjackets claim a fourth consecutive Chick-fil-A crown.

The last time the WHS girls didn’t win the title was in 2019 when Winfield posted a 76-86 victory.

“I think we have a good opportunity to do well there,” Taylor said. “Alyssa (Sauro) has been hurt for about three weeks, but she’s going to be good to go Saturday and we’ll find out what kind of shape she’s in.

“I think there’s good competitive teams there. I know Braxton County and Winfield, the number one and two Class AA teams, are going to be there and PHS is going to be there, and they are going to be really competitive.”

East Fairmont is also in the field, which gives the Chick-fil-A the top three double-A girls programs currently ranked in the state.

“We have a good nucleus,” added coach Taylor, whose ‘Jackets are currently the team to beat statewide in single-A. “Four of the five all-staters we had from last year’s championship team are back. Of course, we lost Brianna (Winsett) to graduation, but Cassie (Sites) is filling in for Brianna and we are still a very good team.

“Kate Florence, she came back out for cross country and is starting to step up with Bridget Kirby. They are filling in pretty good at that six and seven runners and starting to make some progress to catch that front group of girls. It’s exciting. We have to keep working hard and try to defend our title, not only at Chick-fil-A but the rest of the season.”

Sauro, who is a junior, will be seeking a three-peat at the event. The thinclad ran a 17:39 as a freshman to top the field and last year she was six seconds faster.

The boys field not only includes No. 7 PHS, but also No. 8 Bridgeport, No. 9 Woodrow Wilson and No. 10 Parkersburg South. Winfield and East Fairmont, the No. 1 and No. 3 teams respectively in double-A are in the field along with the defending Class A state champion Williamstown boys of head man Cliff Taylor. The Yellowjackets are currently the team to beat in Class A, while No. 2 Buffalo, No. 5 Charleston Catholic and No. 7 Tyler Consolidated are also in the field.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com