Boys Basketball Looks to Bounce Back

Gavin Forgét, Staff Writer

January 23, 2026

Following the disappointment of last year’s 5-17 season, the Wheeling Park High School boys’ basketball team is trying to get back on track. They are currently 3-5, which is not where they want to be, but they still have 11 games to go this season. They have only played three games at home, which, when at home, you tend to play better.

“I’m way more comfortable shooting a three-point shot at home rather than away. I think all my teammates could say the same thing,” said senior JD Williams.

“You play at home, you tend to shoot better, you have a crowd there. We only have [one more] January home game, and we have some in February, and that’s just the way the schedule worked out,” said head coach Michael Jebbia.

This year, the boys have 7 seniors: JD Williams, Kolten Whitmire, Josh Huffman, Mar Rouse, Gahmill Byrd, Marcus Ludolph, and Luca Swartz. Head coach Michael Jebbia explains the benefits of having more than half of the team be seniors.

“We had Kolten Whitmire, JD Williams, and Josh Huffman play a key role as sophomores and juniors, and now provide leadership. It’s been a smoother transition in terms of installing stuff, and they’re just good kids. They’re good kids, good teammates, they practice hard, they play hard, they have a great approach to the game. Kolten, JD, and Josh have been through some games. They were part of the state tournament team in 2024, and Mar Rouse is another player who has really stepped up here. He’s been our sixth man this year and is our leading rebounder,” said head coach Michael Jebbia.

Standout JD Williams also talks about the importance of being a senior for the basketball team.

“As a team, all of our guys have more of a drive to win, knowing that this is our last time we’re going to be able to play together. Last year, we all had a chip on our shoulders, being juniors, and had a rough season. We all came in with a better mindset, and we want to finish this year with something to show for,” said senior JD Williams.

Although the boys sit at 3-5, their schedule hasn’t treated them well. They have played four teams with at least 10 wins on the season, including the season opener against the favorites for states, Morgantown. While some coaches would hit the panic button with a losing record, eight games into the season, head coach Michael Jebbia is still taking it one game at a time.

“We have some good games coming up. We have a few state-ranked games coming on our schedule over the next few weeks, but we’re just trying to take things one at a time,” said head coach Michael Jebbia.

Next 5 Home Games:

1/27 – VS University

2/4 – VS Cambridge

2/24 – VS Parkersburg

2/27 – VS Washington

3/3 – VS Parkersburg South

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About the Contributors

Gavin Forgét, Staff Writer

Gavin Forgét is a staff writer for The Park Press, as well as a junior at Wheeling Park High School. Gavin is also a third-year member of WPHP, the broadcasting program at Wheeling Park High School. Gavin announces Park football games on the radio, as well as both boys’ and girls’ soccer. Additionally, he is a member of the tennis team. In his free time, Gavin likes to listen to music, specifically indie rock. Some of his favorite musical artists are Dominic Fike, Bakar, Tyler, the Creator, and Djo. He also enjoys playing golf with his brother, Aidan, who was a staff writer for The Park Press from 2023 to 2024. Some interesting things about Gavin are that he is a part-time worker at Straub Automotive, he has a pacemaker, and he was born in Maine.

Paige Jones, Staff Writer

Paige is a junior at Wheeling Park High School, and is a new staff writer on the media team. This is her first year writing for The Park Press. Along with other activities, she is a two year member of the WPHS Speech & Debate team. When she is not arguing competitively, she also partakes in Youth Leadership Academy (YLA), Judicial Scholars, Health Sciences & Technology Academy (HSTA), Orchestra, Freshmen Mentor, and REAP Counselor. In company with all of her extracurriculars, she is dual enrolled at Northern Community College, working on an associates degree in Psychology, and taking multiple CP classes at WPHS. After high school, she plans to be a prosecutor.