PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers revealed their starting lineup vs. the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Backyard Brawl at Acrisure Stadium.
Quarterback-Eli Holstein Running Back-Desmond Reid Wide Receiver-Kenny Johnson Wide Receiver-Konata Mumpfield Wide Receiver-Raphael “Poppi” Williams Jr. Wide Receiver-Censere “C.J.” Lee Wide Receiver-Daejon Reynolds Tight end-Gavin Bartholomew Left Tackle-Branson Taylor Left Guard-Ryan Jacoby Center-Lyndon Cooper Right Guard-BJ Williams Right Tackle-Ryan Baer
Defensive End-Nate Matlack Defensive Tackle-Nick James Defensive Tackle-Isaiah “Ghost” Neal Defensive End-Jimmy Scott Star Linebacker-Kyle Louis Mike Linebacker-Brandon George Money Linebacker-Rasheem Biles Safety-Donovan McMillon Safety-Javon McIntyre Cornerback-Ryland Gandy Cornerback-Rashad Battle
Sixth year Ryan Jacoby comes back into the starting lineup at left guard after missing the last game against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Fellow sixth year Jason Collier Jr. filled in for him, after Jacoby suffered an injury late in the season opener on Aug. 31.
The Panthers also named five starting wide receivers in sophomore Kenny Johnson, senior Konata Mumpfield, redshirt junior Raphael “Poppi” Williams, junior Censere “C.J.” Lee and redshirt junior Daejon Reynolds.
Sophomore linebacker Rasheem Biles will get his first start of his young career. He starts at money linebacker over fellow sophomore Braylan Lovelace, who started the first two games for the Panthers.
Redshirt freshman Isaiah “Ghost” Neal will start again at defensive tackle along with redshirt sophomore and Indiana transfer Nick James for Pitt. Redshirt junior Nakhi Johnson started at defensive tackle last week vs. Cincinnati.
Pitt will keep redshirt freshman Eli Holstein stays in at starting quarterback for his first Backyard Brawl. He has thrown for three touchdowns each in the first two wins and completed 10-of-11 passes for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Cincinnati, leading to an historic comeback.
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Junior running back Desmond Reid will also make his first start in the Backyard Brawl after starring for the Panthers the first two games of the season.
He rushed for 145 yards and a 46-yard touchdown, plus a 78-yard punt return for a score in the win over the Golden Flashes. He then had 19 carries for 148 yards and six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown vs. the Bearcats, becoming the first Panther to have more than 100 yards in rushing and receiving in a game.
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Four people died in a fire at this mobile home in Junior PHOTO: Alan Coberly
JUNIOR, W.Va. — A late night fire in Barbour County has claimed the lives of four people.
The State Fire Marshal confirms the four adults died in the blaze at a home in the town of Junior. The fire department was alerted just before 11 p.m. Wednesday. They arrived to find a mobile home fully engulfed in flames along River Avenue in the town.
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The fire was out in 15 minutes and the bodies discovered.
The Fire Marshal has investigators on scene. All four victims were adults, but further information is not known.
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — The Moundsville Police Department is investigating a pharmacy break-in that led to the theft of a large amount of narcotics.
Police said the burglary happened in the early morning hours of June 30. Investigators said the suspects broke a window, went behind the pharmacy counter and stole the narcotics.
Authorities believe the suspects are from outside the area.
Police said the suspects used a stolen Infiniti Q50. The vehicle was later recovered by Ohio authorities near Cambridge.
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The investigation is ongoing and involves law enforcement agencies in multiple states.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Moundsville Police Department at 304-845-1611.
The United States Supreme Court issued its long-awaited opinion in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox on Tuesday, ruling that states may exclude transgender athletes from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
The justices were unanimous in their analysis that the laws do not violate civil rights laws. However, the court was split on whether West Virginia’s law stood up to constitutional muster.
The ruling concludes this chapter in the ongoing cultural debate. The Save Women’s Sports Act was overwhelmingly approved by the legislature and signed by then-Gov. Jim Justice in 2021, and was almost immediately challenged in court. The legal battle trudged on for the next five years on its way to becoming a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Tuesday’s ruling settled the legal debate, but the court of public opinion weighed in on the issues long before the justice issued their legal opinions. According to Pew Research, 66 percent of U.S. adults support laws requiring athletes to compete on teams that match their biological sex. A Gallup poll found similar results, with 69 percent of adults supporting such laws.
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West Virginia is not alone in passing a law to protect women’s and girls’ sports. Twenty-six other states have recognized the basic fact that there are differences between males and females and have chosen to pass legislation acknowledging those distinctions in athletic competition.
Lawmakers, who campaigned on protecting women’s and girls’ sports, can now tell constituents that they have fulfilled their campaign promise. The Save Women’s Sports Act is now the law of the land in West Virginia.
“I would say that for the foreseeable future, we have a very certain future for women’s sports. And here in West Virginia, we know what the rules are, we know what the law is, we know that it’s constitutional,” said West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey on Talkline.
Tuesday’s ruling also presents an opportunity for legislators to move on from the issue. Discussions surrounding the topic during the legislative session have been known to grind momentum to a halt, and Republicans running for office over the last five years have made it a centerpiece of their campaigns.
The issue is now settled, at least for now.
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As J.B McCuskey cautioned,
“In the world of constitutional litigation, Dave, there’s never an end to any chapter.”
