All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Upshur County Recreation Complex announces sponsor of 2023 Summer Basketball League

BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Summer Basketball League is set to return with a record number of teams and a league sponsor for summer 2023.

Mitch Shaw, president of the Board of Directors for the Upshur County Recreation Complex, said this will be the second time the nonprofit group has acquired a league sponsor. This year, that sponsor is Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.

“CEC, which is the engineering firm the county is working with on the proposed Rec Complex grounds out on 33, agreed to work with us for our summer league, and then they’re going to be our league sponsor,” Shaw said. “That’s a huge thing for us this year; they’ve agreed to give us a nice sum of money that’s going to help us with our operational costs and make this an actual, worthwhile fundraising event.”

Shaw said there are several operational costs that CEC will cover as the league sponsor, which allows the Upshur County Recreation Complex to collect more money for the fundraiser.

“We’re able to pay all of our referee fees because of having a league sponsor. Our refs get paid per game, and we have two refs per game, so you’re looking at quite a bit of overhead cost there,” Shaw said. “We always wanted to get refs that were qualified, trained-up refs – that way, we weren’t just relying on another player who could be biased. We get refs that are trained by the state of West Virginia and local boards that do high school and some college games.”

Shaw approached CEC about becoming a league sponsor after the firm started working with the county on creating a master plan for a new recreational complex across from Red Rock Road on Old Route 33.

“I reached out through someone that played for CEC’s team last year and said, ‘Hey, would you care to ask them if they’d be interested in being our league sponsor this year?’ and they’re still going to sponsor a team as well,” Shaw said. “CEC really sees the need for a rec complex here in the county, and their employees are going to directly benefit from it, so it’s a win-win for everyone. They’re investing back in the community, and they’re supporting their employees as well.”

The basketball league is an annual fundraiser the Upshur County Recreation Complex established to raise funds to establish a rec complex in Upshur County, and Shaw said that mission will remain the same.

“We’re moving forward as we normally would operate in the assumption that eventually these funds will be allocated towards this facility,” Shaw said. “It’s hard to say if this is going to be our biggest fundraiser, but it is one of the events that gets us the most exposure because we have over 150 people either playing or involved in some way with the league, and then we have updates being posted in the newspaper weekly for the games. That gets all the sponsors recognition, every team sponsor, the banner sponsors — all that good stuff.”

The league already has 17 teams committed to playing, starting in June and ending July 7.

“We’ll be playing Monday through Friday in the evenings at the outdoor court at the Upshur County Rec Park beside the pavilions, behind the football stadium at the high school,” Shaw said. “The county has done a great job of upgrading the court up there, and they put in new backboards and rims last year.”

“We had a lot of problems with those last year because of the wear and tear, so we weren’t able to play up there for very long, but those should be in tip-top shape this year,” he added.

Shaw thanked CEC for their continued support of the league and invited other local businesses to sponsor a team or banners.

“We really want to thank CEC for their sponsorship; that’s a huge thing for us, and we’re looking forward to another great season,” Shaw said. “If there’s any businesses out there that are interested in being either a team sponsor or maybe just having a banner sponsor, we do put up banners along the fence line every year so we can support other sponsorships that maybe just want to help cover some of the costs.”

“That helps us out, and we want to give everybody recognition that helps us out, and we really appreciate all the support that this community has given us throughout the year,” he said.

Keep an eye on the Upshur Recreation Complex’s Facebook page for upcoming announcements about the Summer Basketball League.

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

Turn the page on a long winter: Little Free Libraries are the perfect Spring activity

Little Free Libraries in Upshur County offer free books at numerous locations, fostering community connections and literacy for all ages while encouraging residents to donate, borrow, and share a wide variety of reading materials.

The Colonial Arts Center & CAC Gallery Present: 2025 Vandalia Arts Journal Exhibition

The CAC Gallery will host the inaugural exhibition of The Vandalia Arts Journal from April 25 to May 10, featuring WV Wesleyan College students’ literary and visual works.

Upshur County FFA members compete in the West Virginia Beef Stockman’s Contest at the 2025 Beef Expo

Four Upshur County FFA members gained hands-on experience and new skills while competing in knowledge and evaluation events at the West Virginia Beef Stockman’s Contest during the Beef Expo at WVU Jackson’s Mill.

Buckhannon Zoning Board of Appeals Agenda: May 28, 2025

The City of Buckhannon has released the agenda and public notice for its Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled for May 28, 2025.

Baseball suffers losses to Point Pleasant and University

The Buckhannon-Upshur baseball team fell to Point Pleasant 8-5 then suffered a 16-0 shutout against University, dropping their record to 7-11.

Softball Lady Bucs take down Bearcats by an 8-3 score

Kynnedy Marple pitched a complete-game three-hitter and contributed offensively as Buckhannon-Upshur defeated Grafton 8-3 in a Big 10 Conference softball game, improving the Lady Bucs’ record to 9-7.

Highland Landscaping takes week one lead in men’s golf league standings

Highland Landscaping claimed an early lead in the Buckhannon Country Club Bob Cupp Memorial Golf League, defeating Feola’s Flowers and topping the standings after the opening week of play.

Wesleyan misses out on MEC post season lacrosse tournament as seeds and pairings announced

West Virginia Wesleyan College did not qualify for the 2025 Mountain East Conference Women’s Lacrosse Tournament as seeds and pairings were announced Thursday, with play set to begin Sunday.

Wesleyan lacrosse ends year with 23-5 loss to Charleston

West Virginia Wesleyan women’s lacrosse fell 23-5 to Charleston in their final regular season game, with Charleston dominating offensively and outshooting Wesleyan 34-12 despite standout defensive efforts from Francesca Sloan and Emma Adcock.

Lady Buc lacrosse team downs Morgantown, 9-5

The Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Buc lacrosse team snapped a two-game losing streak with a 9-5 win over Morgantown, led by Mallory Moss’s four goals and Kylie Hull’s 16 saves.

Lacrosse Bucs cruise past St. Albans for third straight win, 12-2

The Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers won their third consecutive lacrosse game, defeating St. Albans 12-2, led by three-goal performances from Braylon Oldaker, Forest Catlin, and Tobias Marple.

Leadership Upshur to host free Community Skills Share event at Parish House

Leadership Upshur and the Upshur Parish House are inviting residents of all ages to a free Community Skills Share event on May 7, featuring practical workshops, demonstrations and door prizes to foster learning and community connection.