Jul. 7—FAIRMONT — A landmark season earned the North Marion High baseball team kudos from the Marion County Board of Education Tuesday night.
Marion County School Superintendent Donna Hage praised the Huskies for earning entry into the state playoffs for the first time in school history and making it all the way to the championship game.
“It’s always great when you see student athletes be honored,” Hage said to head coach Vic Seccuro and 10 Huskies players. “But it’s even better when you hear people in the community, from your administration and from your coach say ‘this is just a great group of boys.’
“Tonight we don’t just celebrate a state runner up team in baseball— first time in school history— we just celebrate some good students, some good student athletes, role models.”
The Huskies finished 13-8 in the regular season, before defeating East Fairmont, Oak Glenn, and Weir in their sectional matchups, and sweeping the Frankfort Falcons in a best-of-three series to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Since its opening in 1980, North Marion High School had come close many times, but never qualified for the state playoffs. This iteration of the team changed that with top-to-bottom talent.
Every player batted at least .300, headlined by Jace Rinehart (.506), Cruz Tobin (.460), and Cole Malnick (.406). The team also had a visible chemistry with some of its members having played alongside each other since they were 12 years old.
North Marion was first matched up against the top-seeded Independence Patriots, and secured the upset in emphatic fashion, scoring the first four runs in a 7-to-2 win. Rinehart pitched 6 2/3 innings in a dominant display on the mound and Tobin connected for two hits as the Huskies pushed through to the state finals.
Against Logan High School in the title game, the Huskies were on the backfoot from the onset, trailing 4-to-0 after the first inning and never recovering, losing 13-to-0 to the Wildcats.
“Coach Seccuro hoped that the outcome would be different, but it’s not always about the W’s and the L’s in the columns,” Board Vice President Donna Costello said. “It’s about how you have represented, the character you have shown, and the bar you have set for the little ones who are coming up now, and I appreciate that in all of you.”
Seccuro started coaching at North Marion in 2010, and had previously won a state championship at East Fairmont in 1990. Seccuro is retiring from teaching but plans on coaching another year.
Seccuro’s coaching staff during the historic year consisted of Scott Rinehart, Dale Tobin, and Mike Harris Sr.
“Congratulations for your fantastic record this year, and I’ve worked with Coach Seccuro for many years, and we went to school together as kids, and I know he put 100% into what he does,” board member Richard Pellegrin said. “He always loved baseball when we were kids, and then when he got older he coached baseball for many years. I want to congratulate all of you and your coaches.”
The Huskies finished their 2021 campaign 20-8, and graduate four seniors this year— Jace Rinehart, Mike Harris, Brock Troy and Bryce Rhoades.
Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-254 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.