Published: April 15, 2008 11:55 am      

Keyser athletes shoot for 63rd Kelley

KEYSER - Tyler Logsdon, Blake Mangold and Harley Orrin Staggers III are the nominees this year for the 63rd annual J. Edward Kelley Memorial Award.

The award, co-sponsored by Keyser High and the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 662, is held each year in memory of posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor winner Kelley, who lost his life in a battle in Kesternich, Germany, during World War II.

It traditionally honors a male senior who has been eligible for sports for all four years, with one of those sports being either football or basketball.

According to Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth, "Those two sports are specifically identified because Ed Kelley participated in them while he attended Keyser High School."

Other qualifications include displaying qualities of leadership, patriotism, honesty and courtesy, and maintaining at least a 2.0 grade-point average. A nominee must also be sincere in his work, have good work habits and have a religious affiliation.

Candidates are recommended by the head coaches at the high school, and the winner is selected by an anonymous committee.

The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Church-McKee Arts Center on the campus of Potomac State College.

Logsdon, the son of Jeff and Ena Logsdon of Keyser, has played football and baseball for all four years and also played basketball for three years. As a junior, he was Defensive Player of the Year in football.

Ranked 22nd in his class, he has been a member of the Honor Society for the past two years and has been named to the honor roll all four years.

He was elected class treasurer in the ninth and 10th grades and has been a member of Student Council, High-Y, HOSA and Keyser Krazies.

He was named Student of the Month in the ninth grade and Student Athlete of the Month this year.

Logsdon is a member of the Fountain United Brethren Church, where he has served as acolyte, greeter and usher. He played church league basketball in 11th grade.

A nine-year member of the county 4-H program, he has shown livestock in the Mineral County Fair for eight years.

The busy young man has spent many hours volunteering at food drives, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, tutoring at the After School Program and helping with the Fall Festival at the high school.

He plans to attend Potomac State College.

Mangold, the son of Terry and Lori Mangold of New Creek, has played football and wrestled for all four years.

He served as co-captain of the wrestling team this year and achieved 144 career wins, becoming the school's record holder. He placed fourth at the West Virginia State Championships in the 145-pound weight class during his junior year, and fifth in his senior year.

As a junior, he was the Potomac Valley Conference Champion, the Keyser Kiwanis Champion, the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference Champion and the Roane County Duals Champion.

Mangold serves as president of the Key Club.

Ranked 13th in his class, he is a member of the Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta match honorary, FFA, SADD and Arts and Cultural Enrichment Society.

He has been honored twice as Student of the Month and once as Student Athlete of the Month.

He attends the Keyser Church of the Assumption, where he is active in youth Mass and CCD.

He has participated in Relay for Life and has volunteered many hours for various club activities.

Mangold works to cut and sell firewood and he hopes to continue wrestling and pursue a career in secondary education at West Liberty College.

Staggers, the son of Harley and Leslie Staggers of Keyser, has played football and basketball and also ran track.

As a senior, he is the varsity football captain and was named Honorable Mention All-Area Football 2007.

He was named to All-State Track and All-Star Hot Stove in 2006.

He serves as president of the Student Council and is a member of Hi-Y, ACES and the Keyser Krazies.

With a grade-point average of 3.65, he was elected to the Honor Society and was named Student of the Month.

Staggers was voted Mr. Pep 2008 and was a member of the Homecoming Court in 2007.

He has been named as a recipient of both the PROMISE Scholarship and the Shaw Scholarship.

Staggers is a member of the Keyser Church of the Assumption, where he has served as altar boy and played church league basketball.

He also volunteers with the Hi-Y Harvest holiday and as a member of the school Relay for Life team, and served as traffic director for the 2008 Maple Festival.

He plans to attend Glenville State College, where he will play football and major in business.

Featured speaker for Wednesday's awards ceremony is Joel Beeson, assistant professor at West Virginia University's Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.

Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.