HUNTINGTON — Huntington Prep and Cabell County Schools are teaming up to bring the nationally recognized basketball program back to the Tri-State, starting with the 2021-22 school year.
Huntington Prep boys coach Arkell Bruce confirmed on Friday that his program has reached an agreement with Cabell County Schools for its student-athletes to attend Huntington High School beginning this fall.
The move brings back a basketball program that has produced several professional athletes in the last decade while providing them with educational experiences that prepare them for their future.
“Huntington High has so much to offer as far as the programs that they can give the guys,†said Bruce, a 1997 Huntington High grad. “And we want to continue to shine a positive light on Huntington.â€
As part of the agreement, Huntington Prep’s players will be able to travel during their season to take part in their national schedule, but the curriculum will be overseen by Huntington High School.
Cabell County Schools Superintendent Ryan Saxe said in a release that the school board was pleased to come to the agreement with Huntington Prep.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult on everyone — especially Huntington Prep, which sat out the 2020-21 year — the learning experiences provided a path for distance learning, which can be utilized by the program as it moves forward with Cabell County Schools, Saxe said.
“The partnership between Cabell County School and Huntington Prep is really a natural fit for the time in which we are living,†Saxe said. “During the past year, our public schools have been developing multiple ways we can serve students, no matter how or where they are learning.
“Huntington Prep’s players have proven their perseverance and resilience in the work they do every day on the basketball court. I believe the academic support we can offer these students will only provide them greater strength as they work toward graduation, a professional sport career or any other path they might eventually choose.â€
In addition to the academic aspect, Bruce and Huntington High Principal Dan Gleason said the educational opportunities provided for Huntington Prep athletes in the public setting will prepare them for their next step in life.
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“Huntington High School will provide these student-athletes excellent academic and social experiences which will prepare them for their postsecondary challenges,†Gleason said. “Our school will be enriched by the addition of these students as they bring their diverse backgrounds from around the country and the world to our community.â€
“It’s a school of the world,†Bruce said. “It’s going to prepare them much better for major university than any other school around here would, so we’re blessed and happy to have that partnership.â€
Founded in 2009, Huntington Prep consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally in high school basketball during its 12 years prior to taking the 2020-21 year off.
Bruce said he is building a roster which features Maki Johnson, a local product from Huntington who is ranked among the top-75 prospects nationally for the Class of 2023.
Johnson has offers from the likes of Louisville, Ohio State, Auburn, Kansas and Virginia Tech.
In addition to working on the roster, Bruce said he is nearing completion of the team’s schedule with the finalization of national events still being worked out.
“We’ll play home games at Huntington High,†Bruce said. “We’ll do triple-headers [Huntington Prep, Huntington High junior varsity and varsity] at HHS. We’ll play a couple games at Teays Valley Christian and maybe a couple in Charleston. We’ll play from Charleston to Huntington for home games.â€
As part of a community-building tool, Bruce is opening up the team’s nickname to suggestions from within Huntington. While he’s partial to Pony Express or Express to play off of Huntington’s basketball tradition, Bruce wants the nickname to belong to the community.
“We want the community to relate more to the team and bridge some gap that may have been missing from previous years,†Bruce said. “We want it to be something that’s relatable to Huntington.â€
Bruce thanked several people for their role in bringing the partnership together, including Saxe, Gleason, Del. Sean Hornbuckle, David Harris, Todd Meadows, Pastor Kevin West and Nick Preservati.
