Seoul, Dec 30 (IANS): South Korean companies are poised to showcase their advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at CES 2025, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT trade show, scheduled to open in Las Vegas next week. Not only will major home appliance companies like Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. participate, but other prominent Korean firms, such as SK hynix Inc., SK Telecom Co. and Hyundai Mobis Co., will also unveil cutting-edge innovations. AI is expected to dominate this year's CES, scheduled for January 7-10, at the Las Vegas Convention Center under the theme "Dive In,” reports Yonhap news agency. Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone and memory chipmaker, will present its AI-powered smart home concept, "AI for All: Connectivity in the Age of AI." The company plans to introduce its latest home appliance lineup, including the new Bespoke refrigerator, washer and dryer, all integrated with its AI-driven SmartThings connectivity, enabling seamless integration and remote monitoring of its devices. In addition, Samsung will preview its first air-to-water heat pump lineup for the North American market at CES 2025, aiming to expand its footprint in the growing U.S. heating, ventilation and air conditioning sector. Currently available in Europe under the Eco Heating System (EHS) brand, these energy-efficient systems use ambient air heat for heating and hot water. Affiliates of Samsung Electronics -- Samsung SDS Co. and Samsung Display Co. -- will have separate booths to showcase their innovations to potential global clients. LG Electronics, which has been expanding its business portfolio to business-to-business segments, including automotive electronics and air solutions businesses, will also spotlight its latest AI-powered technologies. The company will host an interactive space featuring its in-cabin sensing solutions, designed to detect driver behavior and the interior conditions of vehicles. Visitors can experience a driving simulator that monitors not only their motions but also emotions, as well as heart rates, to provide alerts in case of emergencies. Additionally, LG will display its AI-powered refrigerators and dishwashers, further demonstrating its commitment to smart home solutions. SK Telecom and SK hynix will share a booth to present their efforts in AI data centres and chips. SK Telecom will feature a 6-meter LED pillar at the centre of its exhibit, highlighting four AI data centre solutions: energy, AI, operations and security. The company will also showcase its AI assistant, aster, slated for launch in the North American market next year, and announce its service plans. SK hynix, a leader in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sector, will show off its 16-layer HBM3E chips, currently the most advanced HBM products available in the world. Hyundai Mobis Co., an auto parts-making affiliate of South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, also plans to join the upcoming CES to showcase its cutting-edge technologies, including its holographic windshield display and human-centric interior lighting system.
Stock Market Today: Sensex, Nifty decline in morning trade; laggards listMORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley is being reunited with Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Rodriguez, who was hired for his second stint as West Virginia's coach on Dec. 12, announced Sunday that he hired the 31-year-old Alley as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. “Zac is one of the top young defensive coordinators in the country and has proven his ability to lead and be an innovator at different stops during his career,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I have worked with him several seasons, and he constantly impresses me with his ability to blend schemes with his personnel and develop winning results.” Under Rodriguez, Alley spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Jacksonville State. Alley was the youngest defensive coordinator in the Bowl Subdivision at Louisiana-Monroe in 2021 when Rodriguez was the Warhawks’ offensive coordinator. In Alley’s lone season at Oklahoma, the Sooners ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense, allowing 318 yards per game. “I have tremendous respect for Coach Rod, as I’ve seen how he develops players and builds a program,” Alley said. “I look forward to working with the players and doing my part to help WVU be one of the top teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation.” Alley worked under Oklahoma coach Brent Venables as a graduate assistant at Clemson from 2015 to 2018 when Venables was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach there. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Beyond Air, Inc. ( NASDAQ:XAIR – Get Free Report ) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,180,000 shares, a decline of 24.4% from the November 30th total of 1,560,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 751,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Beyond Air An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Beyond Air stock. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Beyond Air, Inc. ( NASDAQ:XAIR – Free Report ) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 87,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. owned about 0.19% of Beyond Air at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors own 31.50% of the company’s stock. Beyond Air Trading Down 2.0 % NASDAQ XAIR opened at $0.44 on Friday. Beyond Air has a 52-week low of $0.30 and a 52-week high of $2.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $0.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.76 million, a P/E ratio of -0.31 and a beta of -0.23. The company has a quick ratio of 5.38, a current ratio of 5.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. About Beyond Air ( Get Free Report ) Beyond Air, Inc operates as a commercial-stage medical device and biopharmaceutical company in the United States. The company engages in the development of LungFit platform, a nitric oxide generator and delivery system. It offers LungFit PH for the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Beyond Air Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Beyond Air and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
India News | Bleeding Constitution from a Thousand Cuts: Mahua Moitra Slams GovtAmericans need another disco ball to dance under
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet approved a temporary U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement Tuesday that will put a pause to the fighting with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. On Tuesday, Scripps News spoke with former U.N. Ambassador and former National Security Adviser John Bolton about the agreement and its implications. Bolton said he didn't believe the agreement would cause long-lasting changes in the conflict. "The duration of the cease-fire is 60 days, meaning that it takes the government of Israel out of the Biden administration, into the Trump administration, where they expect to have a more favorable audience," Bolton said. "The provisions of the cease-fire agreement do allow Israel to take military action during this 60-day period if Hezbollah tries to infiltrate back into southern Lebanon, which I think is very highly likely." RELATED STORY | Israel's Netanyahu voices support for ceasefire deal with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon "There's some optics here, there's some American politics involved, because Netanyahu and the Israelis fear that the Biden administration may do something negative on their way out the door," Bolton told Scripps News. "I think it's a temporary accommodation and one that's really very shaky, even from the beginning." It’s not clear if the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which is a separate conflict. Also in the interview, Bolton spoke about the possibility of new North American tariffs under the incoming Trump administration, as well as the national security implications of some of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominations. Watch the full interview with Bolton in the attached video.WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday the 2023 debt ceiling extension agreed by then House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden will "go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years." Under the 2023 budget deal Congress suspended the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025. The U.S. Treasury will be able to pay its bills for several months beyond that deadline, but Congress will have to address the issue, possibly around mid-year. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "The extension of the Debt Ceiling by a previous Speaker of the House, a good man and a friend of mine ... will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years." He added, "The Democrats must be forced to take a vote on this treacherous issue NOW, during the Biden Administration, and not in June. They should be blamed for this potential disaster, not the Republicans!" Republicans, however, will control both chambers of Congress beginning on Jan. 3 and at least some of the party's lawmakers would have to go along with a debt limit increase or elimination in order for it to become law. Without the 2023 debt limit increase, the United States would have seen a historic default on its debt payments that would have roiled financial markets worldwide. A debt default would also likely have brought a downgrade in the U.S. credit rating, raising borrowing costs for businesses and individuals. At the time, several far-right Republicans in the House of Representatives had pushed for deeper federal spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt limit than what had been negotiated. About a week ago, with U.S. government discretionary funding due to expire on Dec. 20, Trump, encouraged by billionaire Elon Musk, demanded the debt limit either be eliminated or extended, possibly to 2029 when his presidency would end. That idea was tacked onto an extension of government funding into March, but it was quickly voted down by a coalition of House Democrats and hard-right Republicans, many of whom represent districts in Trump-leaning states. A government-funding bill without a debt-limit provision was then enacted into law. Next month, Republicans in the newly-elected Congress are expected to insist on deep federal spending cuts as a condition for raising the country's borrowing limit. Democrats earlier this month argued Trump's call for an immediate increase or elimination of the debt limit was motivated by his desire to make room for a new round of tax cuts that likely would lower revenues and thus add more to the debt. The national debt currently stands at about $36.1 trillion due to federal spending levels and tax cuts that have been enacted into law over several decades. (Reporting by Jasper Ward and Richard Cowan; Editing by Don Durfee and Chris Reese)DeSantis quickly sets special election to fill Gaetz’s Republican seat — unlike delay for a Democratic seat
LIVERPOOL: Arne Slot can seemingly do no wrong as Liverpool manager but uncertainty over the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold is casting a shadow over a spectacular season. Liverpool head into Wednesday’s heavyweight Champions League clash against Real Madrid top of the table in Europe and eight points clear in the Premier League thanks to a near flawless start from Slot. The Dutchman has won 16 of his 18 matches to make light of a predicted hangover after Jurgen Klopp’s emotional farewell at the end of last season. Salah, 32, has spearheaded the flying start with 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions. Yet the Egyptian further fuelled speculation over where he will be next season after scoring twice to beat Southampton 3-2 on Sunday, saying he is “more out than in”. Salah, captain Van Dijk and homegrown hero Alexander-Arnold, 26, are out of contract at the end of the season and can begin speaking to foreign clubs in just over a month’s time. Van Dijk, 33, revealed last month he has started talks about extending his deal. Alexander-Arnold could be facing his future employers in midweek, with Madrid understood to be keen on making him their next big-name signing to arrive for free. Score to settle Rather than destabilizing Slot’s start to life at Anfield, the chance for potentially one last shot at glory has galvanized Liverpool’s old guard. “I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well,” said Salah. The Egypt international is among those with a score to settle with the Spanish giants, who have won the competition 15 times compared with Liverpool’s tally of six. Liverpool have failed to win in their past eight meetings with Madrid, including two Champions League finals, in 2018 and 2022. Salah was forced off with his arm in a sling after being wrestled to the ground by Sergio Ramos in the 2018 final and denied several times by the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois in Paris four years later. This time Liverpool appear primed to exact their revenge against a Madrid side beset by injuries and struggling to find the right balance since the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe. A hamstring injury to Vinicius Junior has added to Carlo Ancelotti’s woes, with defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao ruled out for the season. The European champions are far more desperate for the points after losing two of their four games so far. Liverpool are sitting pretty with a perfect return of 12 points. Madrid’s visit may not even be the biggest game at Anfield this week for the hosts as struggling Premier League champions Manchester City are next up on Sunday with the chance for Slot’s men to land a fatal blow in the title race. Yet there is a thirst on Merseyside for their new manager to do what Klopp failed to achieve in six matches against Madrid and get one over on Real’s superstars. “We indeed have incredible fixtures coming up,” said the former Feyenoord boss on facing Madrid and City over the course of five days. “They are two teams who have dominated football the last few years.” With an uncertain future, Liverpool are thriving off living in the moment.- AFPHow co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriageNari Shakti Played Key Role In Shaping Constitution: PM Modi
CHICAGO — With a wave of her bangled brown fingertips to the melody of flutes and chimes, artist, theologian and academic Tricia Hersey enchanted a crowd into a dreamlike state of rest at Semicolon Books on North Michigan Avenue. “The systems can’t have you,” Hersey said into the microphone, reading mantras while leading the crowd in a group daydreaming exercise on a recent Tuesday night. The South Side native tackles many of society’s ills — racism, patriarchy, aggressive capitalism and ableism — through an undervalued yet impactful action: rest. Hersey, the founder of a movement called the Nap Ministry, dubs herself the Nap Bishop and spreads her message to over half a million followers on her Instagram account, @thenapministry . Her first book, “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto,” became a New York Times bestseller in 2022, but Hersey has been talking about rest online and through her art for nearly a decade. Hersey, who has degrees in public health and divinity, originated the “rest as resistance” and “rest as reparations” frameworks after experimenting with rest as an exhausted graduate student in seminary. Once she started napping, she felt happier and her grades improved. But she also felt more connected to her ancestors; her work was informed by the cultural trauma of slavery that she was studying as an archivist. Hersey described the transformation as “life-changing.” The Nap Ministry began as performance art in 2017, with a small installation where 40 people joined Hersey in a collective nap. Since then, her message has morphed into multiple mediums and forms. Hersey, who now lives in Atlanta, has hosted over 100 collective naps, given lectures and facilitated meditations across the country. She’s even led a rest ritual in the bedroom of Jane Addams , and encourages her followers to dial in at her “Rest Hotline.” At Semicolon, some of those followers and newcomers came out to see Hersey in discussion with journalist Natalie Moore on Hersey’s latest book, “We Will Rest! The Art of Escape,” released this month, and to learn what it means to take a moment to rest in community. Moore recalled a time when she was trying to get ahead of chores on a weeknight. “I was like, ‘If I do this, then I’ll have less to do tomorrow.’ But then I was really tired,” Moore said. “I thought, ‘What would my Nap Bishop say? She would say go lay down.’ Tricia is in my head a lot.” At the event, Al Kelly, 33, of Rogers Park, said some of those seated in the crowd of mostly Black women woke up in tears — possibly because, for the first time, someone permitted them to rest. “It was so emotional and allowed me to think creatively about things that I want to work on and achieve,” Kelly said. Shortly after the program, Juliette Viassy, 33, a program manager who lives in the South Loop and is new to Hersey’s work, said this was her first time meditating after never being able to do it on her own. Therapist Lyndsei Howze, 33, of Printers Row, who was also seated at the book talk, said she recommends Hersey’s work “to everybody who will listen” — from her clients to her own friends. “A lot of mental health conditions come from lack of rest,” she said. “They come from exhaustion.” Before discovering Hersey’s work this spring, Howze said she and her friends sporadically napped together in one friend’s apartment after an exhausting workweek. “It felt so good just to rest in community,” she said. On Hersey’s book tour, she is leading exercises like this across the country. “I think we need to collectively do this,” Hersey explained. “We need to learn again how to daydream because we’ve been told not to do it. I don’t think most people even have a daydreaming practice.” Daydreaming, Hersey said, allows people to imagine a new world. Hersey tells her followers that yes, you can rest, even when your agenda is packed, even between caregiving, commuting, jobs, bills, emails and other daily demands. And you don’t have to do it alone. There is a community of escape artists, she said of the people who opt out of grind and hustle culture, waiting to embrace you. The book is part pocket prayer book, part instruction manual, with art and handmade typography by San Francisco-based artist George McCalman inspired by 19th-century abolitionist pamphlets, urging readers to reclaim their divine right to rest. Hersey directs her readers like an operative with instructions for a classified mission. “Let grind culture know you are not playing around,” she wrote in her book. “This is not a game or time to shrink. Your thriving depends on the art of escape.” The reluctance to rest can be rooted in capitalist culture presenting rest as a reward for productivity instead of a physical and mental necessity. Hersey deconstructs this idea of grind culture, which she says is rooted in the combined effects of white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism that “look at the body as not human.” American culture encourages grind culture, Hersey said, but slowing down and building a ritual of rest can offset its toxicity. The author eschews the ballooning billion-dollar self-care industry that encourages people to “save enough money and time off from work to fly away to an expensive retreat,” she wrote. Instead, she says rest can happen anywhere you have a place to be comfortable: in nature, on a yoga mat, in the car between shifts, on a cozy couch after work. Resting isn’t just napping either. She praises long showers, sipping warm tea, playing music, praying or numerous other relaxing activities that slow down the body. “We’re in a crisis mode of deep sleep deprivation, deep lack of self-worth, (and) mental health,” said Hersey. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2022 , in Illinois about 37% of adults aren’t getting the rest they need at night. If ignored, the effects of sleep deprivation can have bigger implications later, Hersey said. In October, she lectured at a sleep conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where her humanities work was featured alongside research from the world’s top neuroscientists. Jennifer Mundt, a Northwestern clinician and professor of sleep medicine, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, praises Hersey for bringing the issue of sleep and rest to the public. In a Tribune op-ed last year, Mundt argued that our culture focuses too heavily on sleep as something that must be earned rather than a vital aspect of health and that linking sleep to productivity is harmful and stigmatizing. “Linking sleep and productivity is harmful because it overshadows the bevy of other reasons to prioritize sleep as an essential component of health,” Mundt wrote. “It also stigmatizes groups that are affected by sleep disparities and certain chronic sleep disorders.” In a 30-year longitudinal study released in the spring by the New York University School of Social Work, people who worked long hours and late shifts reported the lowest sleep quality and lowest physical and mental functions, and the highest likelihood of reporting poor health and depression at age 50. The study also showed that Black men and women with limited education “were more likely than others to shoulder the harmful links between nonstandard work schedules and sleep and health, worsening their probability of maintaining and nurturing their health as they approach middle adulthood.” The CDC links sleeping fewer than seven hours a day to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and more. Although the Nap Ministry movement is new for her followers, Hersey’s written about her family’s practice of prioritizing rest, which informs her work. Her dad was a community organizer, a yardmaster for the Union Pacific Railroad Co. and an assistant pastor. Before long hours of work, he would dedicate hours each day to self-care. Hersey also grew up observing her grandma meditate for 30 minutes daily. Through rest, Hersey said she honors her ancestors who were enslaved and confronts generational trauma. When “Rest Is Resistance” was released in 2022, Americans were navigating a pandemic and conversations on glaring racial disparities. “We Will Rest!” comes on the heels of a historic presidential election where Black women fundraised for Vice President Kamala Harris and registered voters in a dizzying three-month campaign. Following Harris’ defeat, many of those women are finding self-care and preservation even more important. “There are a lot of Black women announcing how exhausted they are,” Moore said. “This could be their entry point to get to know (Hersey’s) work, which is bigger than whatever political wind is blowing right now.” Hersey said Chicagoans can meet kindred spirits in her environment of rest. Haji Healing Salon, a wellness center, and the social justice-focused Free Street Theater are sites where Hersey honed her craft and found community. In the fall, the theater put on “Rest/Reposo,” a performance featuring a community naptime outdoors in McKinley Park and in its Back of the Yards space. Haji is also an apothecary and hosts community healing activities, sound meditations and yoga classes. “It is in Bronzeville; it’s a beautiful space owned by my friend Aya,” Hersey said, explaining how her community has helped her build the Nap Ministry. “When I first started the Nap Ministry, before I was even understanding what it was, she was like, come do your work here.” “We Will Rest!” is a collection of poems, drawings and short passages. In contrast to her first book, Hersey said she leaned more into her artistic background; the art process alone took 18 months to complete. After a tough year for many, she considers it medicine for a “sick and exhausted” world. “It’s its own sacred document,” Hersey said. “It’s something that, if you have it in your library and you have it with you, you may feel more human.” lazu@chicagotribune.comLuke Littler whitewashes Rob Cross with ridiculous average in Players Championship Finals days after topping £1million
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CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — After a week of court-related delays, all eyes are on the radar as the West Virginia high school football playoffs are scheduled to begin on Friday and continue on Saturday amid snow forecasts. Here’s a look at each local matchup: FRIDAY CLASS AAA NO. 15 POINT PLEASANT HIGH SCHOOL (4-5) at NO. 2 FAIRMONT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (9-1), 7 p.m. Series history: 1-0. Fairmont Senior High School. Previous meeting: 2018 quarterfinals; Fairmont Senior High School 66, Point Pleasant High School 13. Point Pleasant High School all-time playoff record: 11-17. Best on-field finish: State finals, 2011. Previous trip: 2021, lost to Bluefield High School in first round. Preview one-liner: Point Pleasant High School finished strong with a 55-34 win over Winfield and are just happy to be here after their playoff bubble didn’t burst in court. Fairmont Senior High School all-time playoff record: 35-25. Best on-field finish: State champions, most recently last year. Previous trip: 2023, won Class AA state title over North Marion High School. Preview one-liner: Fairmont Senior High School is probably gladder than most for the extra week off as star quarterback Brody Whitehair heals. NO. 14 ROBERT C. BYRD HIGH SCHOOL (4-6) at NO. 3 BRIDGEPORT HIGH SCHOOL (10-0), 7 p.m. Series history: 28-5, Bridgeport High School. Previous meeting: 2024 regular season; Bridgeport High School 58, Robert C. Byrd High School 0. Robert C. Byrd High School all-time playoff record: 12-17. Best finish: State semifinals, most recently in 2020. Previous trip: 2021, lost in Class AA quarterfinals to Fairmont Senior High School. Preview one-liner: Robert C. Byrd High School knew, whichever bracket they ended up with, it was going to be a tough task against Princeton High School or Bridgeport High School, but young team will get valuable experience. Bridgeport High School all-time playoff record: 67-33. Best finish: State champions, most recently in 2019. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AAA semifinals to Princeton High School. Preview one-liner: Bridgeport High School needs just 35 points to break the school record of 615 (set last year) for one season. NO. 12 LEWIS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (5-5) at NO. 5 OAK HILL HIGH SCHOOL (9-1), 7 p.m. Series history: 2-2. Previous meeting: 2015 regular season; Oak Hill High School 31, Lewis County High School 21. Lewis County High School all-time playoff record: 1-9. Best finish: State quarterfinals, in 2012. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AA first round at Winfield High School. Preview one-liner: Lewis County High School is in the playoffs in consecutive years for the fourth time in school history, joining the 2009-10, 2012-14 and 2018-19 teams. Oak Hill High School all-time playoff record: 2-10 Best finish: State quarterfinals, most recently in 2001 Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AAA first round at Princeton High School. Preview one-liner: Oak Hill High School is home in the playoffs for the first time since 2000. NO. 10 EAST FAIRMONT HIGH SCHOOL (5-4) at NO. 7 SPRING VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL (7-3), 7 p.m. Series history: First meeting East Fairmont High School all-time playoff record: 2-5. Best finish: State semifinals, in 2007. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AA first round to Herbert Hoover High School. Preview one-liner: East Fairmont High School is in the playoffs for the third straight year after making three combined appearances previously. Spring Valley High School all-time playoff record: 13-20 Best finish: State finals, most recently in 2018. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AAA first round at Spring Mills High School. Preview one-liner: Spring Valley High School was one of the schools pushing the most for the classifications to be shuffled and were rewarded with a spot a level down in Class AAA. NO. 9 RIPLEY HIGH SCHOOL (7-3) at NO. 8 NORTH MARION HIGH SCHOOL (7-3), 7 p.m. Series history: 1-0, North Marion High School. Previous meeting: 1996 first round; North Marion High School 40, Ripley High School 14. Ripley High School all-time playoff record: 5-9. Best finish: State quarterfinals, most recently in 2018. Previous trip: 2018, lost in Class AAA quarterfinals to Musselman High School. Preview one-liner: After a 4-0 start, Ripley High School was a .500 team the rest of the way. North Marion High School all-time playoff record: 25-17. Best finish: State champions, most recently in 1997. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AA state championship to Fairmont Senior High School. Preview one-liner: North Marion High School made the playoffs once between 2002 and 2019; they haven’t missed a single postseason since and have won at least one game in three straight playoffs. CLASS AA NO. 9 SOUTH HARRISON HIGH SCHOOL (8-2) at NO. 8 BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL (4-5), at Princeton High School, 7 p.m. Series history: First meeting South Harrison High School all-time playoff record: 7-17 Best finish: State finals, 1973 Previous trip: 2022, lost in Class A first round at Greenbrier West High School. Preview one-liner: South Harrison High School was one of the schools waiting in limbo to see what long trip it would make once the playoffs were hashed out; it’s south, to Princeton High School, instead of west, to Wayne High School. Bluefield High School all-time playoff record: 66-22 Best finish: State champions, most recently in 2017. Previous trip: 2022, lost in Class AA first round at Independence High School. Preview one-liner: The 2022 playoff trip was the first time since 2014, a run of six postseasons, that Bluefield High School did not win a playoff game after making the field. SATURDAY CLASS AA NO. 11 CLAY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (7-3) at NO. 6 PHILIP BARBOUR HIGH SCHOOL (7-3), 4 p.m. Series history: 3-0, Clay County High School Previous meeting: 2022 regular season; Clay County High School 36, Philip Barbour High School 30. Clay County High School all-time playoff record: 1-11 Best finish: Quarterfinals, 2001. Previous trip: 2022, lost in Class AA first round to Herbert Hoover. Preview one-liner: Two of Clay County High School’s losses this season came in North Central West Virginia to South Harrison High School and Grafton High School. Philip Barbour High School all-time playoff record: 1-7 Best finish: State quarterfinals, 2023. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class AA quarterfinals at Fairmont Senior High School. Preview one-liner: The Philip Barbour High School program will play its first-ever postseason home game. CLASS A NO. 12 WIRT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (7-3) at NO. 5 DODDRIDGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (8-2), 1:30 p.m. Series history: 17-15, Doddridge County High School Previous meeting: 2022 regular season; Doddridge County High School 22, Wirt County High School 0. Wirt County High School all-time playoff record: 5-18 Best finish: State champions, 1966. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class A first round at Greenbrier West High Schoo. Preview one-liner: Wirt County High School has scored a total of 15 points in their last eight meetings with Doddridge County High School. Doddridge County High School all-time playoff record: 12-15 Best finish: State finals, most recently in 2018. Previous trip: 2023, lost in Class A first round at Williamstown High School. Preview one-liner: Doddridge County High School has made the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons and has won at least one playoff game in four of those trips.
Games to snuggle up with this holiday season
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