09/08/2026
Parkersburg High School Honors Foster and Swanson with Hall of Fame Induction
Two Parkersburg High School graduates whose athletic careers and professional accomplishments have taken them far beyond the playing field are being recognized with induction into the Parkersburg High School Hall of Fame.
Kyle Foster
Kyle Foster, a member of the Parkersburg High School Class of 2014, established himself as one of the most accomplished punters in the program’s 120-year football history.
Foster produced two of the top five punting seasons in Parkersburg High School history and remains one of only two Big Red punters to average 40 yards or more per punt in a season. The other was Leonard “Feets” Barnum, a 1933 graduate who later played professional football.
During his junior season in 2012, Foster punted 35 times for 1,446 yards, averaging 41.3 yards per punt. He placed 12 punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded a long punt of 62 yards.
As a senior, Foster punted 42 times for 1,668 yards and averaged 39.7 yards per punt. He placed 14 punts inside the 20-yard line and had a longest punt of 59 yards. Over his final two seasons, Foster averaged an even 40 yards per punt.
His accomplishments earned him second-team West Virginia All-State recognition as a junior and first-team honors as a senior. He was also named to the All-Mountain State Athletic Conference first team during both seasons while playing for head coach Don Reeves.
Foster represented Parkersburg High School in the 2014 West Virginia North-South Football Classic. In addition to football, he was a four-year letter winner and earned All-MSAC recognition in baseball while also lettering twice in basketball.
Following graduation, Foster continued his football career at the University of Akron, where he lettered all four years. He served as the holder for kicks in 49 games over four seasons, including two bowl appearances and a Mid-American Conference championship. Throughout his collegiate career, Foster never missed or fumbled a snap.
He was a three-time semifinalist for the Peter Mortell Holder of the Year Award and was recognized for his academic success as an Academic All-MAC selection during both his junior and senior seasons. Foster earned his bachelor’s degree in 2018 and later completed a master’s degree in sports administration in 2019.
Foster remained at Akron following graduation, becoming the university’s head football equipment manager in 2019. In 2021, he was named Director of Equipment Operations, overseeing equipment needs for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and golf, as well as day-to-day operations at the Stile Athletic Field House and James A. Rhodes Arena.
He also works directly with Nike to support the equipment needs of Akron’s athletic programs.
Foster and his wife, Madison, a University of Akron swimmer and four-time Mid-American Conference champion, are the parents of a daughter, Lainey.
Scott B. Swanson
Scott B. Swanson, a member of the Parkersburg High School Class of 1987, has spent more than three decades building a career in collegiate athletics and strength and conditioning.
His journey began with the Big Reds, where he was a two-year starter on the defensive line and a key contributor to one of the most successful teams in Parkersburg High School history.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 240 pounds, Swanson helped anchor the Big Reds defense during the 1985 season, when Parkersburg advanced to the West Virginia state championship game. The team finished 11-2 and allowed just 75 points throughout the season before falling to Brooke, 7-0, in the championship game.
During his junior season, Swanson recorded 41 tackles, 39 assists, six tackles for loss, five sacks and one forced fumble. One of his favorite memories came during the rivalry game against Parkersburg South, when he recorded a game-ending sack to secure a victory for the Big Reds.
As a senior in 1986, Swanson earned All-State recognition as a defensive lineman. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 39 assists, six sacks, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown. Demonstrating his versatility, he also handled kicking duties and converted 15 extra points.
Swanson continued his football career at Wake Forest University, where he lettered from 1988 through 1990 and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1992.
An injury eventually ended his playing career, but it also introduced him to the profession that would become his life’s work. Swanson began working as a student assistant strength coach at Wake Forest before joining the staff full-time in 1992. He eventually oversaw performance training for 15 varsity programs.
During his time at Wake Forest, Swanson worked with the 1995 ACC Men’s Basketball Championship team and developed training programs for NCAA championship track and field athletes.
He later earned a Master of Science in Education in Health, Sport Management and Exercise Science from the University of Kansas.
Swanson joined the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. After spending the 1997-98 season at Stanford University, where he worked with several programs including football, swimming and men’s basketball, he returned to West Point in 1998.
His career at West Point has since spanned nearly three decades.
As Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Sports Performance, Swanson oversees the physical development of more than 1,000 cadet-athletes annually and leads a comprehensive sports performance staff supporting Army West Point Athletics.
During his tenure, Army teams have captured more than 55 conference championships, while cadet-athletes have earned more than 65 All-America honors along with thousands of athletic and academic distinctions.
Swanson has also played a significant role in developing Army’s sports performance infrastructure. He helped design major training facilities, including the 20,000-square-foot strength and conditioning facility inside the Kimsey Athletic Center and a 12,000-square-foot facility inside the Anderson Athletic Center.
His work has included the introduction of GPS and athlete-monitoring technology, the development of conditioning software later adopted by professional and collegiate organizations, and the expansion of performance nutrition resources for Army’s cadet-athletes.
Swanson’s influence has also extended throughout the strength and conditioning profession. A Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified professional, he has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Board of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
Throughout his career, Swanson has coached athletes who went on to compete in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, while also helping prepare future military leaders for the physical demands of service.
Despite a career filled with championships, professional accomplishments and national recognition, Swanson remains proud of his Parkersburg roots.
He credits the coaches, teachers, teammates, family members and members of the Parkersburg community who helped shape his career and prepare him for opportunities that extended far beyond his years as a Big Red.
Swanson specifically recognizes the influence of Coach Buddy James, Coach George Elliott and Coach Frank Marcinko, along with the support of his parents, Barb and Larry Swanson, and the teammates who shared his Parkersburg High School experience.
Today, Swanson resides at West Point, where athletics, leadership and service remain central to his life. His son, Thor, is entering his junior year at the United States Military Academy and is a member of the Army lacrosse team.
For both Foster and Swanson, induction into the Parkersburg High School Hall of Fame represents an opportunity to return to where their journeys began and be recognized by the community that helped shape their futures.
From the football fields of Parkersburg to collegiate athletics and leadership roles at the highest levels, both inductees carry forward the lessons learned while wearing the red and white of Parkersburg High School.
