son of Radovan
Newbie
If this is in the wrong section, my apologies to the moderators - please move it to an appropriate area.
I basically wanted to dedicate this little thread to the beautiful era of West Virginia high school football in the era of black diamonds, whenunknown (outside of the Mountain State)football dynasties from the northern panhandle to the small (but mighty) southern border town of Bluefield thrilled the fans and toughened the boys for what usually awaited them - a life of mining. The glory age, unnoticed by most non-residents, has not died; from Moorefield to new dynasty Wheeling Central Catholic (http://www.wtov9.com/hsfootball/9074644/detail.html- includes some little video clips), football excellence still reigns in heart of Appalachia. And in a great number of cases, largely ignored (especially by WVU) white athleteshave driven, and are driving these teams to excellence.
In the past, there was the unbelievable dynasty at Ceredo-Kenova of Huntington, WV. 13 championship appearances, 11 victories (10 class AA, 1 class A) from 1963-1994. The school is gone now forever, consolidated into a larger (and quite unsuccessful) school. But it is my opinion that no school in WV will equal that feat in that short amount of time.
The coalfield schools of Marion County were football titans. Monongah, winner of five state championships (and alma mater of Nick Saban) regularly battled Mannington (two years undefeated state champions) and Farmington (undefeated state champs of 1954, featuring one of the greatestdefensive playersto have ever graced the football field - Sam Huff. [Farmington was the site of the horrible 1968 mine explosion that no West Virginian should ever forget - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmington_Mining_Disaster]
Those three eventually became North Marion, which until recently, was a perennial playoff team (3 championships)
The southern coalfield town of Bluefield, very near to the western Virginia border (also a heavy coal region) and not too far from the infamous railroad cut at Clark's Gap, is home to the Bluefield Beavers, with 8 championships to their credit. The undefeated 2004 team destroyed undefeated Wayne High in the class AA championship 69-24 [http://sports.webshots.com/album/176724467VwqyFp]
From 1996-2003, small Moorefield High dominated Class-A football (8 appearances, 6 championships, two undefeated seasons). After two down years since the loss of their coach, a late-season surge against three very good teams indicates that the Moorefield boys might be roaring back to prominence.
http://www.hardycountyschools.com/mhs/Athletics/football.htm
West Virginians are often derided as "hicks", "hillbillies", "inbred white trash", the absolute racist ramifications being completely and deliberately ignored by the media, hollywood and other purveyors of filth and lies (let them saythose thingsto my face
). I can tell you, as the progeny of the greatest and by far toughest man I have ever known (my grandfather, an immigrant from Serbia - and a coal miner of 40 years), the West Virginia coal miners (overwhelmingly white - Slavic, Italian, Scotch-Irish, Irish,Hungarian, Welsh) fueled the industrial might that built this nation.
EXCELLENT site about History of West Virginia High School Football (a history that is alive and well): http://home.sunlitsurf.com/~woodman/hsfootball.htm
I basically wanted to dedicate this little thread to the beautiful era of West Virginia high school football in the era of black diamonds, whenunknown (outside of the Mountain State)football dynasties from the northern panhandle to the small (but mighty) southern border town of Bluefield thrilled the fans and toughened the boys for what usually awaited them - a life of mining. The glory age, unnoticed by most non-residents, has not died; from Moorefield to new dynasty Wheeling Central Catholic (http://www.wtov9.com/hsfootball/9074644/detail.html- includes some little video clips), football excellence still reigns in heart of Appalachia. And in a great number of cases, largely ignored (especially by WVU) white athleteshave driven, and are driving these teams to excellence.
In the past, there was the unbelievable dynasty at Ceredo-Kenova of Huntington, WV. 13 championship appearances, 11 victories (10 class AA, 1 class A) from 1963-1994. The school is gone now forever, consolidated into a larger (and quite unsuccessful) school. But it is my opinion that no school in WV will equal that feat in that short amount of time.
The coalfield schools of Marion County were football titans. Monongah, winner of five state championships (and alma mater of Nick Saban) regularly battled Mannington (two years undefeated state champions) and Farmington (undefeated state champs of 1954, featuring one of the greatestdefensive playersto have ever graced the football field - Sam Huff. [Farmington was the site of the horrible 1968 mine explosion that no West Virginian should ever forget - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmington_Mining_Disaster]
Those three eventually became North Marion, which until recently, was a perennial playoff team (3 championships)
The southern coalfield town of Bluefield, very near to the western Virginia border (also a heavy coal region) and not too far from the infamous railroad cut at Clark's Gap, is home to the Bluefield Beavers, with 8 championships to their credit. The undefeated 2004 team destroyed undefeated Wayne High in the class AA championship 69-24 [http://sports.webshots.com/album/176724467VwqyFp]
From 1996-2003, small Moorefield High dominated Class-A football (8 appearances, 6 championships, two undefeated seasons). After two down years since the loss of their coach, a late-season surge against three very good teams indicates that the Moorefield boys might be roaring back to prominence.
West Virginians are often derided as "hicks", "hillbillies", "inbred white trash", the absolute racist ramifications being completely and deliberately ignored by the media, hollywood and other purveyors of filth and lies (let them saythose thingsto my face
EXCELLENT site about History of West Virginia High School Football (a history that is alive and well): http://home.sunlitsurf.com/~woodman/hsfootball.htm
