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I'm asking because I came across some old WVSSAC Championships on You Tube and I was impressed by the turn out of the games and it seems like a big event for the Charleston area.
I also found out that certain players were actually from WV, that I didn't know before because of this, but knew of them from watching college basketball when I was younger.
My godmother is from Beckley and while looking up information on the area, I didn't realize that Woodrow Wilson Basketball was that big of a deal.
It was interesting to find out that many of the schools in the videos weren't around anymore due to consolidation like Williamson, Burch, Harts, DuPont, Charleston High, the old Huntington High Pony Express Matewan, Mullens and Bramwell(loved their nickname, the Millionaires). I'm curious as to how consolidation is determined in WV?
I also came across an old PM Magazine episode about Northfolk High's run for an eighth straight championship. It highlighted its legendary coach Jennings Boyd and showed parts of footage against Wheeling Central and Dunbar. Another video was about Oak Hill's run in 1989 and its legendary coach, Jim Lilly.
The high school state tourament is a special event for a small state. It is usually well attended, but nothing in comparison to states like Kentucky or Indiana.
My high school made the AAA state tourney in Charleston when I was a freshman, I dressed but didn't get to play. We had nearly 10,000 fans for our first round game against Fairmont Senior.
The high school state tourament is a special event for a small state. It is usually well attended, but nothing in comparison to states like Kentucky or Indiana.
My high school made the AAA state tourney in Charleston when I was a freshman, I dressed but didn't get to play. We had nearly 10,000 fans for our first round game against Fairmont Senior.
That is impressive, as here in NY, the NYSPHSAA Championships are in an arena that seats about 5000 and they aren't always well attended between the 5 classes. So, it is better attended than what some bigger states have for their championships.
Is Beckley still really good? Why isn't Mount View as good as past McDowell County HS programs were? Does Metro News broadcast the championships for all 3 classes on TV?
Why is it "impressive" that so many people would waste their time watching high-schoolers play basketball?
If you're a family member or close friend, OK. Otherwise...??
People definitely like to rally behind their local high school in most sports in WV. A lot of WV is very community minded and, supporting the local high school is part of being a healthy community. I still try to go to my high school's games in football and baseball when I can. I think it is important for the athletes to know that they are supported!
Hot Rod Hunley and Jerry West (just to mention the first two that come to mind) both played their high school basketball in WV. More recently, OJ Mayo played at Huntington High. Yeah, there have been plenty of good reasons to wash HS basketball in WV. OJ's team was nationally ranked. The Charleston High School team in 67-68 won 48 games in a row and frequently had LARGE crowds in the old Charleston Civic Center. BTW, the team that broke their winning streak was Beckley's Woodrow Wilson. The state championships are particularly well attended.
People definitely like to rally behind their local high school in most sports in WV. A lot of WV is very community minded and, supporting the local high school is part of being a healthy community. I still try to go to my high school's games in football and baseball when I can. I think it is important for the athletes to know that they are supported!
I agree that supporting our schools/students is an important part of being part of the community. I just sometimes get annoyed at all the attention and time and money lavished on jocks, at the expense of other equally (or more) important endeavors.
And this is coming from a big sports fan, youth soccer coach, etc.
Revenge of the Nerds was the best movie EVER. (OK, it wasn't, but I did love its message.)
Hot Rod Hunley and Jerry West (just to mention the first two that come to mind) both played their high school basketball in WV. More recently, OJ Mayo played at Huntington High. Yeah, there have been plenty of good reasons to wash HS basketball in WV. OJ's team was nationally ranked. The Charleston High School team in 67-68 won 48 games in a row and frequently had LARGE crowds in the old Charleston Civic Center. BTW, the team that broke their winning streak was Beckley's Woodrow Wilson. The state championships are particularly well attended.
Can't forget Hal Greer, Rod Thorn and Mayo's teammate at Huntington High Patrick Patterson. When I was watching the 1989 AAA Championship between Brooke and Oak Hill, it jogged my memory watching Pervires Greene(played at WVU) playing for Oak Hill and Matt Gaudio(played at Penn State) playing for Brooke. It was the same with the 1987 AAA Championship between Charleston High and Brooke, where Greg Dennis(played for East Tennessee State) played for Charleston High. There's also the 1988 AAA Championship between Martinsburg and the old Huntington High, where former WVU guard Marsalis Basey played for Martinsburg and OJ Mayo's dad, Kenny Ziegler played for Huntington.
The WV High School Basketball Tournament is a great event as far as I am concerned. I have attended the full tourney every year but one since 1989. I have watched our local high school, my son, my nephew, and players I coached in elementary or AAU. Honestly, I enjoy the games where I don't have a tie to one of the teams because I can just sit back and watch the purest form of basketball played today without (most of the time) all the hype and "Showtime" actions of the players. I already have my seats reserved for 2015.
This past year there were FIVE overtime games including the double OT Class A championship game. It is hard to say anything about this past games although the Civic Center administration really dropped the ball on their reduction of staff to the point some fans couldn't get into the first game of the morning until after the first quarter was completed.
Many years I don't remember who won the year before but I don't go to become a historian but to watch these young players give it their best effort in the name of their school.
Consolidation has been rampant for many years mainly because of the population loss in our great state. Another consideration is the lack of funding to maintain so many facilities that have long out-lived their usefulness with antiquated electric systems for today's required technology. When two schools are geographically close together and both facilities are in a physical state that new construction is cheaper than renovation, it is necessary to consolidate.
McDowell County (home of Northfork) has undergone one of the most dramatic economic declines of any are of WV. The population is just not there and the interest in athletics is not at the top of their students' interests.
As bballjunkie mentioned the economic decline of McDowell County played a factor, but the early years MV was a Triple A school and had trouble competing. The Football team was decent with a State Runner Up in 1990 in Triple A. The basketball program never developed even though the talent was there, they just couldn't get along. The best athletes never played and some went to other schools. Then.They are now Single A and it blows my mind how terrible they have been(in all sports) over the last 10 years.
The yellow and brown school colors have to be the worst ever...
Wyoming County basketball is where it's at, Westside and Wyoming East are always great games to attend and have a deep rivalry with each other. Before that Mullens, Oceana, Pineville, Baileysville and even Glen Rogers had great teams/state title winners.
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