WV Sports Views with Rich Stevens
Check weekly for some of the most provocative thoughts and viewpoints on West Virginia related sports by sports writer Rich Stevens. Views Expressed in this section are not necessarily those of RSN Sports Network or its sponsors.
‘Tim Tebow Rule’ is not fair, equitable
By RICH STEVENS
If you’re looking for a precedent from another state to determine where West Virginia should stand on allowing home school students to compete in school-sponsored extracurricular activities, you might be looking for a while.
If you think there are legal ramifications involving this sort of action, you’d be correct.
The “Tim Tebow Rule” — officially known as Senate Bill 105 — is a proposal to allow home school students to participate in extracurricular activities at their district school. Each student would be required to adhere to the rules set forth by the Secondary School Activities Commission. Additionally, students who wish to participate in an activity not provided by their school would be permitted to participate at a school that does.
A 28-5 vote in favor of the Senate floor has sent the bill sent to the House of Delegates. The bill has to make its way through the House Education Committee and the House Judiciary Committee to reach the House floor.
There are 31 states that have in place, in one form or another, the Tim Tebow Rule. Of the 19 that do not, Alabama is among those poised to pass the bill by the 2016-17 school year.
Still, there are concerns in passing this bill.
Equality
Some words get thrown around that are accurate by definition, but don’t really fit. The hair on the back of my neck stands up when I heard “discrimination” and “prejudices,” so I understandably cringed with Sen. Robert Karnes (R-Upshur) told MetroNews: “This is about correcting a discrimination that’s ongoing in our system today against a group of kids who, through no fault of their own, find themselves unable to participate in a sports activity or another extracurricular activity. The opponents of this bill ought to set aside their prejudices and give these kids a chance to compete.”
That seems to be a dramatic and somewhat bizarre way to characterize students who are not given access to sports because they — or their parents or guardians — choose not to attend school.
A Jan. 29, 2013 decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court actually drives home my point, shooting down the Tim Tebow Rule in its state by proclaiming that it is “unconstitutional” and “not rationally related to a legitimate state interest.”
The Supreme Court wrote: “We find these statutes are unconstitutional under the Equal
Protection Clause because they are arbitrary and capricious and they are not rationally related to a legitimate state interest. We therefore reverse the portion of the district court’s judgment denying the LHSAA’s Motion for Summary Judgment and conclude La. R.S. 24:513(A)(1)(b)(v) does not apply to the LHSAA and La. R.S. 24:513(J)(4)(a) and (b) are unconstitutional.”
Also, they aren’t bound by the same scrutiny that is experienced by students in the physical classroom. A code of conduct must be adhered to between the walls of the brick and mortar institution that, I assure you, won’t be necessarily typical at home. I’ve heard many coaches, teachers and administrators say students have changed. That’s not necessarily true. It’s the parents who have changed. Helicopter parents want to hover, but not hold their children accountable.
You tell me what happens the first time a student-athlete breaks the rules and a coach wants to discipline him/her?
Does it depend on the offense and whether or not it is serious enough to warrant punishment? There has been some debate on whether or not student-athletes should be disciplined for what occurs away from school.
I guess if a home school student breaks the rules and it occurs during the regular school hours, the administration has jurisdiction.
If you think that sounds absurd, you’d be correct.
Measuring academic success
Home-schooled students are required to demonstrate they are “on grade level or if grade equivalency is not available, that the student must score at a minimum of the twenty-fifth percentile nationally without special accommodation” on nationally recognized tests, “such as the ACT/Explore or Plan College Readiness Test, Stanford Achievement Test, Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Iowa Assessments, Terra Nova, or California Achievement Test.”
Daily work in the presence of and with access to resources is invaluable for a student’s academic and social success. That includes worksheets, group work and other interaction with teachers and classmates.
While many students and parents dismiss public school education or prefer home schooling over the public school system, there are certain opportunities missed. Most administrators prefer their coaches be “in the building,” i.e. be a teacher who works in the school. The same should be true for the athlete, providing coaches, teachers, students, potential teammates and administrators to closely monitor the student’s progress, both athletically and academically.
The opportunity to forge relationships is lost when the student spends only two hours per day with the coach.
Oversight
Who is responsible for guaranteeing the home school student is following the same academic standards expected in the building?
Instructors of home school students are required to provide an outlined plan of instruction and, by June 30, must provide the superintendent an academic assessment of the student for the previous school year.
That’s all well and good, but unless the parents pay for a reputable company or instructor to teach their children, it’s up to mom and/or dad to do the teaching. And, most states — including West Virginia — don’t require parents to obtain a teaching certificate to home school their children.
Taxes
Google “high school athletic finance cutbacks” and in 0.76 seconds more than 300,000 results show with sentences like, “Hello Budget Cuts, Goodbye Sports: The Threat to Athletics …,” or “With Budgets Tightening, Schools Struggle to Keep Sports …”
Some of these stories are outdated, but folks, bankrolls aren’t growing.
The point is, while parents are paying taxes — some of which go toward athletics — the number isn’t what it used to be. In the spirit of fairness, I should point out that a home school student might be out there that could lift a program from mediocrity, putting more bodies in the seats, longer lines at the concession stands and lots of green in the coffers.
This would be a rare occurrence, for sure.
Besides, West Virginia law stipulates that the superintendent must provide academic materials as needed, if requested and subject to availability.
There’s your tax dollars at work.
There is a double-edged sword. While the numbers would be nominal, any home school student who participates in athletics in the district school would bring parents and siblings to games, where they will provide much-needed help to the coffers at the gate and concession stands.
Actually, I would have a hard time arguing against the plan if it was more than a token amount.
There are alternatives.
Missouri’s high school athletics governing board has found a way around the rule, whether that was the intent or not.
A revised Missouri statute seems to allow home school students to enroll part time in public school and still participate in sports. However, the Missouri State High School Athletic Association requires a student be enrolled in the public school for not less than 80 percent of the maximum allowable course load.
If this bill passes in W.Va., perhaps the SSAC should look into altering its constitution and bylaws.
There are virtually no restrictions on the books for home-schooled students in Arizona, although a student cannot be enrolled in school, then be home-schooled, and maintain eligibility within an academic year.
The decision, in Illinois, is left up to each school. According to documents from the Home School Legal Defense Association, “the school board has the authority to accept such students into part-time attendance with restrictions but is not required by law to do so.” It also read, “in practice, public schools rarely let homeschool students play on their teams.”
Arkansas could be treading in murky waters. Arkansas Statutes §6-15-509 allows home-school students a right to pursue interscholastic activities at their school if they score at the 30th percentile or higher on a nationally recognized norm-referenced test. Arkansas school districts also has “discretion to allow a student to participate with a lower score or no test score,” but any student may be “required to be at school not more than one (1) period per day.” Ultimately, the district has the final say and the test score might not matter.
This bill has more than enough support, including petitions like the one at www.ipetitions.com/petition/wv-tim-tebow-bill. It cites potential improvement in the state’s obesity rates, a stretch considering opponents and supporters of the bill acknowledge the numbers of home-schooled and private school students taking advantage of this opportunity could be miniscule.
I can’t judge parents who choose to home school their children.
However, it’s hardly equitable to permit a student to avoid all of the rigors of a day of school, including following the rules, listening intently and interacting with others in the building, yet allow the opportunity to participate in what most students consider a “fun” part of the day.
Ultimately, participating in extracurricular activities is not a right, it’s a privilege.
A privilege that comes with being a regular part of the school environment.
By RICH STEVENS February 14, 2016
Poetry in (slow) motion.
A shot clock in high school basketball?
Photo courtesy Foxsports.com
The unofficial tag of the Hedgesville Eagles attack in the 2012 Class AAA boys state basketball tournament.
Despite being blessed with a smallish, yet exceptionally quick point guard in Quentin “Q.J.” Peterson, the Eagles out strategized or simply bored opponents into submission during a run that was memorable for different reasons to different people.
I can tell you with confidence that there were plenty of yawns in the Charleston Civic Center crowd in two of Hedgesville’s tournament games that year.
The Eagles won that year’s big school state title with a 33-32 championship game win over George Washington.
A debate ensued not about “if” the final score set back basketball, but just how far and whether or not peach baskets were in vogue.
The primary plot of that tourney was drowned out by screams for a shot clock in high school basketball.
Two days before, the seventh-seeded Eagles defeated No. 2 Wheeling Park 39-37 — in overtime, no less — in a game that featured 13 lead changes and seven ties in 36 minutes — that’s 2.1 points per minute combined, folks.
A break from the ordinary came in the semifinals when the Eagles poured in a whopping 62 points in a 26-point verdict over Parkersburg.
Maybe this grand game has come full circle.
There was no 3-point line, the slam dunk was almost 10 years away and harkening back to the Herbert Hoover administration in 1932 when Parkersburg defeated Huntington 18-14 in the championship game in Buckhannon. Forzard Dils had four field goals to lead Parkersburg, according to a report in the March 13, 1932 Beckley Sunday-Register, which added, “in the final quarter Parkersburg went into a stalling fracas that proved more successful.”
That was the last state tournament before a line was drawn at center court and the 10-second rule was put into place.
Yep, until 1932, teams used the length of the court to stall.
It was Keyser’s 20-7 Class B championship game win over West Monongah in 1923 that stands as the lowest-scoring game in Mountain State title game history.
And you thought 2012 was bad.
The National Federation of High School Associations hasn’t introduced a shot clock into the prep game and it’s unlikely to occur anytime soon, although some high school associations have introduced it.
There are eight that use a 30-second clock — California, Maryland (girls only), Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Washington.
According to a 2014 story on MaxPreps, the national average winning score between teams without a shot clock was 60 points, while the national average winning score between teams with a shot clock was 58.5 points.
Does anybody think the game was open up with the addition of a shot clock? Or would it merely speed up teams as they attempt to score more quickly, leading to impatience and poor shot selection?
The bigger issue, as I see it, is the deterioration of basketball skill.
Through the proliferation of AAU and lack of individual work for players, the inability to score at any rate — much less more quickly — is alarming.
The ability to hit a mid-range jump shot gradually faded beginning in 1987 when the 3-pointer was introduced to the high school game.
In a 2015 story published on the NFHS website, Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commissioner Julian Tackett said, “Many lament the current state of the college game, its lack of fundamentals and hurried play. There is a widely held school of thought that the push to play within the shot clock has contributed to the erosion of fundamental play.”
I can agree that hurried play has been detrimental, but the lack of fundamentals are a direct result of the 3-point shot and AAU, where too many programs are more interested in a system of rolling the ball onto the floor and watching them run.
That’s not to say every AAU team fails to teach its players fundamentals of passing, defensive positioning and dribbling … with both hands.
To play devil’s advocate, let’s say the evidence is clear that scoring increases, stars are born and gate receipts pile up with the advent of a shot clock. Let’s presume there are more games like Logan’s 111-point winning performance in the 1977 Class AAA title game and not Buckhannon’s 22-point snooze fest in claiming the 1921 championship.
The next question is, how will high schools pay to have a shot clock installed? The costs for one clock, not including installation and other extra expenses, range from $2,000-$7,000 each.
Candy bars and T-shirts can produce only so much green.
Additionally, many schools pay adults to run the scoreboard and serve as the public address announcer. It’s typically a nominal fee, but one that can add up with 10 or more home games. Volunteers are an option, but who wants to push the shot clock start button for nothing sitting next to somebody who gets paid to run a scoreboard?
There is insistence that the NFHS require shot clocks be used by every school team.
Rules are altered in virtually every sport at almost every level to increase scoring, and subsequently, interest.
Backcourt hand-checking is a point of emphasis for officials at the college level, which also shaved 5 seconds off the shot clock to shorten games and as an overreaction to data showing an average drop in scoring of about five points last year.
The strategic part of me is unaffected, because there is strategy with or without a shot clock.
With no shot clock, the playing field — or court, as it were — is leveled.
In 2012, Hedgesville coach Kelly Church used it to his supreme advantage, holding teams averaging more than 63 points per game to 69 points combined.
And, he sold the idea to his players — especially Peterson — a junior at VMI who is averaging a team-high 17.3 points for the Keydets, who score 66 per game.
Peterson came up short in his quest to be named state player of the year in 2012. That award went to Wheeling Park’s Demetrius “Boo” Lathon.
“If you ask Boo Lathon, would he rather have a state championship or state player of the year,” Peterson told the Martinsburg Journal that season. “I’m pretty sure he’d say state championship.”
Student Section Free Speech Reverberates
Rich Stevens
January 2016
Some believe students in the district governed by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association are getting screwed.
An email sent to school administrators last month outlined what can only be described as, quite frankly, subjective parameters: “Any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in response is not acceptable sportsmanship. Student groups, school administrators and event managers should take immediate steps to correct this unsporting behavior.”
This story isn’t new — the email was sent in December, an eternity in cyberspace.
It’s also something the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission hasn’t had to confront.
Still, it has resonated internationally, especially to a portion of society which believes that political correctness has gone too far.
In this particular circumstance, April Gehl, likely feels that way. Gehl is a senior and three-sport star at Hilbert High School in Hilbert, Wisc., about a half-hour southwest of Green Bay. Her Jan. 4 tweet in response was succinct: “EAT S**T WIAA” (this version is obviously censored) — and earned her a school-imposed five-game suspension.
This is a bizarre turn of events that has gotten out of control, but I’ll come back to that.
The WIAA responded to criticism with association communications director Todd Clark saying the email was “just a simple reminder to schools to keep sportsmanship in the foreground,” and that the association may review the policy at its meeting in April.
Here is a portion of the email that was included during a Fox6 news broadcast posted on Milwaukee-based fox6now.com:
“As we reviewed the fall tournaments and the sportsmanship evaluations and observations, we want to address concerns with a noticeable increase in the amount of chants by student sections directed at opponents and/or opponents’ supporters that are clearly intended to taunt or disrespect.
Not wanting to restrict creativity or enjoyment, an enthusiastic and boisterous display of support for a school’s team is welcomed and encouraged at interscholastic events when directed in a positive manner. However, any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in a response is not acceptable sportsmanship. Student groups, administrators and event managers should take immediate steps to correct this unsporting behavior.
Some specific examples of unsporting behavior by student groups including chants directed at opposing participants and/or fans. Among the chants that have been heard at recent high school sporting events are:
“You can’t do that,” “Fundamentals,” “Airball,” “There’s a net there,” “Sieve,” “We Can’t Hear You,” the “scoreboard” cheer, and “Season’s Over” during tournament series play.
Thanks for your assistance!”
No part of this email includes a warning, a strict mandate, or a rule governing specific chants, even if some are mentioned.
I’ve never heard “There’s a net there,” or “Sieve.” Maybe that’s a Wisconsin thing.
What I have heard is: “Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts, we got screwed.” For me, that one dates to the early 1990s and the Class AA days of Wheeling Central and Williamstown and their regional meetings in Parkersburg.
I have heard chants from other student sections that can’t be mentioned in this space.
The backlash the WIAA has received resulted in the association saying it may address the issue during its meetings in April.
The immediate response is to declare that the political correctness many believe has pervaded society trickled into the innocence of a few potentially crass, yet mostly inoffensive, words during a sporting event.
My response after having a moment to digest the situation is that the WIAA, like the SSAC, leaves it up to the schools to monitor student behavior during sporting events.
If you have attended the W.Va. high school tournaments, you see student sections being significantly boisterous, yet mostly well behaved.
The most-common chants in recent years are: “I believe that we will win,” “I believe that we just won,” and “Drive home safely.”
Harmless, to be sure.
Here’s the view of Bernie Dolan, who takes over as SSAC executive director next week.
“I think all of this goes back to the school and their responsibility,” said Dolan, who has served as athletic director and principal at Wheeling Park High School before his most recent hiring. “They have to monitor behavior every day at school. They shouldn’t want their school put in a bad light.”
The SSAC has no “list” in place regarding chants.
“I don’t think we have any words,” he said. “We have a list of things you can’t bring, like signs. But, the cheers and the messages that are on signs … that’s the responsibility of the school, but they would work closely with us.
“The message should be, you paid for a ticket, you are there to cheer for your team, but not try to degrade somebody else and make fun of somebody.”
As a spectator, I find humor in most of the chants, but they’re not directed at me and I don’t count.
Want some others?
“You let the whole team down,” when an opposing player makes a mistake, “Boring,” when an opponent is holding the ball or “You can’t do that,” following a foul call. If your team happened to win a meeting in football during the fall, a favorite is “Let’s play football.”
Every participating school during the W.Va. state tournament has an administrator monitoring its group of students. One year, Wheeling Central athletic director Mike Young did his due diligence, sitting in the middle of the student section, by himself, during a Maroon Knights girls state tournament game. No students attended the game, which was played during school hours, on a weekday, almost three hours from the school.
“We put the behavior of the students on the school,” Dolan said. “That’s their responsibility and they all take it seriously.”
That is how it should remain.
The idea that a state athletic association should have the responsibility to mandate the behavior of fans during a sporting event is ludicrous. That’s why games have officials and administrators and, in the case of serious offenses, resource officers close by.
What the WIAA did was nothing more than remind schools of a “point of emphasis” regarding expected behavior.
Did it step over the line?
After viewing the email, I don’t think its request was unreasonable.
With that in mind, it is also clear the association wasn’t prepared for the backlash.
In the eyes of the majority, the WIAA was out of line, which will certainly impact their thought process involving future correspondence in these matters.
As for the tweet from the Hilbert High School athlete, that’s another polarizing subplot to this story.
The line of free speech appears to be profanity.
Gehl’s mother, Jill, told postcrescent.com that school policy includes a section on inappropriate language, which ultimately resulted in her daughter’s punishment.
To the family’s credit, they plan no appeal and April Gehl’s suspension — barring postponements or other unforeseen circumstances — will conclude at the end of Monday’s home game against Omro.
What won’t end is the debate over free speech and social media, as well as how state high school athletic associations handle specific circumstances that aren’t beyond the control of their member schools.
Close to home, the SSAC seems to have a firm grasp of its responsibilities.
I have a feeling every state association has learned from the WIAA’s mistake.
Knapper seeks rarity for South Charleston basketball star — a title
The woes of the South Charleston High School boys basketball team date decades.
The Black Eagles have regularly come thisclose to winning a West Virginia championship, which — like it or not — is how teams and star athletes are remembered.
Is it a curse? A jinx?
Neither, but that’s a compelling argument.
Bobby Dawson guided the Black Eagles from 1985-2009, finishing with a 395-165 record and coaching in the state title game the last three seasons.
Prior to Dawson’s hiring, Bill Walton coached South Charleston (1976-85), achieving a 174-63 record, coaching in the title game in 1982 and 1983.
Walton oversaw a resurgence in the program, following coaches John McConihay (1968-71) and Bill Young (1972-75), who had a combined record of 77-90 and remain the only South Charleston coaches since 1941 to have losing coaching records.
The tendencies of Walton and Dawson, as well as current coach Vic Herbert, can be dissected infinitely, but it’s too simplistic to declare coaching as what has been missing from South Charleston’s title quest for the last 56 seasons.
When it comes to South Charleston, it seems that it’s always something.
Walton’s 1982 team entered the Class AAA title game with a 24-1 record, but dropped a 62-61 decision to Stonewall Jackson on a last-second shot.
One year later, coach Willie Akers’ Logan team handed the Black Eagles a 55-54 defeat, marking the only time a team has lost consecutive one-point decisions in state title games.
In 2007, South Charleston’s bid for a crown was halted by Huntington, which was led by O.J. Mayo and Patrick Patterson. An argument can be made that the Black Eagles were, by far, the state’s best team not named Huntington.
In 2016, it has become the quest of Knapper to not see his prep career conclude the same way it did for former South Charleston standouts who experienced considerable success in college and beyond, but didn’t raise a trophy in March of their senior year.
Not since Carl Ward and Bill Londeree led the Jack Surrette-coached Black Eagles to the title in 1959 has South Charleston won a championship.
Consider this:
— South Charleston has been tournament runner-up seven times, which is quite the accomplishment until you consider that the teams who have more — Woodrow Wilson (9) and Charleston (8) — have 22 state championships between them. The Black Eagles only title was in 1959, seven years before I was born.
— The Black Eagles have been to the state tournament 10 of the last 14 years with second-place finishes in 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2002.
— Here are just a few South Charleston standouts who didn’t win state titles:
Pierria Henry (Class of 2010) finished his college career with Division I Charlotte, where he became the program’s all-time leader in steals, assists and minutes played. He’s playing professionally overseas.
Tyler Harris (2011): A Kennedy Award winner at quarterback for the football team, Harris was a key contributor at guard.Aaron Dobson (2009) was named the Evans Award winner given to the state’s basketball top player. He played football at Marshall University and is currently a wide receiver for the National Football League’s New England Patriots.
Cedric Hornbuckle (2002) was a first-team All-State player and brother of former WNBA standout Alexis Hornbuckle.
Josh Daniel (2006): A first-team All-State player who had a successful college career at Eastern Kentucky and is how head coach at Herbert Hoover.
Klint Frazier (2005) was a first-team All-State player.
Justin Phillips (1999) was a first-team All-State player and the son of former Charleston High star Levi Phillips. Justin’s son, also named Justin, is a sophomore star for George Washington.
Gay Elmore (1982) also was a first-team All-State player who was the all-time leading scorer at South Charleston and remains the all-time leading scorer at VMI.
Knapper is the Black Eagles’ star this time around. He all ready has committed to West Virginia University, which is fresh off an upset of Big 12 rival Kansas, which was No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings.
A candidate to win the Evans Award, Knapper was among the favorites to claim the honor last season, but damaged his chances considerably when, on Feb. 21, he was “disrespectful” to an assistant coach and was suspended for the final regular season game.
Coach Herbert has won a state title as a player (1977) and coach (1991) at Logan. Tamon Scruggs, the Black Eagles’ second-best player, is the son of Anthony Scruggs, who won a championship as a player at Woodrow Wilson in 1993.
The key, however, is Knapper, who hasn’t lost his moxie since becoming South Charleston’s starting point guard as a sophomore.
Knapper said it’s “a killer instinct,” that helps him maintain his confidence and ability to consistently “knock down shots.”
“That’s one of my big things is to have a killer instinct during games to pull out a win,” said Knapper, who still occasionally shushes the crowd and maintains an “edge” on the floor as part of “having fun. I have to be a leader for the team too.”
His top complementary help on the roster is Scruggs, who has shown the ability to shoot the outside shot and play power forward with his back to the basket. The Black Eagles aren’t in such a hurry to get run-out baskets these days, instead often preferring to post up Scruggs and make teams defend them in the half court.
“He has a big body and you see that big butt on him,” Knapper said jokingly. “He can also shoot the 15-footer and 3-pointer.”
Either offensive philosophy fits the South Charleston roster, despite a lack of depth.
The Black Eagles will still be hard-pressed to climb through brutal Region 3, Section 1, which includes Capital. The Cougars handed South Charleston its only defeat of the season, 76-52, on Jan. 7. Also seeking one of two spots in the region co-finals will be George Washington, which took two-time defending champion Huntington to overtime before losing on Wednesday; Ripley, which boasts a pair of 6-foot-8 standouts in Luke Layhew and Chase Johnson; Riverside, which received an infusion of talent and fell to the Black Eagles 69-64 on Jan. 5.
Making the section even more competitive is the second-place team not wanting to pay a visit to the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center to face Woodrow Wilson, which might have its best team under Ron Kidd, who is in his 16th season as head coach of the Flying Eagles.
That makes Knapper’s quest to become the first state championship South Charleston player since the late ’50s a taller task than anybody can expect.
More must be done to lure football finals from Wheeling
I try to shape my opinions by logic and common sense, but even the most hardened objectively thinking human can unknowingly have a skewed angle of reality.
I think I have handled my responsibility reasonably well as a West Virginia small-town sports scribe (let’s face it, they’re all small towns in the Mountain State), whose passion always has been high school athletics.
I’m taking a head-first dive into teaching, but have found it is increasingly difficult to separate myself from a career that has shaped my personality and attitude toward sports on a local and national level.
A 13-year stint in Wheeling as a sportswriter and sports editor at the Intelligencer and another 13 years in Charleston as a sports writer and assistant sports editor at the Daily Mail have provided me with a unique look at life near each end of the state.
There’s Wheeling, a two-time state capital that is known for the Suspension Bridge, Capitol Music Hall and Mail Pouch Tobacco.
Then there is Charleston, the reigning state capital’s largest city that boasts the Capitol Complex’s golden dome that has been the permanent government seat since wrestling it once and for all from Wheeling in 1877.
Nothing has puzzled me more than the pointless tug-of-war that has occurred between the state’s former and current capital cities, particularly in the world of prep sports.
Make no mistake, this civil conflict has been ongoing since long before the state high school football championship games were moved from Charleston to Wheeling in 1994.
But, let’s not discount the impact this event has had on the relationship between two of the larger cities in the state.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m a native of Wheeling and a 1985 graduate of Wheeling Park High School.
However, I’ve never been pro-Wheeling Super Six or anti-Charleston Super Six … or anti/pro-any West Virginia city Super Six.
West Virginia isn’t unlike other states in that there is a hometown point of view from all corners, particularly in football.
Folks tend to live in a vacuum.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of the 24,230 square miles of West Virginia the last 96 years peaked at 2.006 million people in 1950 and has remained between 1.954 (1981) and 1.74 (1970) with some fluctuation.
The disparate situation of West Virginia towns is magnified by the multiple personalities of the Mountain State. The Northern Panhandle is considered by some to be a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa. The Eastern Panhandle is infinitely connected with the Washington, D.C., area and southern West Virginians are considered, well, southerners.
The bible belt extends East to West near the middle of the state, separating residents not only by geography but, in many instances, by religion.
A few months after moving to Charleston in April, 2002, my standing joke was, “for every 10 bars in Wheeling there is 1 church and for every 1 bar in Charleston there are 10 churches.”
The point is, there is an explanation — albeit pointless — for the “us against the world” mentality that is so prevalent in our two-panhandle existence. This defensive tactic trickles to the towns, and the attitudes of observers throughout the state.
Believe me, I’ll be returning to this subject on a more specific level at a later date.
Which brings me back to the Super Six — the three state high school football championship games played at the conclusion of every fall season.
The Class AA championship is contested on Friday night, the last weekend of November or the first weekend of December. The Class AAA and AA title games follow on Saturday.
Since 1978, the games have been held in three locations — all but one year at Charleston’s Laidley Field (now University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field) or Wheeling Island Stadium. In 1988, the games were moved to Morgantown’s Mountaineer Field. According to published reports, there was some debate within the Kanawha County Board of Education — which owns the stadium — about whether or not to resurface Laidley. Additionally, then-WVU football coach Don Nehlen wanted the games played in Morgantown.
Another report cited the “deteriorating conditions” at Laidley Field. There have been upgrades to the stadium since, but 30 years ago the school board contemplated razing the facility because of this deterioration.
After one year of playing at 60,000-seat Mountaineer Field, the fall’s most-anticipated weekend of high school athletics returned to Charleston for five more years before Wheeling lured it away from the capital city where it has remained for the last 22 seasons.
In 1987, Wheeling Island Stadium opened to much fanfare, replacing the former Wheeling Island Stadium.
In 1994, when Wheeling opted to challenge Charleston as the host city of one of the state’s premier high school events, the gloves were off.
Wheeling wasn’t without its own shortcomings.
Among the issues?
December weather in the Northern Panhandle, which can be significantly more inclement than Charleston.
That argument gained traction in 2003 when run-heavy Parkersburg South came back from a 14-point halftime deficit against pass-happy Martinsburg to win the school’s first state football title. Snowy, cold conditions the night before gave way to sunny and warmer temperatures, turning the combination of snow and hard ground into mud and slop.
I recall a conversation with Martinsburg coach Dave Walker, who lamented the conditions and his team’s inability to throw the ball. He had a point, although you have to learn to play in all conditions, right? He also understood that.
Officials took note and installed artificial turf the following year.
The Super Six hasn’t come close to being moved since, dodging bids from Princeton, Parkersburg and Charleston.
In 2012, the new bidding process included an option year, meaning the city winning the bid to host the Super Six would have the option of hosting for a fourth year.
Wheeling will seek another contract to host the Super Six for four years beginning in 2016, while Charleston is seeking to again host the celebrated weekend. Bids are due back in the SSAC offices in Parkersburg and the Board of Directors and a decision will be made in January.
From what I’m told, not involved in the process are Princeton, which fell short during the previous bidding process, and White Sulphur Springs, home of the Greenbrier Classic and the New Orleans Saints training camp. Jim Justice, the owner of the Greenbrier and its football facility that will host part of the New Orleans Saints training camp through 2016, was rumored to considering bidding on the games. The Greenbrier County location includes a full-length field just over the hill from where the Saints hold training camp, but would need significant additions to be ready. I’m told that isn’t in the plans, leaving Charleston and Wheeling the two cities bidding to host the games.
Surprisingly, the infrastructure at Jim Justice’s playground isn’t nearly ready for that kind of undertaking — another subject I’ll cover later.
The games aren’t expected to leave Wheeling during this contract cycle, but stranger things have happened.
Here are some of the issues the Board of Directors have considered, and will consider, during its vote in January.
Location, location, location: The highways that cut through Charleston and the stadium a couple turn signals off I-77 make Charleston a more convenient location and considerably more centralized than Wheeling. Hotels, eateries and other amenities are readily available for fans. For us most interested in eateries, it’s Tudor’s Biscuit World vs. DiCarlo’s Pizza. Wheeling Island Stadium, however, is located on an island and requires some careful, and often time-consuming, navigation to reach I-70, the lone interstate access to the stadium. Mike Reed, a long time Kanawha Valley educator and former Charleston Super Six committee member pointed out in 2006 that 62 percent of the state’s population lives within a 90-minute drive of Charleston. Not a game-changer, obviously, but something to consider.
EDGE: Charleston.
Stadiums: The 17,000-seat UC Stadium can hold any number of fans who want to attend the games. Then again, that’s roughly double of most of the the best-attended Super Six games in memory, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of atmosphere. Wheeling Island Stadium has had its capacity listed anywhere from 10,200-12,200, although like UC Stadium, that number would be considerably lower than 1987 when bleacher seating was judged according to 18 inches per person. Wheeling Island Stadium is more conducive to high school football in West Virginia. Although some states host prep championships at NFL host stadiums, the Mountain State’s population. The atmosphere in Wheeling makes it a winner here, especially when host team Wheeling Park played Capital earlier this month. Some say a record crowd crammed into Wheeling Island Stadium, but I’d be reluctant to say since the percentage of people who take up only 18 inches is probably pretty low.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Financial benefits: If the games are in Charleston, the money stays in West Virginia. Wheeling is bordered by Pennsylvania within 20 miles to the east and Ohio across the river to the west, putting visitors in hotels beyond the Mountain State borders and money into the coffers of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some contend the amount is negligible, but since 2004 when the Highlands broke ground near Dallas Pike, five hotels have been built on the property. Nevertheless, there would be more going to Ohio and Pennsylvania from Wheeling than would ever from Charleston.
EDGE: Charleston.
Press box: The UC Stadium press box is considerably larger than the one at Wheeling Island Stadium, providing more elbow room for working media as well as scoreboard operators and statisticians. Wheeling has managed the media contingency despite a smaller press box. Fortunately for those relegated to the sideline, the overhang at Wheeling Island Stadium protects them from the elements.
EDGE: Charleston.
Sight lines: The 8-lane track at UC Stadium, in addition to the risers erected to seat close to 9,000 fans on either side creates a considerable distance for spectators to view the field. Wheeling Island Stadium doesn’t have a track and the bleachers are raised above the stadium surface considerably higher than they are at UC Stadium. I’ve had coaches tell me that’s an advantage for them because they can’t hear disparaging fans.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Parking: Depending on the game, whether it’s Class A, Class AA or Class AAA, parking could be an issue at UC Stadium. The expanse parking lot at Wheeling Island Casino allows for virtually unlimited parking areas within 200 yards of the stadium.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Stadium conditions: Little has been done to upgrade the facilities in Charleston, although the Board of Education sold its soul to the University of Charleston for what amounted to a measly $1.4 million upgrade in 2005 that included new turf. I’m not sure how much of that money went into the skybox to entertain UC luminaries during home games or the signage letting the world know that it’s University of Charleston Stadium. New lights were installed this year, but the aluminum bleachers have wear and tear and some wobble from rusted supports. The turf at Wheeling Island Stadium was replaced earlier this year. The UC Stadium scoreboard also needs upgraded to include the replacement of many lights.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Safety concerns: Among the issues pointed out to me some years ago by an SSAC administrator is field access for players. Team members can enter and exit their lockerrooms at Wheeling Island Stadium without leaving the playing field. However, both sides of UC Stadium require team members to mingle among the spectators for lockerroom access. When this was brought to my attention many years ago we didn’t have the safety issues we face today.
EDGE: Wheeling.
The little extras: These are amenities that Charleston, or other cities, can make part of the bidding process to secure the games. They are worth mentioning because they are part of what helped lure the Super Six to Wheeling. Names on lockers as well as buffed shoes and helmets await teams as they arrive at the stadium to play the game. The capital city’s 2006 bid to regain the Super Six included transportation money to the schools – $2,000 to each Class AAA school, $1,600 to each Class AA school and $1,400 for each Class A school for a total of $10,000 to participating schools to help transport students and fans to the games. Not a bad addition to the process. However, Wheeling hasn’t rested on its laurels. When the natural grass surface was an issue, artificial turf was installed. A video board was installed and new additions are made every bidding year. One year, $1,000 in weights were given to each participating school.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Sponsorships: OK, so it’s not supposed to be about money, but it has to be to some degree, right? Wheeling has three levels of sponsorships: Platinum, Gold and Silver. Among the Platinum sponsors is the Ohio County Commission, which contributes more than $15,000.
EDGE: Wheeling.
Wheeling Island Stadium is a few steps from Wheeling Island Casino and Godfather’s Gentleman’s Club, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by critics.
Charleston, unquestionably, has the resources to get the Super Six back with the right contingent of folks involved. However, it will require a significant upgrade of facilities, businesses willing to separate themselves from their money and progressive thinking.
I have maintained since the late 1990s that rotating the Super Six is a good idea if another city can match Wheeling’s efforts.
Parkersburg, for example, has made significant upgrades to the Erickson All-Sports Facility, the home of Parkersburg South High School. Parking is plentiful, there is easy access just off I-77 and the overall facility is impressive.
However, other cities have been chasing their tails in an attempt to get Super Six weekend moved out of Wheeling because of the collaboration of community members in the Upper Ohio Valley.
When Wheeling Super Six committee member Bernie Dolan — a Wheeling native and former Wheeling Park principal — was announced earlier this year as the heir apparent to Gary Ray as executive director of the SSAC, some expressed concern that the football season’s most-anticipated weekend will always require participants to travel to the Northern Panhandle.
I’m not sure that’s true.
When you consider all of the factors, I’m also not sure if that’s a bad thing.
