One more for the books: Nitro record breakers hope to add 'state champs' to their resumes
Thursday, December 1, 2005
By Rick Ryan - The Charleston Gazette

The last time Nitro ventured up Interstate 77 for the Super Six, it toted a couple of record-breaking skill-position players.

Well, the Wildcats are bound for Wheeling again, and they’ll have two more record-breakers tagging along this weekend.

Running back Josh Culbertson and wide receiver Chris Fulmer will be capping their remarkable careers Saturday in the Class AAA championship game at Wheeling Island Stadium.

Culbertson owns two of the state’s most-treasured rushing records, those for yards in a single season (3,366) and career (7,621), both coming this season.

Fulmer, who established a regular-season state mark with 109 receptions during his sophomore season, set another this year for career receptions. His total has risen to 326 catches, a record not only for West Virginia players, but all high school players in the United States.

All those numbers can be numbing, and Nitro coach Scott Tinsley knows they’ll be rendered less significant unless the Wildcats can come home with a title, just as they did in 1998, when quarterback J.R. House and receiver Chris Martin put on an aerial circus at the big top on Wheeling Island.

“It’s really special that they get to go out in a championship game,’’ Tinsley said, “because they’ve accomplished so much in their high school careers. But I know both of them will feel kind of empty if we’re not successful Saturday, because all these kids have one goal in mind, and it’s not to set national records or state records, but to win a state championship. That is most important to these kids.’’

House and Martin put on a show for the ages seven years ago, with the former throwing for 596 yards and a national-record-tying 10 touchdowns and the latter latching onto four of those scoring tosses while grabbing 15 passes for 344 yards.

“We had two record-setters the last time,’’ Tinsley said, “but it’s not the same as having a runner and thrower. Hopefully, we’ll be a little more balanced Saturday and make Morgantown defend the whole field. We have to do that to have success.’’

Morgantown coach John Bowers, an assistant on the Mohigans staff for the 1998 title-game meeting, realizes what’s in store for his defense trying to contend with Culbertson and Fulmer, and he’ll take any advantage he can get.

“Well, first you hope one or both of them miss the bus on the way up,’’ Bowers said. “But if you say you’re going to stop Nitro, you’re foolish because you’re not going to. You need to attempt to slow them and really defend against the big plays if you can. You want to take away their home runs.

“I’ve never seen a team hit so many home runs. Teams might have some success holding Josh to five yards, one yard, maybe a small loss, then he’ll go 50 yards for a touchdown. You really need to try to eliminate the home run.’’

Culbertson ran for 136 yards and both his team’s TDs last year when the Mohigans ousted Nitro 45-14 in the playoff quarterfinals in Morgantown. Fulmer had seven catches for 77 yards. Tinsley missed that game because of a heart condition and called the plays from his hospital room in Charleston.

“We were kind of able to negate the home run last year,’’ Bowers said, “but I think Coach Tinsley being ill maybe had something to do with that. Now we might not have any success with it, but that will be the game plan going in [this year] — negate the huge plays.

“We know Chris is going to get his catches. It’s unfathomable to even believe that of all the players who have ever played high school football, he’s got the most receptions. We’ll have to defend against his double moves, the hitch-and-go and the big ball. And he plays in the same offense with a kid who broke the state rushing record. It’s a product of Coach Tinsley’s offensive coaching genius, and those kids play their hearts out.’’

To contact assistant sports editor Rick Ryan, use e-mail or call 348-5175.