Wheeling braces for another weekend of Super Six football championships
Friday, December 2, 2005
By JIM ELLIOTT - The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register
When the Weir High Red Riders and the Bluefield Beavers kick off their W.Va. Class AA state final tonight at 7:30, it will mark the beginning of the 12th consecutive year Wheeling has played host to the W.Va. High School Football Championships, commonly known as Super Six.
When that push began in the early 1990s, there were a few folks who wondered if it could work.
Since then, there are more than a few who are glad it has.
Thursday night at the annual Super Six kickoff banquet at the McClure House Hotel in downtown Wheeling, Howard Corcoran, director of Wheeling's Super Six committee, relayed a story about how the late Sam Mumley had a vision to bring the state championships to Wheeling.
He spoke of how Mumley and his group traveled to Charleston, made their best pitch for Super Six, and won, mainly because of Mumley's mission of making the whole thing a better experience for the kids.
"And then he came back and asked, 'What are we going to do?,''' Corcoran recalled.
"What they did was form one of the best (darn) committees that has ever been formed.
"They helped set the benchmark for what we've done,'' Corcoran said, "and what we'll continue to try to do.''
There are some folks in some important decision-making positions, namely Mike Hayden, executive secretary of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, who have agreed with Corcoran's assessment.
Hayden, who has made no secret of his appreciation for what Wheeling has done to make Super Six the event it is today, heaped more praise on the city and the committee Thursday night.
"When you look at the dictionary at the word class,'' Hayden said, "you'll see all of these faces.
"You folks have taught us how to make people feel welcome, how to make them feel like they are a part of something special. We use this as a model for a lot of other things we do.
"This is the 12th year (in Wheeling). Every year, you do something a little better.
"I would like to thank you for the vision and the direction you've given us.''
There was a lot of talk about how the weekend has become about more than just football, with academic achievements being stressed along the same lines as rushing yardages. Some of the state's brightest students are now honored with a luncheon of their own, along with introductions in pre-game ceremonies. Every single person involved has been made to feel right at home.
Which is what they set out to do.
They had no control over the matchups, however, which figure to be among the best in the 12 years since Super Six moved to the "Friendly City.''
The aforementioned Class AA game is a rematch of the the state semifinal the last two seasons, both won by Bluefield, which is in the state title game for the fourth consecutive season. In fact, Bluefield has been in the big dance seven times in the last 12 years. Weir is making its first state title game appearance since 1998, when current Cincinnati Bengals practice squad member Quincy Wilson was leading the way.
Bluefield is just one of three defending champs back in the fray.
Also back is Morgantown, coached by former Brooke High and Bethany College product John Bowers. Bowers, now in his third year, has overseen what is now a 27-game winning streak. The unbeaten Mohigans - one of just two undefeated teams left in the state - will face Nitro, with record setting players Josh Culbertson and Chris Fulmer, Saturday at noon.
In the Class A final, set for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday, defending champion Wheeling Central will face the state's other unbeaten team, Williamstown.
The Maroon Knights are enjoying their fifth trip to Super Six in the last six years, while Williamstown is back for the second time in three years. 
