The 99th annual boys state high school basketball tournament tips off today in Charleston at the Civic Center.
I often get asked at this time of year about the best high school teams that I have seen in my lifetime. I did not see Jerry West at East Bank in 1956 or the great Beckley teams of Jerome Van Meter. I do, however, have several great teams that come to mind.
1966 DUNBAR BULLDOGS–The Bulldogs routed Moundsville in the AAA state title game in Huntington 87-62. Moundsville was led by future WVU star, Bob Hummell, who had scored 45 points in a semi-final win over Richwood. Dunbar had Jim Woodall who started in the SEC at Tennessee and Melvin Walker, who would have played both footbal and basketball at Wisconsin. A leg injury suffered in football as a sophomore ended his Badgers career.
1968 CHARLESTON HIGH MOUNTAIN LIONS–This team coached by Lou Romano had three players, Curtis Price, Larry Harris and Levi Phillips, that would sign with West Virginia.
1974 CHARLESTON HIGH MOUNTAIN LIONS—This was another great Lou Romano team. Center Mike Jones and forward Curtis Cabell signed with Gale Catlett at Cincinnati. Junior Sam Brooks would later sign at Louisville. Sixth man John Britton would go to Akron and become of the school’s all time leading scorers.
1984 and 1985 STONEWALL JACKSON GENERALS–Under the direction of coach Don Stover, the Generals won three AAA state championships in the 1980’s. They went back to back in 1984 and 1985 with stars such as Stewart Mitchell, Wayne Casey and Robert Lee Sanders. Mitchell signed with WVU to play football, Casey led W. Va. State to a berth in the NAIA national title game in college, while Sanders had a great career at Jacksonville State in Alabama.
2006–HUNTINGTON HIGH HIGLANDERS–In my opinion, this was the best basketball team in state history. This team had two first NBA first round draft picks in O. J. Mayo and Patrick Patterson. This was actually one of the best high school teams in the entire country. The Highlanders would win the AAA state championship by over 40 points over South Charleston.