The Weekend We’ve Been Waiting For!

The high school football season began the last week of August and since then teams from across the state have worked hard to still be standing on this the first weekend of December.  However, only six remain!  And, those six will make the trip to Wheeling Island Stadium this weekend to try and make all of that hard work pay off.

It’s hard to believe, but this weekend we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Super Six Football Championships being held in Wheeling!  I was very fortunate to be a part of the broadcast team for the MetroNews Radio Network that made that first trip to Wheeling Island and I am thrilled to be heading back to the Island again this weekend.  And, as I look at the six teams that will be competing for those coveted state championship trophies, I honestly think we could be part of something very special in the three games that will be played.

On Friday evening, the Class AA title will be decided as #1 Wayne (13-0) takes on #2 Bridgeport (12-1).  The Pioneers’ story is almost common knowledge across the state as the young men from Wayne will be going after their 3rd straight Class AA crown.  And, oh by the way, they will also be seeking their 37th straight win which would break the current record they now hold with the former Ansted High School which won 36 straight games between 1970-74!  The game this weekend just might prove to be the toughest test of the previous 36 games for Wayne.  The Indians of Bridgeport are back in Wheeling for the first time since 2001 when they lost to Poca 21-7 in the title game.  Ironically, the year before that, Bridgeport won the Class AA championship when they defeated Wayne 14-6.  Speaking of the Poca Dots, they are the only Class AA team to win 3 consecuetive titles (2001, 2002 and 2003), a feat the Wayne Pioneers will try to accomplish this Friday night.

At high noon on Saturday, another team will be going after a record all their own as the #2 seeded Martinsburg Bulldogs will be trying to capture their 4th straight Class AAA crown.  There have been two other teams in WV high school football history to win four straight state championships but both of those teams accomplished that in Class A.  The Moorefield Yellow Jackets did it in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 while the Wheeling Central Maroon Knights repeated the winning in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.  Currently in Class AAA, the Martinsburg Bulldogs are tied with the former Charleston Mountain Lions ballclubs that won three big school championships in 1968, 1969 and 1970.  Now for Coach Dave Walker’s Bulldogs to win their fourth straight title, they will have to get by a team no one has been able to handle all season long.  The Huntington Highlanders come into Saturday afternoon’s game as the #1 seed and sporting a perfect 13-0 record.  Head Coach Billy Seals’ boys from Cabell County have done everything right this season, even finding ways to win late in the game when it looked like their unbeaten season was going to end.  While Martinsburg is going for their 4th straight title, the Huntington Highlanders are looking for title number one.  In fact, last week was the first time in the history of Huntington High School that the Highlanders have advanced past the semi-final round!

Our final game of the weekend also promises to be a great one to watch if you like tough, hard nosed football!  The Blue Dons of Madonna, who came so close last year to winning the state championship as they were defeated by Wahama 43-42 in overtime when the White Falcons scored on a 2 point conversion, have returned just about everyone from last year’s runner-up squad.  And that senior leadership and talent has led Madonna to an unbeated season and the #1 seed.  Their opponent this Saturday night comes from Charmco, WV and the 7th seeded Greenbrier West Cavaliers are what high school football is all about.  Head Coach Lewis McClung has said it best…..”the Cavaliers are not fancy….they just line up and hit you”!  If you are coming to Wheeling this weekend, be sure and hang around for the Class A Championship which kicks off at 7p…..should be a good one!

If you can’t make it to the Island for the Super Six this weekend, please listen in across the State on the MetroNews Radio Network for live broadcasts of all three games.  We will also be streaming the live audio of each game at wvmetronews.com.  Including me, our broadcast team will consist of Travis Jones, Dave Jecklin, Chris Lawrence, Tim Brady, Ryan Nicewarner, Garrett Cullen, Hank Slemp, Justin Hoff and Chris Moran, the best special events producer in the business today!

Talk to you this weekend from the Super Six!







Your Comments