CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Capital High School student body gathered in the school’s gymnasium Monday to celebrate the football team’s championship win Saturday at Wheeling Island Stadium. Each member of the team was individually recognized and Coach Jon Carpenter personally gave the game ball and championship trophy to principal Clinton Giles.
“It’s an object lesson in life as I describe it,” said Giles. “The goal setting, the commitment, the dedication, the hard work, working together, working independently, all in pursuit of a worthwhile goal, that’s life being played out in front of you in a game.”
Giles also took time to commend Carpenter for his efforts to bring unity and focus to a team which has struggled to find an identity.
“I often ask him, ‘Coach do you want to be a championship football coach or the savior of the world?'” Giles said. “He’s doing a pretty good job at both.”
The feeling of recognition among his peers was an incredible one to Jordan Kinney who earned Most Valuable Player honors in the championship game.
“It feels great,” said Kinney. “It feels great the students, faculty, and everyone in the community is behind us. It’s a great feeling.”
“To hear my name called and then hear everybody in the stands cheering, is something I’ve never felt before,” said center Isaiah Carvens.
The assembly included plenty of smiles, hugs, and high fives but among the jubilation, Giles pointed out the weekend tragedies which befell three other local schools including their opponent South Charleston High School. The students paused in their celebration for a moment of silence in memory of five members of a South Charleston family killed in an accident while headed to the game and acknowledged the death of a sophomore student at George Washington High School in an accident.
“We’ve been there. They weren’t our students, but we love them all,” said Giles. “We’ve had a tragic loss of life that has reverberated through the entire school community in Kanawha County today.”