WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling Island Stadium has been the site of every Super Six since 1994 and heading into its 26th year in Ohio County, local officials say it never gets old.
Super Six organizers, Wheeling officials, local business owners, and fans are prepared to give visitors from around the state another first-class welcome this weekend for the high school football championships.
They are also prepared to see busier streets, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers that make for a significant economic impact.
“We try to roll out the red carpet for all of the teams, their families and friends, to make it a special event,” Frank O’Brien, Executive Director of the Wheeling Convention and Visitor’s Bureau told MetroNews.
“They’ve worked so hard to make it to the state championship game, we want to make sure it’s a high-quality experience.”
O’Brien said the city will see up to 15,000 visitors stay from Friday, the day of the Class AA game, into Sunday. He estimated the money it will bring to Wheeling and the Upper Ohio Valley is “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The Wheeling CVB corresponds with the schools for pre-game meals, special events for Super Six clubs, and hotels for certain teams. Hotels and restaurants are what O’Brien says see the largest impact.
He said Oglebay Resort with the Festival of Lights and Wilson Lodge, The Highlands, a premier shopping and lodging destination, and Wheeling Island Casino are the three large venues that see heavy traffic.
Locally, places like Centre Market in Center Wheeling and TJ’s Sports Garden Restaurant into town are some hot spots.
“The Super Six, we are bombarded with the teams and fans,” Tammy Derrow, Office Manager at TJ’s told MetroNews.
“It’s a very busy weekend for our restaurant and we love it.”
Derrow said they serve entire teams every year along with traditional fans and the public in town for the games. Some fans come back year after year to the sports-themed restaurant, with dozens of TVs and pool tables, and have their favorite dishes.
“Our Big T, which is an old Elby’s sandwich, our Slam Jam sandwich, our onion rings of course. The two dinner specials, the salmon salad and the beef tips over mashed potatoes and gravy,” Derrow said of the favorites.
The first game of the Super Six is Friday night at 7 in Class AA as Bridgeport meets Bluefield. Saturday at Noon features the Class AAA championship between Martinsburg and Cabell Midland while Saturday night at 7 is Wheeling Central and Doddridge County in the Class A game.
O’Brien and Derrow both said they will be pulling for the hometown Maroon Knights but wish the best of luck to Doddridge County and the rest of the teams playing for a title.
“We appreciate all of this,” Derrow said. “We appreciate all the business it brings to all over the city. It makes for a nice weekend.”
All of the games can be heard on the MetroNews Radio Network or watched on the MetroNews Channel.