WVSSAC Super Six Football Championships

Dinner Kicks Off Super Six Weekend
Friday, November 30 , 2007
By JIM ELLIOTT- The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register

James Monroe High School football coach David Witt likes an audience. Even if it’s one he’s not used to.

Witt, speaking on behalf of his Mavericks team during the annual Super Six Kickoff Dinner at the McLure House Hotel in downtown Wheeling Thursday, was quick to provide a little comic relief.

“I’m not accustomed to talking to so many people with suits and ties on,” he said of the roughly 150 people in attendance. “I’m trying to picture all of you with football helmets on.”

It’s become customary for representatives of each of the participating schools in the Super Six to spend a few minutes talking about their respective schools and teams during the annual event, the official kickoff to Super Six weekend.

But few have left people wanting more like Witt did, as he exited by poking a little fun at his thick, southern drawl.

“By the way,” he said. “I’m not speaking slow, this is just how we talk down there.”

Witt will move on to more serious subjects at 7:30 p.m. today, when his team takes on Bluefield at Wheeling Island Stadium in the West Virginia Class AA state championship game. The teams, separated by 38 miles in the southern portion of the state, traveled nearly five hours to Wheeling to compete for the title.

Saturday’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. with the Academic Achievement Banquet at Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center. Two more title games — the Class AAA final, pitting Parkersburg against St. Albans at noon, and the Class A title game featuring Wheeling Central vs. Williamstown at 7:30 p.m. — conclude the weekend.

Included in this group are a pair of defending champions in Wheeling Central and Parkersburg. The Class A title game is a rematch of each of the last three championship games in that division. It’s also Williamstown’s fourth Super Six appearance in the last five seasons.

The Yellowjackets haven’t won any of them, prompting Williamstown athletics director Jeff Givens to ask for something of a favor.

“If the coach back there (pointing at Wheeling Central’s Mike Young) would let us win one of these, we would be grateful,” he said.

This year marks the 14th consecutive time West Virginia’s high school football championships have been held in Wheeling, the last in the current deal. Proposals from cities around the state will be submitted soon, with a ruling on a new three-year plus one format set to take place sometime in January at West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission headquarters in Parkersburg.

Wheeling Super Six Committee members already have announced plans to submit what would be their eighth consecutive bid, hoping to keep the games in Wheeling and to continue their focus on the kids.

“People always ask me, what’s so special about the Wheeling group?” SSAC Executive Director Gary Ray asked. “They stay focused on their purpose, and they stay focused on the kids the entire weekend.

“When (Wheeling Super Six Committee member) Howard (Corcoran) speaks, he talks about the student-athletes. As long as they stay focused on the kids, this is going to be an outstanding event.”

Corcoran said they’ll do just that. He repeated the mission statement set forth by the late Sam Mumley, widely known as the founding father of Wheeling’s Super Six efforts.

“The kids, the kids, the kids. Take care of the kids for they are the foundation of our future,” Corcoran said. “We have carried that mission statement on, and we’ll continue to carry it on.”

The honorary referees for each of the championship games were announced, as Mike Webb was chosen for the Class AA game, Christine Carder was selected for the Class AAA game, and Nancy Mumley will flip the coin prior to the Class A title game.