Super 6 a Labor of Love
Thursday, December 3, 2009
By NICK BEDWAY- The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register
Whether it be business or athletics, it takes teamwork, dedication and commitment for any venture to enjoy a long and successful run.
For the past 16 years, Wheeling's Super Six Committee has followed the above winning strategies to establish benchmark after benchmark while playing host to the West Virginia's state championship high school football games.
''The mission statement is the same as in the beginning when Eric Carder and the late Sam Mumley spearheaded the drive to bring Super Six to Wheeling,'' insists Howard V. Corcoran, a former game director who still serves as a consultant to the local group. ''It's all about the kids, the kids, the kids. Take care of the kids for they are the foundation of our future. The end product every year is seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids who come to our community to play in the state championship games.
''For nearly 99 percent of the seniors on the competing teams, this will likely be their last football game. Eric and Sam's original thoughts were to create a college bowl-type atmosphere for all the teams, coaches and fans attending Super Six.''
This has clearly been accomplished, although some of the faces have changed on the game committee during the years. Bernie Dolan, Wheeling Park High School principal, now serves as the director, assisted closely by Ohio County Administrator Greg Stewart; Christine Carder, retired principal at Park High and chairperson of this weekend's Academic Achievement Awards Brunch, and retired Ohio County Schools employe Dick Cameron.
Overall, close to 30 area residents, many of whom are retired coaches and school administrators, make up the Super Six Committee. But you can also add in another 100 or so volunteers who help out each year.
''A lot of the committee members and volunteers have been with us all 16 years,'' Corcoran said.
''For many, it is a one week a year thing, but there are some people that work at it almost every day.''
Despite the downturn in the economy, the enthusiasm among the corporate sponsors remains high.
''We have not seen an economy like this in Wheeling or the state of West Virginia since 1929,'' Corcoran said, ''but our program advertisement numbers and corporate sponsorship packages are actually up, which is remarkable.''
He credits much of that success to the credibility of the local Super Six folks, along with the Ohio Valley's passion for football, especially on the high school level.
''Everyone realizes that we could not survive without the help of our corporate sponsors,'' Corcoran said. ''We also have to thank the Ohio County Commission, City of Wheeling, the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Ogden Newspapers, the Wheeling Police and Ohio County Sheriff's departments.''
Because of the corporate sponsors, the first 15 years that Wheeling has played host to the state championship football games resulted in the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission receiving more than $1.2 million to help run its sponsored athletic programs throughout the Mountain State.
In recent years, the Wheeling Super Six Committee has also donated thousands of dollars in scholarship awards to student athletes. This Saturday's Academic Achievement Awards Brunch, played host to by the Wheeling Island Racetrack, Hotel and Casino, will include five $1,000 scholarship awards presented by the Wheeling Super Six group. Also, one player from each of the six competing teams in the state title games will receive $1,000 in scholarship assistance, bringing the total for this year to $11,000.
For the football fans attending the games, this weekend's matchups could be the best in recent seasons, starting with the Friday Class AA championship pitting No. 1-ranked Wayne against No. 6 Bluefield. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The other two games bring together the Nos. 1 and 2 rated teams in each class. Brooke and defending Class AAA champion South Charleston clash at noon Saturday, while at 7 p.m., Weirton Madonna tangles with Man for the Class A championship.
''I look at the Wayne-Bluefield game as another 1-2 matchup,'' Corcoran said. ''Bluefield has been to Wheeling more times than any other team in the field since 1994. Plus, they play a very challenging schedule that includes a lot of strong teams located in Northern Virginia.''
Friday's game will mark the Beavers' eighth appearance in Wheeling's Super Six series, matching the total of Class A Moorefield, which played here eight times and won six titles from 1996-2003.
Football excitement is at a fever pitch throughout the upper part of the Northern Panhandle with unbeaten local favorites Brooke and Weirton Madonna having made it through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
For the Tom Bruney-coached Bruins, this will be their first appearance in Wheeling's Super Six, although former coach Paul ''Bud'' Billiard guided them to state titles in 1985, 1987 and 1990.
Since 1994, the only local Class AAA team playing a game on Wheeling Island in December was John Marshall, the winner of the 1996 thriller against Capital.
''South Charleston played in our first AAA state final in '94 when it defeated University, 27-7,'' Corcoran said.
The Black Eagles returned to Wheeling last December and defeated George Washington, 29-8.
Weirton Madonna fans are hoping their school's third appearance in a Wheeling state final will be the charm, although the Blue Dons did win the Class A crown with a 22-8 victory against Matewan in 1987. That contest was played at Charleston's Laidley Field.
Madonna's previous Wheeling Stadium appearances in the finals haven't ended very well as the Blue Dons lost to Wheeling Central Catholic in 2007 and to Williamstown last season.
However, Coach Bob Kramer's club took a giant step forward last Friday night when it eliminated the Maroon Knights 18-7 in a semifinal contest played at Jimmy Carey Stadium in Weirton.
''The single-A game should be very competitive as well,'' Corcoran said. ''Although this is Man's first trip to Wheeling for a state championship, they did play Wheeling Park one year in a regular-season game here.''
Honorary officials have been named for this weekend's games, as well.
Tossing the coin prior to the 7:30 p.m. Class AA finale Friday will be Warren Grace, longtime principal at Paden City High School and a member of the WVSSAC Board of Directors.
George Krelis, superintendent of Ohio County Schools, will handle the coin flip duties prior to Saturday's Class AAA final. Tom Burgoyne, retired Ohio County Sheriff and former athletics director at Wheeling Central Catholic, was selected to toss the coin prior to Saturday night's Class A game.
The weekend festivities begin tonight at the McLure House in Wheeling with the Kickoff Dinner to be attended by the Super Six Game Committee, visiting SSAC dignitaries and representatives of the six schools competing in the state finals.
