(Publisher’s Note: Steve Novotney contributed to this report.)
The Wheeling area will take a $1 million hit next weekend because the Super Six Championships will not take place at all in the Friendly City.
According to Frank O’Brien, executive director of the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, the three West Virginia state football championships normally attracts between 30,000-40,000 people to Wheeling Island Stadium during the first weekend of December. Hotels, restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores are common destinations, O’Brien explained.
“It’s another loss that our local businesses will take this year because of COVID-19,” he said. “The only good news is that this year won’t count against the contract that our local community has with the SSAC for the games, so that means we’ll get back on track next year.
“Even though attendance would have been limited if the games were held here in Wheeling, there still would have been an economic impact realized by some local businesses,” O’Brien said. “But with the numbers and the system the state has in place right now, it was determined that Wheeling was not a safe enough environment.”
The Wheeling CVB markets the region’s attractions like Oglebay and Grand Vu parks, the Palace of Gold, and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, and O’Brien has been encouraged by what he has witnessed since the Festival of Lights began early this month.
“I am seeing a light at the end of this tunnel despite the recent numbers of positive tests,” he said. “I think we all can agree that we can’t wait for some normalcy in our lives, and hopefully that’s what we will see next year. Along with the losses connected to the Super Six, our attractions and local businesses have missed the revenues generated from the tourism industry in this area.”
Since 1994
For the first time in just 26 years the West Virginia High School Football Championships will not be hosted by Wheeling Island Stadium. However, the Super 6 will return to a familiar venue in the Capital City of Charleston.
With just two weeks remaining in the fall sports season, Ohio County is unable to host the state championships in Wheeling because of Ohio County’s remaining in the orange category of the state’s COVID metrics map. Bernie Dolan, the executive director of the W.Va. Secondary Schools Activities Commission, revealed to LEDE News last week the decision to move the title games depended on the state Department of Education COVID-19 map.
“The city of Wheeling has been a terrific host for the Super 6 every years since 1994, and we have been confident that would be the case again this year,” he said. “But the numbers are the numbers, and the guidelines are what they are. The pandemic and the map has been issues during the entire fall season, so we felt this was the best decision to make.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Super 6 will return to Wheeling in December 2121, and the committee’s contract will be extended by a year,” Dolan explained. “Let’s just hope that by that time, everything is back to normal.”
It’s been since 1993, when the last football state championship was played at Laidley Field, but the Super 6 weekend may not host all three championship games.
The championships are still scheduled as planned with the Class AA final set to be on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. The Class AAA final will be played Saturday, Dec. 5, at noon and then the Class A final will close the event at 7 p.m.
Super 6 or Super 4
There is a possibility that in the Class A playing field (10-2) No. 7 Ritchie County may not be able to play in next week’s state championship game because of the COVID metrics map. Currently, Ritchie County remains orange and would need to improve to the gold category in order to compete for the program’s first ever state championship game.
If Ritchie is unable to improve, then the winner of the Class A State Championship will be decided on Saturday, when Pendleton County takes on St Marys in the state semifinals. (The game is currently set for 1:30 p.m.)
In Class AA don’t count Hancock County out just yet. Although if the status remains orange, there remains a possibility that Oak Glen would be able to host Robert C. Byrd on Sunday.
Hancock County has to be below the 5 percent in order for the game to be played on Sunday. Currently the numbers have been decreasing each day with today’s numbers knocking on the door with a rating of 5.08 percent.
“Each week we just wait and see what the map dictates to us,” Dolan said. “It’s been like that all season, but now that the numbers have gone way up, it’s had a big impact on the postseason. I really do feel bad for the kids and their families.”
The map that rules all will be released at 5 p.m. today to determine who will have a shot at a state title in this unprecedented year of 2020.
“We were hoping the games could still take place in Wheeling because of the facility and the amenities in and around Ohio County,” Dolan said. “Some of the events surrounding the Super 6 would not have taken place because of the number of people that usually attend, and attendance will be limited no matter where the games take place.
“Laidley Field is a large facility that will allow for plenty of social distancing,” the executive director added. “So we’ll play what we can play and then hope for better winter and spring seasons, but more importantly I hope the children can get back into their schools soon.”
