Organizers and Volunteers:
Look at those kids in that photo. So much excitement on their faces, right? You can feel the sense of satisfaction, can’t ya?
That’s the Wheeling Park football team from back in 2015. It was December 4th, and all of the players, coaches, cheerleaders, and fans had heard IT over and over again. Founded in 1976, the Patriots had never, ever won the West Virginia Class AAA football championship until this historic afternoon. Never. They came really close, yes, but that was all the way back in 1991 and the star player back then – Boogie Johnson – was, and still is, one of the coaches.
Look at him, too. On the far right and near the back. The bald man with his right index finger pointed to the sky … and this time No. 1 was really real, finally, with a REAL championship to back it up. That’s what joy looks like right there, and he did it with his son, Savion, too.
Each person in that photo – and thousands more – also have a last-a-lifetime story from that afternoon, too, but the only common denominator is the fact each of those tales all happened in Wheeling. The same can be said about the program at Wheeling Central Catholic and everyone involved during the school’s many championship seasons that have ended on the Island with victory, and that’s thanks to the folks who brought the three championship games here back in 1994 because the people in Charleston took the kids, the parents, and the fans for granted.
The folks here, though, made it special for all involved, and along the way they provided an economic impact the town has come to count on. That’s one of the biggest reasons why the Super Six has remained in the Friendly City for 28 years, so, thank you, all of you, for your passion and dedication to keep those title tilts where they belong.
And thank you, also, for planning to keep it that way beyond the one year that remains on Wheeling’s Super Six contract. Please do what you can to defeat the other communities who wish to compete against what Wheeling has made, what the Super Six Football Championships have become. You did that, so feel proud and feel our gratitude.
Now, let’s keep those games – and everything that surrounds them – right here where they belong.
Sincerely,
The Local Economy
