WVSSAC Super Six Football Championships explained

The WVSSAC Super Six Football Championships is a series of high school football games, typically held on the first weekend of December, that determine the high school champions of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The tournaments that lead to the championship games, as well as regular-season competition, are governed by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC). The games have the name of "Super Six" because six teams play in the state's three championship games. The Championship games are held at Wheeling Island Stadium in Wheeling, a two-day affair, with one game on Friday and two on Saturday.

History

The WVSSAC began conducting state football championships in 1937. Throughout its history, the competition has been divided into classes based on enrollment. The history of classifications is as follows:

• 1903-1936: Prior to WVSSAC or sportswriter involvement: Single-class system, games arranged by individual teams, 1903 & 1907 Fairmont Senior Source: "Knights of the Laughing Waters" by George W. Ramsey, Jr., 1915 Source: "Buckhannon Record" newspaper November 1915, 1916-1936 Source: "History of Sports in West Virginia" by Doug Huff. 1909, 1912 Source: "Huntington Advertiser" newspaper. 1908 & 1913 "Wheeling Genealogical Society.
• 1916-1956: Colored School State Champions. Before the historic Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, schools, and football games, were segregated. African Americans were forced to play in their own league. The West Virginia Athletic Union governed African American athletics during this time.
• 1937–1946: Single-class system. Champion was named by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association.
• 1947–1954: Two-class system. Schools were placed in Class A or B based on enrollment.
• 1955–1957: Three-class system, based on enrollment, with Class B, Class A or AA based on enrollment.
• 1958–present: Three-class system, based on enrollment, with Classes A, AA and AAA.

In 1947 in Class B, 1947 and 1948 in Class A, and 1955 and 1956 in Class AA, there were no actual championship games. Those championships was awarded based on ratings. Class B was only in use from 1947 through 1957.

From 1947 to 1954, there were only two classes; Class A (big schools) and Class B (small schools). From 1955 to 1957, there were three classes; Class AA (big schools), Class A (medium sized schools) and Class B (small schools). From 1958 to the present there have been three classes as well, however the names have been changed to; Class AAA (big schools), Class AA (medium sized schools) and Class A (small schools).

WV Champions by Popular Acclaim

Single Class

Year	Champion
1903	Fairmont Senior (8-0-0)
1907	Fairmont Senior(2) (6-3-0)
1908	Wheeling^[1]
1909	Huntington^[2] (5-1-0)
1912	Huntington(2)(5-3-0)
1913	Wheeling(2)
1915	Buckhannon^[3] (8-0-0)
1916	Wheeling(3) (8-0-1)
1917	Huntington(3) (5-0-0)
1918	Parkersburg (2-1-0)
Buckhannon(2) (4-0-0)
1919	Parkersburg(2) (7-1-0)
1920	Charleston (8-0-1)
1921	Parkersburg(3) (9-0-0)
1922	Charleston(2) (9-1-2)
Parkersburg(4) (9-2-0)
Clarksburg Washington Irving^[4] (8-1-0)
St. Marys (9-1-0)
Wheeling(4) (5-2-1)
Huntington(4) (4-4-1)
Mannington (9-0-0)
1923	Huntington(5)(9-2-0)
1924	Buckhannon(3) (8-0-0)
Fairmont Senior(3) (8-0-1)
Charleston(3) (11-1-1)
1925	Clarksburg-Victory^[5] (8-0-0)
Wheeling(5) (8-1-1)
1926	Benwood Union^[6] (8-1-0)
Williamson^[7] (11-0-0)
Magnolia (9-0-0)
Clarksburg Washington Irving(2) (8-0-1)
1927	Morgantown (9-0-0)
Parkersburg(5) (10-0-0)
1928	Benwood Union(2) (8-0-0)
Elkins (9-0-0)
Huntington(6) (10-0-2)
1929	Fairmont Senior(4) (8-0-0)
Clarksburg Roosevelt-Wilson (8-0-0)
1930	Huntington(7)(7-3-1)
1931	Benwood Union(3)
1932	Big Creek^[8] (9-0-0)
1933	Charleston(4) (13-1-0)
Doddridge^[9] (9-0-0)
1934	Huntington(8) (10-0-0)
Big Creek(2) (9-0-0)
1935	Weir (10-0-0)
Clarksburg-Victory(2) (9-0-0)
1936	Doddridge (10-0-0)

WV Colored State Football Champions

It is almost surreal to think that, not that many years ago, African American students were barred from playing football with White Americans. This changed in 1954 with a supreme court decision, Brown vs. Board of Education, overturning school segregation. The black schools were governed by the WV Athletic Union but did not receive as consistent media attention as their white counterparts. This makes research difficult. Information on the Colored State Football Champions has been provided by Robert Bonner, WV high school football researcher. More will be entered as the information becomes available.

Single Class

Year	Champion
1916
1917	Sumner^[10]
1918
1919
1920	Frederick Douglass^[11]
1921	Frederick Douglass(2) & Sumner(2) (tie)
1922	Frederick Douglass(3)
1923	Garnet^[12]
1924
1925
1926	Booker T. Washington^[13]
1927	Kelly Miller^[14]
1928	Kelly Miller(2)
1929	Kelly Miller(3)
1930	Garnet(2) (6-0-0)
1931	Fairmont-Dunbar^[15]
1932	Gary District^[16]
1933	Garnet(3) (7-0-0)
1934	Fairmont-Dunbar(2) (8-0-0)
1935	Excelsior^[17]
1936	DuBois^[18]
1937	Frederick Douglass(4)
1938	DuBois(2)
1939	DuBois(3)
1940	Monongalia^[19]
1941	Stratton^[20] (8-0-2)
1942	DuBois(4)
1943	Fairmont-Dunbar(3)
1944	Elkhorn^[21]
1945	Excelsior(2)
1946	Stratton(2) (10-0-0)
1947	Frederick Douglass(5)
1948	Aracoma^[22]
1949	Aracoma(2)
1950	Garnet(4) (9-1-0)
1951	Conley^[23]
1952	Kimball^[24]
1953	Fairmont-Dunbar(4)
1954	Stratton(3) (9-0-0)
1955	Byrd Prillerman^[25]
1956	Gary District(2)

WV Catholic Schools State Football Champions

Prior to 1977, private schools were not allowed to compete in post season play-offs.

Single Class

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1962	Charleston Catholic	13-7	Wheeling Central
1963	Wheeling Central	40-6	Charleston Catholic
1964	Wheeling Central(2)	28-20	Charleston Catholic
1965	Wheeling Central(3)		no game played
1966	Wheeling Central(4)	46-6	Weirton-Madonna
1967	Wheeling Central(5)		no game played
1968	Weirton-Madonna		no game played
1969	Charleston Catholic(2)	12-7	Parkersburg Catholic
1970	Parkersburg Catholic	21-0	Clarksburg-Notre Dame
1971	Weirton-Madonna(2)	44-6	Bishop Donahue^[26]
1972	Weirton-Madonna(3)	22-6	Charleston Catholic
1973	Charleston Catholic(3)	27-6	Weirton-Madonna
1974	Clarksburg-Notre Dame	20-16	Weirton-Madonna
1975	Weirton-Madonna(4)	39-13	Clarksburg-Notre Dame
1976	Charleston Catholic(4)	6-0	Morgantown-St. Francis

WV SPORTS WRITERS VOTE

Single Class

Year	Champion
1937	Hinton^[27]
1938	Parkersburg(6)
1939	Charleston(5)^[28]
1940	Parkersburg (7)
1941	Mullens^[29]
1942	Weir(2)
1943	Parkersburg (8)
1944	Williamson
1945	South Charleston
1946	Fairmont Senior(5)

TWO CLASS SYSTEM (A, B) 1947-1954 / WVSSAC Ratings

Class A (two classes A, B, 1947-1954)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1947		tie	no game played
1948	Woodrow Wilson (2)		no game played
1949	Weir(3)	37–13	Milton^[30]
1950	Parkersburg(9)	40–0	Oak Hill
1951	Woodrow Wilson (3)	26–0	Gary^[31]
1952	Grafton	6–0	Big Creek^[32]
1953	Barboursville	27–0	Benwood Union
1954	Follansbee^[33]	7–0	Barboursville

Class B (two classes A, B, 1947-1954)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1947	Webster Springs^[34]		no game played
1948	Vinson^[35]	25–6	Alderson
1949	Romney^[36]	20–19	Wirt County
1950	Poca and Vinson^[37]	tie	no game
1951	Vinson (2)	26–7	Sissonville
1952	Monongah	20–14	Winfield
1953	Sistersville	26–13	Romney
1954	Farmington^[38]	39–13	Rupert

THREE CLASS SYSTEM (AA, A, B) 1955-1957 / WVSSAC Ratings

Class AA (three classes AA, A, B, 1955-1957)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1955	St. Albans		no game played
1956	Grafton		no game played
1957	Weir(4)	19-12	Fairmont Senior

Class A (three classes AA, A, B, 1955-1957)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1955	Bridgeport	39-13	Webster Springs
1956	Keyser	12-0	Mullens
1957	Vinson	14-13	Keyser

Class B (three classes AA, A, B, 1955-1957)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1955	Monongah (2)	14–13	Wirt County
1956	Vinson (3)	19–7	Monongah
1957	Ravenswood	34–13	Rupert

THREE CLASS SYSTEM (AAA, AA, A) 1958-PRESENT / WVSSAC Ratings

Class A (three classes AAA, AA, A, 1958-present)

1958	Meadow Bridge	6–0	Winfield
1959		15–13	Winfield
1960	Winfield	20–13	Alderson^[39]
1961	Winfield (2)	19–13	Williamstown
1962	Rainelle^[40]	32–7	Sophia^[41]
1963	Winfield (3)	26–13	Northfork
1964	Sistersville^[42]	27–0	Fairview^[43]
1965	Crum^[44]	20–18	Masontown Valley^[45]
1966	Wirt County	27–6	Crum
1967	Marlinton^[46]	26–0	Wirt County
1968	Monongah	20–12	Paden City
1969	Monongah (2)	26–0	Paden City
1970	Paden City	20–6	Wirt County
1971	Ansted^[47]	20–14	Fairview
1972	Ansted (2)	8–7	Monongah
1973	Monongah (3)	21–20	South Harrison
1974		8–0	Hamlin^[48]
1975	Ridgeley^[49]	20–13	Wirt County
1976	Mannington	28–6	Gauley Bridge^[50]
1977	Mannington (2)	28–20	Pineville
1978	Duval	27–14	Doddridge County
1979	Paden City	19–6	Bishop Donahue
1980	Sistersville (2)	28–0	Clarksburg-Notre Dame
1981	Sistersville (3)	28–3	Peterstown^[51]
1982	Duval (2)	28–15	Sistersville
1983	Tyler County	16–14	Sistersville
1984	Sistersville (4)	42–11	Fayetteville
1985	Sistersville (5)	22–13	Morgantown-St. Francis^[52]
1986	Sistersville (6)	14–0	Tyler County
1987	Weirton-Madonna(5)	22–8	Matewan
1988	Meadow Bridge (2)	7–6	Pineville
1989	Mount Hope (3)^[53]	32–8	Peterstown
1990	Duval (3)	37–20	Peterstown
1991	Peterstown	26–21	Matewan
1992	Fayetteville	15–9	Matewan
1993	Matewan	21–13	Valley Wetzel
1994	Ceredo-Kenova(11)	44–0	Valley Wetzel
1995	Gilbert	28–20	Valley Wetzel
1996		16–14	Valley Wetzel
1997	Moorefield (2)	13–9	Big Creek
1998	Moorefield (3)	29–9	Valley Wetzel
1999	Moorefield (4)	29–13	Fayetteville
2000	Wheeling Central(7)	34–6	Moorefield
2001	Moorefield (5)	13–0	Wheeling Central
2002	Wheeling Central (8)	14–7	Moorefield
2003	Moorefield (6)	20–18	Williamstown
2004	Wheeling Central (9)	34–7	Weirton-Madonna
2005	Wheeling Central (10)	35–20	Williamstown
2006	Wheeling Central (11)	14–7	Williamstown
2007	Wheeling Central (12)	51–14	Williamstown
2008	Williamstown	23–7	Weirton-Madonna
2009	Weirton-Madonna (6)	27–7	Man
2010	Wheeling Central (13)	28–14	Wahama
2011	Wheeling Central (14)	35–21	Williamstown
2012	Wahama	43–42	Weirton-Madonna
2013	Weirton-Madonna(7)	24-14	Greenbrier West
2014	Williamstown (2)	33-32	St. Marys
2015	Magnolia(3)	62-0	East Hardy
2016	St. Marys(2)	23-8	East Hardy
2017	Wheeling Central (15)	40-21	St. Marys
2018	Wheeling Central (16)	44-15	Williamstown
2019	Wheeling Central (17)	38-21	Doddridge County
2020	St. Marys(3)	Forfeited due to COVID	Ritchie County
2021	Ritchie County	42-21	Williamstown
2022	Williamstown(4)	52-20	James Monroe
2023	Williamstown(5)	42-12	Greenbrier West

Class AA (three classes AAA, AA, A, 1958-present)

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up
1958	Roosevelt Wilson	19–12	Sissonville
1959	Mount Hope and Mullens	0–0	Co-Champions
1960	Mount Hope (2) and Williamson	7–7	Co-Champions
1961	Williamson	20-13	Mt. Hope
1962	Keyser	35–20	Nicholas County
1963	Ceredo-Kenova	19–13	Hinton
1964		15–7	Mount Hope
1965	Ceredo-Kenova (2)	26–6	Mount Hope
1966	Gary	33–14	Ceredo-Kenova
1967	Ceredo-Kenova (3)	47–13	Monongah
1968	Hinton	9–0	Oceana^[54]
1969	Keyser (2)	21–20	Winfield
1970	Gary	33–14	Oceana
1971	Ceredo-Kenova (4)	14–8	Oceana
1972	Ravenswood	14–6	Magnolia
1973	Northfork	14–13	Ceredo-Kenova
1974	Ceredo-Kenova (5)	34–14	Northfork
1975	Ceredo-Kenova (6)	18–6	Sherman
1976	Ravenswood (2)	15–7	Big Creek
1977		20–6	Man
1978	Ceredo-Kenova (7)	21–6	Poca
1979	Wheeling Central(6)	39–21	Buffalo Wayne
1980	Ceredo-Kenova (8)	18–13	Man
1981	Ceredo-Kenova (9)	22–15	Magnolia
1982	Musselman	12–7	Ceredo-Kenova
1983	Ceredo-Kenova (10)	34–15	Musselman
1984	Grafton (2)	14–10	Man
1985	Winfield	28–6	Buffalo Wayne
1986	Bridgeport	10–7	Tucker County
1987	Winfield (2)	48–14	Tucker County
1988	Bridgeport (2)	29–28	Winfield
1989	East Bank^[55]	14–9	Musselman
1990	East Bank (2)	15–12	Spencer^[56]
1991	Spencer	31–22	Greenbrier West
1992	Buffalo Wayne	7–3	Magnolia
1993	East Bank (3)	16–14	Magnolia
1994	Poca (2)	19–0	Sissonville
1995	Musselman (2)	19–0	Bluefield
1996	East Bank (4)	20–14	Poca
1997	Bluefield(7)	42–13	Grafton
1998	Weir (5)	20–17	DuPont
1999		57–21	Bluefield
2000	Bridgeport (3)	14–6	Wayne
2001	Poca (3)	21–7	Bridgeport
2002	Poca (4)	27–7	Bluefield
2003	Poca (5)	21-20(1OT)	Bluefield
2004	Bluefield (8)	69–24	Wayne
2005	Weir (6)	40–0	Bluefield
2006		33–6	Tolsia
2007	Bluefield (9)	20-12	James Monroe
2008	Grafton (3)	56–25	Magnolia
2009	Bluefield (10)	27–7	Wayne
2010	Magnolia (2)	28–13	Ravenswood
2011	Wayne (2)	34–7	Point Pleasant
2012	Wayne (3)	35–0	Keyser
2013	Bridgeport (4)	14–13	Wayne
2014	Bridgeport (5)	43–7	Frankfort
2015	Bridgeport (6)	39-0	Tolsia
2016	Mingo Central	32-7	Fairmont Senior
2017	Bluefield(11)	29-26	Fairmont Senior
2018	Fairmont Senior (6)	23-13	Bluefield
2019	Bridgeport (7)	21-14	Bluefield
2020	Fairmont Senior (7)	Forfeited due to COVID	N/A
2021	Fairmont Senior (8)	21-12	Independence
2022	Independence	42-7	Hebert Hoover
2023	Fairmont Senior (9)	49-48	North Marion

Class AAA (three classes AAA, AA, A, 1958-present)

Schools with multiple championships

59 schools have won multiple Football Championships, 30 of which have since been consolidated. Parkersburg High School and Wheeling Central Catholic High School are tied with the most titles, with 16.

Titles	School	Years
17	Wheeling Central^[57]	1963, 1964,^[58] 1965, 1966, 1967, 1979, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018 2019 (1A)
16	Parkersburg	1918, 1919, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1950, 1958, 1976, 1978, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007
11	Ceredo-Kenova	1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1994
	1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1975, 1984, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2017
10		1955, 1972, 1979, 1986, 1988, 2000, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
9	Charleston	1920, 1922, 1924, 1933, 1939, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1988,
8	Huntington	1909, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1934
Martinsburg	2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
	1935, 1942, 1949, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1998, 2005
7	East Bank	1964, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996
	Weirton-Madonna^[59]	1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1987, 2009, 2013
6		1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003
	Poca	1950, 1977, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003
	Sistersville	1964, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986
	Fairmont Senior	1903, 1907, 1924, 1929, 1946, 2018 (2A)
		1927, 1983, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005
5	Monongah	1952, 1955, 1968, 1969, 1973
		1960, 1961, 1963, 1985, 1987
	Frederick Douglass^[60]	1920, 1921, 1922, 1937, 1947
		1915, 1918, 1924, 1963, 1966
	Wheeling	1908, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1925
4		1989, 1991, 1995, 2014
Garnet	1923, 1930, 1933, 1950
	1957, 1959, 1972, 1976
Fairmont-Dunbar	1931, 1934, 1943, 1953
	1945, 1994, 2008, 2009
Grafton	1952, 1956, 1984, 2008
DuBois	1936, 1938, 1939, 1942
Williamson	1926, 1944, 1960, 1961
Charleston Catholic	1962, 1969, 1973, 1976
	1926, 1964, 2010, 2015
3		1985, 1987, 1990
Duval	1978, 1982, 1990
Benwood Union	1926, 1928, 1931
Kelly Miller	1927, 1928, 1929
Stratton	1941, 1946, 1954
	1956, 1962, 1969
Mount Hope	1959, 1960, 1989
	1974, 1982, 1995
	1980, 1981, 1997
Vinson	1950, 1951, 1956
	2006, 2011, 2012
	1947, 1948, 1951
Mannington	1922, 1976, 1977
2		DuPont	1992, 1993
Meadow Bridge	1958, 1988
Stonewall Jackson	1974, 1986
Williamstown	2008, 2014
Sumner	1917, 1921
Clarksburg-Washington Irving	1922, 1926
Gary District	1932, 1956
Excelsior	1935, 1945
Aracoma	1948, 1949
Clarksburg-Victory	1925, 1935
Clarksburg-Roosevelt-Wilson	1929, 1958
Big Creek	1932, 1934
St. Marys	1922, 2016
Doddridge	1933, 1936

• WVSSAC State Football Champions

See also

• West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission

External links

• West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission - Football

Notes and References

1. consolidated with Wheeling, Triadelphia, Warwood and West Liberty into Wheeling Park High School 1976.
2. Consolidated with Huntington East High School in 1996 into New Huntington High School.
3. consolidated with Upshur High School to form Buckhannon-Upshur High School 1933.
4. consolidated into Robert C. Byrd High School 1995.
5. Closed in 1973 as a high school and still exists as Adamston Elementary School. Replaced by Liberty High School.
6. consolidated into John Marshall High School 1968.
7. consolidated with Gilbert, Matewan and Burch High Schools to form Mingo Central High School 2011.
8. consolidated into River View High School 2009.
9. formed by consolidating Carr and West Union High Schools in 1933.
10. [Charles Sumner]
11. [Frederick Douglass]
12. [Henry Highland Garnet]
13. [Booker T. Washington]
14. [Kelly Miller (scientist)]
15. [Paul Laurence Dunbar]
16. Gary District High School, Gary, WV, McDowell County, WV
17. Excelsior High School, War, West Virginia, McDowell County, WV
18. [W. E. B. DuBois]
19. [Morgantown, WV]
20. Rev. Daniel Stratton High School, Beckley, WV, Raleigh County, West Virginia
21. Elkhorn High School, Elkhorn, West Virginia, McDowell County, West Virginia
22. Aracoma High School, Aracoma, West Virginia, Logan County, WV
23. Conley High School, Mullens, WV, Wyoming County, WV
24. Kimball High School, Kimball, West Virginia, Wyoming County, WV
25. Dr. Byrd Prillerman High School, Amigo, West Virginia, Raleigh County, West Virginia
26. Closed in 2017, students moved to Wheeling Central
27. Consolidated into Summers County High School in 1995.
28. Consolidated into Capital High School in 1989.
29. Consolidated into Wyoming East High School in 1998.
30. Consolidated into Cabell Midland High School in 1994.
31. Consolidated into Mount View High School in 1975.
32. Consolidated into River View High School in 2010.
33. Consolidated into Brooke High School in 1968.
34. Consolidated into Webster County High School in 1974.
35. Consolidated into Spring Valley High School in 1998.
36. Consolidated into Hampshire High School in 1964.
37. No game was held due to inclement weather.
38. Closed in 1975.
39. Consolidated into Greenbrier East High School in 1968.
40. Consolidated into Greenbrier West High School in 1968.
41. Consolidated into Independence High School in 1976.
42. Consolidated into Tyler Consolidated High School in 1993.
43. Consolidated into North Marion High School in 1979.
44. Consolidated with Fort Gay to form Tolsia High School in 1988.
45. Consolidated into Preston High School in 1991.
46. Consolidated into Pocahontas County High School in 1968.
47. Consolidated into Midland Trail High School in 1976.
48. Consolidated into Lincoln County High School in 2006.
49. Consolidated into Frankfort High School in 1976.
50. Merged into Valley Fayette High School in 2006.
51. Consolidated into James Monroe High School in 1993.
52. Closed in 1990.
53. Merged into Oak Hill High School in 2011.
54. Consolidated into Westside High School in 2002.
55. Consolidated into Riverside High School in 1999.
56. Consolidated into Roane County High School in 1993.
57. includes five Catholic state titles prior to private schools being allowed in WVSSAC play-offs
58. WV Catholic State Champion
59. includes four Catholic titles prior to private schools being allowed in WVSSAC play-offs
60. WVAU State Champions during segregation