Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2019 - 52

we were handily winning,
we waited with bated breath
for each update on the other
game, several hours away.
Finally, the last announcement came-Charleston
lost! Our own win a few
moments later was rather
anticlimactic. We were
flying high just the same
because we knew we were
headed to the state football play-offs!

Harriet Michael, right foreground, cheers as the
Beavers take the field, long long ago.

loudly proclaimed that George Washington High School was beating Charleston
in their season's last game. A cheer rang
out, first in a low rumble then building to
a frenzy as the impact of the news sank
in. If George Washington could pull out
a win against #4 Charleston, it would
change the ratings. Charleston would fall
to fifth and we would move up into that
much coveted fourth place position, gaining a right to post-season action.
As the second half of both games progressed, forgetting our own game which

Play-offs, Here We Come!
The semi-final game pitted my high
school, fourth-ranked Bluefield, against
first-ranked and unbeaten Buckhannan-Upshur. The Buck-Ups had a player
named Tinker Jackson, reputed to be the
top running back in the state. Our leading scorer's name was Donnie Jackson.
Someone in our fan club had made a
huge sign that read, "Our Jackson is better
than your Jackson." The game ended with
Bluefield routing Buckhannan-Upshur
42-0! Donnie scored three touchdowns in
that game. I guess our sign was right.

almost heaven

CINDY CAROLINE

Grant County, West Virginia, lies in the midst of the picturesque Potomac
Highlands. This iconic Gateway to the Monongahela National Forest, with its lush
woodlands provides exquisite autumnal shows. The forest encompasses our
Dolly Sods Wilderness and Smoke Hole Recreation areas as well. Striking natural
formations are skirted by tributaries of the Potomac River offering phenomenal
East Coast fishing, hiking, biking, camping, and scenic opportunities. Rich in
history, the area is known for its neighborly residents and magnificent scenery you
won't want to miss. Come experience Grant County Wildness.

(304)257-9266 | visitgrantcounty.com
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Then came November 22, 1975, the
coldest ball game I have ever participated
in. It would have been bad enough had I
been sitting on a bleacher under a blanket,
warming my hands around a cup of hot
cocoa; but I was on the field in a cheerleader skirt that barely covered my bloomer-clad butt. The layers of shirts under my
thick white sweater and the gloves I wore
did nothing for my exposed legs that had
only a pair of sheer pantyhose between
them and the frigid air! I think that's the
coldest I have ever been in my life. But it
was worth it. We came from behind at the
half to claim the title with a 20-7 victory.
That was many years ago and much
has happened since. But hidden away
in my heart will always be the treasured
experience of cheering for the 1975
West Virginia AAA High School Football
Champions. Every fall when the leaves
look festive, the air feels crisp and harvest moons hang in the sky like giant
pumpkins, America turns attention to its
favorite pastime and my mind remembers days gone by, dear friends I have
lost, and the glories of high school football in the age of innocence.

http://www.visitgrantcounty.com http://craftguild.org http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2019

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