Thursday,
November 23, 1967
State Championship
Marlinton High School Copperheads won their first State Class A Championship Saturday at Weston by a decisive win over Wirt County Tigers, 26 – 0.
It was the eleventh win for Marlinton and ended a 25 game winning streak for Wirt County.
The ease with which Marlinton won the championship game was credited to the outstanding defensive play of Jimmy Irvine and the hard running of fullback Ivan Withers.
Withers scored three times on short runs and Irvine made the other score on an exciting 60-yard run after he intercepted a pass on his own 40 yard line. Teddy Dunbrack assisted with a key block. Harry McCloud, who has been outstanding all year in kicking, passing and running, kicked well in the heavy wind all day and converted two points after the first two touchdowns. He also set up the last touchdown on a 27 yard pass to the 4 yard line. Ivan Withers was the leading ground gainer with 149 yards in 28 attempts.
Coach Elmer Friel, in his ninth year as coach at Marlinton, is, of course, proud of all his boys. He gave a lot of credit to the whole defensive team, noting that Wirt County had averaged 33 points a game, but they didn’t get any points against us, and they didn’t get closer than the 29 yard line. They had only 41 points scored against them all year.
The offensive line-up was Tiny Shinaberry and Tom Clutter, ends; Jimmy Irvine and David Peacock, tackle; Steve Jack and Richard Dean, guards; Wayne Madison, center; Teddy Dunbrack, blocking back; Mike Cain, wingback; Ivan Withers, fullback; and Harry McCloud tailback.
Doug Morrison played on both offense and defense.
The defensive team players were Shinaberry and Tommy Lane, ends; Irvine and Peacock, tackles; Jack and Dunbrack, guards; Clutter, Withers and Madison, line backers; McCloud and Cain, half backs.
Don Galford had played defense all year but injured his knee last Thursday.
The team received a giant trophy, which will be displayed in a store on Main Street in Marlinton, and the boys received individual medals.
Christmas Savings
The two banks in Marlinton have paid out over $10,000 in Christmas Club savings, which is a nice amount to put into circulation through the stores in Christmas buying. This is a service of the banks that really costs them money, through advertising, records, etc., but it helps people save for seasonal expenses.
Airport Progressing
We took a quick look at the airport at Maxwelton the other day. The runways are being blacktopped and they certainly look long. A nearby resident tells that some officials in the Pentagon have already bought lots adjoining the airport – they can commute by air in less time than it takes to drive the traffic-clogged roads in the Washington area.
BIRTH
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Beverage, of Marlinton, a son, named Michael Wayne.
DEATHS
Miss Mamie Sharp, 74, of Mill Point; burial in the Sharp Cemetery at Mill Point.
Ernesy Dawyer Defibaugh, 81, was born in Natural Well, Virginia, the last child of the late David Jamison and Margaret Jackson Defibaugh. Burial in the Sharp Cemetery at Frost.
James A. Campbell, 94, of Buckhannon; born in Pocahontas County, a son of the late Sterling and Hattie Cloonan Campbell.
