BY KYLE LOVERN

With the consolidation of high schools throughout the years in the Mountain State, many smaller and charming high schools are now nothing more than memories. Many of us have fond recollections of the sports programs at these rural schools that no longer exist. Countless numbers of those schools had some really unique and cool sports mascots and nicknames.

I recently did some research and there are a few that I would like to share with our readers. Several of them I had heard of – but others I had no idea existed.

One that sticks out to me was the Copperheads of Marlinton High School. That school was located in Pocahontas County and was consolidated and closed in the 1970s. I wonder if one of their cheers was “strike them” or “bite them” Copperheads?

One that I never knew existed was Mark Twain High School in Stotesbury, Raleigh County. The school was filled with the writings and photos of the famous author for whom it was named. (By the way, Twain is one of my favorite writers.)

The brick high school building was the brainchild of the coal company owners, who felt the children of their employees deserved the best. What else could be their nickname but the Authors?

While doing my research, I read that Mark Twain High had some outstanding music and sports programs. Known as the Authors, the football, basketball and baseball teams surely made for some good local headlines.

Then there was the Cairo, W.Va., Pharaohs. I kid you not. This town is located in Ritchie County and once had a high school. It was closed due to consolidation in 1971. Of course, the small West Virginia town bares the same name as the large city in the country of Egypt.

Some others that I had not heard of because they only existed many years ago were the Berwind Green Tornado (closed in 1931), the Coalwood Robins (closed in 1930), the Rainelle Rangers (closed in 1968), the Sophia Blue Hawks (closed in 1976), the Lost Creek Longhorns (closed in 1965), the Farmington Farmers (closed in 1975), the Wellsburg Orange Knights (closed in 1969) and the Follansbee Blue Wave (closed in 1969).

Through the years, many of us thought my alma mater Williamson High School had a cool nickname, the Wolfpack. Donning the maroon and white colors, rarely did you hear the Wolfpack name, with the exception of North Carolina State University.

However, Williamson used to play Welch High School, whose nickname was the Maroon Wave. Fans from these schools wore the same colors at athletic events. Welch was closed back in 1978, while Williamson made it until 2011 before being closed to consolidation.

Locally, we had several high schools that are now nothing more than memories, although some of the nicknames still exist because the middle schools are still around in those communities. You could have been rounded up by the Lenore Rangers, bitten by Burch Bulldogs, speared with a pitchfork by the Kermit Blue Devils, or clawed by either the Gilbert Lions or Matewan Tigers.

One old high school that only old timers would remember in Mingo County was the Dingess Dragons. My old grade school was the Nolan Hornets, which at one time was a junior high school, and went up to the 8th grade for many years.

Both the Chattaroy and Liberty High Schools were the Yellowjackets. I’m sure it was interesting to listen to the cheerleaders from those schools – trying to figure out how to lead those fans in cheers with both having the same mascot. Both were gobbled up to consolidation and combined with Williamson, Chattaroy in 1962 and Liberty in 1967.

In Martin County, you had the Warfield Red Devils and the Inez Indians, and I’m sure many alums remember those schools and nicknames fondly. One of the best and most unusual in Kentucky is the Briarjumpers of Somerset. Gone because of consolidation in Floyd County was the Wayland Wasps.

Up in Wayne County, you had the Fort Gay Vikings and the Crum Mountaineers, which were combined to become the Tolsia Rebels back in 1987.

One of the coolest nicknames was a school in nearby Bramwell located in McDowell County. They were the Millionaires. I had heard that this small coal mining community once had several millionaires living there who had gotten rich during one of the many coal booms of the past.

Another cool nickname, which has garnered national attention, is the Poca Dots. According to Wikipedia, Poca High School, originally named “Pocatalico District High School,” is located in the easternmost portion of Putnam County. The current nickname, thought to be unique in the nation and for which the school is mildly famous, is the “Dots,” and has been featured by ESPN and Sports Illustrated in several lists of best school mascots.

Then there was the Gary Coaldiggers. It’s easy to see where they came up with this nickname. McDowell County was once one of the state’s biggest producers of coal. Now Mingo Central High School has carried on that southern West Virginia tradition of being named the Miners.

Other schools that no longer exist, but were opponents of Williamson, were the Ceredo-Kenova Wonders, the Big Creek Owls, Pineville Minutemen, Oceana Indians, Northfork Blue Demons, Huntington Pony Express and Baileysville Rough Riders.

It’s sad to realize how many high schools have been closed over the years. Times have changed and communities have moved on. But we still have those fond memories and glory days to remember and talk about at high school reunions. They all had some great players, coaches, cheerleaders and rabid fan bases.

Cherish those memories of yesteryear.

(Kyle Lovern is a retired journalist and still a freelance writer and columnist.)