A BRIEF HISTORY OF PARKERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

    

    This information came from the Parhischan, the Quill, the Pilgrim, the Parkersburg News, the Parkersburg Sentinel, and information received from Coach Ross McHenry, and Mr. and Mrs. John Summers.

    Many schools have a rich tradition in high school athletics. Parkersburg High School is one of these schools to have such a glory filled past. Their history if filled with football success. Football began at PHS before the turn of the 20th century. Since this time, PHS has been one of the most respected football programs not only in West Virginia but also in the United States.

    History shows that players used to go home after school and do chores and then gather around 6:00 PM for football practice. Records show that at one time games were played at Blennerhassett Island, the old YMCA field (located at the northeast corner of 13th St. and Murdoch Ave. on the site now occupied by the First Presbyterian Church, a vacant lot on 16th. Street, and at the present location on the Big Reds campus.

    The early teams in Parkersburg were made up not only of PHS students but also from other community people. However, there were teams of PHS students only as early at 1895 or 1896 according to Boyd Carfer. In 1900 there was a student-only team from PHS. However, it was not until 1906 that players representing PHS were restricted to regularly enrolled students of the high school. The early teams did not always have coaches either. They were organized and coached by the players themselves. The first paid coach at PHS was Harry Bonner in 1907. PHS did not have an official coach in 1910 as student-player Greasy Neale coached the team. The first letters were presented in 1907.

    The nickname of "Big Reds" came to PHS in 1915 with the arrival of assistant coach Ralph Jones who came from Dennison College. The Big Reds of Dennison were an athletic power at the time and their colors were red and white. This name has remained with Parkersburg High School.

    The Big Reds have been playing on the present site since 1921 although the stadium stands were not there until 1923. The age limit in the early days was 21 as compared to 19 today, but boys were allowed to play after they came back from World War 1 if they enrolled in high school.

    PHS played its first night game in 1930 under Coach Ross McHenry at Erie, Pa. The Big Reds won 6-0. The first night game in Big Reds stadium was in 1940 when the Big Reds beat Grantsville 59-0.

    Parkersburg High School as been state football champions 16 times, which is more than any other school in West Virginia. They were champions by popular acclaim in 1918, 1919, 1921, 1922 and 1927. Starting in 1937, the Secondary School Activities Commission started recognizing champions based upon a poll of the sportswriters. The Big Reds won state championships by sportswriters vote in 1938, 1940 and 1943. They won championships on the field in 1950. 1958, 1976,1978, 1999, 2001, 2006 and 2007. The Big Reds have played in 1,113 games since 1900 and have a record of 778-296-39 for a 72.4% winning percentage.

    All –State teams were not always selected as they are now. At one time, Harry Stansbury, the Athletic Director at WVU chose the All-State team. He did though gather the advice of the state sportswriters before naming the team. Ross McHenry was the only 3 time All-Stater in the history of PHS until Josh Jenkins joined him in 2007.

    This successful history has built a tremendous tradition at PHS and made Big Reds football the pride of citizens of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

THE EVOLUTION OF FOOTBALL SCORING

(Information taken from NCAA record book and from an article by Tony Constantine in the 1987 WVU Football Guide).

     From 1869 until 1883, scoring was mainly a mixture of rugby and soccer scoring rules. Kicking was emphasized in the early game. Walter Camp was the leader in establishing "American" football rules and in 1883 his scoring system gave one point for a safety, two points for a touchdown, four points for a goal after a touchdown , and five points for a field goal.

     In 1884, a touchdown was raised to four points and a safety to two points. The point after a touchdown was reduced to two points. In 1898, the touchdown was raised to five points and the point after touchdown was lowered to one point. The field goal was cut to four points in 1904 and then to three points in 1909 where it has remained.

     In 1912, the touchdown was raised to six points where it is today.

    The forward pass became legal in 1906 when President Roosevelt threatened to ban football because it was so brutal with its tight formations. The size of the field was set to its present size in 1912. Before 1912, the size of the field varied to whatever was available. Also, ten yards and four downs to make it were established in 1912. Prior to this, it had been five yards and three downs to make it. The player limit had been cut from 25 to 11 in 1880.

      Goal posts existed since 1876. They were placed on the goal line until 1927 when they were moved to the back of the end zone. They came back to the goal line in the late 1940’s. Today, the goalposts are at the back of the end zone.

 

PARKERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONGS

 

ALMA MATER

O PHS to you sing praise and

Songs to alma mater raise,

While we strive to keep thy name

Forever in the halls of fame

Mountains fair and valley bright

Renew the path for banners bright

Times of joy or

Times of stress

We’ll always love you,
PHS

IT’S PHS BOYS
It’s PHS boys,

It’s PHS boys,

The pride of every student here,

Come on you old grads

Join with us young lads

It’s PHS boys now we cheer

Rah Rah

Now it’s the time boys

To make a big noise

No matter what the people say

For there is lots to cheer

The gang’s all here

So hail to PHS boys, hail!

THE RED AND WHITE

The red and white of Parkersburg,

Our colors bright and fair

And Emblem fair, without compare

And victor in the fray.

No peer or clown may take it down,

Or stain its sacred folds,

Each girl or boy will do or die,

For all that emblem holds.

Our glorious red and white.

Oh give three cheers for Parkersburg High,

The fairest in the land.

The girls and boys in loyalty cry.

"We’ll ever by the stand".

And if on some unfortunate day,

Our land is in distress,

The red, the white, our colors will say,

"Depend on PHS". 

 

                                                                    QUICK FACTS

Founded –               1867
Enrollment –            1848

Principal –               Ralph Board
Athletic Director –    Lori Lowers
Head Coach –          Don Reeves, 1st year
Assistant Coaches –  Murray Mace, Sean Smith, Jason Woodyard, Matt Kimes, Billy Johnson, Kevin Welch, Dustin

                                Ludolph, Ron Perdue, Gary Eakins, Ryan Dunfee.                  

Support Staff –         Carroll Jett (Sports Information Director/Statistician), Ron Walker (audio)

Team Doctor -          Randy Heavner

Trainers -                  Cassy Offenberger, Tim Donovan

Team Chaplain          Rev. Art Bennett

2009 Season -            6-5

Colors -                     Red & White

Nickname –               Big Reds
Stadium –                  Stadium Field
Seating Capacity -       10,000
All  Time Record -      778-296-39

 

2010 BIG REDS SCHEDULE

Date       Opponent                         2009 Score

Aug. 27 – at Brooke                            42-43

Sept. 3 – at Marietta                           28-7

Sept. 11 - at South Charleston (1:30)  24-45

Sept. 17 - Huntington                         63-24

Sept. 24 – at Beckley                          68-14

Oct. 1 - George Washington                20-28

Oct. 8 - Parkersburg South                 14-35

Oct. 15 - Cabell Midland                    14-6

Oct. 22 – at Riverside                         42-0

Oct. 29 - Capital                               28-14

       Record With 2010 Opponents

Opponent                 Games   W-L-T         PF-PA

Brooke                        20        6-14-0        2246-279

Marietta                       105    72-27-6        1778-690

South Charleston            13      8-5-0           300-229

Huntington                   13        12-1-0         425-124

Beckley                        36        25-10-1        704-418

George Washington       16        9-7-0           322-257

Parkersburg South        43        32-11           1036-400

Cabell Midland           18        12-6-0            382-255

Riverside                    15        10-5-0             379-277

Capital                        21        13-8-0            399-292

 Big Reds Head Coaches  

 

 

              Big Reds Head Coaches – By Wins  

 

                        Big Reds Head Coaches – By Winning Percentage

 

 

Big Reds Record By Years

 

     

         

PHS 6th In Nation In Football Wins

Winningest HS Football Programs All-Time in Nation Through 2009

Rank - School (2009 record)                                    Wins  Winning%  (Overall)

1 – Valdosta Tigers, GA (7-4)                                    850    .810        (850-199-35)

2 – Male Bulldogs of Louisville, KY (10-3)             800    .727        (800-301-49)

3 – Washington Tigers of Massillon, OH (10-4)       796    .768        (796-240-35)

4 – Highlands Bluebirds of Ft. Thomas, KY (15-0)  787    .770        (787-235-26)

5 – Mount Carmel Red Tornadoes, PA (7-5)             781    .733        (781-284-57)

6 – Parkersburg Big Reds, WV (6-5)                       778    .724        (778-296-39)

7 – Central Tigers of Little Rock, AR (0-10)             771    .715        (771-307-48)

8 – McKinley Bulldogs of Canton, OH (8-5)             768    .704        (768-323-42)

9 – Mayfield Cardinals, KY (13-2)                             760    .757        (760-244-32)

10 – Hampton Crabbers, VA (8-4)                              757   .755         (757-245-45)

11 - Easton Red Rovers, PA (13-2)                            757   .698         (757-327-52)

12 - East St. Louis, Ill (10-3)                                      750   .785         (750-205-45)

              

 *********************************************************************** 

Record Vs All Opponents
1900 -2009

 

	Team Akron South					Games 3			Won 3					Lost 0					Tied 0				PHS 80					Opp 6							Total Pts 86
	Allegheny (Pitts)					1			0					1					0				0					12							12
	Alumni					6			4					2					0				48					31							79
	Ashland P.B.					2			0					1					1				18					20							38
	Athens					17			11					6					0				262					143							405
	Ballou DC					3			3					0					0				138					36							174
	Barboursville					4			0					4					0				29					89							118
	Beckley Woodrow Wilson					36			25					10					1				704					418							1122
	Beechwood Ath. Club Bellaire St. Johns					1 1			1 1					0 0					0 0				18 8					0 0							18 8
	Belpre Belpre Ath. Club Benwood					1 2 1			1 1 1					0 1 0					0 0 0				28 6 13					0 12 0							28 18 13
	Bluefield					8			4					4					0				170					157							327
	Bridgeport					5			3					2					0				126					51							177
	Brooke					20			6					14					0				246					279							525
	Buckhannon					21			15					4					2				530					167							697
	Cabell Midland					18			12					6					0				382					255							637
	Caldwell					1			1					0					0				29					0							29
	Calvin Coolidge DC					2			2					0					0				47					25							72
	Cambridge					2			2					0					0				53					14							67
	Capital					21			13					8					0				399					292							691
	Ceredo-Kenova					1			1					0					0				85					0							85
	Charleston					64			27					32					5				813					861							1,674
	Clarksburg Columbian Ath. Club Columbus Central					0 2 1			0 0 1					0 1 0					0 1 0				0 0 13					0 5 0							0 5 13
	Columbus Mifflin					1			1					0					0				34					14							48
	Cumberland MD					1			1					0					0				111					0							111
	Devitt DC			1					1					0					0				37					0							37
	Dunbar			1					1					0					0				40					19							59
	Dupont			3					3					0					0				51					0							51
	East Bank			5					4					1					0				131					42							173
	Elkins		12							11			1					0						382					100					482
	Erie Academy PA		2							1			1					0						13					13					26
	Erie Mcdowell PA		2							2			0					0						52					7					59
	Fairmont East		6							5			1					0						283					48					331
	Fairmont West		12							9			3					0						321					53					374
	Follansbee		2							1			1					0						27					13					40
	George Washington		16							9			7					0						322					257					579
	Grafton		6							4			2					0						112					18					130
	Grantsville		2							2			0					0						126					0					126
	Greenbrier East		9							8			1					0						246					60					306
	Hampshire		2							2			0					0						125					12					69
	Hedgesville		4							3			1					0						84					51					135
Herbert Hoover					2			2				0			0							119					22						141
Huntington					13			12				1			0							425					124						549
Huntington Central					67			40				25			2							1071					778						1849
Huntington East					40			33				7			0							1023					453						1476
Hurricane					4			4				0			0							174					35						209
Ironton					1			1				0			0							12					7						19
John Marshall					23			17				6			0							533					369						902
Lincoln County					2			2				0			0							110					30						140
Linsly Mil Institute					1			1				0			0							20					6						26
Logan					28			22				6			0							832					292						1124
Man					1			1				0			0						50					0						50
Mannington					1			1				0			0						40					0						40
Marietta					105			72				27			6						1778					690						2468
Marietta Academy					13			8				3			2						104					59						163
Marietta Coll. Res					2			1				1			0						38					13						51
Mckinley DC					2			2				0			0						89					26						115
Martinsburg					4			3				1			0						128					37						165
Middlebourne					4			3				0			0						250					0						250
Middleport					1			1				0			0						60					0						60
Milton					1			0				1			0						14					27						41
Morgantown					13			11				2			0						260					129						389
Moundsville					6			6				0			0						203					13						216
Mt. View					1			1				0			0						24					6						30
Mt. St. Bus Coll.					2			1				0			1						10					5						15
Musselman					1			1				0			0						54					14						68
New Martinsville					31			26				4			1						672					131						803
Nitro					4			1				3			0						102					132						234
North Marion					4			1				3			0						62					57						119
Oak Glen					2			2				0			0						93					14						107
Oak Hill					3			2				0			1						84					13						97
Parkersburg Ath. Club Park. Ath. Club Jrs.					1 1			1 1				0 0			0 0						26 10					0 5						26 15
Parkersburg YMCA					1			1				0			0						9					5						14
Pennsboro					7			7				0			0						218					6						224
Philip Barbour					1			1				0			0						7					6						13
Pitt. Freshman					1			0				1			0						0					13						13
Point Pleasant					12			12				0			0						373					43						416
Portsmouth OH					1			1				0			0						31					0						31
Portsmouth West					1			1				0			0						54					0						54
Princeton					5			5				0			0						132					25						157
Ravenswood					6			4				2			0						98					16						114
		Ripley			6			5				1					0				153					85						238
		Riverside			15			10				5					0				379					277						653
		Rockland, OH Roger Bacon OH			1 1			1 0				0 1					0 0				7 9					5 14						12 23
		RW Clarksburg			3			3				0					0				110					20						130
		Russell, Ky			1			1				0					0				30					7						37
		St. Albans			17			13				4					0				470					167						637
		St. Mary's			1			1				0					0				22					0						22
		Seth			1			1				0					0				40					0						40
		Shinnston			2			2				0					0				67					6						73
		Sistersville			6			4				1					1				127					36						163
		South Charleston			13			8				5					0				300					229						529
		South Parkersburg	43				32				11					0				1036					400						1436
		Spencer	18				18				0					0				633					55						688
		Spring Valley	5				3				2					0				108					56						164
		Stonewall Jackson	43				26				15					2				756					612						1368
		Triadelphia	19				17				2					0				617					148						765
		Toledo Waite	1				0				1					0				7					55						62
		University High	4				4				0					0				111					56						125
		W.I.	41				34				4					3				1014					288						1302
		Warren	4				4				0					0				155					10						133
		Weirton	42				22				18					2				674					551						1225
		Weston	5				5				0					0				143					6						149
		West Union	2				2				0					0				111					6						117
		WV Nat. Guard	1				1				0					0				24					0					24
		Wheeling	43				23				15					5				533					371					904
		Wheeling Park	9				8				1					0				227					68					295
		Williamstown	6				5				0					1				152					0					152
		Winfield	1				1				0					0				48					0					48
		Total Games	1114
		Won	778
		Lost	296
		Tied	39
		Points Scored	24332
		Points Allowed	10765
		Total Points	35097

  

Year-By-Year Scores

1900 to 2009

PHS	1900		Opp	PHS			1901		Opp
10	Park. A.C. Jrs.		5	0			Athens		5
0	Columbian A.C.		0	0			Athens		34
0	Columbian A.C.		5	17			Marietta		0
NA	NA		NA	39			Marietta		0
25	Totals		20	NA			NA		NA
				56			Totals		39
Won 2, Lost 1, Tied 1 Captain: Kerr Coach: NA							Won 3, Lost 2 Coach: NA
PHS		1902			Opp	PHS		1903		Opp
10		Marietta			0	0		Marietta HS		20
5		Marietta Acad.			0	0		Ravenswood		5
0		Athens			6	0		Fairmont		5
6		Ravenswood			11	0		Clarksburg		0
28		Athens			0	0		Marietta Acad.		0
6		Marietta Acad.			0	7		Rockland OH		5
73		Totals			22	0		Marietta HS		10
						7		Totals		45
Won 5, Lost 3, Tied 0 Coach: Henry Nelly								Won 1, Lost 4, Tied 2 Coach: Paul Lehmann Captain: Dick Hoblitzell

 

PHS	1904	Opp	PHS	1905	Opp
28	Belpre	o	0	Marietta HS	0
45	Marietta HS	0	0	Mariettta HS	0
0	Athens	16	NA	NA	NA
0	Sistersville	5	NA	NA	NA
6	Ravenswood	11	NA	NA	NA
28	Athens	0	NA	NA	NA
6	Marietta Acad.	0	NA	NA	NA
18	Beechwood A.C.	0	NA	NA	NA
122	Totals	34	55	Totals	18
Won 5, Lost 3, Tied 1 Coach: Paul Lehmann Captain: Dick Hoblitzell				Won 4. Lost 1, Tied 2 Player/Coach: Boyd Carfer

 

 

PHS	1906		Opp	PHS			1907		Opp
0	Marietta		36	10			Mt. St Bus		5
0	Marietta		5	5			Marietta		5
10	Grafton		0	34			Athens OH		2
10	Totals		41	0			Williamstown		0
				5			Marietta		0
				0			Mt. St. Bus		0
				5			Grafton		6
				59			Totals		18
Won 1, Lost 2, Tied 0 Coach: Prof. C.W. Boetticher (This is the first year that PHS had a team officially sanctioned by the school; coached by the principal.							Won 3, Lost 1, Tied 3 Coach: Harry Boner (First coach paid by school)
PHS		1908			Opp	PHS		1909		Opp
24		N.Martinsville			0	5		N. Martinsville		3
9		P'burg YMCA			5	22		Marietta Acad.		0
6		Marietta Acad.			4	0		N. Martinsville		11
6		Marietta			0	16		Marietta Acad.		6
17		Marietta Acad.			6	6		Marietta		0
----					----	12		Sistersville		0
62					15	----				----
						61				20
Won 5, Lost 0, Tied 0 Coach: Harry Bonner								Won 5, Lost 1, Tied 0 Coach: Harry Bonner

 

 

PHS	1910	Opp	PHS	1911	Opp
6	Alumni	0	3	Alumni	0
11	Marietta Acad.	10	11	N. Martinsville	0
10	N. Martinsville	14	24	CO A. Nat.Guard	0
0	Marietta	0	17	Athens	0
9	N. Martinsville	6	5	Marietta	0
18	Marietta Acad	0	6	Marietta	0
1	Marietta	0	12	Wheeling	8
3	Marietta Acad	5	9	Charleston	0
----		----	6	Athens	0
58		35	45	Wash. Irving	0
			----		----
			138		8
Won 5, Lost 2, Tied 1 Player/Coach: Greasy Neal PHS won the 2nd Marietta game by forfeit when Marietta walked off the field and the score became 1-0 (Value of TD then was 5 pts).				Won 10, Lost 0, Tied 0 Coach: B.B. Cooley
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PHS	1912	Opp	PHS	1913	Opp
0	Alumni	12	24	Athens	0
13	Athens	0	31	Marietta Coll Res	0
0	Marietta	6	0	Wheeling	13
7	Charleston	0	0	Marietta	33
6	Marietta	12	0	Huntington	19
0	Wheeling	0	7	Charleston	13
12	Athens	0	6	Buckhannon	14
38	Huntington	0	0	Marietta	21
----		----	----		----
76		30	68		113
Won 4, Lost 3, Tied 1 Coach: Mike Martin				Won 2, Lost 6, Tied 0 Coach: Frank Wray

 

PHS				1914		Opp							PHS						1915			Opp
9