[Mr.Kimball]

Actually Mark and his family lived in South Williamson,KyI think his dad had a farm in Martin County.

The place I'm referring to is on Rt# 292 in Lovely on the river bank. I dont know if you would call it a farm though. Perhaps he owned something somewhere else in Martin Co. too.

[Leonidas]

Trophy case.... Hatfield took Williamson to Chrleston basically every year he was coaching and his the tophies to prove it.

I guess you're too young to remember George Ritchie who probably coached the majority of Williamson's best teams win they were AAA powers. His teams beat the famous Norfork teams that won 8 consecutive AA championships in WV like a drum in just about all of those years. Allan Hatcher probably coached the most talented Williamson team to ever play in Mark Cline, Kenny Schwartz, Bobby Fletcher, Julius "Boo" Hatcher, etc.

David Hatfield won two AA championships ('86 & '88) and had the best team in AA at least 5 other years. The '86 & '88 team could have won with Half-Court Willie coaching them so in my opinion calling Hatfield an architect is as ridiculous as calling me a rocket-scientist.

[Atticus]

Here is a little State Championship history. After looking at the history of the State Championships I see why this thread was started. Williamson definitely had some good teams in the 1980's.

Class 3A
1965
Woodrow Wilson- 69
Williamson - 67

1981
Princeton- 51
Williamson-47

Class 2A
1983
Williamson- 66
Northfork - 60

1986
Williamson- 48
Wheeling Central- 46

1988
Williamson- 68
St.Marys - 44

1989
Williamson- 74
Wheeling Central- 65

1992
Greenbriar W- 74
Williamson - 70

1996
Bluefield- 77
Williamson- 52

Class 1A
2001
Williamson-59
Oceans -49

[pcn2012]

People from Williamson started transferring during the mid to late 2000's because they knew the school consolidation was imminent. During the final years that the school was open there was still talent there. The talented kids that stayed there didn't have the grades to play most of the time. If some of the kids that didn't have the grades, along with the kids that transfered could have played at Williamson they would have competed for the Class A title every year. In 2011 which was Williamson's final year of existence, they made one last run at a state championship but lost in the quarterfinals to charleston catholic. Even today, the town of Williamson still produces talent with multiple players starting at Mingo Central and Belfry. The talent is still there, its just sad that the school isnt. The Williamson Wolfpack was making a reemergence in the basketball world, and it's sad that it got cut short.

[tank]

cline could shoot the 3 ball

[Dawgfan123]

Rong on all counts, wmson. Was 3 A . & 2 A in haydays. 8 or 10 St. Champs . Through, 60-------early nineties.consolidaation, wmson, matwn, Gilbert, & burch. Now known, as Mingo Central.

[lchsalumnus]

Rong on all counts, wmson. Was 3 A . & 2 A in haydays. 8 or 10 St. Champs . Through, 60-------early nineties.consolidaation, wmson, matwn, Gilbert, & burch. Now known, as Mingo Central.

williamson was only 3A and 2A because the state allowed them to play up in basketball. they were always a small school.

[MCMiner247]

williamson was only 3A and 2A because the state allowed them to play up in basketball. they were always a small school.

False (well, sort of). WHS's enrollment from the 1940's to 60's grew
incredibly fast. We maintained a "AA" enrollment just about every year
from since 1959 when the WVSSAC classified the state into 3 classes.
In 1964, WHS defeated Magnolia (New Martinsville) 80-68 for the "AA" Crown.
In 1965, WHS shifted up to "AAA" and lost in the state championship to
another state powerhouse, Woodrow Wilson (Beckley) 67-69.
From the 1966 to the 1969 season, we remained "AAA" before backing back down to "AA" from 1970 to 1996. There was an exception though, in 1981 when the 'Pack jumped back to "AAA", beat Logan in the sectional championship on a buzzer beater tip-in at the Fieldhouse by Julius "Boo Boo" Hatcher and advanced all the way to the state championship game against the Princeton Tigers, a team WHS had beat twice in the regular season (Home/Away). Williamson Lost 47-51.
Williamson's enrollment began to decline in the late 90's and in 1997, the school dropped to Class "A" until the school closed and consolidated my senior year, 2011 to form Mingo Central with Gilbert, Matewan, and Burch.

If you guys want to know what Williamson Basketball was REALLY about, check out this video we did of the final season.....I think you'll like it:


In the post-season, Williamson holds 45 Sectional Titles, the most among Mingo County schools.

Williamson High School had reached (In the State Tournament):
Quarter Finals-26 Times
Semi Finals-15 Times
Runner-Up-4 Times
State Champions-6 Times

WHS was home to one of West Virginia's most successful high school basketball programs, including six state championships. Williamson High School remained the last Public High School to win a State Championship in West Virginia's Class "A" division (2001) until nearby Tug Valley High School captured the Class "A" Title in 2013 breaking the 12 Year Old Streak, and was the only school to compete in championship games in each class (A,AA,& AAA). On March 16, 2011, the Wolfpack played the final basketball game in school history, against the Charleston Catholic High School Irish, in the first round of the Class A State Tournament. Williamson led at halftime, 22-18, but eventually lost 45-32.

Williamson's overall record was: 1,272-722-2 (1,996 games played).

Coaches

John Martin [1918-1919]----(3-2)-(60%)
James Dotson [1920-1920]----(7-9-1)-
Everett Howton [1920-1923]----(17-17)-(50%)
Frank Wolf [1923-1928]----(44-36-1)-
Carlton Schafer [1928-1933]----(70-38)-(64.8%)
Ellis Johnson [1933-1935]----(29-7)-(80.5%)
Len Priode [1935]----(7-5)-(58.3%)
Ben Hamilton [1935-1939]----(73-31)-(70.2%)
Tony Gentile [1939-1960]----(229-160)-(58.9%)
Ben Hamilton [1960-1961]----(20-6)-(76.9%)
George Ritchie [1961-1977]----(268-94)-(74.0%)
Allan Hatcher [1977-1983]----(103-36)-(74.1%)
David Hatfield [1983-1999]----(271-129)-(67.7%)
Curt Fletcher [1999–2011]----(130-152)-(46.1%)

State Tournament Appearances

Class "A"
1924 (Bluefield Tournament) Defeated Athens High School (23-3), Defeated Gary High School (12-8), Lost to Bluefield High School (6-25).
1927 Defeated Duval High School (41-7), Defeated Huntington High School (21-19), Defeated Point Pleasant High School (19-15), Lost to Ceredo-Kenova High School (11-25).
1930
1934
1938
1950
1999 (Lost in Quarter-Finals) Vs. Parkersburg Catholic High School ( FINAL)
2001 (State Title) Vs. Oceana High School (59-49 FINAL)
2002
2004
2011 (Lost in Quarter-Finals) Vs. Charleston Catholic High School (32-45 FINAL)

Class "AA"
1964 (State Title) Vs. Magnolia High School (80-68 FINAL)
1983 (State Title) Vs. Northfork High School (66-60 FINAL)
1985 (Lost in Semi-Finals) Vs. Dunbar High School (57-64)
1986 (State Title) Vs. Wheeling Central Catholic High School (48-46 FINAL)
1987
1988 (State Title) Vs. St. Mary's High School (68-44 FINAL)
1989 (State Title) Vs. Wheeling Central Catholic High School (74-65 FINAL)
1990 (Lost in Quarter-Finals) Vs. Wheeling Central Catholic High School (60-75 FINAL)
1991
1992 (State Runner-Up) Vs. Greenbrier West High School (70-74 FINAL)
1993 (Lost in Quarter-Finals) Vs. Tolsia High School (74-76 FINAL in 2OT)
1995
1996 (State Runner-Up) Vs. Bluefield High School (52-77 FINAL)

Class "AAA"
1965 (State Runner-Up) Vs. Woodrow Wilson High School (67-69 FINAL)
1967
1968
1981 (State Runner-Up) Vs. Princeton High School (47-51 FINAL)

[PirateInAshland]

Fantastic video... I do miss the days of Wolfpack basketball ruling the Tug River Valley :-)

[clipperw]

I attended the Hatfield/McCoy shootout yesterday and it was my first time inside the Williamson Fieldhouse. Loved the atmosphere.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I would imagine that fieldhouse was an extraordinary thing back before schools really invested money into sports like they do now.

[Colley9288]

From what I have read, it looks like Mingo Central will be the favorites to win a state title next season in AA if the brothers that just transferred in get eligible. This thread could get hot over the next 12-24 hours.

[PirateInAshland]

I hope the Dixson cousins get eligible soon... I try to stay away from all the political stuff of kids transferring and I just hope they get to get out on the court and have fun playing ball.

[MCMiner247]

From what I have read, it looks like Mingo Central will be the favorites to win a state title next season in AA if the brothers that just transferred in get eligible. This thread could get hot over the next 12-24 hours.

I would hope we'd get another thread going for that.
Williamson Basketball has no link to these guys lol.

But i do agree with Pirate in Ashland.

[PirateInAshland]

Since my son was born in 2008 I've always said I want him to experience two sports venues playing sports as a kid. Putnam Stadium and the Williamson Field House. Putnam Stadium will be different next year, but he did get to play JFL football in the original Putnam. Now I'm just hoping over the next 10-12 years he gets to play in the Field House.

[oliver67]

Actually Mark Cline is an assistant basketball coach at Marshall University

[PirateInAshland]

Yep, Mark Cline is still on the Marshall staff.

http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-baskbl/...ark00.html

[Belfry0304]

My dude is a history book, I love it. He likes to say he'd rather be dead than red, but trust me... he bleeds red (;

Mark Cline lived in South Williamson and all the athletes we supposedly "took" from WHS was part of a trade that no one knew about... they got Cline and a second round pick.

[Dawgfan123]

Anybody on here Remb. The Swartz kid, who contrib. to wmson. B.B success in eighties.

[Buc Wild]

Kenny Schwartz

Btw, Williamson was playing AAA ball thru most if the 70s, too. Had they been AA (like they should have) Norfork would barely be remembered.

[PirateInAshland]

Mark Cline lived in South Williamson and all the athletes we supposedly "took" from WHS was part of a trade that no one knew about... they got Cline and a second round pick.

haha this is great, but yea both sides of the river have benefited from the other at one time or another.