The Tale of Two Champions

By Gregory J. Page

Gregory J. Page, the author of
Tale of Two Champions, comes
from the same great state as
Homer Hickam.
Greg will tell you his story
of how great challenges
confronted him and his community.
Take the journey with Greg as he
reveals in great detail how both
Buffalo and Marshall Football
overcame tremendous adversity to
win their first State and
National Championship in 1992.
You also get an inside view of a
West Virginia country boy growing
up in Wayne County. Throughout
the adventure you will see how
teachers and coaches from Buffalo
High School provided motivation
and direction for one of their
own that eventually carried
through to Marshall University.
Greg currently teaches and
coaches at Spring Valley High
School and is the Associate
Pastor at Locust Grove Baptist
Church.
The High School Gymnasium he
graduated in is now a favorite
place that he enjoys coaching.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781312327566

Book preview

The Tale of Two Champions

The Tale of Two Champions

Written by Gregory J. Page

2013 © Gregory J. Page

All Rights Reserved

To Mom and Dad

And everyone that attended Buffalo High School

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-Gospel of Philippians 4:13

The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble. –Blaise Pascal

Foreword

By

E. Annette Irvin

Upon completing both my BA (1995—Language Arts/Social Studies) and my MA (2003) in Secondary Education at Marshall University, I began working toward my doctorate degree in Reading Technology while serving as a full-time assistant professor of reading at Marshall in the College of Education and Human Services.

I met Greg Page while attending a small community church, Locust Grove Baptist, nestled near the Buffalo Valley in Kenova, West Virginia.  Greg’s family had joined our congregation and had become very involved in our youth program.  His parents (Ron and Beverly) worked diligently within our community, not only as directors of the youth, but also as The Page Family singers.  Many hearts and lives have been positively affected through this beloved family.

Once Greg entered college, he and I shared the responsibility of teaching the teen class.  Greg’s help with the teens made it possible for me to enjoy learning in the adult class, and also to work part time with our youth.  We made a good Sunday school teaching team.

Greg, a quiet, polite, young man, seemed so mature and focused for his age.  Growing up in such a Godly home certainly had not hurt him.  Greg and I did not spend a great deal of time together, but we had a mutual appreciation for the others help in keeping the lessons flowing for the impressionable minds of our community of teens.

Recently Greg became the associate pastor of our community church, and in this position he faithfully serves our Lord Jesus Christ.  He also continues serving as both assistant coach and Science instructor at our area high school, Spring Valley.

When I read Greg’s manuscript, my first thought encompassed every emotion from reconnecting with the community’s closeness to enjoying the many undiscovered details concerning his personal journey through the adversity and triumphs of adolescence; and in taking this journey, learning so much about this young man whom I had already admired for nearly three decades.

Greg takes his reader on a journey that shares his love for two teams----Buffalo High School and Marshall University----as he uniquely lays before his reader the parallels, the intertwining of adversity and victory.  The reader will, cry, laugh, and grow to appreciate the heart of the man as he grows from young adolescent to a man of conviction and determination.

I urge the reader to allow the author to win your trust and admiration through his somewhat streams of consciousness writing style, his genuine love for the game of football, and his parallel structure between our sports community and our local college (Marshall University) as both schools evolve from adversities to enjoy the rewards of victory.  I urge the reader to quickly move past the randomness of some segments, and to enjoy the honest heart, genuinely opened before the reader while learning the historical journey of our community, our college, and our narrator.  The reader will not regret traveling this journey with Greg as he shows the valleys and the pinnacles associated with his life, his love, his faith, and his journey to maturity.

E. Annette Irvin

Author’s Note

Buffalo and Marshall have always meant a great deal to me, my family, and our community.   As the years continually passed us, they became so important that I wanted to honor those men, and women who have made our community rich in heritage.  Buffalo, C-K, and Vinson consolidated in 1998 into Spring Valley High.  Unfortunately, when consolidation occurs much of the rich history can over time fade away.  I have tried to capture, hopefully, a few of the memories of Buffalo football in this book.  Trying to get information on the past teams of Buffalo High School became very difficult.  Therefore, everything cannot be told as I had hoped.  Scores and sequences may occur incorrectly because some of the information came from second hand accounts.  Furthermore, individual players or people mentioned may not have actually been involved in certain games.  However, I wanted to create an appreciation of the great traditions of all schools mentioned in the book.

I have nothing but the utmost appreciation for the coaches, and memories we experienced, and I think I did my best to honor them.  I have tried to accurately and conclusively tell this story as a historical narrative, and I hope those in our community will remember the wonderful heritage of our yesterdays. As I put the final touches on this book, it became very clear in my mind that I needed to dedicate this book to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is my hope, and prayer that this book may be an encouragement to everyone that reads it.  May our Lord Jesus Christ be magnified, in not only this book, but every facet of our life.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all those involved in helping write this book.  I came up with this idea several years ago and began slowly putting the ideas together, especially when my two sons started playing high school football.  I never dreamed that one day I would write a book.  For many years, and through many past literature teachers, I found out that my writing skills needed improvement.  I always loved to read but I never enjoyed writing. 

The Apostle Paul said, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Like Paul my faith and hope rests not in my own abilities but in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I also could not have arrived where I am today without the love of a Godly mother and father.  Their dedication to the family has made me who I am today and I hope to honor them with this book.

I would also like it to be known that I’m incomplete without my wonderful and beautiful wife.  Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to honor the memory of his wife.  I hope to visit it someday.  If any one knows me, they know that I cannot build a thing.  My Taj Mahal to my beloved wife could only be built through words only.  Her love for her mother has inspired me for many years.  I honor her with this book and hope she realizes the love I have for her.  I hope Mumtaz Mahal received the expression of love from her husband way before she passed.  I hope he told her how much she meant to him.  Kimberly, I love you, and thank you for allowing me to be your husband, and the father of your children.  God has certainly blessed me.  What more can man ask for than to have a blessed wife, and four wonderful children.  I thank God for Adam, Austin, Aaron, and Alyssa.  Three sons and a beautiful daughter fill my life with wonderful joy.  Watching them grow up in the same ideals, community, and church that I did has meant more to me than all the riches the world could offer. 

I would also like to say that October Sky written by Homer Hickam greatly inspired me.  Each year as part of my honors science curriculum, we read his book, and we launch our own rockets.  His book encouraged, and motivated me to write about Marshall and my old High School.  I continuously thought if the son of a WV mine superintendent can write a book then why can’t the son of WV navy corpsmen do the same?  I can only hope that all who read this book will get at least half as much enjoyment as I got from reading Mr. Hickam’s outstanding book and in both our stories readers will find similar parallels.

Also those who I have witnessed battle cancer have greatly inspired me to write.  Very recently, Shelley Wellman Arthur, Tate Combs and our beloved Pastor Emeritus Rev. Bill Boblett, Billie Plymale, and Warren McCoy went into eternity after battling this debilitating and frustrating disease.  My friend Johnnie Napier has recently been diagnosed and I constantly pray for his healing.  His fight and those mentioned in this book encourage us to continue to fight the good fight of faith.  Their endurance motivates all of us to continue to overcome.     

I would also like to thank those who have taken the time to read my first online e-book:  Johnny Napier, my Mom, my Dad, and James Coble.  James not only were you an outstanding player for Coastal Carolina but you’re an awesome teacher and football coach. 

I would also like to thank the Wayne County News for allowing me to use their archives.  I could have never put this together without them.  Without archives many of the stats could not have been written.  I am also grateful for all the many people I interviewed and without their testimonies I could have never finished.

I would also like to mention that Annette Irvin has somehow survived my rough draft and I am sure I set back the King’s English with that document.  A big thank you to her and to all my friends at Locust Grove and most importantly, thanks to my family and everyone on Haney’s Branch.   May God bless you and all of Wayne County, West Virginia.

The Tale of Two Champions

Homecoming

A Day to be Remembered

4-H Degree & Toothbrush

Buffalo Creek

The Rivalry & the Miraculous Shot 

1985

Knee Surgery and Papaw Ross

Friday Night

Gun Smackers and Hocker

Bittersweet ‘87

Love, Softball and Commodore ‘64 

The Girl from C-K

Unappointed Captain

Brent’s Game Winner

Wait and See

Swatting the Hornets

Tackling the Pioneers

Senior Night Chill

CK and the Generals

Recruitment Call

Christmas and Two Farewells

State Track Meet

Graduation

First Impression and the Engagement Ring

Moccasins, Railroad tracks and Wisdom

Detours and Desert Storm

Barely Missed It

Pursuit of Perfection

Playoff Wins of ‘91

Locust Grove Zeal

Little is Much

Providential Design

Unbelievable Kick

The First and the Last  

Homecoming

In the middle of Spring Valley Drive one will find a remarkable and marvelous site for a homecoming called Camp Mad Anthony Wayne.  The beautiful foliage that covers the hills of West Virginia delights the hearts of those who love the harvest season and cool October air.

A college assistant football coach enjoyed the moment as he watched a playful two year old boy with dark hair run back and forth in the green grass.  He ran quickly and happily through the fallen leaves with great excitement with a football tucked under his arm.

Fred, he is going to be quite the ball player and keep me posted when he is older and I’ll recruit him, said Coach Shorty to the boy’s dad (Fred Tanner) with a big smile on his face.

Jim Shorty Moss and Joyce Tanner, the mother of the little boy, had been class officers together at Huntington East.  Shorty’s wife had a little girl on the way and the old school mates talked about teachers and memories of years gone by.

Jim’s position as an assistant Marshall Football coach created excitement among his former classmates at the homecoming.  The topic of many conversations directed toward Jim regarded his outstanding efforts as All-state football player for the Highlanders.  Fred told Jim, who had also been a football Captain for the ’62 West Virginia Mountaineers, that Cam, more than likely, would be a Bison instead of a Highlander.

They laughed, If he is a Bison he will definitely be a Herd fan.

Jim hoped his semi-pro experience with the Charleston Rockets would now pay big dividends as an offensive coordinator.  In his All-CFL ’65 season as tight end, he helped lead his team to a perfect 14-0 record. Laidley field had some great memories for him.  Now his job required him to call the offensive plays for Marshall on the Fairfield sidelines.  Amazingly, time had slipped by for all of them. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A Day to be Remembered

My mother, hoping not to have her first born child on Halloween, took a big table spoon of castor oil.  So instead of being born on the 31st I was born on the 29th.  Mom lived with her mom and dad when they brought me home to the Branch.

My dad had enlisted in the Navy.  The Vietnam War had caused an extremely divisive time in America.  During this time, Dad served his country overseas.  On his way to Vietnam, he served on the USS Westchester County and USS Windham County. At the beginning of 1970, the ship found herself off the northern coast of Vietnam.

In late February, they conducted troop and equipment withdrawal from South Vietnam.  Through April and July they transported personnel and cargo from Japan, Okinawa to Vietnam.  In August they relieved the USS Washoe County off the Ca Mau Peninsula for Operation Solid Anchor, which consisted of fueling boats and helicopters.  Nine of Westchester County's sailors received Combat Action Ribbons when they withstood enemy’s small arms and rocket fire while traveling through the Be De River.  In October, Westchester County made stops at Camranh Bay, Da Nang, Hong Kong, and then back to Okinawa.

Mom said she had to talk in CB talk through the phone from Cabell Huntington Hospital to my dad.  Somewhere on Okinawa Island, my dad walked up to the tallest radio tower at the base named Mars Hill and connected through to Huntington WV.  He told everyone at the base how proud he felt because of the birth of his newborn son.  Also on the same day at Tri-state Airport in Huntington, there had unfortunately been an airplane crash.  Three officers had plummeted to their deaths as they tried to land at the airport.  Major General Edwin Burba and pilots Maynard Reisenger and Paul Burtt had tragically lost their lives while Capt. James Bickerson survived the crash landing.  The initial report indicated some glide slope system problem according to the FAA and this had been the second crash at the Tri-state airports history. 

One fortnight later, the Buffalo youth football teams along with the Tri-state Youth Football League had its end of the year banquet in Huntington at the Johnson Memorial Church across from the Herald Dispatch.  The teams and coaches all celebrated a successful football season.  Some of the discussion that evening mentioned the Marshall loss to East Carolina.  They had lost by a field goal.

Late in the game Marshall Quarterback Ted Shoebridge tried to rally his team near mid field.  Even though he was tackled hard to the ground, he somehow got off his desperation pass.  However, an illegal grounding penalty followed even though the ball landed five yards from the intended receiver Art Harris.  Marcelo Lajterman never got his chance to kick a game tying field goal.  Shoebridge threw a fourth-down pass deep down the field.  It fell incomplete.  East Carolina ran the last eleven seconds off the clock for the win (17-14).

Even though Marshall had lost the game, everybody enjoyed eating Wilma Vickers famous delicious cake that she had baked for all the football boys.  On this evening one of the darkest storms blew into Wayne County.

Don Hampton, who lived near the airport, walked through his hallway to his living room when he heard a powerful bang that shook the floors of the house.  Curious and not knowing what caused the shake, he ran to his son’s room to see if Brian had turned over his huge dresser.  With the dresser and Brian still intact he saw through the window, out a distance, a huge fire in the woods behind his house.  Homer Pelphrey, one of his neighbors, met him outside and began telling him he had seen a plane go down.  As they both scrambled to find flashlights, they both hurried through the woods to the wreckage.  There they met a Tri-state Airport attendant, Bill Mays, who told them he did not know what plane had crashed.

As the three looked through with their flashlights, Don spotted something that made his heart sink deep within him.  As Marshall Alumni of the ’62 football team, Don knew many of the current coaches, which included Jim Moss.  He had talked with several of the coaches that past spring about the upcoming season.  Through the smoke and darkness his flashlight pointed at a Marshall logo on a duffle bag.  Don said of that fateful night, It was the most awful thing I had ever witnessed in my life.

At Kenova and Ceredo the fire whistle sounded.  All the volunteer firefighters came into the station from their homes.  They had gotten information from dispatcher John Billups that a large plane had crashed near the airport.  Scott Byard, a sophomore in high school, jumped on the fire truck.  Within less than a minute the fire trucks arrived at the top of Cemetery Hill.  He could see the plume of smoke.  When they arrived where he could see the bottom he saw the emblazed trees and debris everywhere.  It seemed to form a giant circle of flames.  As they went down the hill to the site they came across a designer briefcase that belonged to Charlie Stewart of Ceredo.  Charlie, a local architect, had a great reputation for being a devoted Marshall Football fan.  Providence stopped him and his wife, who flew down with the team, from traveling back with them even though his luggage did.

Billy Lyons, the fire Chief of Ceredo, led the boys quickly down the hill.  With all their training none of them were prepared for what they would encounter this night.  Along with Scott seven other high school students from C-K geared down the hill in order to battle the blaze:  Bruce Flannigan, Frank Quaranta, Gordon Neace, Russell Hutchinson, Joe Jordan, Bruce Rowe and Lane Chandler.  They met up with Kenova’s fire departments led by Fire Chief Eddie Marcum.  They found a way to the bottom that allowed them to begin their 23 hour struggle. 

Another local, Jack Hardin from the Herald Dispatch, heard the fire whistle, and called the newspaper office to inform them that a plane had crashed at the airport. He went to the scene with his car along with his wife Myra and his two sons Klu, and Mark.  Billy Lyons first met Jack down the hill.  Billy, who took charge of the disaster, would latter have a huge argument with State Troopers about jurisdiction.  Because of the disagreement between firemen and state troopers, Governor Moore, latter that year, signed into WV law that in all aircraft disasters the jurisdiction belonged to the fire department.

Jim York, who took photographs for the Herald Dispatch, arrived some time later.  While they talked at the bottom of the hill, Homer Pelphrey interrupted them with a wallet he had found.  It belonged to Ted Shoebridge.    

Dr. James Bus Irvin, professor at Marshall, lived on Spring Valley Road.  While his sons Donnie and John and their sister Linda came in from the drizzle, an extremely loud, very unusual explosion rocked the subdivision.  Dixie and Bus, who were seating in the living room, grew alarmed when Donnie came into the living room to ask his dad and mom if they had heard the explosion.  They had heard the blast but had no explanation.  Soon after, loud sirens from many directions filled the air.  Then at the bottom of the TV screen a bulletin began to explain that a plane had crashed near the Tri-State Airport.

A young fire fighter named Randy Lincoln, from Buffalo High School, came roaring down Route 75 in his vehicle with his emergency lights glaring.  Already at the site, his team battled the blaze.  As he rushed in, he could see the horizon filled with fumes and smoke.  He also noticed an extreme white flame proceeding from the metal that could not be put out with water.  The young firefighters had to use foam to smother the intense fumes.

As a slight snow began to fall in the early morning, many of the young men who exhausted themselves fighting the fire that night had to then take care of the seventy five that had perished.  None of the training the firemen received had prepared the young men for their next task.

Monday morning at school, even though no one really knew what the young men had all been through that weekend, Coach Craycraft walked up and put his arm around Scott Byard in the hallway.

Coach told Scott, I am so very proud of you and all the boys for what you did last night.  Many of them that fought the fire and the many tears that night still do not talk about that nightmare even to this day.           

The trucks loaded with the fallen at the crash scene winded through the bottom and stopped in front of Ebenezer Church.  On the other side, near Cemetery Hill, the Red Cross had set up a tent at a local home.  The church became a beacon as a few locals tolled all night and into the next day.  Gene Walker, from Buffalo and his friend Steve Little from C-K, volunteered without hesitation to help.  They handled the interchange between the carry alls and the numerous funeral hearses that took the fallen to the armory at the Tri-State Airport.      

As news spread, many police cars began filling up Don Hampton’s front yard.  Governor Arch Moore driven up by the Troopers later the next day stepped out onto Don’s lawn.  Don said, I was an unsaved man at the time and I became unglued.  He said he marched up, full of emotion, and unloaded every obscenity he had in his vocabulary at the Governor.  He accused Arch Moore, and the legislature of not supporting changes to lengthen or update the airport.  He needed an outlet and needed to blame someone.  He told him this would have never happened if not for him and his stingy politics.   He said the Governor just put his head down, and then closed his eyes for a moment.  He then opened his moistened eyes and slowly began to walk up to the wreckage.  What would become of this awful event?

That storm that hit Wayne County on that fateful night forever changed our community.  About seven miles from the Tri-State airport, where most planes fly right over top of our house, the Marshall Football team and members of the community went down on November 14, 1970.  Seventy five lives ended on that fatal night.

Dad said he got the message from Mars Hill radio tower.  It said the Marshall Football team plane had crashed close to the Tri-State Airport with possible civilian casualties.  He prayed to God that we would be safe from harm.  His prayers became answered when the radio tower got through eight thousand miles away to Huntington WV.  Mom soothed his concerns and told the worried Navy corpsman that we and everybody on the Branch escaped the tragic crash.   

Heavy hearted and with great anguish many in the community attended the memorial service on Sunday, November 15, 1970