Published: May 08, 2008 11:25 pm         

Class AAA champs honored at banquet

The Class AAA state champion Woodrow Wilson basketball team was honored Thursday night with a banquet at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.

Mountain State basketball coach Bob Bolen, a 1981 Woodrow Wilson graduate, was the featured speaker.

Several area luminaries, including former coach Dave Barksdale, also spoke at the fete which drew approximately 125 guests, parents and Woodrow Wilson supporters.

A 15-minute highlight tape, done by Neil Lacy, was also shown.

The most emotional speech came from head coach Ron Kidd, who battled and beat cancer which was diagnosed last summer and missed the first 11 games of the season.

“I’m just so proud of you guys,” he told his team, seated mainly at two tables near the front. “Each and every day I’m proud of you. Every day I wake up and watch a different (game) tape. I’m just proud of the way they played so hard. Everybody knows it takes great players to make a coach.

“I love my coaching staff (Steve Kidd and Brian and Gene Nabors). I think I have the best staff in the state, or in the country. Every day they let me come to practice.”

“I could tell they wanted me to slow down, but they never said a word. They knew it was the best thing for me.

“We’re proud of you and I hope the city of Beckley is proud of you.”

Kidd lauded his wife Tammy, who put on the banquet for the team, as his “No. 1 fan and designated driver.”

“She drove me to every game this year and we made it on time and we made it safe,” Kidd said.

Bolen noted he and Ron and Steve Kidd grew up playing basketball together. In fact, he and Ron Kidd lived together in a trailer in Bluefield shortly after Kidd and his wife Tammy were married. He told several stories relating to their days together, including hiring Steve Kidd when he took over at Mountain State.

Bolen told the players their achievement, beating the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the state tournament on successive nights, was “amazing.”

“I was sitting around today trying to figure that out and there is a 1 in 702 chance of that happening,” Bolen said. “There were a lot of things that had to happen for you guys to accomplish that. That will probably never happen again.

“I challenge you to not let (the state championship) be the highlight of your life. Life will give you another opportunity to do better. Make sure you recognize it and attack it just like you did that state championship.”

Players, coaches and support staff received a championship statue/trophy, a plaque and a certificate of achievement signed by Gov. Joe Manchin.

Players included Joseph Anthony, Justin Cook, Travis Parkulo, Chris Rhodes, Kevin Starkey, Jordan Waldron, Darius Cook, Michael Fortune, Ryan Powers, Joe Rodriguez, Damien Tunstalle and Isiah Walton as well as manager Mark Cole.

The support staff included Slim Bandy, Tilford Bradley, Sherman Ross and Michael Fowlkes.

Coaches were Ron Kidd, Steve Kidd, Brian Nabors and Gene Nabors.