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PARKERSBURG -- In the long storied history of Parkersburg High School football only the 2006-07 Big Reds pulled off consecutive state championships.
Prior to tonight’s 7:30 Mountain State Athletic Conference kickoff at Stadium Field where the red and white play host to Hurricane, the back-to-back state champs will be honored.
Then head coach Bernie Buttrey, who led the program from 2002-09, went 14-0 in 2006 and defeated Martinsburg, 34-6, for the Class AAA state championship.
Although the Big Reds won it all again in 2007, a trip to George Washington resulted in a 19-14 loss and snapped a 21-game winning streak.
Despite the setback, Buttrey’s Big Reds made a return trip to Wheeling Island Stadium and hoisted the trophy yet again following a 22-15 win against St. Albans.
“That’s always the first daggone question everybody asks,” Buttrey said. “GW beat us. We were getting a little ahead of ourselves and went down to Laidley Field and they beat us. We were trying to complete a pass to win it, I think.
“It kind of woke us up. You hate to say a loss was a good thing, but I think it kind of brought us back down to earth in the fact that we could get our a– beat if we didn’t pay attention, you know.”
PHS, which was built in 1917 at an approximate cost of a half million dollars according to former Big Reds historian Carol Jett, poured the first concrete for the West stands in September of 1923 and won the initial game in the new stadium, 14-13, versus Athens on Oct. 4, 1923.
“It’s been 20 years. I haven’t seen some of these guys in 20 years. Of course, we invited everybody back, but I don’t know, he–, there may not be anybody there,” quipped Buttrey. “I’m hopeful there will be several kids there.”
The 2007 Big Reds finished with 522 points and a scoring average of 39.5, both of which were second all-time in school history.
Coach Buttrey had 10 first team all-state selections thanks to Charlie Taylor (’06), Josh Jenkins (’06-07), Matt Littleton (’06-07), Tyler Warner (’06), Zach Nolan (’07), Matt Lindamood (’06-07) and Andy Thomas (’07).
“You know, many of them are local here like Charlie Taylor and Andy Thomas and those guys are going to be there,” Buttrey said. “I don’t know about Lindamood and some of those guys. I know we got some locals, Tyler Warner.
“Zach Nolan is on the coaching staff. Travis Bunner. I don’t know if Jenks (Josh Jenkins) is going to be there or not. I’m hoping he’ll be there. There should be a few people.”
Lindamood finished his career for the Big Reds as the all-time leading scorer (412) and still holds PHS all-time marks for single season (2,473) and career (4,211) rushing yards.
Warner still holds the school record for a 50-yard field goal he booted at Stadium Field versus St. Albans in 2006.
“”I even tried to get old Kyle (Foster) to come back,” added Buttrey, who led the Big Reds to the postseason six times. “I think he’s up at Akron (Director of Equipment Operations). He was our water boy the whole time. Just the fact it’s the only time in history it’s been done.
“Had a lot of good runs, but nobody has done it back-to-back and 27-1 in two years there is just a phenomenal record. We won two state championship and one conference championship and 10 all-state guys.”