West Virginia High School Football State Championships and playoff history

The West Virginia High School Football State Championships have been held since the early 1900s.

In the early 1900s, teams claimed state titles by virtue of their records against other WV schools.

Prior to 1965 season, games played against teams in a higher class were not considered in the point system if the smaller school lost.

In 1975, in single A, both Meadow Bridge and Rivesville finished the regular season 10–0–0, but tied for the #4 playoff spot.

The West Virginia State High School Football Championship games were played at Wheeling Island Stadium from 1994 to 2023.

(*school no longer exists) During the 1926 season Williamson and Magnolia arranged a state title game.

However, after accusations on both sides of ineligible players the WVAA (now known as the WVSSAC) stepped in and forced both teams to forfeit all their games.

This changed in 1954 with the Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education, which overturned school segregation.

With no tie break rules, both were eliminated and #1 Wirt County received a bye in the semi-final round.

Health officials developed a map, which was published each Saturday, and used to determine which counties could participate in WVSSAC activities the upcoming week.

Health officials developed a map, which was published each Saturday, and used to determine which counties could participate in WVSSAC activities the upcoming week.

The AAA state title game was postponed one week while the case went to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia ruled the Kanawha County judge had overstepped her bounds and that the WVSSAC had final say in the matter.

Health officials developed a map, which was published each Saturday, and used to determine which counties could participate in WVSSAC activities the upcoming week.

[75] Following the release of the classifications, on August 12, 2024, the WVSSAC reclassified eleven schools, after they successfully appealed.

This led to Point Pleasant filing for an injunction in the Circuit Court of Mason County.

Westside also filed for injunctive relief in the Circuit Court of Wyoming County requesting that the WVSSAC return to the original rating plan.

[80] However, on November 14, 2024, the WVSSAC filed two separate petitions with the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia requesting the Wood County and Mason County orders be prohibited from enforcement and requested the Court grant expedited relief.

[82] Also on November 15, a Wayne County circuit judge ordered a play-in game between St. Marys and Tolsia be held within five days.

Recognized by Spalding Bros. 1911 Football Guide as WV State Football Champions, this was the first of Parkersburg High's 17 State Football Titles.
1913 WV State Football Champions, Wheeling High School
Clarksburg-Washington Irving High School , WV State Football Champions, 1926. Coach Clay Hite lead the Hilltoppers to state championships in 1922 and 1926. The downtown football field, now used by Washington Irving Middle School, still bears his name, Hite Field.
Charleston, West Virginia , Garnet High School . WVAU (West Virginia Athletic Union governed athletics for African American students during segregation) 1922 State Football Champions. First row: Robert Burks, James Field, Paul (or Roland, who later became a Charleston fireman) Wilcher, Bennie Patterson, Leonard Bicket, Ted Gallion, and Percy Terrel. Second row: Claude Morris, Tob Davis, William Buchanan, Hyte Boyd, Herbert Cain, and Earl Smith. Third row: Elijah Edwards, Ben Mitchell, Dallas Forney, Earl Powell, Bus Irving, Archibald Walker, and Lewis Jones. Fourth row: William Preston, Asst. Coach Smith, Principal J. F. J. Clark, Coach Bartlet.
Stratton High School, WVAU State Football Champions, 1954. Beckley, West Virginia .
Before becoming a record setting head football coach at LSU and Alabama , Nick Saban , was a quarterback for the 1968 "A" WV State Champion Monongah High School football team.
Charleston High School, WV, Head Coach Frank Vincent was the first to win three consecutive AAA football titles. The Lions won in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
1940 WVAU State Champions, Monongalia High School. Monongalia High was a school for Black students prior to integration. MHS won one WV state title. The WV Athletic Union (WVAU) governed athletics for African American students from 1914 to 1956.
The 1954 Follansbee High School WVSSAC Class "A" Football Champions. In 1954, WV had just two school size classifications; "A" for bigger schools and "B" for smaller schools. The WVSSAC started a three-class system in 1955. Follansbee High is one of 37 schools that won a single WV State Football title. Follansbee consolidated with Wellsburg and Bethany High Schools in 1969 to form Brooke High School .