West Virginia High School Wrestling

The First High School Wrestling Match in West Virginia

Huntington Declared 1922 Champion

Research indicates that the first High School wrestling match in West Virginia was held February 11, 1922 -- a dual between Parkersburg and Morgantown. Parkersburg won the match 11-6, winning 4 of 6 bouts. Winners for Parkersburg were listed as Hosenback, Haislip, Broddus, and McHenry, while Hamrick and Muncey were defeated.

A name of note that figures in this match is Ross McHenry. At the time of this writing (March 31, 1999), Mr. McHenry is the oldest living WVU football player and will be 96 in June 1999. Mr. McHenry is also a former Parkersburg High School Football Coach and Floyd Schwartzwalder served as his assistant.

Subsequent to that first match, another match was held on March 25 that year between Parkersburg and Huntington. Of interest, there were 6 weight classes: 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, UNL. Wrestlers could weigh 3 pounds "either way," e.g., 115 was actually 112-118.

Follow this link to read about it in The Parkersburg News

Huntington won what the "Parkersburg News" billed as the 1922 State Wrestling Championship when they defeated Parkersburg in that home dual on March 25th, 1922. Huntington's Ben Wookey and Parkersburg's Roland "Rags" Hobensack wrestled three times in 1922, twice during halftime of their schools basketball games against each other.
Sources: "The Parkersburg News" and "The Emergence of High School Wrestling in West Virginia" by George Nedeff

Follow this link to read about the first "State Championship Match" in The Parkersburg News

1922 Team Standings Coach
Huntington 1-0 McDermit
Parkersburg 1-1 Harold D. Thomas
Morgantown 0-1 Carl Schmeichel

1922 Wrestlers Records
105
Don Neale P 0-0

115
Atwood M 1-0
Levy H 1-0
Muncey P 0-2

125
Kilgore H 1-0
Broaddus P 1-1
Seamans M 0-1

135
Meade H 1-0
Haislip P 1-1
Fisher M 0-1

145
Brand Bowlby M 1-0
Millender H 1-0
Sam Hamrick P 0-2

155
Ben Wookey H 2-0-1
Roland Hobensack P 1-2-1
Bunten M 0-1

UNL
Brown H 1-0
Ross McHenry P 1-1
Hutton M 0-1

The following two images are reproduced from the 1922 Huntington High School yearbook.



Thanks to Robert Bonar, Grantsville WV for the contribution
Thanks to Brent Sams, Parkersburg WV
From The Pakersburg News
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