Parry McCluer High School "Fighting Blues" Buena Vista, Virginia |
(Photo was scanned from the BV Centennial Historical Commemorative Booklet, 1992) |
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History of the Fighing Blues The first Parry McCluer football game was played in 1924 and consisted of the following players: Jack Whitesell, James Blosser, Henry Seay, John Seay, Benny Knight, Travis Hill, Maynard Morris, Bruce Graves, Jordan Dickinson, Charles Jordan, Douglas Hughs, Emmett Leech, William Robey, Jr., Lewis Graybill, and David Shewey. The coach was Alfred H. Griffith and the manager was Lance Catlett. When Parry McCluer started it's football team in 1924, Alfred H. Griffith became coach as a volunteer. A graduate of W&L University, he practiced law and coached as well. From W&L, Griffith received castoff uniforms that were in terrible shape. They were blue and white, and those colors have remained the school colors since then. (Lexington recieved castoffs from VMI, so their colors became red and white.) Legend has it that Griffith never fitted the uniforms to the players, rather he handed one to whoever was there. The late David Shewey, at 104 pounds, laughed about wearing a uniform of a six foot tall, 190 pound player, that hung around his ankles. From 1924 until 1927, Parry McCluer did not win a game. Covington defeated PMHS in 1924 at 114-0!! In 1927, under the coaching of F.W. "Buck" Kling, they scored their first touchdown and their first win in a 6-0 match against Lexington. For years, Kling told everyone that he was hero for a week, but his name became mud after losing a lopsided game to Covington a week later. It was not until 1945, however, that the PMHS team got their famous name. In that year the Parry McCluer News sponsored a name contest. Twenty-three names were submitted, with the judges - the principal, assistant principal and coach narrowing the list to four: "Fighting Blues" (by Warren Goolsby, Jr.), "The Blue Jays" (by Charles Staton), "The Blue Devils" (by Dan Henson), and "The Warriors" (by Betsy Campbell). The high school student body voted October 9th and "Fighting Blues" was clearly the popular choice. Choosing the name from crime fighters in a comic book he was reading, Goolsby sumitted the nickname that has carried the Fighting Blues through many successful years. For his win, he received a season's pass to a year's activities. Since no one had a picture of the comic book characters from which the team was named, a campaign was started to find a mascot. After much searching, the student body voted on the pirate-like, Yosemite Sam looking character who has represented Parry McCluer since 1969. |
State Championships |
1929 |
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(Photos were scanned from the BV Centennial Historical Commemorative Booklet, 1992) |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Please check back periodically. (More pics and players names will be added soon as we get our hands on some year books.) |
(History was compiled from articles, http://www.bv.rang.k12.va.us/BluesHistory.htm & the BV Centennial Historical Commerative Booklet, 1992) |
(Photos scanned from the BV Centennial Historical Commemorative Booklet, 1992) |
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More to come!!! |
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