Topic: I wanted to beat this coach worst than anything back in the day

[W0lfman]

Only succeed once if I recall.  I will say this about him he is a big Herd fan.  I've seen him mulitple times at away games still going strong at his age.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1805695062/Ward-honored-by-former-players?i=1#.T-sgbqBcVNo.facebook

[Stripeshrt]

ONE classy individual as well as one of the best coaches the State of WV ever had! When I first started "moving up" , one of the first BIG games I ever got was Coach Ward vs Coach Smith at Vinson with the late Tony Lusk. After that I had that game home and home for as long as those schools were still around. ALWAYS a treat to see Coach Ward !

[2xBison]

He isn't scared either.  Saw him in Motown a year or two back for the wvu game.

[Thundering In MD]

ONE classy individual as well as one of the best coaches the State of WV ever had! When I first started "moving up" , one of the first BIG games I ever got was Coach Ward vs Coach Smith at Vinson with the late Tony Lusk. After that I had that game home and home for as long as those schools were still around. ALWAYS a treat to see Coach Ward !

I played for both of them.  Both Ward and Smith had one thing in common:  keep it simple.  Whether it was Smith's 3-5 or Ward's Wing-T, both kept it simple and knew who to plug into their system.  

You can't talk about Ward's success without talking about Dale Craycraft.  If Dale would not have had health issues and kept coaching, CK basketball would have dominated Vinson during the 1980s IMO.  

Now as a former VHS and CKHS guy, I will turn it over to the Buffalo guys to point out what you can't spell without "CK." ::)

[svherd]

I played for both of them.  Both Ward and Smith had one thing in common:  keep it simple.  Whether it was Smith's 3-5 or Ward's Wing-T, both kept it simple and knew who to plug into their system.  

You can't talk about Ward's success without talking about Dale Craycraft.  If Dale would not have had health issues and kept coaching, CK basketball would have dominated Vinson during the 1980s IMO.  

Now as a former VHS and CKHS guy, I will turn it over to the Buffalo guys to point out what you can't spell without "CK." ::)

As a Vinon grad, not sure about the Wonders dominating on B'ball. I quit playing basketball at VHS after 9th grade - ball sills lacked to play shooting guard or forward. Smith was a hell of a coach and tough on his players but the results speak for themselves. If it wasn't for the Northfork teams coached by Jennings Boyd, Don would have had a Carl Ward type basketball dynasty. Ward was a great coach and better individual.

[marshalljeff]

IMO, Coach Ward was the best HS football coach in WV.

He's WV's version of J.D. Graham.

[wvmafia]

ONE classy individual as well as one of the best coaches the State of WV ever had! When I first started "moving up" , one of the first BIG games I ever got was Coach Ward vs Coach Smith at Vinson with the late Tony Lusk. After that I had that game home and home for as long as those schools were still around. ALWAYS a treat to see Coach Ward !

Tony Lusk...that's a name I hadn't heard in a while.  Great guy.

[HerdBlizz]

As a Vinon grad, not sure about the Wonders dominating on B'ball. I quit playing basketball at VHS after 9th grade - ball sills lacked to play shooting guard or forward. Smith was a hell of a coach and tough on his players but the results speak for themselves. If it wasn't for the Northfork teams coached by Jennings Boyd, Don would have had a Carl Ward type basketball dynasty. Ward was a great coach and better individual.

I went to Vinson in the early 80's as well...I remember CK being the beating board that we used to punish nearly every game in BB...

[Herdmeister]

Only succeed once if I recall.  I will say this about him he is a big Herd fan.  I've seen him mulitple times at away games still going strong at his age.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1805695062/Ward-honored-by-former-players?i=1#.T-sgbqBcVNo.facebook

I see him at many Herd hoops games too..

[morpheus]

I went to the dinner to honor Coach Ward. Over 150 of his ex-players came to honor him, some out of California, some out of Fla and several out of Tenn. and Atlanta.  Great coach to play for and a even better person.  He and Coach Craycraft were the perfect combo to lead a team.  One a fiery leader and the other a cool calm strategist.  Great event that everyone enjoyed. Also, 10 football state championships in a 20 year period speaks for itself.

By the way, he still bleeds Green and White but for the Herd now.  Season ticket holder for Football and Basketball.  I wish more of you guys could know him personally.


Also heard today that Vinson is getting a tribute dinner together for Coach Smith and Coach Norris.  Going to rename their old gym the Smith/Norris gymnasium.

[Thundering In MD]

I went to Vinson in the early 80's as well...I remember CK being the beating board that we used to punish nearly every game in BB...

Hey I was there with Ralph's Raiders; I wasn't trying to talk bad about the Tigers.  HerdBlizz with the exception of the 84 Wonders with Chad, Ritchie, Cisco, Kennedy and Riedel, I am not going to argue that the Wonders were better.  But that was Smith coaching against a great football coach, not a great basketball coach.

I was just saying that Dale Craycraft had a mind for strategy that quite frankly neither Smith nor Carl had.  Both Smith and Carl were great at what they did.  Smith recognized that having 2 1s that would do nothing other than walk the ball up the court and pass it to a guy coming off a triple pick worked.  Carl recognized that pulling guards in the execution of the Wing T worked.  Neither of them were great strategists; just great at picking a scheme and working it.  

Craycraft's mind was beyond both of them.  If Craycraft would have been coaching basketball against Smith; I believe his intellect would have overcome all the philosophies that Ralph picked up at Tennessee.  (For the Vinson guys, Craycraft wouldn't have had to rely on rules like the Turd Zone).

Sorry Morph, but Gary Norris doesn't deserve being mentioned in the same breath as Smith, Ward or Craycraft.  

[wonders 79]

 One saying at C-K was that Coach Ward sees alot and Coach Craycraft says a lot.

[ThunderZone]

Coach Ward is an amazing individual who would do anything for his players ... He knew how to build character and mold men as well as teams.

He still works out everyday and you will see him around the little league fields a lot as well ... Stays busy.

To this day 20+ years after playing for him he still opens up every conversation asking how much we weigh because he wants us to stay healthy and get exercise.

If you ever talk to him he still swears that the two best teams he ever coached never got a chance to play for a title because at the time there were no playoffs ... They only took the top two teams for a championship game and C-K was ranked 3rd.

He believes if a playoff system was in place from the beginning that C-K could have won 13-15 titles over that period ... I'm not going to doubt him.

Long Live Coach Ward!!!

[ATHENSHERDFAN]

Cant speak for Huntington vs Huntington East or Parkersburg vs Parkersburg South but the Buffalo vs ck rivalry was huge. Not just because of the game but.that it almost always played a role in the playoffs.  Especially during the top 4 teams then the top 8 teams when one lose could knock you out.

As for Carl Ward, my grandma alsays told me if you cant say anything nice dont say anything.  Lol

[morpheus]

I'm not a Vinson grad but was told by one of their ex-Bball players that Smith and Norris would be honored together with the renaming. If it's deserved is for you Tigers to decide.  Smith was their coach when I was at C-K, Norris came later.  Hard to believe these guys are getting so old and we are staying the same.