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Warwood Viking Teammates Revisit 1967 State Championship

Photo by Bubba Kapral The starting five for the 1967 state basketball champion Warwood Vikings stand in front of the team’s photo on display at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. The quintet reunited at the recent MEC Tournament. Pictured, from left, are Gary Kenamond, Bill Kennedy, Greg Church, Mike Clemont and Denny Hodges.

WARWOOD — Sports often times yield lifetime memories.

The Warwood Vikings captured the 1967 Class AA state basketball championship. Although 52 years have passed, that lofty accomplishment remains freshly affixed in the memory banks of the five starters on that team.

Bill Kennedy, Greg Church, Mike Clemont, Denny Hodges and Gary Kenamond were the Vikings’ all-senior starting unit. Although now scattered across the country, they usually get together at least once a year.

This year’s reunion took place at the recent Mountain East Conference Tournament at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. All five, some aged 69 others 70, could easily recall the glorious moments from that 1966-67 season.

For the record, Warwood went 24-2, the lone blemishes both coming at the hands of the Wheeling Wildcats in the regular season. The Vikings defeated Sophia, 57-54, in the state championship game played at the WVU Fieldhouse in Morgantown.

In the semifinals, Warwood squeaked past Ceredo-Kenova, 38-37. The Vikings were coached by Hall of Famer Jim Foti.

Kennedy was one of the premier plays in the entire state. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 26.2 points per game. Church, meanwhile, was a 6-0 guard who averaged 20.1 points a game. Both were first team all-state and all-OVAC honorees.

“We had it all the way,” Kennedy said when asked how the title game played out.

“We had a real tough test in semifinals.

“But we were playing really well at the end of the year. We finished the year on a 15-game winning streak and won the OVAC. The year before we got beat in the state semifinals. We played that game in Huntington.”

That 1966 Vikings’ squad went 22-4, falling to Mullens, 65-60, one-game from the state finals. George Dormas was a 6-2 senior and double-figure scorer for Warwood that season. Dormas currently runs the Bridge Tavern in downtown Wheeling.

While Kennedy enjoyed a tremendous college career, Church’s career was cut short due to injury.

After he picked up his Warwood High School diploma, he went to play at West Point for Bobby Knight. Current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was Church’s teammate.

“I blew out my shoulder my sophomore year and it ended my playing career,” Church said. “Everything you hear about Bobby Knight is true.

“Krzyzewski was our floor general. He was a real smart guy. He knew the game. His head was always in the game. He and Knight got along well.”

Church ended his Vikings’ career with more than 1,200 points.

While Kennedy and Church were the prodigious point-producers for Warwood in the Vikings’ state title drive, Clemont also distinguished himself with stellar play.

The 6-2 forward joined Kennedy and Church on the state all-tournament team.

Hodges (5-8) and Kenamond (6-2) were Church’s backcourt mates. They were solid at both ends of the floor and did much of the dirty work.

Kennedy is an OVAC Hall of Famer. He finished his illustrious Vikings’ basketball career with more than 1,400 points.

His hoop achievements earned him a spot with the West Liberty State College basketball team, leading the team in scoring in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with 509 and 445 points, respectively.

Kennedy’s impressive play at West Liberty proved a springboard to a transfer to Arizona State University for the 1971 and ’72 seasons. He led the Sun Devils in scoring both seasons, averaging 14.8 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. He was drafted by Memphis of the ABA, but opted for a career as a basketball official. Kennedy was a Pac-10 college basketball official for 26 years.

“We started playing together in grade school at the YMCA. (Former West Liberty president) Clyde Campbell’s dad first got us together and worked with us,” Kenamond said. “We played football together, also. We won two junior high football and basketball championships.

“We still try to get together at least once a year even though we are spread out now. Bill is in Arizona, Greg in Wooster (Ohio) and Denny in North Carolina. We had a special group.”

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