CHARLESTON — Rich Stevens has been selected the winner of the 2020 Morehouse Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

The award is given for contributions to journalism and named for the late Marshall University sports information director and broadcaster Gene Morehouse, who was killed in the 1970 airplane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall football players, coaches, staff and fans. The award has been given since 1971 with the list of recipients on the wvswa.org website.

Stevens, a life member of the 88-year-old Association, is the webmaster for the website which launched last August.

“Rich stepped up to give the membership, and public, a much needed internet presence and historical resource for sports in the Mountain State,” Association secretary-treasurer Doug Huff said.

“He devoted numerous time and effort to get the website project up and running. He’s also produced expanded programs for the Victory Awards Dinners the last two years. He’s most deserving of this honor.”

Stevens, who joined the WVSWA in 1989 and worked in the sports departments of both The Intelligencer in Wheeling (1989-2002) and the Charleston Daily Mail (2002-15), was humbled by the award. He served as Assistant Sports Editor and Sports Editor of The Intelligencer and was Daily Mail Assistant Sports Editor from 2011-15. He served as President of the WVSWA in 2000.

“The Morehouse Award is not for me,” he said, “This award is for guys not with us anymore who played such an integral role in making me who I am today. Writers like Jeff Gillespie, Bill Van Horne, Mike Cherry, Dan Stillwell, and Dan Hose who taught me how to treat people, conduct interviews, write, and pay such close attention to detail. I think about them often. It’s also for my wife Cathy, my kids, Richie and Tabatha, my mentor Doug Huff, my favorite Charlestonian Tom Aluise, and Jack Bogaczyk. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have had a career in which I didn’t work a day in my life.”

Stevens, a Wheeling native, attended West Liberty State and received his communications degree from West Virginia State.

He also has a teaching degree from Marshall University and served as an English Language Arts/Special Education teacher, and a coach, at Valley High School in Fayette County.

As a journalist, he’s covered numerous high school events, including state tournaments, plus state colleges, and state summer Amateur and Open golf tournaments.