WHEELING – The field is set for this week’s football extravaganza, better known as The Super Six.

The Friendly City has played host to the three-game spectacle since 1994. Prior to that, the grid championship trifecta was played at Charleston’s Laidley Field from 1979-93.

The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission Board of Directors last voted on the Super Six venue back in 2012. Wheeling was awarded another four-year contract at that time, having to fend off just a single challenger – that being Princeton.

The local Super Six Committee has done its job so effectively that competitors for the venue have become scarce. In 2008, Wheeling faced no opponents when it came to the bidding process.

The local efforts to wrestle the Super Six from Charleston’s grips took root more than two decades ago. Championing the cause were then-OVAC Executive Secretary Sam Mumley and Wheeling Park Athletic Director Eric Carder.

Mumley and Carder put a bid package together that blew away the competition. In Sam’s words, “It’s all about the kids. Take care of the kids for they are the foundation of our future.”

Mumley and Carder are no longer involved, but those words still ring true.

Super Six Committee members have taken the ball and galloped with it, finding paydirt along the way. Each time the bid process rolls around, the well-oiled Wheeling group sweetens its proposal, making it easy for the WVSSAC to keep the Super Six in Wheeling.

Bernie Dolan knows the Super Six Football Championships as well as anybody.

The former Wheeling Park athletic director and assistant superintendent was a key member of the local Super Six Committee.

In April, Dolan was selected as the new executive director of the WVSSAC.

“The Super Six is and was a labor of love for me,” Dolan said. “The unique part of Wheeling is that the entire community gets involved. Volunteers have gotten on board in large numbers. We couldn’t make it happen without them.

“Businesses, not even sponsoring businesses, have really stepped up to make it a very nice trip for teams,” he added.

“The entire Wheeling community takes great pride in making the Super Six a special event.”

The Super Six Committee has made the weekend much more than football. It has also brought in academic and social aspects to make it a total life-enriching experience for the youths involved.

The committee holds an academic banquet Saturday, which honors the top students and schools in the state. Moreover, thousands of dollars of scholarships will be presented.

Title game participants will be treated to great hospitality, served super meals and be exposed to the beautiful backdrop we call the Ohio Valley.

This year’s event takes on special extra meaning with two local squads vying for the ultimate – a state championship.

Wheeling Park and Magnolia have punched their tickets into the Class AAA and Class A title games, respectively.

Friday night will see the Class AA foes vie for the brass ring, setting the stage for an electric Saturday. At noon that day, the Patriots shoot for their initial Super Six grid crown. The Class A contest drops the curtain on the festivities with Magnolia bidding to cap a 14-0 campaign.

With two local teams playing on Saturday, Wheeling Island Stadium should be filled to the brim. Moreover, when the Super Six dust settles, I expect the OVAC to have two freshly minted state championship teams.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com