Another state title for Polar Bears

How could they miss, with a Retton as coach?

Fairmont West winning the state Class AA high school basketball championship two years in a row is no surprise to anyone who has been following the Retton family athletic exploits.

David Retton is the Polar Bears’ coach. That gives them a leg up …  a Retton leg up.

Dave's father, Joe Retton, won 83.6% (478-94) of his games as Fairmont State basketball coach.  Retton’s teams had 20 wins or more 18 consecutive seasons, 20 conference championships (12 regular-season crowns and eight tournament titles). They appeared in 12 national tournaments, including four Final Four runs, and finished second once.

Joe and wife Nancy live behind Fairmont Hospital.

Mary Lou Retton became the first American to win Olympics gold in gymnastics in 1984 six weeks after she underwent arthoscopic knee surgery! Mary Lou was Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year in 1984.

 

Mary Lou’s parents are Lois and Ronnie Retton. She is married to Shannon Kelley.

Ronnie was the main reason that Fairview won the 1955 state Class B basketball title against Chattaroy. Later, Ronnie played basketball and baseball for WVU and is in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.

His other children include Sherri, an All-American gymnast at WVU and in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame, and Ronnie, Jr., who played baseball for WVU.

That’s the first father-daughter enshrinement in the WVU Sports Hall, and Ronnie did with two daughters.

Jo-Jo Retton was a fantastic pitcher for Fairview High during my Monongah High days. Even MHS’ superb pitcher/basketball player/quarterback Eddie Luszcynski was hard-pressed to beat Jo-Jo.

Joe and wife Nancy live behind Fairmont Hospital.

Mary Lou’s cousin, Rick Mazza, on the football coaching staff at Monongah High for the 1973 state football championship, combined Monongah, Fairview and Retton connections.

Rick’s parents are Ginny Retton Mazza and Jimmy Mazza, who met when Jimmy played for the Grant Town Pirates semi-pro baseball team.

Rick’s sister is Linda Mazza Shelosky, who has lived in Monongah for more than 40 years and is a Fairmont East High grad. She married Bernie Shelosky.

Monongah had its share of Rettons, in sports and otherwise.

The late Helen Retton Marchiny grew up on Jackson Street in Monongah as a child of Tom Retton and Joan Conge Retton.

Tom’s main claim to fame, as far as I am concerned, is that he saw my motionless body sprawled at the bottom of the holler off Thomas Street.

I had gone off the rugged, irregular reddog road with yet another childhood vehicle – my Mom wouldn’t let me have a bike because of that predeliction.

Tom went down to the bottom of the holler, carried me up to our home on Thomas Street at the Church Street/U.S. 19 (Camden Avenue) intersection. He knocked on our back door. My mother answered.

“Here’s your son,” he said.  My Mom damn near fainted, as she often did during my misadventures.

Tom’s children included Ann Retton Schrippa, Class of 1953, who lives in Shinnston, Rosalee Retton Carter, who lives in Clarksburg; and Johnny Retton, killed in a coal mine accident.

 

There’s also a Mary Theresa Retton, Class of 1948.

And Rhonda Parrish Retton lives in Fairview, the stomping ground for so many Retton superstars.