Walking the halls of Weir High School, the spirits of legends like Jimmy Carey, Bob Rossell, Carl Hamill, Milton Weinberg, and Ron “Fritz” Williams line the walls leaving students to wonder what these alumni have done to deserve the recognition.
The field house, which students use daily for physical education classes and sports, is named after Carl Hamill. When Hancock County decided to renovate and add onto Weir High School, they added a new gymnasium and decided to name the field house after Hamill because of the impact he made at Weir. For many years Hamill coached football, baseball, and basketball, and he served as the Dean of Boys from 1950-62.
As a football coach, Hamill coached five undefeated regular season teams, 34 all-state football players, and two future NFL players.
As a basketball coach, his total record consisted of 370 wins and 127 losses. He coached a 1935 OVAA championship team and OVAC championship team in 1940. One of his biggest accomplishments as a coach come in his baseball coaching career when he brought home a state title in 1950. As a baseball coach, Hamill also won a pair of OVAC titles, coached 10 all-state baseball players, and two future major league athletes.
Hamill was honored with many awards in his lifetime such as the WV Coach of the Year in 1950. He was inducted into the WV Hall of Fame and the Bethany College Hall of Fame in 1972.
Mike Granato, physical education teacher, said, “Carl Hamill was a legendary head football and basketball coach.”
In 1945, a coach by the name of Jimmy Carey came to assist Hamill as a coach. They coached many seasons together before Hamill’s retirement in 1951.
The Jimmy Carey Stadium located on the Weir High campus is the second stadium to be named after Carey. The “New” Jimmy Carey stadium was finished in 2012.
The stadium was dedicated to the late Jimmy Carey who was a football, baseball, and basketball coach from 1945 to 1971. As a football coach his record was 52-11. He coached three state championship teams, two OVAC championship teams, and 12 all-state players.
As a basketball coach, Carey’s record was 161-111. He coached two state championships and a pair of OVAC titles. Carey’s 1962 basketball team was the only team in school history to have an undefeated regular season. During his baseball coaching career, he won a state title and two OVAC championships.
Carey has a long list of accomplishments, with the most notable being that he was named Ohio valley dan in 1971, WV Sports Hall of fame in 1991, and Hall of Fame at West Liberty State college. Carey also is one of the only coaches in WV history to win a state title in three sports.
“He was a successful coach at Weir High School” Principal Ted Arneault wrote.
While standing on the field at Jimmy Carey stadium, Bob Rossell’s name can be seen prominently on the front of the press box.
At most of the home games that Carey coached those in attendance would hear the voice of the late Bob Rossell announcing thegame, and behind the scenes, he could be found bookkeeping.
Rossell was a Weir High alumnus who served in the army reserve from 1957 to 1966 and was best known for his dedication to his beloved school.
Rossell was a public announcer of football for 44 years and basketball for 33 years. He would broadcast football on 1430 weir radio. He was the founder of the Weir High School’s Wall of Fame. He was a board member and adviser for Weirton’s Junior Achievement which is a worldwide global non-profit youth organization.
He was inducted into Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame selection committee and the Upper Valley Dapper Dan club. Rossell was in the hospital when the last football game was played at the old Jimmy Carey stadium. He didn’t let that discourage him from watching the people and game he loved and was taken to watch his beloved red riders play one last time in the back of an ambulance.
Phil Fraga a long time Weir High Fan said “Bob Rossell was the voice of red rider football.”
On the football field and basketball court, Rossell’s voice would be heard, but in the theater, audience members would hear the voice of Milton Weinberg.
Weinberg was a band and theater director here from most of 1960 through the 1990’s. before coming to Weir, he served two years in World War II in Japan and two years in the Korean War. After returning home Weinberg become a speech teacher at Weir. Principal Ted Arneault says “He was very enthusiastic when working in the theater or with the band”.
When the little theater was built in the mid-1980s, he was tasked with the purchases. When purchasing light, curtains, and the stage he bought the top of the line. Ray Seifert, former student of Weinberg and subsequent band and theater director, said, “I was very shy and his teaching brought me out of my shell.” Seifert added, “He dedicated his life to the Weir theater department.” Due to his success as director, the theater was dedicated to Weinberg.
While Weinberg was entering his teacher career, a young athlete… by the name of Ron “Frite” Williams was also entertaining his sports career.
Williams had many accomplishments in his four years at Weir. He was on the basketball, football, and track teams. During his high school career, he earned 11 varsity letters.
As a basketball player, Williams played on Carey’s undefeated regular season team, and He was part of the 1963 state championship team. In his senior season he averaged 30.9 points per game and was named All-American. Williams was the first African American player to be named first team All-American for basketball. He was the fourth person to be named first-team all-state three times.
Williams’s all-time high school scoring record was 2,203, and that still holds the highest score record in Weir history. As a football player, Williams won a state championship and was named all-state for football. In his track career, he won the state championship in 100, 220, and 440-yard sprint.
After high school, Williams attended WVU, where he was the first African-American basketball player, the tenth all-time scorer with 1687 career points, and an All-American team selection.
Williams was the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round. He was also 14th round of the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys despite not playing since high school.
Williams played eight seasons in the NBA with three different teams before his final season in 1976. After retirement Williams continued to stay involved with basketball and became a coach and was an activist for black athletes at WVU’s basketball program. He was inducted into WVU Hall all Fame. Williams was named Legends Society; the second highest honor one can achieve as a WVU athlete. In 2018, Weir’s gym floor was named after him.
After taking a look at all these men and their accomplishments throughout their lifetimes, their impact at Weir is clear, and their mark will remain for years to come. Time will tell which current students might make a similar mark on the school earning them a facility dedicated in their name.
With the new arrival of a softball and baseball field as well as an auxiliary gym and wrestling room, it has sparked interest in whether those facilities will be dedicated to notable Weir personas.
Athletic Director Donna Ferguson said,” Baseball is going to dedicate their field at the first game. No name has been selected.” Ferguson also said “As for softball they too are going to have a full opening first home game.”
You are creating your own story and so did these men. These men stories live on in the facility they are named after.
