The Chmara versus hicks rivalry
Football coaching legends John Chmara and Joel Hicks several decades ago faced off against each other in a 15 game rivalry within the 20 year period from 1968-1988 with former Bluefield and Fauquier coach John Chmara getting the best of the rivalry with a 8-7 rivalry win record over former Big Creek, Beckley and Pulaski County coach, Joel Hicks.
The rivalry initiated in 1968 when the Beavers defeated the tough Big Creek Owls 13-6 in a defensive battle at War, WV on a warm Saturday afternoon. First year head Bluefield coach John Chmara had an unbeaten 9-0 season in 1968 and Coach Hicks went 7-2-1 in his final season at Big Creek. In 1969 the Beckley Flying Eagles under Joel Hicks stopped Bluefield’s 32-game victory streak in the 7th game with a 14-12 triumph over the Beavers at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield finished the 1969 season with a fine 8-2 record and Beckley had a 6-4 season in Coach Hicks’ first year with the Flying Eagles.
The Beavers traveled to Beckley in 1970 and were handed a 22-8 defeat by the Flying Eagles at Van Meter Stadium. Beckley had a 7-3 record in 1970 and Bluefield finished with a 6-3-1 season.
The Flying Eagles flew into Mitchell Stadium in 1971 and shut-out the Beavers 7-0 in a hard defensive contest. Beckley scored the only touchdown on a punt return. The powerful Beckley defense stifled the Beavers’ speedy offense as they couldn’t advance no further than the Beckley 40 yard-line the entire game.The Flying Eagles ended the 1971 season with a 9-1 record with the Beavers were 7-2.
Bluefield in 1972 defeated Beckley 20-14 in a thrilling hard-hitting game at Van Meter Stadium in Beckley. The great Thunder and Lightning Beavers under Coach Chmara had a undefeated 10-0 regular season and finished the 1972 season as State AAA semifinalists with a 10-1 record. The Flying Eagles under Coach Hicks were 7-3 for the year.
The Beavers without their starting quarterback suffered their first loss of the 1973 pigskin season in the 6th game with a 20-6 set back to Beckley at Mitchell Stadium. The powerful Flying Eagles had a 9-1 record in 1973 while Bluefield finished with a 6-4 winning season.
In 1974, the Beavers were in a rebuilding year with a young inexperienced team comprised mostly of juniors and lost to a great and powerful Beckley team by a wide 38-14 score at Van Meter Stadium. Coach Hicks obtained his first undefeated season in 1974 with a perfect 10-0 record and the Beavers under Chmara had a fine 6-4 season after losing the first 3 games.
The great 1975 State AAA Champions Bluefield Beavers put on a spectacular offensive performance by soaring past the powerful Beckley Flying Eagles in a 50-14 blow-out win in the 7th game of the season at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield coach John Chmara was voted “1975 West Virginia Coach of the Year” by a group known as the “Dozen Committee.” The state champion Beavers finished with a 11-1 record in 1975 while Joel Hicks in his last year at Beckley had a strong 8-2 season.
The Beavers by playing well both offensively and defensively gave Coach Chmara his 100th career victory at Bluefield in 1980 by defeating Joel Hicks’ Pulaski County Cougars 23-14 in the 8th game at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield in 1980 achieved a 8-2 record and Pulaski County had a 6-4 season. Bluefield came from behind in 1981 with a two tight end screen touchdown passes to beat Pulaski County 21-16 on Pulaski’s home field. The Cougars ended the season at 7-3 while Coach Chmara suffered his first losing season at Bluefield with a 4-6 record.
In a hard fought hard hitting contest at Mitchell Stadium in 1982, a physically large and powerful Pulaski County team defeated the Beavers by a 14-7 score. Joel Hicks’ Cougars had a perfect 10-0 regular season and a final 11-1 record while the Beavers broke-even with a 5-5 season. In perhaps the Beavers biggest come from behind victory ever, Bluefield was trailing Pulaski County 21-0 in the 4th quarter before the Beavers offense and defense came alive by scoring 22 unanswered points in the last 9 minutes of the game to shock the Cougars 22-21 in the 1983 contest played in Pulaski. The Cougars were State AAA VA semifinalists with a 11-2 season in 1983 and the Beavers finished with a winning 7-3 record.
With all the points scored in the first half, the 1984 AA Champions Bluefield Beavers beat Pulaski County 9-6 at Mitchell Stadium in the 3rd game of the season. Coach Chmara skillfully had his Beavers defense in the right place at the right time to thwart the Cougars powerful offense. Bluefield stopped the Cougars last drive with a pass interception as also it was in 1983 to end the game. Coach Chmara won his second state championship at Bluefield in 1984 as his Beavers ended the pigskin season with a 11-2 record. Powerful Pulaski County was State AAA VA semifinalists for the 2nd straight year and had a final 10-3 season.
The Beavers traveled to Pulaski County in 1985 and lost 20-8 to the Cougars in what was Coach Chmara’s final season as head coach at Bluefield High School. The Cougars finished with a 8-2 record in 1985 and the Beavers were only 2-8.
In 1986, John Chmara took over the head coaching position at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Virginia. Coach Chmara won the final rivalry game in 1988 when his Falcons shut-out Pulaski County 8-0 in the second round of the playoffs in Pulaski. Fauquier was a State AAA VA semifinalist in 1988 with a final 100-3 record and the Cougars were8-4. Chmara came out on top in the rivalry against Hicks with a 8-7 record, but Joel Hicks had the best overall win-loss record against all of his opponents with a 15 year of 124-35-1 and a winning percentage of 78 percent. John Chmara’s win-loss record against all of his opponents during the same 15 year period was 110-46-1 and a winning percentage of 70 percent.
Tim Kish, Bluefield Beaver Football Historian Parrott, VA
Football coaching legends John Chmara and Joel Hicks several decades ago faced off against each other in a 15 game rivalry within the 20 year period from 1968-1988 with former Bluefield and Fauquier coach John Chmara getting the best of the rivalry with a 8-7 rivalry win record over former Big Creek, Beckley and Pulaski County coach, Joel Hicks.
The rivalry initiated in 1968 when the Beavers defeated the tough Big Creek Owls 13-6 in a defensive battle at War, WV on a warm Saturday afternoon. First year head Bluefield coach John Chmara had an unbeaten 9-0 season in 1968 and Coach Hicks went 7-2-1 in his final season at Big Creek. In 1969 the Beckley Flying Eagles under Joel Hicks stopped Bluefield’s 32-game victory streak in the 7th game with a 14-12 triumph over the Beavers at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield finished the 1969 season with a fine 8-2 record and Beckley had a 6-4 season in Coach Hicks’ first year with the Flying Eagles.
The Beavers traveled to Beckley in 1970 and were handed a 22-8 defeat by the Flying Eagles at Van Meter Stadium. Beckley had a 7-3 record in 1970 and Bluefield finished with a 6-3-1 season.
The Flying Eagles flew into Mitchell Stadium in 1971 and shut-out the Beavers 7-0 in a hard defensive contest. Beckley scored the only touchdown on a punt return. The powerful Beckley defense stifled the Beavers’ speedy offense as they couldn’t advance no further than the Beckley 40 yard-line the entire game.The Flying Eagles ended the 1971 season with a 9-1 record with the Beavers were 7-2.
Bluefield in 1972 defeated Beckley 20-14 in a thrilling hard-hitting game at Van Meter Stadium in Beckley. The great Thunder and Lightning Beavers under Coach Chmara had a undefeated 10-0 regular season and finished the 1972 season as State AAA semifinalists with a 10-1 record. The Flying Eagles under Coach Hicks were 7-3 for the year.
The Beavers without their starting quarterback suffered their first loss of the 1973 pigskin season in the 6th game with a 20-6 set back to Beckley at Mitchell Stadium. The powerful Flying Eagles had a 9-1 record in 1973 while Bluefield finished with a 6-4 winning season.
In 1974, the Beavers were in a rebuilding year with a young inexperienced team comprised mostly of juniors and lost to a great and powerful Beckley team by a wide 38-14 score at Van Meter Stadium. Coach Hicks obtained his first undefeated season in 1974 with a perfect 10-0 record and the Beavers under Chmara had a fine 6-4 season after losing the first 3 games.
The great 1975 State AAA Champions Bluefield Beavers put on a spectacular offensive performance by soaring past the powerful Beckley Flying Eagles in a 50-14 blow-out win in the 7th game of the season at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield coach John Chmara was voted “1975 West Virginia Coach of the Year” by a group known as the “Dozen Committee.” The state champion Beavers finished with a 11-1 record in 1975 while Joel Hicks in his last year at Beckley had a strong 8-2 season.
The Beavers by playing well both offensively and defensively gave Coach Chmara his 100th career victory at Bluefield in 1980 by defeating Joel Hicks’ Pulaski County Cougars 23-14 in the 8th game at Mitchell Stadium. Bluefield in 1980 achieved a 8-2 record and Pulaski County had a 6-4 season. Bluefield came from behind in 1981 with a two tight end screen touchdown passes to beat Pulaski County 21-16 on Pulaski’s home field. The Cougars ended the season at 7-3 while Coach Chmara suffered his first losing season at Bluefield with a 4-6 record.
In a hard fought hard hitting contest at Mitchell Stadium in 1982, a physically large and powerful Pulaski County team defeated the Beavers by a 14-7 score. Joel Hicks’ Cougars had a perfect 10-0 regular season and a final 11-1 record while the Beavers broke-even with a 5-5 season. In perhaps the Beavers biggest come from behind victory ever, Bluefield was trailing Pulaski County 21-0 in the 4th quarter before the Beavers offense and defense came alive by scoring 22 unanswered points in the last 9 minutes of the game to shock the Cougars 22-21 in the 1983 contest played in Pulaski. The Cougars were State AAA VA semifinalists with a 11-2 season in 1983 and the Beavers finished with a winning 7-3 record.
With all the points scored in the first half, the 1984 AA Champions Bluefield Beavers beat Pulaski County 9-6 at Mitchell Stadium in the 3rd game of the season. Coach Chmara skillfully had his Beavers defense in the right place at the right time to thwart the Cougars powerful offense. Bluefield stopped the Cougars last drive with a pass interception as also it was in 1983 to end the game. Coach Chmara won his second state championship at Bluefield in 1984 as his Beavers ended the pigskin season with a 11-2 record. Powerful Pulaski County was State AAA VA semifinalists for the 2nd straight year and had a final 10-3 season.
The Beavers traveled to Pulaski County in 1985 and lost 20-8 to the Cougars in what was Coach Chmara’s final season as head coach at Bluefield High School. The Cougars finished with a 8-2 record in 1985 and the Beavers were only 2-8.
In 1986, John Chmara took over the head coaching position at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Virginia. Coach Chmara won the final rivalry game in 1988 when his Falcons shut-out Pulaski County 8-0 in the second round of the playoffs in Pulaski. Fauquier was a State AAA VA semifinalist in 1988 with a final 100-3 record and the Cougars were8-4. Chmara came out on top in the rivalry against Hicks with a 8-7 record, but Joel Hicks had the best overall win-loss record against all of his opponents with a 15 year of 124-35-1 and a winning percentage of 78 percent. John Chmara’s win-loss record against all of his opponents during the same 15 year period was 110-46-1 and a winning percentage of 70 percent.
Tim Kish, Bluefield Beaver Football Historian Parrott, VA
