1953 Class B State Basketball Champions

Athens High School Makes it to the Top for the Second Time

Selected photos from the 1953 Yearbook are shown below. Click here to read newspaper account from the Beckley Post-Herald.

Coach of the Year Joe Vachon: For the second time Coach Vachon received this honor. The yearbook notes that Concord Training has a 17-3 season record, wining the sectional, regional, and Southern district tournaments. At Morgantown in 1950 and 1953 they captured the All-State B Class championship. This is the only B Class team to hold the honor of twice winning the All-State. (Source: Concord Trojan, 1953.)

They Had Reason to Rejoice: The Concord Training School basketball team shown here after winning the Class B championship at Morgantown. Pictured, left to right, top row are Curtis Snider, Stanley Gunter, Bill Jennings, Jerry Coburn, Fred Ducan, Chester Pettrey, and George Keatley. Middle row: Dickie Peck, Jim Rogers, Coach Joe Vachon, and Ronnie Redden. Front row: Leslie Easter and Jerry Williams. (Source: Concord Trojan, 1953.)

Star Players on the Team Rogers and Redden Named to Honored Positions: Judges named Rogers on the All-State Team for his outstanding performance at the State Tournament which won the championship title for Concord Training. Redden was named on the All Mercer County Team. (Source: Concord Trojan, 1953.)