HS Football: Beckley names field in honor of legendary head coach Pete Culicerto

CULICERTO GUIDED BECKLEY TO THE 1977 STATE FOOTBALL TITLE

Nearly ten years ago, the track inside Van Meter Stadium was named in honor of legendary Beckley head coach Peter Culicerto.

Friday night in the season opener against Washington, the football field will follow suit.

"Ever since I got the head job here, that is one of the things I have wanted to do, name the field after coach Culicerto," Beckley football head coach Street Sarrett said. "I think he deserves it. The family deserves it. All of the time that he spent with Beckley football over the years and helped so many grow into great young men. It will be a special night."

Culicerto graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1953 and was a member of the three basketball state title teams (1951-53) under Jerome Van Meter and the football state championship team in 1951.

His basketball years included names like Dwayne Wingler, Willie Bergines and Bob Davis, just to name a few.

After a stint in the U.S. Army Airborne and later graduating for Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), Culicerto started his legendary coaching tenure in 1964 as an assistant for the Beckley football and basketball team, as well as the head coach of the track team.

The Flying Eagles won the state basketball championship in 1965 and 1967 under Lawrence "Preach" Wiseman.

When head football coach Joel Hicks moved on to West Virginia University, Culicerto took over the football job and in 1977, Beckley knocked of Fairmont Senior, 6-0, to win the state championship.

Ironically, Beckley won its first state track title under Culicerto the prior spring.

While the football team found great success year after year under Culicerto, 1977 was the lone title on the gridiron. However, in track, the Flying Eagles won five more titles before he retired in 2000.

Shady Spring head man Vince Culicerto will be coaching the Tiger's in their opener at St. Albans, but talked about his dad and the great honor he will receive Friday.

"I hate to miss it, but he knows that is the way it is. Him and my mom will hate that they are missing (grandson) Cal's first game (as a senior), but he is tickled. I think he full deserves it. I'm doing what I am doing because of him," Vince said. "All those years I followed him to track meets and football games. I saw how he affected so many lives and that is the biggie. The man could coach. He was something else and he left his name on that school. It is just something awesome. I just hate that I will miss it."

Along with the naming of the field, Ian Pomeroy will be inducted in to the Beckley Football Hall of Fame as well.

Pomeroy was a four-year starter and all-state selection for the Flying Eagles, who later was an All-American performer at Glenville State.