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Local Legends Inducted into the OVAC Hall of Fame

By Randy Rutherford - Sports Writer | Aug 15, 2024

Doug Huff and Mike Carson are shown following the OVAC induction ceremony.

At the 20th annual OVAC Hall of Fame Banquet held on Saturday, August 10th, at the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, two local legends were honored for their contributions. The honorees included Mike Carson, a record setting basketball player at Sistersville High School and later at WVU, and Joe White another record setting basketball player who played at Magnolia and went on to play for the University of Southern California. Both were celebrated for their remarkable achievements at the 20th annual OVAC Hall of Fame banquet.

Mike Carson graduated from SHS High school in 1969. The 6-foot-7 Tiger basketball center was a four-year prolific scorer and rebounder with school career records in both categories. He finished his career with 2269 points, 3rd best in Ohio Valley history at the time. A three-time first team Class A All-State honoree and captain as junior and senior, he also was first team all-class “Big” All-State two years and third team as a sophomore. He also was first team All-Valley “Small School” captain in 1968 and 1969 when the Tigers went 22-3 and 20-4.

As a freshman Mike anchored the Tigers to sectional and regional titles and a berth in the state Class A tournament. He averaged more than 30 points a game in his final two seasons and 22.4 rebounds a game as a senior. He set a sophomore and Ohio Valley state record with 54 points versus Wirt County and also gathered 61 points versus Wirt as a senior. Carson received All-American mention from Scholastic Coach, Cage Scope and Basketball Yearbook.

He earned a scholarship to West Virginia University where he was a starter on the freshman team as the second leading rebounder while averaging 10.9 points his first year. A chronic ankle injury limited his varsity play including missing one complete season. Mike lettered on the 1972 varsity squad.

Mike and his wife of 50 years, Anna Flesher Carson, reside in Sistersville. They are the parents of two boys, Corey and Shawn. Corey and his wife, Melissa, have two children, Abby (19) and Ryan (15). Shawn and his wife, Rachel, have two children also, Jax (12) and Sammy (9).

The late Joe White graduated with the class of 1943 at Magnolia High School in New Martinsville. Joe was a three-sport prep athlete in football, basketball and baseball, but excelled in the hoop sport by earning All-State mention three years including 2nd Team, all-class honors as a senior center. A two-year team co-captain, Joe led the Blue Eagles to the 1943 largest Class A regional tournament finals where he scored 20 points in a 49-23 loss to eventual state champion Wheeling High. As a senior, he set a school record with a 38-point game (rare in low scoring era), which lasted 15 years until broken by OVAC and West Virginia U. Hall of Famer Jim McCormick.

After serving in the U.S. Army from 1943-45, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward stayed on the West Coast and enrolled at the University of Southern California. Joe lettered four seasons in basketball and started as a senior while selected as the Most Inspirational Player. His teammates included two National Basketball Hall of Famers-Bill Sharman and Alex Hannum. White’s highest scoring game was 21 points vs. Stanford.

After college, Joe served as a long-time basketball coach and athletic director at Allan Hancock Junior College in Santa Maria, Calif. The Gymnasium at the now four-year college bears his name as well as the annual fund-raising banquet. White gave Pro Football Hall of Fame coach John Madden his first coaching job.

White was honored in the first class of Magnolia High School Life Achievement Awards.