West Branch High School

Ohio High School Athletic Association Team State Championships

1994 football championship

West Branch entered the playoffs with an undefeated record of 10-0 in the 1994 season and had clinched an NBC league title. West Branch won its first game against Copley by a score of 28-12. In the state semi-final game, the Warriors matched up against perennial powerhouse Steubenville Big Red. After a 21-7 deficit in the first half, the Warriors charged back with 3 consecutive touchdowns leading them to a 31-28 victory and a berth in the state finals. The state finals paired the Warriors against Clyde. West Branch won by a score of 28-11, giving the Northeastern Buckeye Conference its only football state title and West Branch its first state title in Division 3 football.

Rivalry with Salem

West Branch's football program maintains a rivalry with Salem High School, located about 9 miles (14 km) away. The reason can be traced back to before 1971, when West Branch, without a field at the school, was forced to use Salem's field a home field. Due to this, the games played there were usually intense, and very emotional for the players involved.

The construction of Clinton Heacock Stadium in 1971 allowed West Branch to play at its own field. However, the rivalry continued to be fierce, with occasional fan fights breaking out.

In 1994, perhaps the best game of the rivalry was played at Salem. At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 21-21. However, West Branch managed to pull off a stunning 28-21 victory in overtime. This win, coupled with a perfect regular season, started a run through the playoffs which ultimately led to a State Championship.

In 1996, the fighting after the game caused by fans was so intense that the rivalry was called off for two years. In 1998, the rivalry was resumed, with Salem pulling a stunning victory over the Warriors. This win was the last for them until 2005.

The most recent game ended in a 21-14 loss over the Quakers. After the game, Senior Deven Neal cut down their totem pole, topping off the Quakers win to clinch playoffs in 2015 Th Salem joined West Branch in the Northeastern Buackeye Conference for the 2011-12 school year. This both guarantees and expands the rivalry as the Quakers and Warriors will meet yearly in all sports at both the Junior High and

Website

The goal of the West Branch High School web site is to provide vital school information and updates to the students and community members of West Branch High School.

The school's web design classes are responsible for the maintenance of the school website. In 2008, the home page and basic structure were re-designed by student Eric Waggoner, who also redesigned many other pages. Led by instructors Christy Biery and Glenda Sharp, dozens of other students maintain the hundreds of pages in the WBHS site.