WINFIELD, W.Va. — At first glance, one could have mistaken the crowd at Winfield High School football field for attendees of a football game.
A portion of the home side stands filled with people dressed jeans and green and white t-shirts, representing the school’s colors.
But some attendees were dressed more formally — dress coats, pleated pants and wingtip shoes — attire most would not consider appropriate for a high school football game.
Yet every attendee sat in the stands for the same reason: to honor former football coach Leon McCoy.
McCoy died Saturday, five days before what would have been his 89th birthday.
McCoy arrived at Winfield in 1969, winning more than 200 games and two state championships before first ending in 1989. He returned to coach the Generals during the 1994 season.
He was also a deacon at Winfield Baptist Church and gave an annual address, “If I Could Pray,” to the Winfield High School graduating class until 2014 following complaints to Putnam County Schools.
As a band played a gospel song arrangement and the sun began to set, McCoy’s family sat on three rows of seats placed on the stadium’s track. A hearse carrying McCoy’s dark green casket drove in front of the visitor stands, where his pallbearers carried the casket to the 50-yard line.
David Johns, senior pastor of Winfield Baptist Church, said McCoy acknowledged his death every year during Pastor Appreciation Month
“He always got to me at the end, and what did he say?” Johns asked the audience. “He’d put his arm around my neck and say, ‘This is the man who is going to put me in the box.'”
Johns, who has served at the church for 15 years, said McCoy was a teacher, mentor and devoted Christian.
“He was a manly man who was a godly man,” he said.
Dewayne Harless earned the nicknamed “Dinky” when he served as team manager from 1973 to 1976. He said McCoy led him to religion while as coach.
“He was just a special person,” Harless said.
According to former player Mike Dalton, McCoy knew how to challenge the players on and off the field.
“He was almost like a father to most of us,” Dalton recalled. “He took an interest in our own lives as students and in our family lives. He wanted to be part of everything.”
Johns said he understands some are struggling to cope with McCoy’s death, adding there’s one thing he had to say about moving on.
“Get up, you’re killing the grass,” Johns said, causing audience laughter. “Really? What would he say? Would he want us lying around moping, crying and whining, or would he want us to get up and get back in the game?”
As the pallbearers returned to the field at the ceremony’s conclusion, so did dozens of McCoy’s former players to lead one of his familiar chants.
“Give me a ‘W!'” the players yelled.
“‘W!'” the stands replied.
“Give me an ‘I!'”
“‘I!'”
“Give me a ‘N!'”
“‘N!'”
“Give me a ‘F’!”
“‘F!'”
“Give me an ‘I!'”
“‘I!'”
“Give me an ‘E!'”
“‘E!'”
“Give me an ‘L!'”
“‘L!'”
“Give me a ‘D!'”
“‘D!'”
“What does that spell?”
“Winfield!” the audience said, erupting in applause as if the Generals had scored a touchdown on an October Friday night.