Frankly Speaking

Jim Foti, the Jamestown High School football warrior of years ago who migrated to West Virginia via other ports, has turned in another fine job as basketball coach at Warwood of Wheeling. Jim's club lost to Mullens, 65-60, in the state Class AA semifinals after compiling a 22-3 regular-season record. Jim has been at Warwood since 1950 and this was his first shot at the state title since 1954, when he also lost in the first round.

Warwood is one of the smallest schools in the Wheeling area, but the Foti-coached Vikings cleaned up their own class during the past campaign and knocked off the big fellows, downing several Triple A foes.

Jim, full handle Sebastian, was called Little Foti when he played guard for Jamestown High from 1925 through 1928. Jim played for two coaches at JHS. He came up to the varsity under Clarence Carling and finished for Dent Moon. He broke into the coaching ranks at Erie Prep in 1939 and moved to the West Virginia city to start his phenomenal successes at Wheeling Central. His Central teams won the state roundball title five of six years. He also coached at Bellaire, Ohio, before joining the Warwood faculty.