HUNTINGTON -- Dates for the next three West Virginia High School Wrestling tournaments are set. The location isn't.

Huntington, home to the state tournament the past 21 years and 25 times overall, and Wheeling are putting in bids to be hosts for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 tournaments. Dates for 2009 are Feb. 26 to 28.

Sealed bids must be in to the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission by April 9. Bids will be opened and reviewed at a Board of Directors meeting in May. Groups who submitted bids are asked to attend so they can answer questions.

The board will announce the site selection after the review.

Bill Archer, former wrestling coach at Huntington High and the state tournament director in Huntington, is handling the Huntington bid. He'll be joined by his son Rob, the present Huntington High wrestling coach, at the board meeting.

The tournament site in Huntington is Big Sandy Superstore Arena, which also hosts the WSAZ Invitational. In Wheeling, the location would be WesBanco Arena, which also hosts the big OVAC wrestling tournament in January.

"We have to sell them on what we've sent," Archer said. "I'm proud of what we've done with the tournament."

The SSAC's proposal information sheet lists areas of consideration. They include facility, teams, media, medical, WVSSAC, spectator and miscellaneous.

Wheeling already has the Super Six football playoffs and state golf tournament. Wheeling was unopposed in the latest bids for football and golf. Wrestling is the only SSAC event held in Huntington.

Howard Corcoran, a member of Super Six football committee, put together the Wheeling group to formulate the bid for state wrestling.

"There is kind of a wrestling mecca in this part of the state, from Parkersburg up to Oak Glen," Corcoran said in an article published Jan. 20 in the Wheeling Intelligencer newspaper. "Wrestling is king and we know we could draw the people because (WesBanco) is a great venue for high school wrestling.

"You just have to look at the OVAC Tournament and how well it's run every year."

Archer said he's heard Wheeling does a great job with football (Wheeling Island Stadium) and golf (Oglebay Resort).

"I've seen the OVAC. I know they do well there," Archer said.

A.J. Boleski, the general manager at Big Sandy, has dates for wrestling available for the next four years. "He's been most helpful," Archer said.

There is some sentiment to keep the tournament in Huntington. On Feb. 20, the Parkersburg News had a poll in the newspaper and on its Web site.

The poll question was, "Where is the best place for the state wrestling tournament?"

Huntington received 83 percent of the vote; Wheeling had 17 percent.

Corcoran said Huntington has done a fine job running the three-day event.

"There's not a lot of venues around the state that could house an event like this, but the leadership in Huntington has been good," he said. "Bill Archer has done a great job with it, but I'd like to have it here because I think we can do a great job."

Huntington has the Pullman Plaza Hotel and Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites downtown along with Pullman Square. There are many shops, restaurants, and a movie theater (Marquee Cinemas) within a couple of blocks of the hotels and arena. Pullman Square has a parking garage and there are other parking garages and spaces near the arena.

In Wheeling, activities aren't as close to WesBanco as they are to Big Sandy in Huntington, but there's still entertainment options and more are coming. Corcoran said the continuing development at The Highlands shopping, dining and entertainment complex should mean outside activities by the time the 2009 tournament rolls around.

One stumbling block in Wheeling could be hockey. The Wheeling Nailers play in the ECHL and have home games scheduled at the venue on Feb. 27-28.

Rob Brooks, co-president and co-owner of the Nailers, said he wants the team to be a part of the Wheeling community. Still, he believes Feb. 27-28 is a vital weekend for hockey. The ECHL tries to give teams as many prime weekend dates as possible. The Nailers have already finalized their 2009 schedule with home games on Feb. 27-28.

"That Friday and Saturday are one of the best schedules we've had in five years," Brooks told The Intelligencer in an article on March 14. "It's definitely going to be tough for us. We don't mind losing some money to stay in town, but we're losing a little more than we want."

When Huntington had an ECHL team, the Blizzard, the team had a road trip scheduled the weekend of the state wrestling. Boards were used to cover the ice.

"It was cold," Archer said.

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