Once a Dot, Always a Dot!

Let me be completely honest, I am a Poca Dot through and through, Once a Dot Always a Dot is my motto. I attended and graduated high school form a small “Class AA” school in the sleepy little burg of Poca in Putnam County West Virginia, alongside the Kanawha River and in the shadows of the towering John Amos Power Plant. And…Yes – we are the Poca Dots! Does anything further need to be said? – But humor me and read on! If you’re from this area of the state you are undoubtedly familiar with our unique mascot ”The school colors are red and grey. Pocatalico is a Native American word meaning “river of fat deer.” Its original mascot was an American Indian riding upon a white horse. “Legend” passed down through the years tells of a Native American, Pocatalico, who was killed at the mouth of the Pocatalico River. The current nickname, thought to be unique in the nation and for which the school is mildly famous, is the “Dots”, and has been featured by ESPN and Sports Illustrated in several lists of best school mascots. “The Dot” mascot was first referenced in 1928, during a storming football game when a Charleston newspaper reporter exclaimed, “they look like a bunch of red polka dots running around the field!” The name stuck and is still currently used.”

So unless someone can disprove the Wikipedia article – there you have it. We looked like a bunch of polka dots running around on the field…really? Ok so now to date my age I graduated in 1982 with a class of about 140, I believe. The January following graduation I moved to Norwalk, Ohio – where I have lived for the past 34 years, having finished college, married and had children and a 30 year career with my employer, here in the land of Truckers, Flyers, Zips and Buckeyes!. I had lost contact with so many of my former Dot classmates over those years but I had my best friend, my soul sister that I would do anything for, Debbie – always in my life. The social media scene opened up the world to people, especially those of us looking for fellow Dots. Because of Facebook I have had the opportunity to reconnect with so many of those wonderful Dots that I shared a moment in time with so long ago. I am flooded with memories whenever one of my fellow Dot friends post or share something on FB. Recently by pure chance I ran into a classmate, Sherry from the class of 1982 at the movie theaters in Sandusky, Ohio – we actually sat together in the same row to boot; she has found the love of her life and had recently relocated to Port Clinton. Besides Sherry, I know of only three other Poca Dots in northern Ohio, Jeanette to the west and Mike and Sharon to the east of me and all from the class or classes before me at Poca High School. I have proudly worn the colors of red and black and cheered for my daughter’s high school; St. Paul and the Flyers for the past 10 years, where they were both cheerleaders. These days I’m cheering on the Akron Zips and Zippy, along with the Buckeyes and Brutus! However always in my heart and holding a special place forever is Poca High School and the generations of Dots, just like me. We are a proud lot, us Poca Dots, we are proud of our heritage and where we came from…after all our motto is “Once a Dot, Always a Dot”!