NORTHFORK, W.VA. (SWVO) – In the heart of McDowell County’s southern coalfields, Northfork High School once stood as a powerhouse in West Virginia basketball history.
According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, between 1974 and 1981, the school’s team, the Blue Demons, made headlines by winning an unprecedented eight straight state championships — a streak that included 47 consecutive victories in Class AA tournament games.
The town of Northfork, founded in 1901 along the Norfolk & Western Railway, was named for its location at the meeting point of the north and south forks of Elkhorn Creek.
It merged with the neighboring town of Clark in 1948, becoming a hub of coal mining activity and community life.
A pivotal moment came in the summer of 1966 when the region’s schools integrated.
Northfork-Elkhorn High School merged with Elkhorn High — a historically Black school — and adopted the shorter name, Northfork High.
That same year, Jennings Boyd took over as head coach and began to shape what would become one of the most successful basketball programs in the state’s history.
Under Boyd’s leadership, the Blue Demons captured nine of their 10 total state titles. His tournament record over 15 years stood at an astonishing 90.9% win rate.
Boyd credited the team’s achievements to the community’s united support and the abundance of local talent.
Northfork High School was eventually consolidated into Mount View High School in 1985, but its legacy lives on — especially on the hardwood, where the Blue Demons once dominated.
Today, there are two signs on each end of town off U.S. Route 52 commemorating the eight-championship win streak and the memory of Jennings Boyd and Henry Winkfield.
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