It was back on Jan. 4, just after the start of the New Year, when Amelia and Billy Reep headed into Clarksburg to see their daughter and Bridgeport High School standout student-athlete Gabby lead the Indians into battle at Liberty High School.

 

The trip was a little different for Amelia than perhaps Billy and even Gabby. Gabby was there on business, looking to lead the Indians to a win in girls basketball action. Billy, a standout student-athlete himself at BHS back in the 1980s, was there in a support role to see his daughter.

 

Amelia, well, she was there first and foremost to support her daughter. That I am sure of. While there, however, she wanted to do something else.

 

“We actually got to Liberty a little bit early and she went out of her way to look at the trophy cases,” said Billy.

 

For those not familiar with the layout at Liberty High School, you kind of have to know where the trophy cases are if you want to see them. Amelia Reep had a reason more than curiosity to go there.

 

Amelia Reep is a 1986 graduate of Liberty High School. She graduated with yours truly, and, yes, she was that nice and sweet person then as she is now. The only thing different was she was Amelia Vespoint then and came from one of many great Italian families I’ve had the pleasure of knowing through the years.

 

That said, the reason for the trophy case visit was simple. Billy said she was looking at memories.

 

“She found some items from when she was there in cheerleading and track,” said Billy. “She lit up. She has fond memories there, and not just as a student.”

We will get back to that statement in a moment. For those who know Amelia Reep, they know her – again – as that sweet young lady who is a registered nurse that cares for people getting ready for surgery at United Hospital Center.

 

That is what most know about Amelia Reep. Of course, they also know she and Billy are the parents to Gabby and a former BHS student-athlete standout in Quintin Reep. Too often, people forget or have no idea about Amelia Reep’s high school athletic past as a Mountaineer.

 

“When I’ve been at games with Amelia for my son people will say to us he’s a good athlete like his dad was when he played or they will say Gabby is an athlete like I was back in high school, which is a long time ago,” said Billy with a laugh. “I think the kids get tired of hearing the comparisons, but I will speak up and let whoever is saying that know mom was an athlete too. She was a pretty good athlete.”

 

The statement is fact and not some hyperbole that Billy is spilling to stay in good graces and continue receiving home-cooked goods from mother-in-law Josephine Vespoint (yeah, family is solid on that front too). It is the truth, and again, I was witness to it.

 

Even better, Gabby Reep, the all-state leader of the Indians girls basketball team and all-state soccer play, gets her skill genetically from two pools – not just the one from where he last name comes from. And, again trust me, mom was solid, and Gabby knows it.

 

“I’ve actually heard about her being an athlete from my dad, but I’ve also had some people tell me about her being a good runner in track,” said Gabby. “Mom would never brag outside of the house, but she tells me that my speed comes from her.”

 

Amelia is likely not telling her daughter a lie.

 

I will start with Amelia’s time with the Liberty track program. Back in 1986, the school was Class AAA and ran a solid track program with multiple qualifiers under Coach Jim Richter. Amelia was one of the state qualifiers in one of the events where speed is a must.

 

As a senior, where she was one of three captains for the squad, she qualified as a member of the 4x100 relay team. Whether it is now or, as Billy said when thinking about it more than 30 years ago, you do not qualify if you do not have wheels. And she competed in other events as the Mountaineers in the mid-1980s had a pretty solid track team even at the ‘AAA’ level.

 

“She was quite the athlete in track and, many know, she was great in cheerleading,” said Billy.

 

While there have been ups and downs in my alma mater since I left in 1986, including a drop to Class AA, the cheerleading has almost consistently been good. And it was really good during Amelia’s three-year run with the program.

 

No knock on competitive cheer today during the offseason, but back in the 1980s there was not a choice of competitions to go to every weekend. There were competitions, but it paled in comparison to what you see today.

 

As a sophomore, going up against 60 other schools, Amelia helped lead Liberty group of seven cheerleaders (this was prior to the WVSSAC rules) to what was called the “Award of Excellence,” or the top squad there. While just a sophomore, I can easily say she helped lead the team because she walked away with All-American honors – and then earned honorable mention honors the next two years – that was reserved for just a few.

 

As solid as Billy Reep was as a player, particularly in baseball where he played for West Virginia University, he cannot claim any All-American status accolades at any level to his resume. Billy does not mind and, pardon the pun, was more than happy to be a cheerleader for his wife’s athletic exploits when asked.

 

While he and I shared knowledge of that, I was taken off guard by something he told me about Amelia I did not know. And it was backed up by Gabby.

 

When it comes to being competitive, it appears Amelia Reep is a bit cutthroat. If you watch Gabby Reep play, you will see a high level of ferocity when it comes to that trait.

 

“My mom is super competitive, and if you play games with her, you’ll see it,” said Gabby, who in her first 11 games of hoops this year is averaging 22.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 5 steals per game. “I get being competitive from her, and I can say easily she does not like to lose.”

 

While I knew Billy was competitive as an athlete, I did not know that about Amelia. And they both brought that to the family table.

 

“I’m pretty competitive, but I have no problem saying it’s a coin flip as to who is more competitive,” said Billy. “I always hear ‘sweet little Amelia.’ Let me assure you she’s got fire.”

 

Even to this day she’s competitive, which may be hard to fathom considering Amelia’s cheerleading and track days are well behind her. However, as Gabby mentioned, there are “games” where you will see that competitive side. Billy said the games in question are board games.

 

“You want to see that competitive streak come out, play a board game with her. Want to see it go over the edge, let her think you’re cheating. There may be an incident where a Monopoly board was turned over a time or two,” said Billy, again laughing thinking about it and probably knowing the person he was telling the story to was dumbfounded. “She is very, very competitive.

 

“She comes from an old-school Italian family where hard work and effort are important and that is something our kids’ athletic careers have benefitted from, as well as how they do things when they study,” he continued about the daughter of Leonard and Josephine Vespoint from Clarksburg’s Edgewood addition. “Dedication and hard work are things she provided as an example to the kids; that and having the issue of being competitive.”

 

Board games aside, Billy and Gabby know what they have. I am sure Quintin does as well.

 

“She’s a super mom,” said Gabby rather matter-of-factly.

 

Billy echoed that.

 

“She’s a mirror image of her mother; just sweet and genuine and a fantastic mother who is super well rounded,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder to say she’s the one responsible for what you see out there with Gabby and Quintin. I don’t know what more we could have asked for as a wife and mother.”

 

Maybe Billy can get a trophy in that Liberty case for that. If not, he can lobby for one as a Monopoly champion. I, for one, will not be playing against her any time soon.