Perry Estep officiates a basketball game at Winfield Middle School in this undated photo. Estep, a cancer survivor, will begin his 49th season as a referee in December. Estep served Putnam County Schools as a coach for 38 years and as an educator for 44 years.
Perry Estep officiates a basketball game at Winfield Middle School in this undated photo. Estep, a cancer survivor, will begin his 49th season as a referee in December. Estep served Putnam County Schools as a coach for 38 years and as an educator for 44 years.
Submitted photo
Perry Estep coaches Hurricane in this undated photo.
Longtime Putnam County coach and high school basketball official Perry Estep said he tried to reach out to Randy Moss when it was announced the former NFL star was returning to his television job following a cancer diagnosis.
While he didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t get through, Estep wanted to encourage the Rand, West Virginia, native, because he had been through much of what Moss has following his own cancer diagnosis in 2024.
Estep is in remission but encouraging others in their own battles with cancer. Being a force of positivity is now a personal mission.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI have had a test, so now I have a testimony,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Estep said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was a mess; now I have a mission.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Estep expects to begin officiating for his 49th year when high school basketball season tips off in December.
During a region tournament game at Spring Valley in 2024, he noticed he had become more winded than usual and found himself uncharacteristically tired following the game.
While slow to seek out medical attention, Estep eventually had tests that first ruled out heart problems, which heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d had in the past. A colonoscopy performed the day he retired from Putnam County Schools on June 5, 2024, gave him a cancer diagnosis.
The positivity he spreads to others was absent when he got the news, he said.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t take it well,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Estep said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI lost 38 pounds due to the anxiety.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
That led to a heart attack on June 23. It went undiagnosed until tests performed before surgery to treat the cancer detected it.
During surgery, doctors learned EstepÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s cancer had spread.
To attack the cancer, EstepÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s doctor prescribed 12 treatments, each lasting 52 hours of chemotherapy.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThat was brutal,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Estep said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œOn Thursdays, I would get disconnected and I could barely lift my head off the pillow. On Thursdays and Fridays, I was like a zombie.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Estep made friends and met with others going through treatment, including a 6-year-old girl who had lost her hair. With three grown children and 11 grandchildren, Estep said he had all the inspiration to change his outlook and keep fighting.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œGod and I did a lot of talking,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Estep said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI felt like God inspired me.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
On Feb. 18, Estep got to ring a bell at the hospital after he was told he was cancer-free. His mission hasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t stopped, however.
The former football, baseball, track and field, basketball and lacrosse coach is open to speaking to groups and other organizations in hopes of spreading his message further. Estep, who spent 38 years coaching in Putnam County, dusts off the speeches he once used to inspire his players with life lessons for those who might find hope in his words and his journey.
A West Virginia State University Hall of Fame baseball player who left Institute after his junior year when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1979, Estep still meets former players who recall his life lessons decades after he first delivered those speeches.
The Nitro, West Virginia, native said he hopes his officiating career continues to at least a 50th year.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
