Week 1 of the prep football season is in the books. Teams that are 1-0 sit on top of the world, brimming with optimism. Those that are 0-1 are back at the drawing board.
The Week 2 slate provides opportunities for three of the area’s best Class AA teams – James Monroe, Independence and Bluefield – to shake their 0-1 starts and get on the board with fruitful wins while another (Westside) has an opportunity to claim a signature victory.
Shady Spring (0-1) at James Monroe (0-1)
For most teams a poor start isn’t automatically alarming.
Circumstances are different for the 2024 Shady Spring football team.
The Tigers, classified in the new Class AAA, have just one Class AAA game on their schedule. Every other team is in either Class AA or Class A and with the consensus believing that Class AAA should be the most competitive field for playoff spots, the Tigers can’t afford to lose many games. They’re off to an 0-1 start after  dropping a 36-12 decision at Class AA Roane County.
James Monroe, which has won at least one playoff game in each of the last three seasons in Class A, faces another stiff challenge when it welcomes the winless Tigers. The Mavericks sputtered on offense last week, falling 28-6 against Wheeling Central in Lindside. The Mavericks utilized Layton Dowdy and Ryan Mann at QB but struggled to get the passing game going, combing for just 95 passing yards and two interceptions.
Shady QB Cal Culicerto completed 6 of 15 passes for 140 yards and a score in the Tigers’ loss to Roane County.
Princeton (1-0) at Bluefield (0-1)
Princeton’s offense picked up where it left off in 2023, scoring 41 points in three quarters en route to a 41-12 win over Capital in the opener.
Bluefield’s offense struggled in a 10-0 Week 1 loss against rival Graham, Va.
The Beaver defense held strong, allowing just three points over the first 43 minutes last Friday, but faces arguably its toughest test of the 2024 season when it welcomes in the 2023 Class AAA state runner-up. Defense was the name of the game in this matchup a year ago with Princeton leading just 13-6 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers eventually won 27-6 with the 27 points being the second lowest total scored in a game all season by their explosive offense.
Princeton QB Chance Barker completed 14 of 21 passes last week for 177 yards and two scores while Marquel Lowe turned his 11 carries into 114 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Bluefield’s standout performer came along the defensive line where Jaden Francisco registered a sack. A win keeps Princeton on track while a loss gives Bluefield a much-needed jackpot of playoff points in what figures to be a brutal schedule.
Independence (0-1) at Brooke (0-1)
Independence started hot last week, opening up a 23-7 halftime lead against Class AAA dark horse Herbert Hoover.
Then Hoover’s experience won out as the Huskies mounted a comeback and held off Indy’s own bid for a 37-30 victory. Now Independence takes the four-hour bus ride up to Brooke, aiming to down another Class AAA foe. Brooke fell 35-0 last week against Beaver Local, Oh.
Independence had a trio of solid performers in Sylas Nelson, Brock Green and Christian Linskweiler. Nelson ran the ball 23 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, Linskweiler hauled in three passes for 72 yards and a touchdown and Green completed 6 of 9 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, adding another with his legs.
For the Class AA Patriots, who face a gauntlet this season, any win is welcome especially one with Class AAA points.
Mingo Central (0-1) at Westside (1-0)
Expectations are high for Westside which is eyeing its first playoff berth since head coach Justin Cogar was a Kennedy finalist on the 2015 semifinal team. The schedule isn’t overly difficult, putting an emphasis on Friday’s game with 2023 playoff team Mingo Central.
The Renegades lost this game 61-6 last year and 56-6 in 2022. Revenge is on the mind for a senior-laden team aiming to rise to the top of Class AA. The Renegades toppled county foe Wyoming East last week while Mingo Central lost 14-6 to Class A contender Tug Valley.
Kadien Vance leads the way for the Renegades with 200 yards passing and five touchdown passes against Wyoming East, adding two more scores with his legs.
Kyler Kenneda was his top target last Friday with three catches for 130 yards and two scores.
This should be the most anticipated matchup of the Cogar era to date.
Beckley (1-0) at Greenbrier East (1-0)
Greenbrier East and Beckley will renew their rivalry once more, though under different circumstances.
Greenbrier East bumped down to Class AAA while Beckley remained in the new Class AAAA. East pulled off a riveting 24-20 comeback win over Riverside last week while Beckley’s defense powered it to a 20-17 overtime victory at Washington.
Brody Hamric threw three touchdown passes with 153 yards to boot for East while Brady May’s 129 yards on 26 carries led the ground assault in the win. Beckley rushed for 200 yards as a team with Bryce Ford collecting a team-high 83 of them.
The key for Hamric and Co. will be avoiding mistakes against an opportunistic Beckley defense. AJ Thomas interpreted two passes last week for the Flying Eagles while a strip sack sealed the win. The three takeaways offset the three Beckley gave away in the form of three interceptions.
East has more to gain with the reclassification while Beckley has more to lose. The Flying Eagles won last year’s matchup 42-39 while East hasn’t won in the series since 2021.
Summers County (1-0) at Greenbrier West (0-1)
Summers County opened with a 15-7 win at Class AA PikeView last week while Greenbrier West lost on the road at Pendleton County.
This is the only Class A game on Summers County’s schedule. The Bobcats dropped down to Class A in late August after a decision from the WVSSAC granted them that ability.
West was torched through the air last week, yielding 300 yards and four passing touchdowns in a 27-21 loss. The good news for West? Summers County didn’t throw the ball once in its win at PikeView after starting QB Ryan Oliveros decided to leave the team a few days before kickoff.
Senior Tyson Adkins led the assault for the Bobcats with 174 yards and two touchdowns on 26 totes. The Cavaliers yielded 104 yards on the ground in their Week 1 loss but were missing starting defensive end Colton Dunbar and starting linebacker C.W. Sturgell, both out with injuries.
Isaac Agee leads the West offense with 160 yards rushing while QB Evan Vandall completed 4 of 5 passes for 102 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception.
Week 2 ScheduleÂ
Beckley at Greenbrier East
Independence at Brooke
Liberty at PikeView
Midland Trail at Poca
Mingo Central at Westside
Mount View at Man
Nicholas County at Chapmanville
Oak Hill at Riverside
Petersburg at Wyoming East
Pocahontas County at Meadow Bridge
Princeton at Bluefield
Shady Spring at James Monroe
Summers County at Greenbrier West
River View at East Ridge, KY
Twin Valley, Va. at Montcalm
Open: Richwood
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
