By Tom Bragg, For Lootpress.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – George Washington needed a big performance from its defense last week in a trip to Stadium Field against Mountain State Athletic Conference rival Parkersburg, and the Patriots were more than up to the task in a 22-11 win.
The Big Reds scored at least 40 points in each of their first four games prior to a 42-16 loss on Sept. 22 at Cabell Midland and were looking to get their attack back on track with GW making the trip north from Charleston. The Patriots (3-3), of course, had other plans and pressured the Parkersburg offense into more than a few mistakes.
Parkersburg quarterback David Parsons piled up yards – the senior threw for 326 yards and one touchdown (the 53rd of his career, which broke 2002 Kennedy Award winner Marc Kimes’ school record) – but points were hard to come by thanks to three turnovers by the Big Reds.
One of those turnovers turned directly into points, as GW’s Hunter Giacomo jumped in front of a receiver to take a Parsons’ pass 65 yards the other way for a touchdown. Giacomo also scored on a long touchdown pass from quarterback Abe Fenwick in the first quarter.
“That kid [Giacomo] is as good as there is in this league,” Patriots coach Steve Edwards Jr. said. “He came out and he showed out. I’m really proud of him – he needed a game like this. When he plays like this, we play like that. It was a big win and we’re still in the race.”
The race, of course, is the race for a spot in the Class AAA state playoffs.
GW came into last week at No. 17, just outside the projected 16-team field. The win at then No. 6 Parkersburg will push the Patriots into the top 16 and should provide a bump in bonus points.
Also working in GW’s favor is the schedule. The Patriots have already played MSAC heavyweights Cabell Midland, Huntington and Hurricane as well as a tough Ashland Paul Blazer team from Kentucky. Following an upcoming week off, GW closes its regular season slate at home against winless St. Albans, followed by a visit from a Spring Valley team that is perhaps a bit down compared to Timberwolves’ teams the last several seasons.
Then comes a trip to currently 1-4 cross-town rival Capital at University of Charleston Stadium before closing the schedule on Nov. 11 as host against Woodrow Wilson in the final game of a stretch for the Flying Eagles that includes games against defending Class AAA state champion Huntington, Princeton and Oak Hill.
That’s the long way of saying GW should have plenty of opportunities down the stretch to punch its ticket for the Class AAA playoffs.
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Hurricane also appears to be in good shape currently when it comes to the Class AAA playoff race, but last week’s No. 10 rated team has a somewhat backloaded schedule that presents several potential stumbling blocks.
The first of those comes this week when Hurricane hits the road for the long trip south to visit Hunnicutt Stadium and take on 6-0 Princeton. After that, currently 6-0 Cabell Midland makes the short trip from Ona into Putnam County.
There is a bit of a break in late October with back to back games against two of several struggling Kanawha County teams in Riverside and South Charleston, but then Hurricane has to go west on I-64 to close the regular season at Huntington.
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If any of the Kanawha Valley’s Cardinal Conference programs are going to really contend for the league title this season, someone is going to have to beat Scott, and good luck with that the way the Skyhawks have been playing this season.
Scott (6-0) pounded previously unbeaten Mingo Central led by another standout performance from senior quarterback Matt Frye, who completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 309 yard with four touchdowns and one interception against the Miners.
Scott’s final four games are at Logan this week followed by a week off before a trip to Poca. The Skyhawks then host currently 4-1 Winfield, last season’s Cardinal Conference champion and No. 1 seed in the 2022 state playoffs, before closing the season against a Nitro team that could be fighting for its playoff life in Week 11.
If the Skyhawks keep rolling through the competition, don’t be surprised to hear Frye’s name coming up in conversations about the Kennedy Award, which has gone to a Class AA player in six of the last seven seasons.
