Week 8 is upon us and ripe with meaningful matchups, including numerous with playoff implications as teams battle for seeding and positioning during the home stretch.
Beckley (5-1) at Princeton (6-0)
For the third consecutive season Beckley sits at 5-1. In the last two years the Flying Eagles finished a combined 1-7 over their final four games and are aiming to buck that trend this year with a slate that features three teams that are .500 or better in the final four contests of the season.
The race to the finish line starts Friday when the Flying Eagles travel to Mercer County for a matchup against Class AAA state runner-up Princeton. This is the first year that the two teams are in different classifications as Beckley was bumped up to the new Class AAAA in the offseason.
The Flying Eagles are already guaranteed a playoff game but they’re angling for a home contest and they’ll need to beat the Tigers to keep those hopes alive. While not easy, the scales have tipped in favor of Beckley.
Princeton’s leading receiver Brad Mossor (36-715-9) and leading rusher Marquel Lowe (55-609-12) were ejected when the team last played against Winfield and will be serving their one-game suspensions on Friday against Beckley. The pair has accounted for 1,606 yards of total offense and 25 touchdowns from scrimmage. Lowe also has a passing touchdown and Mossor has three return touchdowns on special teams.
The pair start on defense, Lowe at linebacker and Mossor at cornerback, where they’re second and third on the team in tackles, respectively. That may be where their absence is felt the most as Beckley’s rushing offense has accumulated 1,536 yards (256 per game) and 19 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 per play.
But there’s not a ton of reason to panic for Princeton.
The strength of its defense is the line which is led by standouts Landyn Moore (four sacks), Kalum Kiser (13 TFL, nine sacks) and Daniel Jennings (11.5 TFL, nine sacks). The Tigers also returned two interceptions for scores a year ago when the teams matched up, one courtesy of Garrett Mays and another by Lowe.
Despite the absence of Mossor and Lowe, the Tigers still have their entire offensive line intact, first team all-state QB Chance Barker who leads the area in passing yards and touchdowns (1,364 yards, 19 touchdowns, 73.4 completion percentage), Daniel Jennings (373 yards from scrimmage, 8 TDs and 10.9 yards per touch) and receivers Wyatt Cline and Mays who each have over 100 yards receiving.
Beckley’s production is distributed well with Bryce Ford (79-530-3) and Konnor Ray (43-352-4) leading the ground assault. QB Gage Price has thrown seven touchdown passes in the five games he’s played. On the defensive side of the ball the Flying Eagles are led by defensive backs A.J. Thomas (five interceptions) and Preston Clary (three interceptions).
A win keeps Princeton on track to earn one of the top two seeds in Class AAA and the home field playoff advantage that comes with it while a loss dampens those hopes.
James Monroe (5-2) at Midland Trail (2-4)
For all intents and purposes, this is a playoff elimination game for Midland Trail.
The Patriots enter at 2-4 with just one win against a Class AA opponent. As far as bonus points go, this is the last chance Trail has to cash in with two of its remaining four games against Class A opponents and the other two against a winless team (Lincoln County) and a two-win team (Liberty).
James Monroe comes in hot, having won its last five games after an 0-2 start. The defense hasn’t allowed more than eight points in a game since Week 2 and has settled into an offensive groove. A threat as a passer in previous years, James Monroe QB Layton Dowdy has relied more on his legs to move the ball and leads the team in rushing with 419 yards and 10 touchdowns. While his arm has accounted for only three touchdowns, he’s still able to sling it, having completed 63 percent of his passes for 517 yards.
Dowdy’s been the spearhead of a rushing attack that features four players who average at least 30 yards a game.
Midland Trail is coming off of a bye but prior to that it started piecing together an offensive attack.
QB Thad Brown had thrown seven interceptions through the team’s first four games but played mistake free over the last two.
Jamison Swafford (20-284-2) and Xaylen Johns (23-243-2) have been Brown’s top weapons in the passing game.
River View (4-2) at Montcalm (4-2)
River View and Montcalm meet up Friday in one of the area’s highest stakes Class A games of the season.
Both team’s enter at 4-2, in the heat of a playoff race.
River View won this matchup a year ago, crushing Montcalm’s playoff hopes.
Montcalm is led by a three-year starter at QB in Jaylen Younger who has thrown for 1,351 yards and 15 touchdowns. His top target has been Tristan Cline (41-657-8) who leads all area players in receptions.
After a 4-0 start River View’s offense has come to a screeching halt. The Raiders averaged 37.5 points per game in their first four contests but have managed just six in each of their two losses, both to teams in the top eight of the Class A playoff picture. Turnovers have also been an issue during that stretch with the Raiders throwing seven interceptions in their losses. While they’ve found some success in the arm of QB Jeremih DeLong, (497 yards, 10 passing TDs), their offense has mostly run through running back Chanton Davis (78-507-4).
For the Generals it’s their toughest task of the season to date. They have yet to play a team rated in the top 16 of the playoff field while River View has done so twice.
Nicholas County (4-2) at Greenbrier East (2-4)
Greenbrier East’s playoff hopes are on life support.
Resuscitating them requires winning Friday against a stout Class AA opponent in Nicholas County.
The Spartans have been snake-bitten this year, dropping two games by one score (Oak Hill and Bluefield).
They have the weapons to rebound and give the Grizzlies grief.
East QB Brody Hamric is fourth in the area in passing yards (1,014) and touchdowns (10). His top receiver, Nate Suttle, is fourth in receiving yards (433) while running back Brady May has 506 rushing yards on the year.
Nicholas is paced by its own running back that has quietly constructed a productive season. Devin Nash is third in the area in rushing with 665 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He’s also the Grizzlies’ leading receiver with 152 yards.
A win puts an important feather in Nicholas County’s cap in what should be a tight playoff race. A loss devastates East’s playoff hopes with the backend of the schedule featuring Class AAA No. 3 Princeton and No. 7 Nitro.
Mingo Central (2-4) at Independence (4-2)
Independence comes into Week 8 riding high after a 51-13 victory over a previously unbeaten Westside team.
The Patriots enter at 4-2, with three of their four wins coming against fellow double-A opponents that are rated inside the top 16 (Nicholas County, Scott and Westside). The two losses are to Class AAA teams with a combined 11-1 record, bolstering Indy’s shot at a home playoff game.
To keep those hopes alive the Patriots will need to contend with a Mingo Central team that hasn’t played since Oct. 4. The Miners have dealt with injuries all year and health will matter a lot Friday. Two of the Miners’ losses are to Scott and Westside, teams the Patriots have beaten. Defensively they tend to load the box to stop the run, a look the Patriots have seen a lot of as team attempt to slow their leading rusher in Sylas Nelson.
Nelson paces the offensive charge for Indy with 818 yards rushing and 14 rushing touchdowns. When teams have keyed on him, his freshman QB has proven more than capable. Brock Green leads the aerial assault with 871 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. He’s coming off a 238-yard passing performance against Westside where he threw for over 200 yards in the first half alone.
Winning is paramount for Independence with a difficult Princeton team on the horizon.
Week 8 schedule
Beckley at Princeton
Grayson County, Va. at Bluefield
Greenbrier West at Petersburg
James Monroe at Midland Trail
Mingo Central at Independence
Mount View at Tug Valley
Nicholas County at Greenbrier East
Oak Hill at Buckhannon-Upshur
Richwood at Meadow Bridge
River View at Montcalm
Shady Spring at Wyoming East
Summers County at Westside
Open: Liberty, PikeView
