When the schedules and contracts that lead to them are agreed upon years before the matchups on the field take place, teams can only hope they end up in marquee matchups that grab attention from around the state.
Southern West Virginia yields two such matchups this week – one in Class AAA and the other in AA.
Chips to the middle
In Class AA Independence and Nicholas County will meet up in game that likely decides how the picture at the top of the playoff ratings will look when the regular season concludes in two weeks. The Patriots fell to No. 4 in the Class AA ratings on Tuesday, passed up by one-loss Point Pleasant. Nicholas County stayed put at No. 5, giving the state a matchup between No. 4 and 5 in the classification.
That’s great news for both teams.
A win as well as winning out would put either team firmly in the top four, ensuring home playoff games through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
It won’t be easy for either team though. Nicholas County lost this matchup a year ago, but has come back this season a different squad, having lost just once. Behind Kaleb Clark, the Grizzlies will hope to keep Independence’s explosive offense at bay.
“They’re very well-coached and they don’t make many mistakes,” Indy head coach John H. Lilly said. “They’re very, very good at keeping you from getting the ball and eating the clock. I’d say that’s probably going to be their goal. We’re going to do what we’ve been doing. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That’s kind of been our approach right now. We’re trying to make sure we’re sound in our gap schemes and that we’re sound on leverage and those type things. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on that this week.”
While Clark, who’s on the verge of breaking the 1,000 yard mark, draws most of the attention, Lilly is concerned about another player in quarterback Brycen Morriston.
“I don’t think so,” Lilly said when asked if the game plan is centered around stopping Clark. “I think it all starts with their quarterback. He is such a good faker that when you watch him on film it’s pretty difficult to tell who has the ball and that makes it extremely difficult on defense. If you can just focus in on one player then it’s a lot easier. But (Morriston) is such a phenomenal faker that even simulating in practice it’s hard. That’s something they do really, really well and they’ve got a big brawling bruising offensive line so they sit back there and they’re hard to see and you can’t tell who has the ball.”
If that is indeed the strategy Nicholas head coach Gene Morris elects to deploy it’ll likely be a wise one. The Patriots have scored at will and however they’ve wanted this year with all-state running back Atticus Goodson leading the way on the ground and quarterback Logan Phalin guiding the aerial assault.
The full chest has been on display the last three weeks as Phalin has thrown over 10 touchdown passes during that span and the Patriots are coming off a game in which they ran for over 500 yards and scored 10 times on the ground.
The Patriots will meet the Grizzlies Friday in Summersville at 7 p.m.
Nineteen years in the making
How long has it been since Hunnicutt Stadium hosted a regular season game of the magnitude it will on Friday? According to Princeton head coach Chris Pedigo it’s been 19 years since.
That’ll be the case as No. 4 Princeton hosts another undefeated team in No. 7 Bridgeport, the first time two teams rated in the top seven of Class AAA have faced each other there since 2002. Again, with two weeks to go this is another game that likely determines homefield advantage deep into the playoffs.
While the Indians still rely on an offensive attack that lines up and comes at you it’s a little different than usual. After the move to Class AAA in 2020, Bridgeport transitioned from a stick-I formation to a single wing offense, something that’s been as agitating as it is impressive for Pedigo as he and and his staff devise a plan.
“They won a state championship in double-A and made a change when they came up,” Pedigo said. “I don’t know what their plan was, maybe it was because they made that jump, but man they’re impressive. Watching the film the thing that jumps out is just how they get off the football. They look like they’ve been running the single wing for 25 years. They’re just so impressive and all 11 guys are in sync. It’s fun to watch until you remember you have to prepare for it.
“It’s really a challenge though. You don’t see the single wing a lot. I last coached against it in a JV game against Giles probably in the late ’90s. But yeah they’re impressive looking but it’s definitely a monumental task that we’re excited about.”
Stopping the Indians, who excel at grinding clock and moving the ball at will on the ground, is a task all in its own, but so is getting points on the other side. They’ve given up 20 points just twice but won both games. Pedigo has a general idea of what to expect when his offense has the ball, but notes they’ll need to be balanced to succeed.
“I think we’re going to have to be balanced,” Pedigo said. “They’re a 4-3, kind of quarters (coverage) type of team. The way they’re going to play us, we feel like we’re going to have to establish the run but we feel like we’re going to have to throw the football to keep them honest. It’s advantageous for us with what we’ve been able to establish this year in being versatile. I think we can pose some threats, but they’re as fundamentally sound on the defensive side of the ball as I’ve seen in years. They’re extremely impressive. They don’t blitz near as much as the other teams we’ve seen have, but their front four have just been extremely impressive in getting pressure. We feel like we have a line that can help us but we’re going to have to be able to run the ball and (QB) Grant (Cochran) is going to have to be able to get the ball out to these receivers.”
Jackpot
No team is fighting for its playoff chances more than Bluefield. The Beavers are still searching for an eighth game to meet the WVSSAC minimum but in the meantime need to focus on just winning. After an 0-2 start the Beavers picked up two wins last week but still sit at No. 23 in the Class AA ratings, seven slots out of where they need to be. Friday night provides an opportunity to right the ship.
The Beavers will meet a familiar foe when they travel to Oak Hill on Friday in a game that will showcase some of the area’s most explosive playmakers. On the Oak Hill side it’ll be about Leonard Farrow, a back that’s already rushed for 1,000 yards. In Dave Moneypenny’s wing-T, the senior has proven to be one of the most explosive players in the state. He’s averaging over 140 yards per game and has scored on the ground 18 times. Farrow and fellow running back Omar Lewis have both been a handful for opposing defenses.
Fortunately for the Beavers, they have their own stable of playmakers in 200-meter state champion Jacorian Green, dual threat quarterback Ryker Brown and running backs Amir Hairston and Jamel Floyd. Even as of late Chance Johnson has emerged as teams have started keying in on Green in the passing game. The task won’t be easy for the Bluefield defense. Oak Hill is coming off a bye after upsetting Greenbrier East the week before, indicating Moneypenny has his team focused for stretch run. Furthermore Bluefield has struggled against teams that have run the ball well this season. Princeton and Graham both beat the Beavers with a combined five completions in the passing game.
The Beavers have won 19 straight in the series, having last lost in 2003. A win here would cash in some major Class AAA bonus points for the visitors.
Scramble for the playoffs
The Class AA and A pictures are littered with playoff opportunities locally.
In Class AA Shady Spring hosts Class AAA Ripley with an opportunity to score some bonus points as the Tigers are on the outside looking in.
Elsewhere Liberty and James Monroe will meet in what could be a make-or-break game for both teams. The Mavericks, No. 7 in Class A, are clinging to a home playoff game, but must navigate a minefield to end the season. They’ll host Class AA No. 11 Liberty on Friday but then must turn around and travel to Class AA No. 5 Nicholas County next week. Winning either of those games is not only integral to the Mavericks hosting a playoff game, but also getting into the playoffs. With the playoff picture in Class A tightening up, two losses, even to good teams, may be the difference in watching and playing the second week of November.
For Liberty it’s cut and clear – win out and you’re in. Any more losses and it’ll be tough to rebound. With the Raiders sitting at No. 11 and perennial powers Bluefield and Fairmont gearing up for a late run at the back end spots, every game, especially those that don’t yield bonus points (such as Class A wins) become even more important.
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After a week on the outside Greenbrier West climbed back into the top 16 of Class A, sitting at No. 14. If there’s any hope of hosting a playoff game for the third straight year the Cavs are going to have to win Friday when they travel to Sherman. The Tide comes in rated No. 11 in Class A with a win over James Monroe, the team that dealt a blow to West’s home game hopes.
The Cavs rebounded nicely last week with a 50-8 win over Richwood that’s likely to strengthen their playoff case as the Lumberjacks picked up a win Tuesday night against Meadow Bridge.
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Elsewhere in the state Greenbrier East will travel to Hampshire, trying to squeeze into the top eight of Class AAA, Beckley will travel to George Washington, Meadow Bridge will host Montcalm, Westside will host Tug Valley, Wyoming East will travel to PikeView, Richwood will host Midland Trail, Mount View will travel to Tolsia and Summers County will hope to snap a six-game losing streak when it hosts Pocahontas County.
