Two local teams, but only one will go to Wheeling

By DUSTY HARMAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Running to Wheeling?...Bluefield's Brent Owens finds running room in the Beavers' 35-0 Class AA state quarterfinal last Saturday at Mitchell Stadium. (Staff photo by John Nelson)

LINDSIDE - The Mavericks have never been to Wheeling. The Beavers would like to earn a fourth straight trip.

It all comes down to this afternoon for the two southern West Virginia football teams.

The No. 11 Bluefield Beavers (7-4) travel to second-rated James Monroe (12-0) for a Class AA semifinal game starting at 1:30 p.m. at H.E. Comer Sports Complex, with the winner facing either No. 1 Wayne or No. 4 Weir in the state championship game next Friday.

The two teams have a history of exciting games together.

In 2002, the Mavericks handed Bluefield a 30-7 loss in Lindside, before the Beavers returned the favor 3-0 on a mud-covered field in the second round of the playoffs.

The next two seasons, Bluefield won the regular season matchup handily, but James Monroe came out on top 17-14 earlier this year.

“Both teams know some strengths and weaknesses of each other, but both of us know that we have to have this game to go to Wheeling,” Bluefield coach Fred Simon said. “It should be one heck of a hard-hitting game.”

In this season's first game, Jason Jackson passed for a touchdown and ran 84 yards for another, and Dalton Pritt kicked the eventual game-winning field goal from 30 yards out.

For Bluefield, Eric McClanahan passed for 114 yards and a score, and Shawn Brooks tallied the other Beaver TD on a 5-yard run.

“I thought they were a little more physical than us in that game, and I thought their line play controlled us a little more than I would have liked,” Simon said. “Hopefully we can do a better job of executing our offense and our defense this time.”

James Monroe coach David Witt doesn't see the first meeting as having a big impact on today's outcome.

“The way things have evolved since our first meeting, I don't think that game has that much bearing on Saturday,” Witt said. “That game could have gone either way.”

The Beavers haven't lost in the playoffs since the 2003 state title game, a span of eight straight victories.

This is the Mavericks' deepest playoff run under third-year head coach Witt. James Monroe has competed in the playoffs nine times, making the semifinals three times.

Jackson and Andrew Robertson pace the James Monroe offense, which relies on a run-first attitude most of the time. Heath Mullins is also an offensive threat.

Mitch Tuggle and Jackson are two key defenders along with a solid line that includes sophomore two-way starters Nick Conte and Justin Romanello.

The Beavers' full backfield is led by rusher Jonathan Payne, quarterback McClanahan and fullback Allen Carter. Travis Steptoe, Mark Page, Maurice Jordan and Brooks must also be accounted for by an opposing defense.

Ryan Albert and Jeff Hutchinson are two key cogs on the Beaver line.

Against Grafton, Bluefield put together 300 yards on the ground and held the Bearcats to minus-32 yards on the ground and 104 through the air.

Also in the Grafton game, the Beavers saw the return of J.T. Powell, who opened the season at quarterback but missed much of the year with injuries.

He played as a running back against Grafton.

McClanahan will continue on at QB, and Powell will continue at running back.

“They've just got so many weapons to throw at you Š and their defense is pretty athletic,” Witt said of the Beavers. “They are a pretty complete football team without any weaknesses.”