Prep Report: Week 8

Northern Panhandle Prep Report: Week 8
John Simonson of WWVA
Wheeling

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13

#9 Wheeling Park Patriots (5-2) are idle
The bye week could not come at a better time for the Wheeling Park Patriots after consecutive games against two defending state champions. After a heart-stopping 28-26 win over Morgantown two weeks ago, the Patriots were hammered 61-7 by Steubenville, Ohio. At no time was Park ever in the game. If this had been a boxing match, it would have been stopped in the first round. The Big Red have won 22 straight games overall and 37 in a row in the regular season. Park finally scored a touchdown in this series in the second quarter, but it was small consolation. Steubenville has now outscored the Patriots 258-9. Steubenville has not lost to a West Virginia school since a 1963 loss to Weir. The 61 points were the most ever scored against Wheeling Park in the school’s 31-year history. Bryant Creighton scampered 64 yards for the Park score, but the Patriot defense had no answer for the powerful Big Red attack. Tamawi McGhee rushed for 130 yards in the first quarter alone as part of a 370 yards on the ground. Big Red led 21-0 after one and 42-7 at the half. Ohio Mr. Football candidate Zach Collaros threw for 165 yards in a little more than two quarters of action. Patriot RB Jimmy Burress missed the game with an ankle injury. Wheeling Park travels to Fairmont Senior next Thursday night. And by the way, Big Red has some openings on their schedule in the upcoming seasons, should any school in West Virginia like to take a visit.

#16 University Hawks (4-3) at #15 John Marshall Monarchs (5-2)
John Marshall won its fifth straight, as the Monarchs worked over Edison, Ohio 48-19. QB Cy Mozingo was 13 of 16 for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Versatile RB Josh Brady tallied on a 16-yard run, a 28-yard reception and an 80-yard kickoff return. Mozingo is now 102 of 173 for 1,280 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Brady has 425 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. The Monarchs begin a season-ending, three-game home stand this Friday against University. Morgantown and Wheeling Park follow in the coming weeks.

Weir Red Riders (2-4) at #14 Brooke Bruins (5-2)
Brooke fell to University, 12-3, as the ground game was the difference. The Hawks rushed for 255 yards, while the Bruins, without standout RB Scott Victorio, could only muster 25 yards. QB Jimmy Reitter also left the game with an injury. The Bruins are certainly glad to get out of Morgantown. Brooke is 0-2 in in the University City this season and 5-0 out of it. Weir had the week off in this rebuilding season for the defending Class AA champions. Weir won its first two games but has now lost four straight.

#9 AA Magnolia Blue Eagles (5-2) are idle
The Magnolia Blue Eagles rebounded nicely after the loss to Monroe Central, Ohio. The Blue Eagles traveled to Old Washington, Ohio to face the once-beaten Buckeye Trail Warriors, which earlier had beaten Monroe Central. The Blue Eagles jumped out a 21-0 halftime lead en route to a 28-12 victory. The Big Blue defense held the Warriors to 35 yards rushing and 150 passing. Magnolia ground out 227 yards and QB Kale Street threw a touchdown pass.

#1 A Wheeling Central (6-0) at Toronto, Ohio Red Knights (2-5)
The Maroon Knights notched the 400th win in school history last week at Grafton by trouncing the No. 9 AA Bearcats, 35-10. RB Brandon Tucker rushed for 208 of Central’s 357 yards and scored four touchdowns. Tucker has rushed for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. QB Alex Peluchette is 25 of 55 for 380 yards with five touchdowns and three picks. The Maroon Knights have a sizeable lead in the SSAC ratings. In fact, Central’s rating point total would also put it in the lead in Class AA, and the Knights would be 8th in Class AAA. The Maroon Machine visits Toronto, Ohio Friday in a battle of Knights – Maroon vs Red. Toronto has been a nemesis for Central throughout the years, but sit eem to be outmanned this week. Toronto downed Fort Frye, Ohio (1-6) 13-9 last Saturday.

Valley Lumberjacks (1-5) at #17 A Madonna Blue Dons (5-2)
Madonna dropped a 19-0 contest to unbeaten Clay-Battelle The powerful CeeBee defense held the Dons to just 84 yards of offense. Madonna will host Valley and a win over the Lumberjacks would put Madonna back into the top 16. Despite its 1-5 record, Valley has a big, physical unit that can give any of its opponents some concern.

Other games include Cameron (2-4) at Clay-Battelle (6-0), North Marion (0-7) at Tyler (2-4), and Notre Dame (5-1) at Oak Glen (0-7)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

Hannan Wildcats (1-5) at #18 A Bishop Donahue Bishops (5-1)
Bishops captured their fifth win of the year with a 26-7 victory over Bellaire St John, Ohio. The Bishops scored a pair of touchdowns in a one-minute span to break open a close contest. The Bishops were up 13-7 in the fourth quarter when L.A. Hampton scored from four yards out, and then moments later, James Whitfield returned an interception 45 yards for the clinching score. Bishop QB Michael Angalich threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times. On the season, Angalich has posted numbers of 90 of 139 for 1,290 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Brian Brandon suffered an ankle injury on the second series and was held to a season low of eight yards, but on the season, he still has rushed for 560 yards and seven scores.
Northcentral W.Va. Prep Report: Week 8
Kyle Wiggs of WAJR-AM
Morgantown

Bridgeport Rolls For 500+ Yards On The Ground

The Indians set a record for rushing yardage under head coach Bruce Carey in a 28-7 win over Musselman last week. Bridgeport rolled up 510 yards on 55 carries. Mark Gray led the way with 220 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

"It meant 28 points," says Carey, who was disappointed his team didn't get more touchdowns. "I thought we should have scored more. We did have some very nice drives when we took the ball over inside our own five. We managed to take it the length of the field."

Bridgeport is 7-0 as it prepares to travel to Grafton Friday night. Carey believes his defense is due for a big night.

"I read recently were we are -2 in turnover ratio," says Carey. "In my mind, that means we are due. We should be able to get some turnovers. We should have more interceptions, but the teams we are playing are taking care of the ball much better. Hopefully we will get more as the year goes on."

One of the top rivalries in the Big Ten will be renewed this week this week when the Indians clash with the Bearcats.

"Grafton has a lot of veteran players, and they have a lot of pride in their program," Carey points out. "I'm sure beating Bridgeport is the first thing on their minds this week."

If Bridgeport can win out against Grafton, Nicholas County and Fairmont Senior, the Indians would clinch home field advantage through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs. Last year, a one-loss Bridgeport was the 8th seed, and it lost at home in round one to No. 9 University.

"We would love to stay up there so we can stay at home," admitted Carey. "But we could finish second or third and still have to play one of the best teams in the state as the 14th or 15th seed. The rankings don't mean a lot other than allowing you to stay at home in the playoffs."

Morgantown Looks For Momentum Heading Into The Playoffs

MHS coach John Bowers was disappointed in his team’s effort in a loss to Wheeling Park back on Sept. 29. After a hard week of practice, the Mohigans responded last week with a 42-0 win at North Marion

"Everyone knows North Marion is struggling this year," admitted Bowers. "But our kids came out with a very determined focus. We didn't commit any turnovers, we didn't have any personal fouls, and we took care of business. We felt an awful lot like a team again on the sidelines. I still think we are as talented as any team in the state. I would not be surprised we if we won another title. That's how much talent there is. But we need to come together as a team, and I think we are seeing signs of that."

Morgantown will host Parkersburg South Friday prior to a trip to John Marshall next week. Then its rival University in the MoHawk Bowl. Bowers believes his team can still mesh into a championship caliber team.

"They had better come together as a group; it’s the end of the year," says Bowers. "We are still fighting some ego problems in the locker room. We have done some team building activities to try to fight some of that and bring them together. And I believe it is starting to come together. If it does all the way, I think we will be very hard to handle."

University Overcomes Red Zone Woes

The Hawks upset then 10th-ranked Brooke last week, despite going just 2-for-7 with possessions inside the 20. The Hawks missed on three opportunities in the first half, as they trailed 3-0 at the break. UHS broke through in the second half when Sonny Hilson scored on a short run. Then quarterback Mark Golden hit Adrien Smith out of the backfield with a 15-yard scoring strike. The Hawks played a brilliant defensive game to secure the win over Brooke. The Hawks rolled up five sacks while holding the Bruins to 12 yards rushing and to 133 yards of total offense. Junior defensive back Ryan Nehlen sealed the win with an interception on Brooke's final series.

The 4-3 Hawks have to win two of their final three games to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. UHS plays at John Marshall Friday. The Hawks will close the season with a home game against Preston and then the annual MoHawk Bowl at Mountaineer Field.

As for Friday's game, Kelley will return to the place where one of his closest lifetime friends coached for over 20 years. Former John Marshall coach Mike Linsky died this spring. He had fallen ill just the previous fall.

"I know it will be on my mind," admitted Kelley of the impending trip to Moundsville. "It was difficult to watch the films (in preparation for the game). I know it will be difficult to look over at the sidelines and not see Mike there. I'm sure they (John Marshall players and coaches) face that every day at school and every day at practice. I'm sure there will be time for Mark and I (current Monarchs coach Mark Hinerman) to talk things over after the game."

DeVault's Four TDs Lead The Bees

East Fairmont kept its sights on the playoffs with a 47-13 win over Lewis County last week. Quarterback Tyler DeVault threw four touchdown passes. DeVault will go over the 1,000-yard mark passing this week as East plays at Preston. For the year, DeVault has thrown for 999 yards and 19 touchdowns. East is 5-2 and ranked ninth. The Bees can all but clinch a triple-A playoff spot with a win Friday. The Bees will close the season with games against Buckhannon-Upshur and rival Fairmont Senior.

Road To The Playoffs Much Tougher For Polar Bears

Fairmont Senior can get its fifth win at home Friday vs. Elkins. But after that, the Bears will face playoff contenders Wheeling Park, Bridgeport and East Fairmont over the final three weeks. The good news for Fairmont Senior is the final four games of the season are all at home. The better news is that quarterback Kyle Allard continues to play at a very high level. Allard has thrown for 1,287 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

RCB Closes In On Playoff Spot

The Eagles can get to six wins with a victory at 2-5 Buckhannon-Upshur Friday night.

Robert C. Byrd has found a nice balance on offense recently. RCB's Anthony Spencer ran 12 times for 171 yards and scored four TDs in a 38-0 win over Nicholas County last week. Spencer ran for TDs of 80, 48 and 11 yards, and he also returned a punt 47 yards for a score. Receiver Jordan Griffin remains a big threat, as he has seven touchdowns and 607 yards in receptions so far this year.

Clay-Battelle Remains Among The Unbeaten

The Cee-Bees are one of five unbeaten teams remaining in Class A. Clay-Battelle has a dominant running game, but the Cee-Bees have been equally impressive on defense so far this season. In shutting out Madonna 19-0 last week, Clay-Battelle allowed a total of 73 yards in that game. The Cee-Bees have outscored their opponents 220-48 through six games so far. The team allows an average of just 75 rushing and 134 total yards per game.

Clay-Battelle will host Cameron Friday.

Other games around the region:
Lewis County at Philip Barbour
Liberty at Nicholas County
South Harrison at Lincoln
Notre Dame at Oak Glen
North Marion at Tyler
Southeastern W.Va. Prep Report: Week 8
Dave Morrison of the Beckley Register-Herald
Beckley

With a bye next weekend, Class AA No. 2 James Monroe has two weeks to
prepare for its showdown with Mount View Oct. 20.

Mavericks’ coach David Witt had some concern after Liberty kept getting receivers behind his defensive backs Friday night. Fortunately for the Mavericks, the Raiders couldn’t capitalize with completions.

“It’s always a concern when somebody gets behind you,” Witt said. “You know when you play Mount View, they’ve got a lot of speed. That’s something that we’ve definitely got to take care of and address before we get them in two weeks.”

Cordero High led Mount View to a 29-6 win over Iaeger, rushing for 221 yards on just 13 carries.



Mount Hope continues to shine on special teams.

The Mustangs returned two more punts for touchdowns against an outmanned Valley squad Friday, giving the 6-0 Mustangs six for the season.

Both were punt returns.

It’s doubtful that Channing Lowe, an explosive runner who has six touchdowns of 50-or-more yards this season, will have an easier return than he did in the second quarter, when he had a 20-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Hounds were forced to punt from deep in their own territory. The punt was short and Lowe was able to catch it on the fly and cruise into the end zone.

So good was the Mustangs special teams that they led 13-0 in the first quarter and ran just one offensive play. That play, a 22-yard Jamel Shelton run, was set up by a 32-yard punt return by Lowe. The Mustangs started six of 10 drives in Greyhound territory.

“Our special teams really played a big part in what we were able to do,” Mount Hope coach Eddie Souk said. “It helped set up a lot of things.”

Mount Hope is at Fayetteville Friday

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You might not want to classify Greenbrier East coach Mike Michaels as an old riverboat gambler just yet. But he did show that tendency when, with 3:35 left in his team’s game with No. 2 St. Albans, he faked a tying extra point and converted a two-point conversion to give the Spartans an 8-7 lead.

On the play Allen Level threw to Dexter Johnson on the fake PAT, setting up what would have been a most improbable upset.

It wasn’t to be. St. Albans’ T.J. Feazelle scored on a one-yard QB sneak with 32 seconds left in the game to spoil the gamble.

The Spartans are at Princeton Friday night.



Westside suffered through a tough start to the season, failing to score in the first three games of the season. The Renegades were rewarded for their persistence Friday, beating PikeView 20-18. The Renegades host Wyoming County rival Wyoming East Friday.



Independence coach Scott Cuthbert won his 100th career game on Friday, as the Patriots dusted winless Summers County 22-6 on homecoming night in Coal City. Cuthbert, in his 19th year at
Independence, is 100-86-1 in the regular season but is 0-5 in the playoffs. The Pats continue their playoff push hosting Raleigh County rival Liberty in a huge game Friday night.