By Fred Persinger II
#5 Oak Hill (5-0) at #4 Point Pleasant (5-0)
The first really big test for the Oak Hill Red Devils comes up this week on the road against Point Pleasant. Oak Hill is coming off a 52-12 win over Shady Spring. In the game Jalen Jones had a solid effort, despite being hampered by a injured ankle. He finished the game with 141 yards on 18 carries. The the leading rusher was actually Jarrell Green who ran for 152 yards and also caught a 73 yard touchdown pass in the game.
This will be the second big road game of the season for Oak Hill – the Red Devils defeated Musselman 48-35 back in week two. A win over Point Pleasant wouldn’t quite clinch a berth in the playoffs for Oak Hill, but it would certainly go a long way. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Parkersburg (2-3) at Beckley (2-3)
Beckley fell last week on the road to one of the best teams in Class AAA – Cabell Midland, 42-0. Woodrow Wilson’s offense struggled the entire game without one of its weapons in injured receiver Donte Nabors. The Flying Eagles also lost starting quarterback Brent Osborne with an injury right before the half. Beckley managed just 54 yards of total offense in the game.
This week, Beckley is back home, welcoming a 2-3 Parkersburg team in a matchup that is pivital for both teams. Parkersburg is coming off of a 21-19 loss to South Charleston. The Big Reds are led on the ground by a trio of backs, including senior Chandler Hamilton.
For the second week in a row, Beckley will face a team that will focus on the run more so than the pass. Parkersburg enters Friday averaging 184 yards on the ground and 106 through the air per contest.
Beckley will have Osborne back in the lineup at quarterback on Friday, but will be without Nabors for a second straight week. This will be the 41stmeeting between these two teams in a series that dates back to 1938.
The two teams have played every year since 2004 as the Big Reds have won six of the last nine. Beckley, though, won last year 30-22. This will be the third time in the last four years that Parkersburg has made the trip to Beckley. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and can be heard on the Big Dawg 99.5 WJLS and WJLS.com
Independence (2-4) at #6 (AA) Summers County (5-1)
Summers County suffered its first loss of the season last week, falling to Covington, Va. 23-16. The Bobcats will try to bounce back this week at home against Independence. The Patriots are coming off just their second win of the season last week, a 22-14 win over Sherman.
These two teams have been rivals for years. First-year Independence coach Chris Vicars knows the Bobcats well as he was on the coaching staff at Summers County last year. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and can be heard on AM 560 WJLS and WJLS.com.
Other Games:
#13 (AAA) Logan (4-1) at #9 (AAA) University (5-1)
Lincoln County (0-5) at Greenbrier East (3-3)
Princeton (2-4) at St. Albans (1-4)
#4 (AA) Bluefield (4-1) at River View (3-2)
Pikeview (2-4) at #8 (AA) Wyoming East (5-1)
#13 (AA) Nicholas County (4-2) at Webster County (1-5)
#16 (AA) Mingo Central (3-2) at Poca (1-5)
James Monroe (1-4) at Westside (2-4)
#3 (A) Valley Fayette (5-0) at Tug Valley (2-4)
#4 (A) Moorefield (5-1) at Fayetteville (2-4)
Pocahontas County (2-4) at #8 (A) Greenbrier West (5-1)
Mount View (1-4) at #13 (A) Meadow Bridge (5-1)
Clay County (1-4) at Midland Trail (2-3)
Richwood (1-5) at Tygerts Valley (0-5)
Shady Spring (1-5) -Idle
Liberty(Raleigh) (2-4) -Idle