By Dave Morrison
Wheeling Intelligencer
There are several big games around the Ohio Valley this weekend, but none loom larger than the class between small school powers Madonna and Steubenville. Both the Catholic school powers enter the game undefeated, Madonna at 7-0, Steubenville Central at 8-0.
Steubenville Catholic is coming off a 62-14 win over Weir last week.
At the same time, across the river in Weirton, Madonna was handling Notre Dame 75-16.
The stage is now set for this battle, which could propel the Blue Dons to the top of Class A in West Virginia by themselves.
The Blue Dons’ two-headed monster of quarterback Ross Comis and running back Elliot Nero have been an unstoppable duo all season.
Nero has rushed for 1,026 yards on 110 carries with 13 touchdowns. Comis has added 950 on 99 carries with 19 touchdowns.
Comis also has completed 46 of 66 passes for 840 yards and 10 touchdowns, with just one interception.
Senior quarterback Brenton Colabella, a four-year starter who has passed for over 1,000 yards in all four years, leads the Crusaders. He was 13 of 14 for 220 yards and two touchdowns last week in a victory against Weir.
Steubenville (5-3) at Wheeling Park (6-1)
There is no doubting the numbers. They don’t lie.
Steubenville doesn’t just own its series with Wheeling Park, it’s dominated the series.
That might be putting it mildly. Big Red holds a 12-0 advantage.
In fact, unless you are well into your 50s, you probably don’t recall the last time a West Virginia team beat Steubenville. That was in 1963, when Weirton beat Big Red 24-13.
Since then, Steubenville has run off 39 straight wins against Mountain State competition.
Wheeling Park coach Chris Daugherty knows all about the numbers. No need to explain.
Also no reason for people to tell him that this year will be different than any other year simply because Steubenville is an uncharacteristic 5-3, is coming off two straight losses and is fighting for its own playoff life when the teams meet Friday at 7 p.m. at Wheeling Island Stadium.
All that means to Daugherty is that it makes Big Red a dangerous animal.
So, ask him about Steubenville and he doesn’t hesitate to bring up the fact he has heard time and time again this week heading into the 13th meeting between the Ohio River foes.
“I know everyone is saying they’re 5-3, I know they’ve lost a couple in a row,” Daugherty said. “I know they lost to Ursuline. They also lost to Massillion and they lost to the Delaware big school state champion. You have to look at the schedule they play. We think we play a pretty demanding schedule in West Virginia, but the fact of the matter is we don’t have any Ursulines or Massillions in West Virginia.
“You know when you play Steubenville, it’s always the same thing. It’s a physical, fast football team,” he continued. “They have a great football tradition. They have players who are well prepared, well-coached and they go out and play with heart on every down, every play. It’s been that way forever.”
Still, Daugherty knows this meeting provides an opportunity. His own team is currently 6-1 and rated No. 6 in West Virginia, its one loss a 41-38 overtime setback to Morgantown. It’s a team that has come together.
“Without a doubt we are having one of our better seasons, and for the last four years, these kids are starting to understand what takes to be a good team,” Daugherty said. “They understand that it takes more than just talent, it takes commitment. It takes commitment in the offseason, commitment in the preseason, commitment to what we are trying to do. They have bought in, especially the seniors. We are seeing a changing in our mentality, in the way we are preparing.
“You see Steubenville players come out and play with a lot of heart,” he continued. “What we have to do is meet that, on every play, every snap.”
Wheeling Park prepped for the week with a bounce-back win over Elkins, a game that saw the Patriots go up fast, then freely substitute the rest of the way.
Sophomore Savion Johnson leads the team on the ground with 629 yards and nine touchdowns on 99 carries. He had 101 on six carries and three scores against Elkins. He has been the workhorse after Bryce Ingram went down with a season-ending ankle injury against Morgantown.
Ingram also missed the first two weeks of the season with a back injury. He had 361 yards on 33 carries and six touchdowns after returning against University.
Theo Blackston and Geremy Paige will also see action in the backfield. Senior Zach Phillips is having a big year behind center, completing 56 of 100 passes for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just twice.
“Zach gives us the ability to throw or run the ball,” Daugherty said. “He is really making the right decisions with the ball. He’s been accurate and makes very few mistakes. He calls our protection, gets everybody lined up right.”
His top target is Eric Banks, who has 25 catches for 442 yards and three touchdowns.
Beallsville (5-3) at Bishop Donahue (4-3)
It appears as though Bishop Donahue is rounding into shape at just the right time. And with a tough Beallsville team up next, it’s just in time.
Bishop Donahue rebounded from a big loss to Class A co-No.1 Madonna with a 48-6 win over Paden City, last week.
The Bishops showed that improvement on the field in the form of a large statistical night on both offense and defense.
Bishop Donahue ran for 214 yards and threw for 243.
The Bishops shut down the Wildcats run game, holding them to minus-10 yards rushing.
Levonte Hampton, in his second game back from an injury in Week 3, was lights out. He touched the ball five times and scored on all five (four touchdown receptions and an interception return of 56 yards).
It could have been more. Two touchdowns, a punt return and another reception, were negated by penalty.
Quarterback Jesse Padlow completed 12 of 22 passes for 243 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensive lineman Chris Vani had 5 1/2 of Bishop Donahue’s eight sacks.
“At this point, we are just trying to take it one game at a time and see what happens,” coach John Durdines said.
Obviosuly, having Hampton back is huge.
“You can try to game-plan and get the team in the right position to make plays, but at the end of the day, Levonte’s athletic ability and want-to attitude about getting in the end zone was responsible for that,” Durdines said. “We want to get him more involved. Every day he is getting better,. He’s obviously a weapon.”
Padlow has used several weapons. Padlow connected with Chaice Treux five times for 154 yards and a touchdown.
“Jesse has really got a grasp on what we are trying to do,” Durdines said. “A lot of times he will audible out of a call if he sees something. He did that on his first touchdown pass to Levonte. That was a run, but he saw something and it worked.”
Padlow has been lights out, spreading the ball around the field. He has completed 75 of 122 passes for 1,121 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Despite missing two-and-a-half games, Hampton has 19 catches for 335 yards and seven touchdowns.
Vani now has 13 sacks on the season.
Other games
Morgantown at John Marshall
Tyler Consolidated at Ritchie County
Valley Wetzel at Doddridge County
Renaissance at Wheeling Central, Saturday