CHARMCO, W.Va — When the calendar turns to November and December, a good formula for winning football games is always a stingy defense and a solid running attack. Class A No. 7 Greenbrier West (10-1) certainly possesses both of those attributes as it continues its quest to get to Wheeling Island with Saturday’s matchup against No. 2 St. Marys (11-0).
The Cavaliers have been stout defensively all year, winning six games in a row following a September 27th loss to Class AA Summers County. In fact, the most points Greenbrier West has given up in a win is 18 points – it’s a span that includes two shutouts and four games surrendering just seven points or less.
“We’re pretty solid at our defensive end spot, and we’re pretty solid at our linebacker spots,” said Greenbrier West head coach Lewis McClung. “When you’re pretty good there, you can be pretty good on defense – our defense is built around those positions.”
Offensively, the Cavaliers have been productive as well, putting up more than 40 points eight times this season. West is led by a two-headed monster in the backfield, in quarterback Malik Boatwright, and running back Corey Cox. Boatwright leads the tandem with 1,197 yards on the ground, to go along with 17 touchdowns. Cox has added 831 yards and 17 touchdowns as well.
“(Boatwright) is our playmaker, he’s honestly a threat to take the ball to the house anytime he touches the ball,” McClung said. “When you have a weapon like that, the other teams usually have to respect it.”
The Cavilers are heading into the quarterfinals after dispatching No. 10 Notre Dame in the first round last week, 54-7.
“We played really well both offensively and defensively, we were able to hold onto the football, we threw one interception, but given the elements on Friday that was a good thing,” McClung said. “All of those are good things going into your next playoff game.”
This week, Boatwright and company will take on another one of the best defenses in Class A – St. Marys. The Blue Devils have given up the least amount of points in the whole state (82). St. Marys is coming into the game off of a 21-6 win over No. 15 East Hardy in the first round.
“We have to come in and match their physicality, they’re a very aggressive defense,” McClung said. “Malik can’t do it on his own, we have to match that physicality up front and play well up front, and that’s going to be a big task for us.”
Greenbrier West, in its second year back at the Class A level since reclassification, will be trying to get back to the semifinals for the first time since it did so out of Class AA in 2010. Last year, the Cavaliers lost to eventual state champion Wahama, 21-12, in the quarterfinals.
“We’ve been on a mission trying to establish ourselves as a statewide program,” McClung said. “We wanted people to know that we could play with the best in the class. That game last year gave our kids a lot of confidence that we could play with the best in the class. You hope that experience will pay some dividends this week.”
The forecast is suppose to cold and breezy on Saturday, which will play into the hands of both teams style of play, so expect an old-school hard hitting affair when the Cavaliers and Blue Devils collide.