By: Wes McKinney
No. 9 AAA Parkersburg South (3-1) at No. 3 AAA Point Pleasant (5-0)
Point Pleasant rolled up nearly 400 yards of offense in the first half as they cruised to a 58-3 win over Gallia Academy, Ohio in week five.
With the win, the Big Blacks have now won 18 straight regular season games dating back to the 2012 season.
Now, head coach David Darst and his team will face a stiff test against Parkersburg South. Patriots’ quarterback Garrett Gilkeson has been at the heart of Parkersburg South moving the football.
“Offensively, Gilkeson is a dual-threat guy,” Darst said. “He throws a nice ball and he can run a little bit, so we’re going to have to be ready for him at all times. They are a very well-rounded football team.”
Parkersburg South has already surpassed its win total from last season, so this is a pivotal midseason matchup for both teams.
“I think they are definitely a playoff team, so they are someone that we will be able to gauge ourselves to see where we’re at midseason,” Darst said.
No. 15 AAA Morgantown (3-2) at No. 9 AA Wayne (3-1)
Wayne will take on a Class AAA team for the second time in four weeks in hopes of having better luck this time around.
Last week, the Pioneers defeated previously unbeaten Mingo Central as Cody Stiltner sealed the game with a fourth quarter interception returned for a touchdown as Wayne won 42-29.
The Pioneers will carry a 24-game home winning streak into the matchup with the Mohigans. This game will be pivotal for both teams. Wayne still has contests with Scott, Herbert Hoover and Bluefield this season, while Morgantown still has Wheeling Park and University on its schedule.
No. 1 AAA Cabell Midland (5-0) at No. 14 AAA Woodrow Wilson (3-1)
Cabell Midland is in a familiar position atop the WVSSAC rankings. The Knights finished the 2012 regular season ranked number one in the state before falling to Martinsburg in the championship game.
The Knights took over that number one ranking after beating Hurricane 56-31 on the road Friday night. After a battle in the first half, Cabell Midland scored 28 points in the second half to come away with the victory.
“In my four years here, the one thing we believe in the most is to be fresh as the game goes on,” Cabell Midland head coach Luke Salmons said. “If you can keep kids fresh and only play them one side of the ball, that’s only going to make everyone better.”
Cabell Midland will attempt to slow down the offensive attack that Beckley presents with do-everything quarterback Brent Osborne, who has accounted for 14 touchdowns this season.
“He really stuck out to me last year when we played them,” Salmons said. “They have good skills players, but they will do different things with their quarterback. We just have to go play on how we’re capable.”
No. 14 AAA Huntington (3-2) at No. 2 Capital (5-0)
Huntington beat up on Ripley 35-0 to set up a big game for the Highlanders with Capital.
“The second half, I thought we played really well and controlled the line of scrimmage,” Huntington coach Billy Seals said. “It was really the first time we played to our ability.”
The best defense for Huntington, who will be trying to stop a Cougars offense that averages 52.5 points per game, could be the Highlanders offense.
“I think the only way you slow them down is you make those athletes stand on the sidelines,” Seals said. “We have to control the line scrimmage and win time of possession. We also need to be able to manufacture long drives, but we have to be able to put points on the board when we have those long drives. Keeping their offense on the sidelines will be tall task because their defense is pretty good too.”
Last season, Huntington handed Capital its only regular season loss. However, Seals isn’t putting too much stock into that particular game.
“These are two totaling different teams from last year,” he said. “This is the best Capital team that I’ve seen in my six years at Huntington.”
No. 2 AA Scott (5-0) at No. 6 Westside (4-1)
The Skyhawks have outscored their opponents 173-54 through five games.
Beginning with Westside, three of Scott’s final five opponents are ranked in the top 10 in Class AA as well as a matchup with Class AAA Logan looming.
Friday night could go a long way in determining Scott’s postseason fate during the stretch run of the season.
No. 8 AAA Spring Valley (4-1) at Winfield (1-4)
Quarterback Tyler Brown put on a show on homecoming as he broke the school’s all-time scoring record and passing yards record in a 47-21 win over Princeton.
“He’s really taken over that leadership role,” Spring Valley head coach Brad Dingess said. “It seems like he has gotten us out of jams by making a play with his legs or arm. He’s won a lot of football games and played in big situations. You can’t put into words what he means to us at Spring Valley.”
After playing four of their first five games at home, the Timberwolves will take to the road for four of their last five beginning with Winfield.
“If we stay healthy and continue to get better like I think we are, we will be alright,” Dingess said. “We need to win games we should and maybe win a coin flip game — a game we shouldn’t — then we will put ourselves in a really good situation.”
No. 10 A Tug Valley (4-1) at East Ridge, Kentucky (2-4)
Tug Valley outlasted Tolsia 32-26 in double overtime to improve to 4-1 on the season.
The Panthers’ next three games are away from Williamson, including a key showdown against Valley Fayette next week. However, they must not look past an East Ridge team, which is hungry for a win at 2-4.
Other Games:
Brooke (1-4) at Logan (2-3)
Chapmanville (2-3) at Mount View (0-4)
Independence (3-2) at Sherman (1-4)
Sissonville (1-3) at Tolsia (0-4)
Roane County (3-2) at Lincoln County (0-5)
Bye Week:
Man (4-1)
Mingo Central (4-1)