Let me start my first commentary of the 2015 high school season with something that has bothered me for several years and it’s all about preseason scrimmages, games, grid-o-ramas or whatever else you want to call them.
Whether it is on the professional level, the college level or in high school, they are simply games that mean nothing but often come with injuries that mean everything! Now I certainly realize that after a couple of hot, sweaty weeks of hitting the same uniform in practice all teams want to go after another color.
I also know that injuries are definitely a part of the game whether in practice, preseason games or the regular schedule. But, losing a kid to a season ending injury in a meaningless game can often alter the entire course of the season for a high school ball club.
What’s the answer? I wonder if coaches couldn’t get the same success out of a continued, controlled practice as they do out of traveling 50 miles on a Saturday to take on a team that’s not going to show you anything anyway.
Now, let’s move on to the good stuff: Are you ready for some football? The best time of the year is here as 116 member schools in the WVSSAC are getting ready to don their high school colors and kickoff the 2015 season. Before looking at some great games coming up in Week 1, let us first take a walk down memory lane and remember what happened last December at Wheeling Island Stadium.
In Class AAA, top-ranked Capital High brought their undefeated record to a sun-lit field in the Northern Panhandle to take on the sixth-seeded and twice-beaten South Charleston. In what was a repeat of a game played during Week 5 of the regular season where South Charleston lost to Capital 45-21, the Cougars once again proved to be the better team, 55-15. It was the first state championship title for Capital since 1995 when they defeated Hedgesville.
In Class AA, once again the Bridgeport Indians proved to be the class of the division as they wrapped up a 13-1 season rolling past second-seeded and previously undefeated Frankfort 43-7. The win marked back-to-back state titles for the Indians— a two-year run in which the Indians went 26-2 with both losses coming to by a combined seven points to Class AAA power Wheeling Park.
In Class A, on a cold, windy December night in Wheeling, they saved the best game of the weekend for last. Sixth-seeded Williamstown upset top-ranked and undefeated St. Marys 33-32 in three overtimes. I have been fortunate to be at every Super Six game that has been played on the Island in Wheeling over the last 20 years, and last year’s Class A title game may be the best game I have seen.
So, what happens in 2015? Can Capital, Bridgeport and Williamstown repeat? A lot of folks seem to think they can. However, even more think they won’t because they want their team to win.
We begin week No. 1 of the 2015 season with a few games on Thursday night and ironically two of last year’s state championship teams are involved. In Class AAA, Capital will meet up with a much improved Riverside squad that lost to the Cougars last season 60-11 en-route to an 0-10 slate.
In Class AA, the Bridgeport Indians will travel to Class AAA Buckhannon-Upshur to battle a team that finished last year regular season with a record of 7-3 and one of those losses came 38-7 at Bridgeport.
Just for the record, the Class A state champion from last year, Williamstown, will open Friday night at home against Tyler Consolidated, a team the Yellow Jackets handled 30-7 last year.
Other interesting games Friday night have Huntington taking the long trip to battle Brooke, Cabell Midland will visit Spring Valley, George Washington goes to Parkersburg, and of course the annual battle in Logan County pits the Wildcats taking on the Hillbillies in Man.
We will also have the sold-out affair of over 10,000 fans meet up in Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield as the Beavers battle the G-Men of Graham. Wyoming East will travel to Mingo County to take on Mingo Central, Moorefield will also welcome a very good Frankfort team and on Saturday, Parkersburg Catholic will host Buffalo.
It is indeed a great time of the year and here is a special invitation for you to join me, Dave Jecklin, Garrett Cullen, and our entire high school crew for the 14th season of “High School GameNight” which will kick off this Friday at 9:30 p.m. on great radio stations across the state and on line at WVMetronews.com.