MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The top five teams in Class AAA all faced ranked opponents in week six of the high school football season (two against each other) and all but one of the higher ranked teams picked up wins.
No. 5 Capital (5-1) was the lone exception, handing No. 2 Huntington (5-1) a 51-14 loss. The Cougars were led by junior running back Silas Nazario who finished with 189 yards and four touchdowns (including an 81 yard score) on 14 carries in the win.
Top ranked Cabell Midland (6-0) gave Belfry (KY) (5-1) its first loss of the year, 49-7. Knights’ senior running back Devin Stapleton scored five touchdowns on the night, totaling 218 yards on just 14 carries. Caperton Humphrey added 138 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries for Cabell Midland.
“We know what we have to do when we get the ball after our name is called in the huddle,” Stapleton said after the win. “We have a great group of running backs and I wouldn’t want to have anyone else back there with me.
No. 3 Point Pleasant (6-0) jumped out to a 21-6 first quarter lead over Parkersburg South and then had to hold on for a 27-20 win over the Patriots (3-2). A key stretch came in the fourth quarter with Point Pleasant leading 21-20 as Parkersburg South’s Nick Sanders was ruled to have completed a catch and then fumbled inside the Point Pleasant five yardline – the Big Blacks recovered and then drove down the field for an insurance score and ultimately the win.
Parkersburg South senior Josh Wolfe had a 43 yard interception return for a touchdown in the loss. Point Pleasant’s Cody Mitchell tallied 197 rushing yards in the touchdown-victory. It was the first time this season the Big Blacks have been held to less than 57 points.
No. 4 Morgantown improved to 5-1 with a 29-19 win over Musselman after trailing 16-0 early. Jordan Page finished with over 150 yards and touchdown, while quarterback Zayne Hern threw for two touchdowns and ran for another for the Mohigans.
“We always like to make things tougher than they need to be sometimes, but give Musselman a lot credit – they have a strong, physical team,” said Morgantown coach John Bowers. “But our kids found a way to win tonight.”
Class AA saw No. 11 Mingo Central (3-1) roll Wayne (2-3) 50-14 and No. 2 Bluefield (5-1) fall to Richlands (VA) (5-1) 45-30. No. 4 James Monroe (5-0) continued its impressive season with a 21-6 win over Nicholas County (3-2).
No. 12 Summers County (5-1) beat Webster County 40-13 as quarterback Matt Ryan added to his gaudy statistics on the year. The senior finished with a single game school record 301 rushing yards and five total touchdowns on 22 carries.
“We’ve really came out and made a statement this year and that was our goal, to show that we’re ready to compete for a playoff win and that we won’t be a pushover,” Ryan said. “Our line was locked in and we were able to run all over tonight. I’m really thankful for how we competed.”
Ryan now has 1,231 rushing yards on the year and 15 scores on the ground.
A surprising result had Class AAA Hampshire (1-4) picking up its first win of the year, beating Class AA No. 6 Keyser (5-1) 17-14. It’s the first win for Hampshire over the Golden Tornado since 2001.
In Class A, No. 3 Moorefield’s Wil Schoonover also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark on the season, finishing with 241 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries in a 33-7 win over Berkeley Springs. The Yellow Jackets improved to 6-0 with the victory.
No. 8 Buffalo (5-0) dealt Tug Valley (4-2) its second straight loss, beating the Panthers 19-0. No. 6 St. Marys (5-0), meanwhile, beat rival No. 7 Williamstown (4-2) 22-6 in a rematch of last year’s state championship game. Blue Devils’ running back Bret Fetty finished with 99 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, to go along with three catches for 58 yards and another score.
For all of the scores from Friday night, click on the MetroNews Scoreboard.