By: Michael Minnich
Mineral Daily News Tribune
For a few playoff bubble teams, Week 11 is one final chance to gain the necessary points for the postseason. For others, it’s a chance to cement one or more home games.
Class A No. 4 East Hardy (8-1) at Petersburg (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
This is a really big season finale for both teams, on different levels.
For East Hardy, slotted fourth in the WVSSAC rankings, the goal is to firm up that top-four finish and have the potential to host two playoff games.
For Petersburg, it’s all about getting in the playoffs for the second time in school history, which is even more impressive when you consider that the Vikings didn’t win a single game last year. PHS, 20th in Class AA, will need a win and help to get in.
Arguably the biggest embarrassment of that 0-10 year for Petersburg last year was the 72-0 beating that East Hardy inflicted on them, so it’s not going to be easy.
East Hardy has won four in a row since their lone loss at Pendleton County, going away to beat Clear Spring (Md.) by a 37-20 score last week.
Petersburg has also won four straight, taking out Tucker County on the road last week, 53-30.
Tygarts Valley (3-6) at Class A Moorefield (8-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Moorefield needed overtime to overcome a good Pendleton County club last week, 28-21.
Wil Schoonover was a man with a mission, rushing 43 times for 298 yards. The senior scored all four Jackets touchdowns, including the 15-yard winner in OT, and also ran for a two-point conversion.
Like their county brothers at East Hardy, the goal for Moorefield is to host through at least the quarterfinals. They sit third in the WVSSAC rankings entering this week.
Tygarts Valley have momentum, having won their last two games against Hannan and Webster County.
Moorefield took last year’s game, 33-18.
Mountain Ridge (Md.) (4-4) at Class AA No. 6 Keyser (7-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Keyser got revenge for last year’s loss to Frankfort in a big way last week, dropping 67 points on their county rival, the most in the 40-year history of the series.
Cody Rodeheaver, who was ruled down inches from the goal line on a two-point conversion that would have won the game for KHS in overtime last year, scored four touchdowns.
Sitting seventh in Class AA entering this week, the Golden Tornado are likely to move up at least one spot if they win on Friday and pick up AAA points from the Miners, who have lost three straight after a 4-1 start to fall out of playoff contention.
Keyser pitched a 36-0 shutout in last year’s meeting.
Class AAA No. 9 Jefferson (7-2) at Washington (1-8), Friday, 7 p.m.
Jefferson picked a serious gut-check win at South Hagerstown (Md.) last week, overturning a 21-6 first quarter deficit and winning on an unreal grab from Christian Johnson with a defender draped all over him in the end zone with nine seconds left.
“I wanted it more,” Johnson told the Martinsburg Journal.
Delivering Johnson the pass, one of his three TD catches on the night, was Isaac Myers, who threw for 316 yards.
The Cougars are currently sixth in the WVSSAC Class AAA rankings with 12.333 points, in the midst of a cluster of teams ranked three through seven that have between 12 and 13 points.
They only have one bonus point available to them against Washington this week, who are trying to avoid a second straight 1-9 season after a 38-19 loss at Hampshire last week.
Jefferson won last year in this series, 59-20.
Hedgesville (1-8) at Spring Mills (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Spring Mills is in position to make history.
West Virginia’s newest high school is 13th in Class AAA and will make the playoffs if they take care of business against Hedgesville this week.
They’ve earned it, too: after coming from behind to win at Mountain Ridge (Md.) two weeks ago, the Cardinals scored the final two touchdowns to break a tie against James Wood (Va.) and win, 35-21, last week.
Hedgesville had a bye last week.
Spring Mills won, 35-28, in last year’s encounter.
Hampshire (3-6) at Frankfort (2-7), Friday, 7 p.m.
Hampshire has fallen just short of making the playoffs in the last few years, mainly because they couldn’t beat Keyser and Frankfort, although the Frankfort games especially have been very close.
Ironically, the Trojans could win both games against their Mineral County border rivals this year, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Hampshire has won their last two to add to the Keyser upset on the positive side of the ledger, scoring on their first three possessions in a 38-19 win over Washington last week.
Frankfort could only manage a late Noah Bible touchdown last week, suffering their worst-ever loss to Keyser, 67-7.
The Falcons are trying to avoid setting a new school record for losses.
Hancock (Md.) (6-3) at Berkeley Springs (2-7), Friday, 7 p.m.
Neither team is going to make the playoffs, but that won’t matter in this border battle, only revived in the last few seasons.
Berkeley Springs earned their second win of the season last week, 35-8, over Southern Garrett (Md.), while Hancock have won four of five, including a 22-12 defeat of Friends (Md.) last Saturday.
BYE: Martinsburg (7-2) and Musselman (6-4) are in the clubhouse after last week’s head-to-head meeting, won by the Bulldogs, 48-6. Martinsburg, who didn’t lose an in-state regular season game this year, are currently fifth in Class AAA, while Musselman is clinging to the 14th spot.
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