Hard to believe, but this weekend we head into week #3 of the 2016 high school football season, and after just two weeks of play about the only thing we have learned is we can all expect the usual suspects when the playoff field starts to form!
In the MetroNews Weekly Power Rankings, we find Martinsburg, Huntington, Morgantown, Spring Valley and Capital. No surprise, all five of those teams were in the playoffs last year and Capital went all the way to the title game! In Class AA, the top 5 teams in the MetroNews Rankings finds Bridgeport at #1, followed by Fairmont Senior, Point Pleasant, Mingo Central and Keyser. Again, all five were in the playoff field last year with Bridgeport once again winning it all. Special note – Point Pleasant was a Class AAA team last year, but still in the playoff field making it to the semi-final round. In Class A, the top 5 teams are Wheeling Central, St. Marys, East Hardy, Williamstown and Moorefield. And, if you’re thinking all five of the Class A teams were in the playoff field last year, you would be 100% right! So, if were are looking for some new faces in the playoff fields of 16, we may be disappointed! However, this is only week number three we are heading into, so we still have a lot of time left in the season. Just a reminder though, the first set of official rankings from the WVSSAC will be released this Tuesday afternoon!
Coming up this week there are a few games that should prove very interesting. In Class A, the 10th ranked Summers County Bobcats will try and stay undefeated as they welcome Class AA Shady Spring. While the Tigers are still winless, they have lost to Princeton and Nicholas County, both teams that are still undefeated. In Class AA, #4 Mingo Central will travel to Sissonville to take on the 2-0 Indians. Last season the Miners defeated the Indians 34-8. Another game in Class AA that proves inviting will find Fort Hill, Maryland at #5 and undefeated Keyser. Fort Hill always provides tough opposition for the teams in the Eastern Panhandle and the Golden Tornado can expect much of the same this Friday night. In Class AAA this weekend, George Washington will try and keep the momentum going from last week’s win over Ashland Paul Blazer when they travel to Huntington to battle the 2ns ranked Highlanders. So far this season, Huntington has disposed of Brooke 49-6 and Spring Valley 17-13. In that win over the Timberwolves, Huntington’s senior place kicker Cason Kessinger hit a school record 53-yard field goal! Also in the big school’s division this weekend the Black Eagles of South Charleston will travel to Kentucky to take on a very good Johnson Central team. The same Johnson Central team that defeated Capital in the first week of the season.
Don’t forget to join us this Friday night for week #3 of High School GAMENIGHT! We will have all the scores on the show, plus at wvmetronews.com!