MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a week that featured just one matchup between ranked teams, that game delivered Friday night as Class AAA No. 9 Hurricane earned a hard-fought 34-31 win over No. 7 Cabell Midland.
Hurricane coach Jeremy Taylor said leading up to Friday night’s game that his team was ‘playing for respect’ as the Redskins (3-0) were looking to build off of a win over Parkersburg in Week 2.
“This is a program-changing win – it was a program win,” Taylor said. “When you can beat Parkersburg and then Cabell Midland two weeks consecutively, that’s something that doesn’t happen every year – not here anyway. I’m just proud of them, they did a great job tonight.”
More: Complete MetroNews high school football scoreboard
The Redskins won the game on a touchdown run from quarterback Dylan Plumley with just nine seconds to go.
“We didn’t have any timeouts left and we actually had a guy wide open in the corner of the end-zone, but Dylan (Plumley) pulled it down and walked into the end-zone,” Taylor said. “It was real and just a big win for our program. All of the credit goes to these kids.”
Redskins’ senior James McDougle rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 88 yards and 95 yards in the win. Plumley threw for 118 yards, scoring that game-winning touchdown on the ground as well.
South Harrison ground game dominant in win over Grafton
Class A No. 8 South Harrison couldn’t have done much more on the ground Friday as the Hawks pounded Grafton 40-14, putting up over 550 yards rushing along the way.
Gallery: South Harrison 40, Grafton 14
“It was great for our kids to be able to get this win,” said South Harrison coach Brad Jett. “It’s just the second time in 33 years that we’ve beaten Grafton at Grafton – it’s been a longtime coming. We were able to run the football for over 550 yards tonight – we’re just tickled to death to be 3-0 right now.”
Junior Freddy Canary (21) finished with 264 yards on the ground with four touchdowns, while junior teammate Cam Barnette (25) added 266 yards and two other scores for the Hawks.
Huntington edges George Washington with late touchdown
Class AAA No. 2 Huntington stayed unbeaten and overcame injuries to beat George Washington 24-18. Jaden Hayes scored the game-winning touchdown on a six-yard run with six minutes to go after trailing 18-16.
The Highlanders were without starting quarterback Luke Zban who is battling an ankle injury. Hayes finished with 131 yards on the ground in the win. George Washington quarterback Grant Wells threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
Martinsburg, Musselman add key wins in the eastern panhandle
Musselman improved to 2-1, bouncing back from a Week 2 loss with a 40-15 win over Jefferson. The Applemen actually trailed 15-13 heading into the game’s final quarter.
Latrell Warr rushed for over 130 yards and scored four total touchdowns in the win for the Applemen.
“This group has worked hard and the kids have really come together,” said Musselman coach Brian Thomas. “Our defense played great – they played really good. We had some trouble moving the ball in the third quarter, but we really exploded in the fourth quarter.”
No. 1 Martinsburg (3-0), meanwhile, drubbed visiting Princeton (2-1) 60-0 in a game that was over in a hurry. Bulldogs’ quarterback Tyson Bagent threw three touchdown passes, while Grant Harman added two touchdowns on the ground and a third returning a blocked punt into the end-zone.
Mingo Central pushes past Sissonville with huge second half
Class AA No. 4 Mingo Central dominated the second half on Friday night, beating Sissonville on the road 52-22.
Highlights: Mingo Central 52, Sissonville 22
The Miners (3-0) led just 15-6 at the break, but pulled away behind senior running back Joe Hunt’s 126 yards and three touchdowns. Mingo Central quarterback Jeremy Dillon accounted for three touchdowns in the win as well.
Sissonville quarterback Chance Brown threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the loss as the Indians dropped to 2-1.
Morgantown’s Holgorsen, Logan’s Early with big games
Class AAA No. 3 Morgantown defeated visiting Parkersburg South 31-19 as sophomore quarterback Logan Holgorsen threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
“We have a bunch of tough kids who played a physical football team,” said Morgantown coach Matt Lacy. “We played through some adversity and they never let each other down. They continued to make plays for each other when things weren’t always going our way.”
Highlights: Morgantown 31, Parkersburg South 19
In Class AA, No. 8 Logan continued its hot start with a 40-13 win over Lincoln County. Freshman quarterback David Early, coming off of a seven touchdown effort in Week 2, adding three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown on Friday night.
Early stands-in at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds.
“He’s done about as good as you could ask,” said Logan coach Gary Mullins. “He was pretty much bulldozing guys. He just turned 15 this week, so he’s a young kid and we have a lot to look forward with him. He just keeps getting better every game.”