The playoff numbers from last week were good and bad! The good news for those teams in last week’s top 16 is 33 of that top 16 won. The bad news for those teams close to the top 16 last week but not inside that playoff number is 33 of last weeks top 48 teams won!
Here is the breakdown of winners and losers from last weeks play. In Class AAA, we had 10 teams winning, 4 teams losing and 2 of the top 16 were idle. In Class AA, we had 11 teams winning, 4 teams losing and 1 of the top 16 was idle. In Class A, we had 12 teams winning and 3 teams losing and 1 of the top 16 did not play. I get asked a lot each week, what surprised me from the week previous as far as wins and losses go. I have to honestly say, nothing! Let’s me honest, while it sounds like just an old cliché, on any given weekend, anyone can lose! That’s why coaches will tell their teams….don’t look past the next game on the schedule! I guess a lot of folks were “surprised” last Friday night when the scores came in to GameNight and we found out #15 Jefferson with a (3-3) record had beaten #1 Fairmont Senior which was undefeated at (6-0). Now I know that is a Class AAA team over a Class AA team, but no one should have been surprised. Jefferson just simply played better! Same thing when Class AA #6 James Monroe (5-1) went on the road and beat Class AAA #7 Princeton (5-1). The Mavericks last Friday night were simply better! What would happen if those same teams played again this Friday night? Don’t know….it won’t happen…..there are no do-overs! That’s why as coaches will tell you……”you have to be ready to play every week’!
And, that brings us to this week and man, do we ever have some great match-ups in week #9 of regular season play! In Class AAA, it won’t get any better than #2 Capital (6-1) at #3 Spring Valley (7-1). The Cougars have won six in a row and their only loss came in week number one of the season when they went on the road to Paintsville, Ky. and lost to Johnson Central 23-6. Certainly nothing for Capital to hang their head down about that game…..since then, the Golden Eagles of Johnson Central has outscored their opponents 364 to 79 en route to an 8-0 record. For Spring Valley, the Timberwolves only loss came at the hands of Huntington back on week two when the Highlanders prevailed by a final of 17-13. Last year when these two ball clubs met, the halftime score was tied at 7 before the Cougars put two scores on the board to win 21-7. The match-up between Capital and Spring Valley should be a great one. Also in Class AAA we have several games where playoff hopes are definitely on the bubble for some of the teams involved. The Black Eagles of South Charleston had an incredible come back last Friday night when they survived (1-7) St. Albans 39-38 (remember that thought about being ready to play every week and not looking past anyone?) and this Friday night they have a tough encounter with the (6-2) Huntington Highlanders. This is a game South Charleston really needs to win because next week they host Capital! Another Class AAA game with playoff importance finds (4-4) Riverside on the road at (4-3) George Washington…both teams still in the playoff hunt but neither team wanting to finish the season with five losses.
In Class AA this weekend, there is a couple of really special games and one features the #1 Indians of Bridgeport as they take their undefeated (8-0) record on the road to match up against the (5-2) Golden Tornado of Keyser. Last year, Bridgeport shutout Keyser 38-0 and in fact, they have owned the Golden Tornado the last three years outscoring Keyser by a total of 110 to 6. With Keyser on the road their last two games at Frankfort and at Mountain Ridge, Maryland, this game Friday night is huge. Also in Class AA, another important game finds Herbert Hoover (5-2) on the road to Spencer, WV to take on the (5-2) Raiders of Roane County. Hoover bounced back from an 8 point loss two weeks ago to Sissonville to take down the Wayne Pioneers last week while Roane County will be looking to do a little bouncing back of their own after dropping a 32-13 loss last Friday night in Shinnston to Lincoln.
In Class A this weekend, another couple of undefeated teams will square off as (7-0) St. Marys will travel to Lost Creek, WV to take on (7-0) South Harrison. The two teams split last year as the Hawks edged the Blue Devils 20-13 in the regular season and St. Marys taking the playoff match up 37-0 in the quarterfinal round.
Week #9 of the high school football regular season promises to fun and exciting and once again you will be able to catch-all the scores of all the games on High School GAMENIGHT beginning at 9:30 this Friday night on great radio stations around the state and at www.wvmetronews.com! We will look forward to talking to you then!