Shawn Rine – The Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register for WVMetroNews.com
THURSDAY
Brooke (0-0) at Class AAA No. 8 Wheeling Park (0-0)
(at West Liberty)
With Wheeling Island Stadium undergoing repairs, this Week-1 rivalry is headed to the turf of West Liberty University. Regardless of location or records – see 2015 when Park won the state title but was beaten in the regular season by Brooke – this one always seems to be a dogfight.
The Patriots return 15 starters from last season’s 7-4 team that again qualified for the postseason. Heading that list is senior quarterback Cross Wilkinson, who already holds every meaningful Park passing record and is heading to Toledo next year.
“I throw a lot on his plate, more than any other quarterback that has been in our system,” Patriots coach Chris Daugherty said of his 6-foot-3, 205-pound signalcaller. “It is so nice to have him make those decisions on the field and get people in the right place on the field. It is like having another coach out there.”
He’s joined by a bigger-than-normal offensive line, as well as playmakers aplenty. Senior Rennie Clark ran for more than 1,300 yards last season and is joined by transfer Donnie Evans, who has a Texas 5-A state championship ring to his credit.
“I have been real happy,” Daugherty said. “We have a lot of kids returning from last year so that helps the mental side of football go a little bit faster. Especially offensively. The way you practice, getting three weeks in the summer, it has changed your install plans. We are real happy with where we are right now.
“It feels good in the summer when you have zero losses, but we know we have a tough schedule ahead of us. Every Friday night is going to be a contest and we are going to have to be up to it. Maybe we still have a bullseye on our back from 2015 and I’m sure we are going to have to be up to that standard.”
The Bruins are hungry after struggling to a 2-8 record during an injury-riddled 2016 season. That came on the heels of a quarterfinal berth the previous year.
“Basically, the thing that hurt the most was I lost my speed,” Bruins coach Mac McLean said. “I lost a Gage Yost, a Koty Hudson, an Ethan Secrist. It was a struggle last year. We finished 2-8 and we knew it was going to be rough to recreate what we did the year before. But we were hoping that we could finish somewhere around or a little above or a little below .500. It just didn’t turn out that way for us.
“The team’s reaction to that has been good. The positive off of last season is we’ve had the best offseason we’ve had in the four years I’ve been here. A lot of kids on this football team were forced into action before they were ready because of injury last year. We had some humiliating nights, without a doubt. I think that burnt into these kids’ conscience and they responded the way I wanted them to. They made an effort in the offseason.
“Nobody went away from the program because of what happened last season. I actually added more kids to the program. They went into that weight room this winter with a mission and it’s been the best offseason. I was really impressed with the way my boys responded.”
Brooke will be young, but features experience up front along the offensive line in the form of three-year starter Jonathan Gallagher (6-5, 287) and junior Scott Browning (6-0, 234). McLean also welcomes back quarterbacks Logan Williams and Gage Yost. Dalton Valero is the running back while Secrist is a big-play receiver.
FRIDAY
John Marshall (0-0) at Class AAA No. 7 University (0-0)
Veteran coach John Kelley and University are back for more after going 8-2 and qualifying for the postseason. The Hawks look like a legitimate state-title contender.
“We were 8-2 but we were beaten in the first round last year,” Kelley, beginning his 31st year, said. “We are not going to sneak up on anybody this year but I would like to make the playoffs and win a few games once we are in. That is how you establish yourself.
“The schedule is also more challenging this year, as well. Teams like Brooke and John Marshall were down a bit last year and should be much improved this year.”
That the Monarchs will be. A senior-laden but inexperienced 2016 team struggled to a 2-8 finish, though it was in a number of big games but unable to pull out any of those victories.
JM will be big and athletic up front and offensively, will deviate somewhat from its normal ground-and-pound attack that is preferred by sixth-year coach Rick Goodrich.
“I think we’re making progress and we’re much better than we were when we first got here,” Goodrich said. “It may not show in wins and losses, but as far as numbers and things like that I think we’re going in the right direction.
“We need that one year to break through and turn the corner.”
One thing the Monarchs have going for them is the return to good health of versatile senior Dereck Hess. He was the starting QB last year but injured a shoulder and ended up being moved around to different positions. He’ll play some there, but will see most of his time at receiver and running back.
“He’s going to play quarterback some this year in a wildcat package,” Goodrich said. “The difference is, this year he can run our complete offense (with a healthy shoulder). It’s not going to be Hess running all the time. Now he can throw the ball.”
Junior Jordan Wood is back to run the team at QB. He will be joined by receivers Justin Frohnapfel (6-0, 185) and Nick Coulter (6-2, 220), who is a physical specimen. Junior Chas McCool returns at running back.
The defense figures to be Goodrich’s fastest and most athletic since arriving at the school.
Class AA No. 9 Weir (0-0) at Oak Glen (0-0)
Hancock County will be abuzz when these two rivals meet in their traditional season opener. It’s a contrast of two teams that have been going in opposite directions the last few years, with Weir making almost annual trips to the playoffs and Oak Glen struggling.
Coach Tony Filberto’s Red Riders lost several key contributors, including a pair of all-staters from last season’s playoff entrant. But Weir returns 15 lettermen and is looking to reload rather than rebuild.
“I think we have built a program that is healthy enough that the next class will offer something,” Filberto, who is in his 33rd year of coaching said. “Every class is different, and I feel our middle school is on solid ground so that every class can compete as the older kids move on. I don’t think we’ll have any more big dropoffs or high points. I’m pleased with where we are at.
“We won’t have the big backs like we did last year with Cody Enrietti and Domenick Murphy, so we’ll probably throw more. We’ll have Tyler Komorowski at quarterback and we’ll probably use him as our big back like we did a couple of years ago with Will Larch.
“We’ll have more speed at running back, and I think our defense will be very solid. I expect us to be a very good football team.”
Even with 10 seniors on Oak Glen’s roster for the upcoming season, it is starting fresh on and off the field.
After an underachieving 2-8 record a season ago, second-year coach Ted Arneault knows this year will be a challenge early on. It’s just a matter of improving week after week to achieve their goals. That’s all Oak Glen can do at this point.
“We have a lot of fresh faces, and everybody’s excited to get started,” Arneault said. “I think we’ll be a culturally different football team this year.
“I’m very impressed with how the kids applied themselves in the offseason. We’re not going to be the most experienced team, but I think that will work to our benefit, and I think weáll get better as the year goes on.”
Seniors William Straight and Collin Williams are leading the charge at RB, while juniors Blake Almo and Michael Lemley are not far behind.
Filling the skilled positions is Oak Glen’s toughest challenge. There is plenty of room to apply and improve after averaging just 153 yards and 8.9 points per game last season. Defensively, the Golden Bears allowed 332.3 yards and 33.5 points per game.
Steubenville Catholic, Ohio (0-0) at Class A No. 3 Wheeling Central (0-0)
The list of players that Wheeling Central lost to graduation is a ‘Who’s Who’ among West Virginia Class A all-state lists. The scary thing is, the Maroon Knights may be even better this year than their quarterfinal-qualifying predecessors.
“We had great skill and quality kids last year,” Coach Mike Young said. “This group coming up is going to make its own name … I believe that.
“We’ve got a challenging schedule, but I think with the depth we have, the attitude we have and the scheme we have, I think is going to be very positive and get us where we want to be.”
That would be Wheeling Island Stadium on the first week in December.
Defensively, the Maroon Knights are going to be as dominating as they have ever been. The front seven will make it difficult for the opposition to run the football, and Young and his staff are as excited about their secondary as any position on the field.
Along the defense line, options are sophomore Tim McCabe (5-foot-11, 240 pounds), junior Luke Duplaga (5-8, 250), and seniors Patrick Duffy (6-3, 221), Tyler Roth (5-11, 290) and the biggest of the bunch, Trey Denniston, who goes 6-0, 300.
Michael Runkle, a 5-9, 220-pound senior, is a defensive end.
Senior Luke Lawrence (5-8, 205) and juniors Vinny Mangino (6-2, 240), a first team all-stater last season, and Logan Wells (5-8, 210), both of whom enrolled at Central when Bishop Donahue closed, can play either defensive end or outside linebacker.
And if you’re keeping score at home, sophomore Adam Murray (6-0, 205), another hybrid player, hasn’t even been mentioned. All he did was lead the team in tackles last season as a freshman and is poised for an even bigger campaign.
“We feel very confident about our defensive interior,” Young said.
Seniors Patrick Brown (5-10, 165) and Dawson Wear (5-10, 175), along with junior Anthony Robbins (6-2, 185), another Bishop transplant, are outside linebackers.
Young will trot out sophomore Curtis McGhee III (5-11, 155), junior Bray Price (6-1, 156) and seniors Isiah Threets (5-8, 145) and Rob Kahle (5-8, 145) in that secondary.
Offensively it was a two-way battle at QB between McGhee and senior Blake Peluchette, with freshman Caleb Karnell coming on strong. The jewel on that side of the ball is junior running back Bray Price.
Price, who was clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Ohio State’s camp, returns at running back after rushing for more than 600 yards last season. He’ll be joined in the backfield at any given time by the likes of Murray, Wear, Kahle, Wells and Mangino.
“We have a very good line that is aggressive,” Young said. “If we can get them off the ball and knowing their assignments, we’ve got a bug that can get loose on the rug, and that’s No. 4, Bray Price.”
The Crusaders are bigger, faster and stronger following a 5-5 season that saw them win four in a row to end the year.
SATURDAY
Magnolia at Parkersburg Catholic
Coach Dave ‘Doc’ Chapman and Magnolia took some lumps last season (2-8) coming off winning the Class A state championship in 2015. The Blue Eagles look to be back in the familiar role of handing them out this season.
“Trying to play freshmen on Friday nights is difficult,” Chapman said. “They were pressed into duty.
“We didn’t make any excuses and we coached them up week-in and week-out. They got better as the year went on, but our schedule didn’t do us any favors either.
“We took our knocks and we talked in the offseason. The kids kind of took it personal and came in with a chip on their shoulders. The numbers that I had in the weight room through winter and spring and into summer here, you could tell that we have gotten a lot bigger, stronger and faster.
“Does that mean anything for this year? I think it does.”
“If ever I was going to name sophomores captains, it would be those guys,” Chapman said. “Both those kids are about 5-11 and between 205 and 215.
“They’ve worked very hard.”
The same can be said of the rest of the interior line, which includes seniors Austin Klug and Conner Seckman, along with sophomore Mikey Hamrick.
“We’ve got some guys up front that we feel pretty good about,” Chapman said. “These are the same guys that were getting knocked around a little bit last year, but the shoe might be on the other foot this year.
“Those same guys on the offensive line will go over and play the same on defense.
“Being able to control the line of scrimmage, thatás football. The game hasn’t changed too much.”
The biggest offensive weapon is senior Brooks Parsons (6-3, 200), who will be a contributor for the fourth consecutive season. He runs, catches, punts, plays corner and is as dangerous as they come in the return game.
“We are going to line him up at a lot of different places -at running back, as a receiver and he will return kicks for us,” Chapman said. “We’re going to try to get him in position to where he is going get the ball on a direct handoff and he will be a focus of our passing game, obviously.
“Brooks is a fourth-year guy who has a very high offensive IQ and I know he has high goals for himself. He’s one of the fastest kids in the state and we ask him to do a lot.”
Senior Leo Herrick, who is 6-4 and weighs 190, returns as split end and gives Magnolia a pair of big targets on the outside.
“Leo has shined in camp,” Chapman said. “He catches the ball real well and runs good routes.
“He and Brooks, tandem-wise at receiver, that is a strength we look to utilize.”
Senior Hunter Partridge has big shoes to fill at the tailback position. He looks to replace the graduated Chase Street, the schoolás all-time leading rusher and the Most Valuable Player of this summer’s Rudy Mumley OVAC All-Star Football game.
The quarterback is also new in the form of junior Pat Mirandy (6-0, 175). He takes over for three-year starter Nick Priem.
“He played the second half against Wheeling Central last year when Priem got hurt, and I know how complimentary the Central coaches were of him,” Chapman said. “He throws the ball well and is one of our top-3 fastest kids.
“Generally at Magnolia we like to sprint the quarterback and roll him out. We”re going to do a lot things with Pat to get him in space.
“He’s probably put on 30 pounds since last year and Pat understands the expectations when you play quarterback here.
“He’s a two-headed guy … he can run and throw.”
Sebastian Stickler (6-0, 180) and Matt Gaiser (6-4, 230) will alternate at the H-back position.
OTHER GAMES
Hundred (0-0) at Clay-Battelle (0-0)
Symmes Valley (0-0) at Paden City (0-0)
Parkersburg South (0-0) at Ripley (0-0)
Valley-Wetzel (0-0) at Tygarts Valley (0-0)
Linsly (0-0) at Mogadore, Ohio (0-0)