Wes McKinney for WVMetroNews.com
Class AA No. 1 Mingo Central at No. 6 Point Pleasant
The Class AA title defense for Mingo Central begins on the road at Class AA contender Point Pleasant as Joey Fields takes over the head coaching reins for long-time head coach Yogi Kinder.
One thing that certainly makes the transition comforting for Fields, the former Mingo Central offensive coordinator, is Kennedy Award winner and MetroNews Player of the Year Jeremy Dillon returning for his senior season at quarterback.
Not only is Dillon coming back, but one of his top targets at receiver, Drew Hatfield, and a pair of four-year starters on the offensive line, Kaleb Hurley and Dalton Fields, are also back for the high-powered Miners’ offense.
The elder Fields has been around for the uprising of the Mingo Central program, having coached since the school’s inception seven years ago.
“There were some hard times and we began to question ourselves are we doing certain things right,” Fields said, referring to a pair of 5-5 seasons in the first two seasons of the school.
“Looking back on those years, we have a lot of the same people in place from the beginning that we had last year, so it was special to see everything come together—it’s been a good run.”
Now the target is painted squarely on the backs of the Miners with Point Pleasant being the first team to take aim.
“They have a great football team led by quarterback Cason Payne,” Fields said. “I love the way they are coached, their scheme and what they do in the weight room. We’ve never been in this situation where we have a huge test right out of the gate.”
The Big Blacks will try to defend their home turf – something they couldn’t do in the second round of the playoffs last season against James Monroe as they were shutout, 21-0.
“I tell people all the time winning all these games is wonderful, but sometimes I think we get complacent,” Point Pleasant head coach David Darst said, pointing to the Big Blacks’ 43-game winning streak throughout the regular season – but no appearances in the Super Six to show for it.
Point Pleasant will have two seniors in the backfield, but with limited game experience. Running backs Justin Brumfield and Alec Smith have waited their turn behind Cody Mitchell and Grant Safford to join Payne in the backfield.
It’s no secret how dangerous the Mingo Central offense was a season ago as it scored 44.0 points per game. However, Darst is just as impressed with the Miners’ defense.
“I knew they had a great offense, but I thought they were just as good defensively,” Darst said after watching a preseason scrimmage. “Those coaches have done an outstanding job of putting a football team together.”
Class AAA No. 4 Huntington at Belfry (KY)
Perhaps no team in the state had worse luck with injuries than Huntington last year.
“We lost Brett Christian on the third play of the season,” Huntington head coach Billy Seals. “Mike Dawson went out early in the second quarter of the second game against Spring Valley.
“We also lost our quarterback Luke Zban right before Dawson got hurt,” Seals continued. “Before we could get out of the second game, we had lost three of four top offensive players for the year.”
A healthy Zban will have a full complement of weapons with Jadon Hayes returning for his senior year along with Christian, Dawson, Chris Rogers and South Charleston transfer Bryce Damous.
“Bryce is a mismatch nightmare on linebackers, runs very well and has good hands,” Seals said. “Those are the guys that are hiding in the back behind the typical guys.”
It will be a big challenge, though, against Belfry.
“Obviously you don’t win four straight state championships without being well coached,” Seals said.
“It’s a very, very tall task—an opportunity for us to play a perennial power out of Kentucky. We will have to play our best football—without a doubt—and win the line of scrimmage. The game will be won up front Friday night.”
Huntington rival Cabell Midland defeated Belfry two years ago, 49-7, but lost 35-21 a season ago in that matchup.
Class A No. 9 Tolsia at Wayne
Two old Wayne County rivals get together Friday night at Wayne.
The Rebels have won the last two meetings including an upset win, 49-34, over Wayne two seasons ago that kick started a historical season for Tolsia, ending as the Class AA runner-up.
Tolsia will have a new head coach in 2017 as Eric Crum takes over for Mike Smith who guided the Rebels to back-to-back playoff appearances.
As for Wayne, the Pioneers are in a bit of an unfamiliar spot after missing the postseason for the last two years, finishing at 5-5 during those two campaigns.
“Sometimes you have a talent dip and other teams have an uprising in talent,” Wayne head coach Tom Harmon said. “As far as bad years, finishing .500, sometimes that’s all you can get out of a particular year.”
The Pioneers will rely on a pair of experienced players in the backfield in running back Mikey Bartram and three-year starter at quarterback, Jeremiah Milum.
While Smith will be the first-year head coach in this matchup, Harmon knows his way around this rivalry.
“In my 22 years in playing Tolsia, I’ve learned you can forget about the records,” Harmon said.
“They always play us and tough and this year won’t be any different. The biggest thing I’ve taken away from Tolsia is the passion they play with each week.”
Anderson, Ohio at AAA No. 5 Cabell Midland
Cabell Midland is just thankful to be playing week one after a seemingly endless search to find a non-conference opponent.
“It took us four months to find a game,” Cabell Midland head coach Luke Salmons said. “We were searching from everywhere, from Canada to Georgia to Ohio. We had to move some games around to even get this game scheduled.”
After stumbling out of the gates in 2016, Cabell Midland won its final three games and allowed just 29 combined points in those contests to make the playoffs.
The turning point for the youthful Knights—who lost 11 seniors that went on to play college football in 2015—was actually a defeat at Kentucky powerhouse Belfry.
“After we played Belfry last year and lost a tough game against them, from that point on our kids really grew up,” Salmons said.
Cabell Midland welcomes back the MSAC leading rusher from a season ago in junior running back Ivan Vaughn. Marshall commit Isaiah Duncan joins Vaughn in the backfield to make a dynamic 1-2 punch for the Knights.
Anderson, a school in Cincinnati, will arrive in Ona with quarterback Jay Volpenhein who is receiving some Division I attention and Ohio State commit Zeke Correll on the offensive line.
“They’ve won a state championship within the last 10 years, but had some down years before getting things back on track last season with a new coach,” Salmons said.
Logan at Man
Just like in the Tolsia-Wayne contest, it will be a veteran head coach matching up against a rookie head man.
Although on staff over the last few years, James Toth takes over for Gary Mullins in 2017 at Logan. Mullins has remained on the staff in assistant capacity.
“Coach Mullins being on the staff has made the transition much easier,” Toth said.
“If you know anything about him, you know he’s the most selfless human being you’ll ever meet. Him being on the staff has lessened my load because he’s taking care of some administrative stuff that ordinarily a head coach would have to deal with.”
Despite downing Man 48-13 last season that ignited a 4-1 start, the Wildcats cooled off down the stretch and finished 5-5 overall, missing the playoffs.
“We are trying to become a playoff team and we feel like good teams are consistent every play,” Toth said. “That’s our main focus—be consistent every play. We felt like there was some inconsistency in our play and we’re trying to remedy that right now.”
The most recognizable player for Logan is sophomore quarterback David Early, but the second-year signal caller has some other weapons around him in Michael Hall, Chuckie Felder and Shawntez Matthews.
“Hall is a guy that is comparable to Ryan Switzer when he played at George Washington, I’m not saying he’s an NFL player, but just everything he can do—he can run the ball, catch the ball, returns punts and kicks,” Toth said.
A season ago, the Hillbilles lost four straight games late in the season that crippled their chances at the postseason, but salvaged the year by winning 46-7 at Van and finished 5-5.
Toth warns that even though Man missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012, long-time head coach Harvey Arms didn’t reinvent the wheel.
“Offensively, Man is a typical Harvey Arms team,” Toth said. “They are going to get up in the I-formation and pound you. If you can’t stop them, then it’s going to be a long night because he will just keep coming at you between the tackles.
“The main difference for them this year is they have five or six different guys that can carry the ball which is unusual for Man,” Toth continued.
Chapmanville at Sissonville
Chapmanville put itself a good position last season starting 5-2 and was as high as No. 10 in Class AA, but faltered down the stretch, going 0-3 and missing the playoffs.
Second-year head coach Rob Dial welcomes back one of the top pass-and-catch combos in Class AA in quarterback Adam Vance and wide receiver Dylan Smith.
CRHS has dropped three of the last four meetings against the Indians, who are coming off an upset first-round playoff loss to Weir. However, Chapmanville did win two years ago at Sissonville, 40-22.
Sherman at Tug Valley
Sherman was one of the pleasant surprises in Class A last season as it made the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
The Tide knocked off perennial playoff team Tug Valley to start the season, 25-20, and kept things rolling from there to earn a berth in the playoff field.
Meanwhile, Tug Valley made the Class A playoffs for a third straight season before bowing out to Tolsia in the first round, 26-20.
Until last year, the Panthers had won every meeting against Sherman since 2009.
Additionally, last season’s game was the closest between the teams since a 22-21 Tug Valley victory in 2010.
Other Games:
Lincoln County at Shady Spring
Van at Meadow Bridge
Herbert Hoover at Scott
Montcalm at Hannan