By Eric Little – Seven Ranges Radio for WVMetroNews.com
It’s bound to happen for a number of reasons (rash of injuries, low numbers, talent gap, tough schedule, etc.), but I always hate to see teams go winless in a 10-game high school football season.
I think the biggest reason I dislike it is because sometimes, there’s the perception that a team isn’t winning very much (or at all) because they aren’t working hard enough.
That might be true in some cases. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t bring myself to show up at someone’s practice this week after all the time and energy they’ve put into their team/schoolwork/family/etc. and still come away thinking a team isn’t winning because they aren’t working hard.
Whether it’s football or not, these student-athletes go through a lot to earn the right to wear their school and community’s name on their uniform each time they take the field/court. Extracurricular activities, of any sort, constitute a major time commitment. And although you’d certainly like winning to come along with that, the lack of victories doesn’t mean the participants involved aren’t learning valuable life lessons along the way.
All of this is a roundabout way of saying I’m glad to see Ritchie County clear themselves of the albatross that was their 27-game losing streak.
More on that later, though. Here are this week’s games. All game times listed:
Williamstown (1-1) at Marietta, Ohio (2-0) (Friday 7:00)
This matchup has become one of the area’s hottest new rivalries over the years. The communities involved are right across the Ohio River from each other, so Williamstown will travel less for this game than some teams travel for road games in their own town.
But while Williamstown has been a winner for years, Marietta is an emerging threat locally under third-year head coach Jason Schob. The Tigers boast an offense that scored a lot of points last year, and is set to do the same this year. In wins against Morgan, Ohio and Warren, Ohio, Marietta has scored 76 total points. Marietta quarterback Corbin Alkire completed six passes last week against Warren, and four of those went for touchdowns.
Another reason this game is gaining traction is because Marietta hasn’t been afraid to look across the river when scheduling opponents. The Tigers have had Parkersburg on their schedule for many years, but have recently added St. Marys as well. Last year, the Tigers also played Magnolia. So fans in West Virginia are seeing Marietta as more than just another name they see in the papers every Saturday morning.
Williamstown was held to fewer than 100 yards on the ground last week against Magnolia. The Yellowjackets trailed 18-0 after the first quarter before falling 45-30 to the Blue Eagles in a shootout.
Williamstown finally found some success throwing the football, as quarterback Carter Haynes threw for three touchdown passes – two of them to Donathan Taylor. The numbers don’t get prettier for Williamstown when you look across the line of scrimmage.
The Yellowjackets allowed more than 550 total yards of offense against Magnolia and have now surrendered 77 points in two games this season. With a trip to Wheeling Central next week, Williamstown needs to find answers this week, but Marietta won’t make that easy on either side of the ball.
Parkersburg (1-0) at Capital (1-1) (Friday 7:30)
A Week 2 bye week has extended the honeymoon period for new Parkersburg head coach Mike Byus following an Opening Night win against St. Albans. Reality hits this week as the Big Reds face 1-1 Capital.
The Cougars responded from a 31-20 loss to Johnson Central, Kentucky in their opener with a 30-point win last Thursday against Riverside.
The question for PHS this week: Who starts at quarterback on Friday – Kam Mace or Jake Johnson? Mace won the job in the preseason, impressing his new head coach along the way, but Johnson led the Big Reds to victory in the opener on just one week of preparation.
Either way, having multiple options is not a bad problem for Byus to have in his second game with the Big Reds.
But with Huntington next week, the Big Reds are in a stretch that’ll test their mettle – and it’ll show Byus if his expectations for the team this season are realistic.
The results won’t be as important this week and next as it will be to see whether or not the Big Reds compete against Capital and Huntington. If they do, it’ll bode well for their success the rest of the season.
Morgantown (0-2) at Parkersburg South (0-2) (Friday 7:00)
This is a matchup of two teams struggling to find their offensive identities through two games. Parkersburg South struggled to run the football last week in a 49-24 loss to University that, honestly, didn’t even feel THAT close.
The Patriots were held to fewer than 200 total yards of offense and were held to an average of less than three yards per carry on their 35 carries in the game. At one point, University scored 42 consecutive points against the Patriots. The Hawks transformed three South turnovers into 21 points, a difference in any game.
Morgantown has scored one touchdown this season in two tough losses to North Allegheny, Pennsylvania and Steubenville, Ohio. Quarterback Aaron Alvarez is still adjusting to the position after taking snaps in summer as a wide receiver. But when Logan Holgorsen transferred out of Morgantown over the summer, Alvarez inherited the quarterback job as a result of the “next man up” philosophy.
So both teams have to be looking to Friday as a growth opportunity, and the team that finds their potential first will be the likely favorite. South will be looking to build on the fact they’ll be at home three of the next four weeks.
Morgantown will be glad to stay in-state with an opponent that’s struggled with many of the same issues they’ve struggled with. Finding an offensive identity will be key for both of these teams, not just this week, but for the rest of the season if either is to find sustained success.
This game can be heard locally on V96.9 FM and online at www.v969radio.net.
Riverside (1-1) at Ripley (2-0) (Friday 7:30)
If Ripley can weather a midseason schedule that includes the likes of George Washington, Huntington and South Charleston, the Vikings have a chance to make their first trip to the Class AAA playoffs since 2009.
The Vikings improved to 2-0 last week with a 35-7 win over Buckhannon-Upshur. Ripley racked up nearly 450 yards on the ground, with JT Kemp running for three touchdowns and RJ Evans adding two more ground scores.
Riverside picked up a win against Woodrow Wilson in their opener before a loss last week against Capital. But they also escaped Ripley with a 7-3 win last year in a game that ended up as the difference between a losing and a non-losing season. Ripley likely remembers that and will channel that as motivation this week.
Tyler Consolidated (1-1) at Webster County (2-0) (Friday 7:00)
Tyler Consolidated entered the win column with a 33-27 victory over Doddridge County in a thriller last week. Colby Buchanan’s 38-yard touchdown run halfway through the fourth quarter gave the Silver Knights the eventual game-winning score.
Webster County is 2-0 following a close win against Richwood in their opener and a decisive win last week at Ravenswood. For the Silver Knights, this is a longer trip than their opener against Williamstown. And for a team without much depth, the trip and a surging Webster County squad will make this one a tough test for Tyler Consolidated.
This game can be heard locally on WXCR-FM (92.3 FM) and online at www.wxcr.com.
Ritchie County (1-1) at Frontier, Ohio (0-2) (Friday 7:00)
Congratulations to the Ritchie County Rebels and head coach Kaleb Lawrence on ending their 27-game losing streak with a shutout win last week against Parkersburg Catholic. Hard to believe, but the win is the first for Lawrence at Ritchie County in his third season on the job.
With few players on the roster who remember what it’s like to win, the focus has to be the same this week for Ritchie County’s coaching staff and players alike against a Frontier team that’s struggled to score in back-to-back season opening losses.
The Cougars picked up just 78 total yards of offense in a 41-0 loss to Southern, Ohio last week. Frontier has scored just six points in two games combined this season. Ritchie County got the taste of a win last week.
Now, the Rebels must learn how to duplicate the effort if winning is to become a habit.
This game can be heard locally on Lite Rock 93R (93.9 FM) and online at www.literock93r.com.
Gilmer County (0-2) at Wirt County (1-1) (Friday 7:00)
After a shutout win in their opener, the Wirt County Tigers were on the wrong side of a shutout last week in a loss to St. Marys.
This week, the Tigers return home to face a winless Gilmer County squad. With heavy graduation losses from a team that lost the game against St. Marys (and its cool) in the state playoffs last season, the Titans have scored just 12 points in two games this season.
If Wirt County can find the same offensive attack from quarterback Casey Stanley this week that they saw from him in Week 1, they stand a strong chance to get back on track against Gilmer County.
Other Games:
Tygarts Valley (0-2) at Paden City (0-1) (Friday 7:00)
Calhoun County (0-2) at Doddridge County (0-2) (Friday 7:30)
Roane County (0-2) at Clay County (1-1) (Friday 7:30)
Wahama (0-2) at Southern, Ohio (2-0) (Friday 7:30)
Bye:
Ravenswood (1-1)