By Shawn Rine – The Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register for WVMetroNews.com
Class A No. 9 Wheeling Central at Class A No. 7 Madonna
WEIRTON – A pair of perennial playoff participants will do battle Saturday night at Jimmy Carey Stadium. Wheeling Central (4-4) is looking to win its second straight for the first time since Week 4 when it visits a Madonna (7-1) team coming off its first loss.
The winner looks to be in good shape as far as the W.Va. Class A postseason is concerned, while the loser could be in trouble.
The Maroon Knights are 14th in the SSAC ratings following a 27-6 victory against Pittsburgh USO and have won two of their last three games. Coach Mike Young’s squad has faced one of, if not the toughest small-school schedule in the state.
“Madonna has a nice team and a good record,” Young said. “They run the ball very well with one of the finest Class-A running backs in the state. Their line also blocks well and comes off the ball very well. Coach (Darrin) Hicks does a good job using his personnel to do what they do.
“They lost to a tough Steubenville Central team last week that we lost to earlier this season, so we may be able to gauge some matchups from that, but no matter what we are going to need to bring our ‘A’ game.”
As mentioned, the Blue Dons fell victory to a powerful Steubenville Central Catholic team, 43-7, last week in Weirton.
Madonna could not only damage Wheeling Centralás ability to move on, but a victory this week and then next week over Clay-Battelle could earn it a first-round home game in two weeks.
But the Dons; schedule down the stretch could be telling. Hicks’ crew scored 253 points in seven victories. On the other side, Madonna allowed 38 points in its first six contests, but 73 in its last two. It is currently tied for seventh with Cameron in the playoff ratings.
“Steubenville Central was a good football team, but I was very proud of how we battled them to the end,” Hicks said. “Things just got away from us late, but we had a good physical, solid practice on Monday.
“The playoffs are starting two weeks early and we will both be fighting for the next couple of weeks.”
Powering the Blue Dons offense is the Ohio Valley’s leading rusher Donavan Kirby, who has 281 carries for 2,049 yards and 24 touchdowns. Kirby averages more than 7 yards a carry and 256 a contest, but was ‘limited’ to 152 on 30 tries against the Crusaders.
Hunter Baird has added 424 yards on the ground on 86 tries while quarterback Gavin Dietrich ran for 63 yards a week ago but was held to 4 of 10 through the air for 21 yards and a pick. Vince Pulice had three of those catches for 9 yards.
“Every game is big for us to be able to get to where we are wanting to go,” Young said. “The kids realize there is some pressure, but we have faced it before.
“Obama was a nice win against a big, fast team, but they werenát as sound and disciplined as we will see this week.
“But the only thing on our minds right now is the fact that we have a big game Saturday night in Weirton.”
Wheeling Central continues to be loaded in the backfield, using a variety weapons. Quarterback Curtis McGhee III has the ability to throw the ball or pack it in and run. He is closing in on 1,000 yards through the air, sitting 69 yards shy, while connecting on four scoring strikes, including one to Anthony Robbins, last week.
Senior Dawson Wear is the team’s leading rusher with 530 yards and five scores, with three of those coming against Pittsburgh USO. Bray Price, who ran for 146 yards a week ago, has rushed for 481 on the season and can be a threat in the passing game as well.
The Maroon Knights defense also came up huge a week ago, twice stopping their opponents in the red zone, once with an interception and the other time on a fourth-down stop at the 1-yard line.
“Central is a really good football team and have one of the best small-school programs in the state,” Hicks said. “Coach Young has done a wonderful job there for a very long time and he always has that team ready to play.”
Class A No. 4 Cameron at Bridgeport, Ohio
CAMERON – Cameron coach Scott Holt revealed weeks ago that this matchup scares him. Tied for seventh in the SSAC ratings and looking to secure the second home playoff game – at Dragon Stadium – in the school’s history, Cameron travels to Bridgeport to take on pass-happy coach Gary Krol’s bunch.
“This really is a quiet rivalry,” Holt said. “I don’t think our kids really care for them and I am sure the feeling is mutual. It is not the friendliest game on the schedule, but it is always a fun one.
“We handled them pretty well last year, but the head coach (Holt) gave one away on a bad call the year before that. It’s their last game, they know we need it and we know they will be coming to give us their best shot.”
Holt’s crew will have to find out a way to slow down Bulldogs quarterback Tino Kusic and receiver Jeremiah Booker. Kusic has completed 148 of 265 for 2,773 and 29 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. Booker has 79 receptions, 1,352 yards and 18 scores.
The Bulldogs lost their opening three games of the season, won the next three and are currently looking to snap another three-game skid. Bridgeport scored 170 points in their three victories, but only 120 total tallies in the six setbacks.
“Bridgeport plays one of the toughest small-school schedules in the area,” Holt said. “They have an excellent quarterback and wide receiver combo and are very well coached. It is clear watching them on film what their plan of attack is, but their kids get it done.
“They have also played some very athletic teams.
“This is a very big game for us in terms of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference standings and the potential to host another playoff game.
“The goal is to play week 12 at Dragon Stadium, but for that to have any chance of happening, we need this one.”
Cameron is coming off another impressive home victory, pounding Beallsville by a 58-25 margin last Friday night while Krol’s Bridgeport squad dropped a 61-24 decision to perennial power Shadyside.
Finding a way to stop the Dragons offense is easier said than done. Cameron can get it done through the air with quarterback Colby Brown and three good receivers in Trey Scott, Travis Mickey and Robert Milliken. Or they can hand the ball off to a stable of running backs that is led by Andrew Ritchea.
Brown is a big-play signal caller who averages nearly 20 yards a completion, and has hit 61 of 106 passes for 1,216 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. Brown threw for 205 yards and two scores last week.
Ritchea, meanwhile, averages 11.4 yards a carry on 60 tries for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns. He ran for 122 yards on only five tries, three of them going for scores, all in the first half a week ago.
Scott had five receptions for 114 yards and a score last week while Mickey added three grabs for 56 more and a touchdown.
Cameron has won four games in a row since its lone hiccup, a 28-12 setback at Shenandoah, and has scored 50 points or more five times, with four of those coming at home.
Other OVAC Games:
Paden City at Beallsville, Ohio
Morgantown at University
Oak Glen at Beaver Local, Ohio
Brooke at Weir
Tyler Consolidated at Valley-Wetzel
Parkersburg South at Wheeling Park
Linsly at Shadyside, Ohio
Notre Dame at Clay-Battelle