By Philip See for WVMetroNews.com
St. Albans (4-5) at Hurricane (5-4)
Woodrow Wilson (1-8) at South Charleston (3-6)
Overall, 15 of the 16 spots in the AAA playoffs have been claimed. Unless Parkersburg South (3-6) can knock off rival Parkersburg (6-3), these two contests will decide which team collects the final playoff spot.
St. Albans currently sits in at No. 16 in the playoff ratings. If the Red Dragons can knock off Hurricane, they will be in the playoffs regardless of the outcome of any other game.
If the Red Dragons lose, they will open the door for South Charleston or Parkersburg South.
If St. Albans, South Charleston, and Parkersburg South all lose, St. Albans would stay in the playoff field.
In all likelihood, the playoff berth is will be determined by the game between St. Albans and Hurricane. South Charleston is playing at home and is heavily favored to knock off a struggling Woodrow Wilson squad.
St. Albans has played very well in the second half of the season, including knocking off South Charleston in Week 8. Hurricane has looked very strong at times this season but has also shown some vulnerability of late. St. Albans needs one more solid game to claim its first playoff berth in a decade.
Mingo Central (9-0) at Winfield (7-2)
Arguably the biggest game of the season in the Cardinal Conference will come in the final week as the defending champion Mingo Central Miners travel to Winfield.
The Miners have run their winning streak up to 23 games and, after a dramatic final-second win over Point Pleasant in the opener, they have cruised through their conference schedule. The Miners have scored at least 47 points in every Cardinal contest while winning each of those games by at least 19 points.
“It’s definitely been special,” said Mingo Central sophomore receiver Drew Hatfield. “This is a special group of guys and we’re really focused on trying to get back to Wheeling and getting another state championship.”
Hatfield leads the Miners in receiving with 44 catches for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.
After a bit of a surprising 46-24 loss to Wayne in Week 4, Winfield has also been rolling. In their other seven conference games, the Generals have averaged 55 points per contest and have not given up more than 14 points since that loss to Wayne.
“They’re definitely a good team,” Hatfield said of the Generals. “Coach (Joey Fields) has given us a great game plan. If we stay on that game plan and trust in each other, we’re going to be just fine. Our coach always talks about focusing on us. We’re just trying to stay focused each and every week.”
Winfield’s high level of play in recent weeks combined with a long trip from Mingo to Putnam County could prove to be a difficult final test for the Miners. If Central can pick up the win, it will secure a top 2 seed and hosting playoff games up to the state championship.
The Generals have clinched their spot in the playoffs. If they can slow down quarterback Jeremy Dillon and knock off Mingo Central, they will have a shot to move into the top-8 and host an opening round game.
Braxton County (7-2) at Sissonville (6-3)
Sissonville finds itself in a bit of an unusual situation. Though they are 6-3, the Indians currently reside outside the playoff field at No. 18. A 7-3 record will get a team into the playoffs in every class almost every season, but Sissonville will be sweating this one out to the final week.
“The thing we’re focused on is winning the game,” Sissonville coach Marc Wilson said. “There are some important matchups that have to happen in front of us. I’ve worked out every possible scenario and we’re pretty confident if we get the win, we’re in.
“But it’s basically playoff football at this point,” he continued. “Because if we don’t get the win, we’re going to be collecting equipment on Monday.”
Braxton County’s seven wins show that it will be a tough opponent, but those same wins represent valuable bonus wins.
At bare minimum, a win for Sissonville will allow the Indians to jump ahead of Braxton County, Weir (season completed) and the loser of this week’s game between Philip Barbour and Robert C. Byrd. In fact, the Indians can still climb as high as 10th, depending on the results of several games.
“They have a tough, scrappy offensive and defensive line,” Wilson said of Braxton County. “They have a very good quarterback and excellent running backs and wide receivers. We expect a very tough, hardnosed football team. They’ve played us tough the last two years that I’ve been here and played them.”
While the possibilities following a Sissonville win vary, the picture is a clearer with a loss. The Indians will not be in the playoffs if they lose to Braxton County.
Other Games:
Capital (6-3) at George Washington (5-4)
Poca (2-7) at Wayne (8-1)
Logan (2-7) at Herbert Hoover (2-7)
Wahama (4-5) at Buffalo (2-7)