By Shawn Rine – The Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register for WVMetroNews.com
Wheeling Park at Class AAA No. 6 John Marshall
MOUNDSVILLE — It’s been a long time since the annual rivalry contest between Wheeling Park and John Marshall has had this kind of significance. The Patriots (5-4) are looking to move up the Class AAA playoff ladder while the Monarchs (7-2), who have won six in a row and are coming off their bye, can clinch a first-round home game with a victory Friday night at Monarch Stadium.
Coach Chris Daugherty’s Patriots are coming off a 35-28 victory against Parkersburg South that secured their postseason aspirations. Now it’s about getting a better seed.
“We didn’t talk about the playoffs last week, and I can assure you already being in is not going to make a difference this week,” Daugherty said. “This team does not want to go into the playoffs at 5-5 and a win or loss is going to send you to different places next week.”
JM is still basking in beating Morgantown for the first time in a decade. But the Monarchs know the Patriots aren’t to be taken lightly.
“They will be the most explosive offense that we have seen this season, and they have plenty of weapons,” JM coach Rick Goodrich said. “They are a very dangerous team that can score from anywhere on the field, in many different ways. You must defend the entire field and be very cautious against Park.
“Morgantown was a very big win for us. I think we got a lot of confidence out of that and sent us into our bye feeling good with time to get some rest. The kids really fought and took that game over in the second half.
“We have talked about where we are right now and where we have been at this point last year and in previous seasons, but we still have to play it out and see where we end up.”
The game features a pair of quality teams, but at the forefront will be a couple of star players – Cross Wilkinson of Wheeling Park and Dereck Hess for John Marshall.
Wilkinson will be looking to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark, having completed 131 of 216 passes for 1,969 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Last week he became the 10th player in Ohio Valley history to surpass 6,000 career yards.
Wheeling Park also has two of the top receivers the OVAC in Nate Phillips (39-626-5) and Jack Stakem (33-536-7).
The Patriots, however, do not rely strictly on their passing attack, featuring one of the best one-two running back punches in the area. Donnie Evans comes in with 131 carries for 851 yards and 12 touchdowns while Rennie Clark has 110 totes, 714 yards and six scores.
Evans ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns a week ago while Clark also found the end zone.
Hess has had a season worthy of Kennedy Award consideration with 1,274 yards on 181 carries and 19 touchdowns. He averages 7 yards a carry and 141 rushing yards a game. He is also a key cog on special teams and defense for the high-flying Monarchs.
Jordan Wood is closing in on 1,000 yards through the air while Nick Coulter is another weapon in the John Marshall arsenal.
“You know that they are going to come out and run the football, but you also must be aware of the fact that they can also throw it a little more than they have in the past,” Daugherty said. “It is no secret that they have been effective on the ground all year.
“They are just a very good, very physical football team. Wheeling Park and John Marshall is always a fiery game and both teams want to win no matter what the situation is. It just adds a little excitement that both teams already know they will be playing next week.
“Both teams still have plenty of reasons to want to win this one, and I can guarantee you that neither team wants to lose.”
It will be a battle of attrition, according to Goodrich.
“This is a huge rivalry and both teams are fighting for playoff position in this one,ã Goodrich said. âI know they want the best situation they can move into and while we would love to have a home playoff game, we know they would love to take it away from us.”
The Patriots have had their struggles on defense most of the season, but Daugherty also knows that it can’t always fall on the offense.
“We have taken baby steps on defense and have shown at times that we can be a bend-but-don’t-break type,” Daugherty said. “But we have to execute. For the most part our offense has been pretty great this season, but we have had a couple of times that we haven’t played as well as we are capable of.
“I feel really, really good about our ability to take advantage of what defenses give us. If needed we can cat-and-mouse it week-to-week and sometimes we can even disregard down and distance with our quarterback, two running backs and receivers.”
Wheeling Park has won seven consecutive games in the series, having outscored the Monarchs by a 297-93 margin, including last year’s thrilling 34-28 victory at Wheeling Island Stadium. John Marshall’s last win against the Patriots was a 23-16 victory in 2009.
Oak Glen at Class A No. 7 Wheeling Central
WHEELING – Wheeling Central has played arguably the toughest W.Va. Class A schedule to date. The Maroon Knights are looking at a lower seed than normal in the upcoming playoffs, but that might be akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Coach Mike Young’s crew finishes out the regular season at 7 on Friday night by welcoming Oak Glen to Bishop Schmitt Field on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. The Knights have won three of four and two in a row, including last week’s 50-0 road romp of Madonna.
“We have really improved the last few weeks,” Young said. “And I know we are peaking at the right time with a statement win against a good 7-1 record team last week. The toughness of our schedule is starting to show.
“The physicality of our defense really came through against Madonna and we need to continue to play with that mindset and toughness. It is all about executing, blocking and tackling.
“I know we have four losses, but we have lost to some pretty good football teams in Martins Ferry, Steubenville Central and Linsly. And we took a really good East Hardy team to the limits down there also.”
Meanwhile, Coach Ted Arneault, Jr.’s youthful, banged-up Golden Bears have been heading in the other direction, losing five consecutive outings and having given up a minimum of 48 points in four of those losses. Included in that was a 69-25 setback to Beaver Local a week ago. Both of Oak Glen’s triumphs have been over teams with 0-10 records.
“Win or lose we always give it our all, but we are really pretty banged-up after facing a very physical Beaver Local team last week,” Arneault said. “But we had a good day of practice on Monday.
“It is also big for us to try and send our seniors out with a win. This has become a very close football team and I believe our seniors have set a good tone for coming years.”
Probably the biggest bright spot for the Bears this season has been the play of freshman quarterback Nick Chaney, who is 102 of 242 through the air for 1,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 picks. Chaney threw three touchdown passes against the Beavers.
Oak Glen had 17 rushes for 76 yards last week, all by four different backs, none of which had more than six carries. Preston Brown was the team leader with three carries for 28 yards.
Junior Ethan Travis had a huge night with five catches for 157 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown grab, while Hunter Patterson also had a scoring catch. Travis has hauled in over 750 yards worth of passes on the season.
“We are a very young team, only returning two guys on each side of the ball this season,” Arneault said. “And we have started as many as six freshmen at a time on both sides of the ball.”
Defensively the Golden Bears allowed 518 total yards of offense, 363 of that coming on the ground.
“Oak Glen has played a pretty tough schedule also,” Young said. “Similar to what we have played in some ways. They have a quarterback that can throw the ball very well, a very nice receiver and Coach Arneault has done a nice job with the team.
“And, of course, we are playing up again. But its all about scoring points and playing defense, we are in control of our destiny.”
Sophomore quarterback Curtis McGhee III continues to turn into more of a leader week in and week out and has thrown for 955 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions on the campaign.
However, with the Knights’ running game rushing for 440 yards and eight touchdowns against the Blue Dons, McGhee threw the ball just twice, completing one pass for 24 yards.
McGhee did have a 27-yard touchdown run and has 127 carries for 444 yards and four scores on the season. Leading rusher Dawson Wear has 126 totes for 736 yards and eight scores. Wear had a big night last week with 206 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Bray Price is the leading receivers with 26 grabs for 402 yards and six scores, and had a 10-yard scoring run against the Dons, while Anthony Robbins has 24 catches for 313 and six more touchdowns.
Wheeling Central’s defense left their mark on Madonna, limiting the normally high-powered Blue Dons’ offense to just 123 total yards of offense.
“Wheeling Central is a very good football team that can run the ball very well,” Arneault said. “They have some very nice athletes and I truly believe they are going to be a force in the Class A state playoffs.
“We are a little bit familiar with their type of offense and I am confident that the kids can at least recognize how to stop them, but they are also so much faster than we are. We are a team that has had some success offensively, but we have struggled to stop the run all season and this week will be a big obstacle for us.”
Other OVAC games:
Moorefield at Magnolia
Madonna at Clay-Battelle
Parkersburg at Parkersburg South
Valley at Paden City
Princeton at Brooke
Tyler Consolidated at St. Marys