— By Fred Persinger II
Class AA No. 2 Bluefield (5-0) at PikeView (3-3)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last Week: Bluefield defeated Richlands, Va. 44-10 while PikeView lost to Oak Hill 48-35.
Why it’s important: These Mercer County rivals have not played each other for a while. Bragging rights are on the line and there are also a lot of bonus points at stake for both teams. If PikeView can pull off the upset the Panthers would jump right back in to the playoff picture while a loss would make it a uphill battle to get in even if they win the rest of their games.
Who to Watch for Bluefield: Quarterback Chandler Cooper, who is coming off a great game last week where he was 9 for 13 passing for 208 yards.
Who to watch for PikeView: Running back Evan Rose, who rushed for 220 yards on 26 carries in the loss last week to Oak Hill.
Class A No. 11 Fayetteville (4-2) at No. 16 Notre Dame (3-2)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last Week: Fayetteville lost to Sherman 30-13 while Notre Dame defeated Madonna 54-0
Why it is important: For Fayetteville, the Pirates have lost two in a row against a pair of top 16 teams. They will face teams in the next three weeks that — if the playoffs started now — would be in the field. They include Midland Trail next week and top-ranked Mount View in two weeks. For Notre Dame a win over Fayetteville will give the Irish a big points game and help them jump up in the Class A rankings.
Who to watch for Fayetteville: Running back Jordan Dempsey, who continues to lead this team, is coming off a game last week where he rushed for 98 yards in a loss.
Who to watch for Notre Dame: Quarterback Nate Helm is coming off a great game last week that saw him go 14-of-18 passing for 242 yards and four scores in the big win over Madonna.
South Charleston (0-5) at Woodrow Wilson (2-3)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last week: South Charleston lost to Huntington 37-14 while Beckley is coming off their bye week.
Why it’s important: For South Charleston, this young team just needs a win. They are very athletic and talented but have faced a very tough schedule. Their opponents of the first five games have a combined record of 24-5. The second half of the season, the record of the opponents are 10-18 so a win over Beckley could jump start this team for the second half of the season. For Beckley (2-3), the Flying Eagles need this homecoming win to get back to .500 on the season and to get back into the top 16.
Who to watch: For both teams, it is the offense. Both squads have struggled putting points on the board. South Charleston has scored 84 points, which is a average of 17 points per game. Beckley has scored 90 points for a average of 18 points per game. Both teams have been hurt over the past couple of weeks with penalties and turnovers.
Other Games: Princeton (0-5) at Ripley (4-1); Midland Trail (6-0) at Liberty Raleigh (0-5); Braxton County (0-5) at Nicholas County (6-0); Wyoming East (2-4) at Shady Spring (4-1); Summers County( 2-3) at Independence (2-4); Westside (1-5) at James Monroe (3-2); Valley Fayette (0-6) at Lincoln County (3-2); Tolsia (4-2) at Mount View (5-0); River View (0-6) at Montcalm (0-5); Greenbrier West (1-5) at Pocahontas County (3-3); Meadow Bridge (2-3) at Webster County (2-4)