— By Greg Carey and Joe Brocato
Martinsburg blanks Jefferson for record-breaking win
Martinsburg’s 37th consecutive win Friday night came like so many before it — with MHS building a big lead early and never looking back. This one, however, was especially sweet for the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs, who set the state’s all-time record for consecutive victories with a 70-0 win over Jefferson.
Grant Harman threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jarod Bowie for the game’s first points and Trey Sine soon followed with an interception return of 45 yards for another score.
Harman’s 71-yard touchdown pass to Teddy Marshall extended the lead to 21-0 before the first quarter was over and that was more than enough for the Bulldogs to improve to 9-0 ahead of next week’s showdown against unbeaten Musselman.
Martinsburg celebrates state record (Video courtesy of Christopher C. Davis/@EP_BigCameraGuy)
Cabell Midland deals Huntington second straight loss
Getting back to a power approach is working out well for No. 12 Cabell Midland. The Knights controlled the point of attack to deal Huntington its second straight loss, 21-7.
Ivan Vaughn rushed for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help Cabell Midland secure a spot in the postseason and improve to 5-4.
Neither team scored in the second half of a game that turned when Vaughn scored on a 68-yard run 58 seconds before halftime.
Diallo Mitchell’s 3-yard TD run gave the No. 5 Highlanders (6-2) the early 7-0 lead, but Cabell Midland answered quickly and tied it at 7 on Jayce Gould’s 6-yard TD run.
Vaughn’s 29-yard touchdown run with 8:26 left in the first half put the Knights on top for good, 14-7, and their defense handled matters from there.
Polar Bears pound Grafton
Class AA No. 1 Fairmont Senior got a 221-yard passing performance with four touchdowns from quarterback Connor Neal in a 48-10 win over No. 9 Grafton.
The Polar Bears (9-0) came up with an interception on Grafton’s first pass attempt and Rhett Heston scored on a 17-yard pass from Neal.
Nathaniel Clifton’s 2-yard TD run pushed the Polar Bears’ lead to 13-0 with 6:03 left in the first quarter and after a Grafton (5-2) field goal, Neal threw a 1-yard shovel pass to Heston for a TD that made it 20-3.
Exavier Posey’s punt return for a touchdown made it 27-3, before Neal found Camden Longwell on a 37-yard pass for a score that allowed FSHS to take a 34-3 lead into halftime.
Caleb Bish had 156 rushing yards and scored Grafton’s lone tuchdown.
Midland Trail stays unbeaten, spoils Fayetteville’s home finale
Class A No. 3 Midland Trail moved to 8-0 with a 26-10 win against No. 12 Fayetteville in the Pirates’ last ever home game.
Austin Isaacs’ 21-yard pass to Morgan Ferris gave the Patriots a 6-3 lead, but Jordan Dempsey’s touchdown run 2:23 before halftime sent Fayetteville (5-3) into the break with a 10-6 lead.
Cordell Lesher’s 5-yard TD run with 5:53 left in the third quarter began Midland Trail’s streak of 20 unanswered points.
Nathan Hanshew and Lesher each added rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Midland Trail pull away.
University takes two-game win streak into Mohawk Bowl
University senior quarterback Logan Holgorsen tossed five touchdown passes to Evan Parow as the Hawks defeated Preston 50-0.
Parow caught seven passes for 195 yards as UHS jumped out to a 43-0 halftime lead.
“He’s great. He’s a great player, a great friend, a great role model to a lot of people,” Holgorsen said. “I love him to death. I’d go to war with that dude.”
Parow and Holgorsen have hooked up for 19 touchdown connections and 1,092 yards through the air this season.
University (5-4) will face Morgantown (4-5) next Friday.
Williamstown blows past Parkersburg Catholic
The Class A No. 6 Yellowjackets notched their eighth straight win and handed No. 7 Parkersburg Catholic its first loss this season, 48-6.
Williamstown led 7-0 after one quarter and doubled its lead on Donathan Taylor’s 7-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.
Taylor also had a 78-yard TD run in the second quarter that extended the Williamstown lead to 21-0.
The 48 points scored by Williamstown matched what Parkersburg Catholic had allowed the entire season entering the game.
Both teams now have 8-1 records.
Wayne extends win streak to six games
After an 0-2 start, Wayne has won six consecutive games. The Pioneers defeated Sissonville 49-7 to bolster their hopes of hosting at least one playoff game.
Aaron Adkins became the first Pioneer to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark in a game this season. He scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and on a 22-yard tote in the third quarter.
Tanner Owens caught one touchdown pass and threw for another score. Michael Bartram accounted for a pair of touchdowns and Gunner Harmon also scored on a 19-yard run.
Will Hackney scored the lone touchdown for the Indians on a 27-yard tote in the second quarter.
Wayne led 21-7 at halftime.
Wheeling Central looks to keep pace in Class A
The Maroon Knights will put their 14-game win streak on the line Saturday afternoon when they visit Portsmouth West, Oh. With Bluefield losing in Week 8, Central now owns the state’s second-longest win streak.
WCCHS (7-0) entered the week tied with Mount View for the top spot in the Class A WVSSAC rankings. Central is allowing just six points per game, by far the best total in the state regardless of class.
Portsmouth West is 6-2 but they are coming off a 35-19 loss to Waverly, Oh.
This is the final Saturday game involving a West Virginia team in the regular season.
Still perfect
Unbeaten teams remaining (by class):
AAA: Martinsburg, Musselman, Spring Valley.
AA: Fairmont Senior, Nicholas County, Poca, Point Pleasant.
A: Cameron, Doddridge County, Midland Trail, Wheeling Central Catholic
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