— By Fred Persinger II
GAMES TO WATCH
CLASS AAA
Riverside (1-8) at Class AAA No. 15 Greenbrier East (5-4)
Time: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last Week: Riverside lost to Capital 41-0. Greenbrier East defeated Princeton 53-14.
Why it’s Important: A win by Greenbrier East would lock up a playoff spot for the Spartans, while a loss could leave them out of the postseason. For Riverside this is more about playing the role of spoiler trying to get a win to end the season on a positive note.
Who to watch for Riverside: Running back Caden Easterling is having a great season for the Warriors and has the capabilities of putting up big numbers on the ground. A couple of weeks ago, he rushed for more than 400 yards in a game against George Washington.
Who to watch for Greenbrier East: Cody Piner has played well for the Spartans all season and hopes to lead his team to the playoffs for the first time in a long time.
Class AA No. 4 Bluefield (8-1) at Woodrow Wilson (3-6)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last Week: Bluefield defeated James Monroe 48-0. Beckley edged George Washington 38-35
Why it’s Important: For Bluefield, trying to jump up to the number 2 in the class AA playoffs to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs. For Beckley, the Flying Eagles are the only team in Class AAA that has a losing record but can still make the playoffs with a win and then get some help.
Who to watch for Bluefield: The rushing attack of JJ Davis and Juice Edwards. Davis has led the team in rushing with 946 yards, while Edwards has rushed for 742 yards. Both are capable of taking it the distance on any touch. Quarterback Chandler Cooper brings balance to the Beavers, while Sean Martin is a pass-rushing specialist on defense.
Who to watch for Woodrow Wilson: Running back Micah Hancock rushed for 135 yards last week in the upset win over George Washington. If the game is close, Joseph Wells could be the difference as the junior kicker has hit three field goals this season with a long of 40 yards and also averages over 40 yards per punt.
CLASS AA
James Monroe (6-3) at Class AA No. 8 Point Pleasant (7-1)
Time: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: James Monroe lost to Bluefield 48-0. Point Pleasant fell to Spring Valley 58-34.
Why It’s Important: The Mavericks are sitting outside the top 16 in Class AA and a win over a top 10 team could put them in the playoffs. Point Pleasant is in the playoffs and a win would guarantee homefield advantage for at least the first round. A loss to James Monroe would put them on the road next week.
Who to watch for James Monroe: The offense will try to get back on track after being held to just 140 yards of offense last week against Bluefield.
Who to watch for Point Pleasant: Quarterback Cason Payne threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes to Josh Wamsley in last week’s loss.
CLASS A
No. 16 Fayetteville (5-4) at No. 13 Summers County (6-3)
Time: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last Week: Fayetteville lost to Mount View 42-6. Summers County defeated Richwood 54-6.
Why It’s Important: This is a winner-take-all game. Whichever team is victorious will be in the Class A playoffs. It also marks Fayetteville’s final regular season game in school history.
Who to watch for Fayetteville: Running back Jordan Dempsey who has led the team all year, will move to quarterback this week, a position where he started his career at FHS. Usual starting quarterback Logan Frantz was injured last week against Mount View.
Who to watch for Summers County: Both sides of the ball have excelled during the current six-game winning streak. The Bobcats are averaging close to 40 points per game and the defense is giving up just over 8 points per game during the winning streak.
Other games: Brooke (0-9) at Princeton (0-9); Oak Hill (6-3) at Westside (1-8); Wyoming East (2-7) at Liberty Raleigh (0-9); Roane County (3-6) at Midland Trail (9-0); Greenbrier West (2-7) at Mount View (8-1); Nicholas County (9-0) at Richwood (2-7); Van (8-1) at Sherman (8-1); Shady Spring (7-2) at Pocahontas County (5-4); Meadow Bridge (4-5) at Gilmer County (3-6)