CLASS AAA
No. 16 Hurricane (5-5) at No. 1 Martinsburg (10-0)
When: Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Last week: Hurricane handled St. Albans 63-0. The Bulldogs had a bye week after locking up an unbeaten regular season. Martinsburg last played Oct. 27 when it cruised by previously unbeaten Musselman, 70-0.
Why it’s important: The Redskins were up and down throughout the regular season, but finished with back-to-back wins to qualify for the playoffs. The Bulldogs have won 38 straight games and are seeking a third consecutive Class AAA state championship.
Who to watch for Hurricane: When the Redskins are at their best, so usually is tailback Christian Hill. Hull rushed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 13 carries — all in the first half — during last week’s runaway win.
Who to watch for Martinsburg: The list goes on and on, but Jarod Bowie, Teddy Marshall and Chelo Teneval consistently deliver big plays in a passing game guided by quarterback/defensive back Grant Harman. Naieem Kearney keys the rushing attack, while QB Elijah Banks spells Harman at times and is a dual threat.
No. 15 Spring Mills (5-5) at No. 2 Spring Valley (10-0)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Cardinals played their way into the postseason with a 7-0 win at Hedgesville. The Timberwolves finished off an unbeaten regular season with a 28-16 win against Huntington.
Why it’s important: Most didn’t expect Spring Mills to be in this position, with the Cardinals winning three of their last four games to reach this point. They’ll have a tough task against an unbeaten team looking to get back to Wheeling following a trip slightly more than 350 miles.
Who to watch for Spring Mills: Quarterback Keon Padmore-Johnson will need quality protection to produce against a dominant defensive line.
Who to watch for Spring Valley: Graeson Malashevich has enjoyed as productive a season as any player in the state on both sides of the ball, while also being a major factor on special teams.
No. 13 John Marshall (6-4) at No. 4 Musselman (9-1)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Monarchs fell to Wheeling Park 35-7. The Applemen secured the No. 4 seed by taking care of Preston 70-7.
Why it’s important: John Marshall has been up-and-down throughout a regular season in which it battled key injuries. Now the Monarchs have a chance to upset Musselman, whose only loss is against Martinsburg.
Who to watch for John Marshall: To keep the ball away from the Applemen’s explosive offense, tailback Chas McCool and QB Jordan Wood will need strong performances.
Who to watch for Musselman: Quarterback Tre Beard and tailback Blake Hartman are the unquestioned leaders of a versatile offense.
No. 11 Hedgesville (6-4) at No. 6 Parkersburg South (7-3)
When: Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Last week: The Eagles were shutout in a 7-0 loss to Spring Mills. Parkersburg South was held without an offensive touchdown in a 28-10 loss to rival Parkersburg.
Why it’s important: On paper, this appears to be one of the more even first-round matchups in Class AAA. Hedgesville doesn’t lack talent or speed and is capable of of putting up points in bunches if it can get into a rhythm offensively. The Patriots want to prove last week was one bad game and not the team they are after bringing a six-game win streak into the contest vs. the Big Reds.
Who to watch for Hedgesville: Quarterback Owie Ash and explosive wide receiver Malakai Brown key an offense looking to get back on track following last week’s scoreless effort.
Who to watch for Parkersburg South: Tailback Nick Yoho is the focal point of an offense that will need a strong showing to get by the Eagles.
CLASS AA
No. 14 Frankfort (8-2) at No. 3 Bridgeport (9-1)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Falcons locked up a playoff berth by cruising by Hampshire 47-12. Bridgeport avoided a letdown with a 56-12 win against Lincoln.
Why it’s important: A rematch of the 2014 Class AA state championship, this first-round matchup features two teams that have combined for 17 wins.
Who to watch for Frankfort: Establishing the run against the Indians is a tough task, but for Frankfort to be successful, the combination of Dalton Pollock and Nick Marley needs to be effective on the ground.
Who to watch for Bridgeport: The Falcons’ hopes of pulling off an upset rest squarely on their ability to slow Bridgeport running back Jake Bowen, who became the school’s all-time leading rusher last week.
No. 13 Petersburg (7-2) at No. 4 Nicholas County (10-0)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Vikings won at East Hardy 36-18 to secure their first playoff berth since 1993. The Grizzlies took care of Richwood 41-0 to complete an unbeaten regular season.
Why it’s important: Petersburg is in the playoffs for only the second time in school history. To prolong their season, the Vikings will need to pull off an upset on the road against a team that wants to show its unbeaten mark is no fluke.
Who to watch for Petersburg: The duo of quarterback Jacob Hartman and wide receiver Tyce Wisnewski will be relied on to move the ball.
Who to watch for Nicholas County: Thanks in large part to quarterback Jared Sagraves and running back Jacob O’Dell, only four Class AA playoff teams topped Nicholas County’s regular season point total of 405.
No. 10 Wayne (8-2) at No. 7 Keyser (8-2)
When: Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Last week: The Pioneers dealt Poca its first loss with a dominant defensive effort that led to a 23-0 win. The Golden Tornado edged Mountain Ridge, Md., 35-34 in overtime to lock up a first-round home game.
Why it’s important: This matchup features two of Class AA’s premier programs and a pair of perennial playoff teams. Wayne has won eight straight since an 0-2 start, while Keyser has navigated its way through a difficult schedule to host a playoff game.
Who to watch for Wayne: Michael Bartram leads the Pioneers with 710 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while the defense has held four straight opponents to fewer than 160 yards of total offense.
Who to watch for Keyser: Quarterback Ryan Shoemaker is coming off a performance in which he rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Shoemaker also passed fof 58 yards while completing his final throw of the game on a faked point-after try that sealed the overtime win with a successful two-point conversion.
CLASS A
No. 15 Tucker County (6-4) at No. 2 Midland Trail (10-0)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Mountaion Lions fell to No. 15 with a 28-20 loss at Notre Dame. The Patriots improved to 10-0 with a 25-0 win over Roane County.
Why it’s important: The Mountain Lions have lost three straight and four of five and will need to get back to playing like the team that won each of its first five games to have a chance in this one. Midland Trail has legitimate aspirations of getting to Wheeling to play for a state championship, but can’t afford to take Tucker County lightly.
Who to watch for Tucker County: To hang around, Tucker will need quarterback Liam Hood and running back Cole Rapp to keep the chains moving and play keep-away from a team averaging nearly 33 points per game.
Who to watch for Midland Trail: Quarterback Austin Isaacs is one of the better signal callers in all of Class A, while a defense averaging allowing only 9.6 points per game could have its way against the Mountain Lions, who have 93 fewer points than the next lowest-scoring Class A playoff team.
No. 9 Magnolia (7-3) at No. 8 Pendleton County (8-2)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Blue Eagles beat previously unbeaten Wheeling Central 21-12. The Wildcats secured their first-ever home playoff game with a 44-8 victory at Berkeley Springs.
Why it’s important: What looks to be one of the more evenly-matched first-round games should have a top notch environment in Franklin.
Who to watch for Magnolia: Quarterback Pat Mirandy and tailback Jason Beisel are both big-play threats.
Who to watch for Pendleton County: Quarterback Kole Puffenberger is the driving force behind a team that’s won five straight, but the Wildcats’ defense has also allowed a mere 29 points over its last five games, including no more than eight in any of those contests.