— By Fred Persinger II
GAMES TO WATCH
CLASS AAA
Greenbrier East (1-0) at Woodrow Wilson (0-1)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Spartans got off to a strong start with a 26-14 win over James Monroe. The Flying Eagles weren’t as fortunate and fell to Riverside, 38-8.
Why is it important: After the disappointing loss last week to Riverside, the Flying Eagles will try to bounce back against their biggest rival on the schedule. For Greenbrier East, a win over Beckley will set the Spartans up for another playoff appearance as they would be 2-0 with more wins likely to follow.
Who to watch for Greenbrier East: Running back Marion Lawson will carry the workload for the Spartans. Lawson rushed for over 100 yards last week and will now face a Beckley defense that gave up more than 500 yards rushing to Riverside.
Who to watch for Beckley: With the injuries sustained last week, sophomore quarterback Maddex McMillen will play an increased role. He threw the first touchdown pass of his career a week ago.
CLASS AA
No. 6 Nicholas County (1-0) at Shady Spring (1-0)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Grizzlies rolled by Oak Hill, 41-7. Shady Spring had its way with Lincoln County, 31-0.
Why is it important: A big Class AA matchup between that will be quite beneficial for the winning team because a surplus of playoff points will be on the line.
Who to watch for Nicholas County: Quarterback Timmy Baker, who in his first varsity start last week rushed 18 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns and also threw a TD pass.
Who to watch for Shady Spring: The defense played very well last week against Lincoln County. The Tigers finished with six interceptions, but the Grizzlies’ offense will pose a tough challenge.
CLASS AA VS. CLASS A
Oak Hill (0-1) at No. 3 Midland Trail (1-0)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week: The Red Devils were beaten soundly by Nicholas County, while the Patriots pulled out a 26-24 win over Independence.
Why is it important: Oak Hill, which now has players who came over from Fayetteville, is looking to bounce back. The Patriots, who have players from Valley Fayette, want to get to 2-0 with another win over a Class AA foe.
Who to watch for Oak Hill: Quarterback Cade Maynor threw a 68-yard pass to Braxton Hall for the only score for the Red Devils in their loss to Nicholas County. Khalil Gray and David Moore-Cosby recovered fumbles on defense.
Who to watch for Midland Trail: Senior running back Colton Yoder rushed for 223 yards on 24 carries, including 155 yards in the second half. Yoder also had the successful two-point conversion that proved to be big in a 26-24 win.
Other games: Class AA No. 1 Bluefield (1-0) at Princeton (0-0); Man (1-0) at Class A No. 5 Mount View (1-0); Van (0-1) at Liberty Raleigh (1-0); Independence (0-1) at PikeView (0-1); Westside (0-1) at Wyoming East (0-0); Sherman (0-1) at Tug Valley (0-1); Greenbrier West (1-0) at Summers County (1-0); Gilmer County (1-0) at Richwood (0-1); Moorefield (0-1) at Pocahontas County (1-0); Twin Valley, Va. (0-1) at Montcalm (0-1); Meadow Bridge (1-0) at Clay-Battelle (0-1)