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Mid-Ohio Valley Report: Week 5

— By Eric Little

With the relatively recent completion of the new Doddridge County High School along Route 50, Ritchie County High School and Doddridge County High School are separated by just 16 miles of four-lane, West Virginia highway, making this one of the area’s closest rivalries by proximity. It also highlights this week’s games.

CLASS A

No. 2 Ritchie County (3-0) at No.3 Doddridge County (3-0)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Last Week: Ritchie County will face a short week, as the Rebels come in off a 32-2 win over rival St. Marys last Friday. The Rebels forced four St. Marys turnovers in the contest. Doddridge County was off last week and is 3-0 following a 65-0 drubbing of Calhoun County in their last game on September 13.

Why It’s Important: This is another rivalry game for the Rebels, but is a matchup that hasn’t had stakes this high in a long time. Doddridge County runs the ball much better than St. Marys, with an attack led by Hunter America — one of the state’s most prolific backs. Both of these teams have a chance to go a long way in the Class A postseason, and a win would give the victor a much better path toward post-Thanksgiving football. 

Who to Watch for Ritchie County: Freshman quarterback Ethan Haught was able to get receiver Gus Morrison involved, as the Rebel wideout scored a TD on one of his two receptions. Garrett Owens led the rushing attack for Ritchie County, toting the rock 20 times for 160 yards and a pair of scores. On defense, Tre Moss returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown.

No. 7 St. Marys (2-1) at Calhoun County (1-3)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Last Week: St. Marys failed to score on offense in a 32-2 loss at Ritchie County. The Blue Devils were limited to just 103 rushing yards and 183 total yards of offense in the loss. Calhoun County has lost three straight, the latest coming by a 74-36 total to Tyler Consolidated. The Red Devils have allowed 186 points on defense in the three games following their season-opening 8-6 win against Wirt County.

Why It’s Important: St. Marys would like to get its confidence and it’s offense back on the right track after a 30-point loss to Ritchie County last week. Calhoun County would like to regain some of the optimism they had after their win over Wirt County in the season opener and would like to show the area they can play defense, too.

Who to Watch for St. Marys: Quarterback Brennan Boron will likely try to find top receiving target Lucas Lipscomb fairly early. Lipscomb caught a pair of passes for the Blue Devils in their loss to Ritchie County. St. Marys would also like to see someone step up in the running game. Ben Long was the answer in their season opener against Roane County, but hasn’t topped 100 rushing yards since.

Who to Watch for Calhoun County: Adam Parsons ran for three scores and Travis Richards ran for two scores in Calhoun’s 38-point loss to Tyler Consolidated last Friday. The two-headed monster shares the load in the Red Devil backfield and helped Calhoun rack up 459 total yards of offense last week — a total not often approached in a 38-point loss.

Gilmer County (1-2) at Parkersburg Catholic (2-2)

When: Saturday, 4 p.m.

Last Week: Parkersburg Catholic snapped a two-game losing skid with a 28-7 win over Wirt County. Gilmer County comes in off a bye week following a 27-2 loss on September 13, also to Wirt County.

Why It’s Important: Parkersburg Catholic is trying to survive a midseason stumble. With tough games ahead against 4-0 Frontier, Ohio and 3-1 Williamstown, the Crusaders need to pick up wins if a second straight playoff trip is to happen. Gilmer County won in their opener, but has been trying to recreate that magic ever since. 

Who to Watch for Parkersburg Catholic: Jeb Boice was crowned Homecoming King before Parkersburg Catholic’s game against Wirt County. He then ran for 310 yards and three scores for the Crusaders. Parkersburg Catholic’s game plan will dare Gilmer County to try and stop Boice.

Tyler Consolidated (1-2) at Wirt County (2-2) 

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Last Week: Tyler Consolidated rolled to a 74-6 win over Calhoun County — the first win of the season for the Silver Knights. According to FourSeasonsFootball.com, the 74 points are the highest single-game total in school history and the second-highest total ever scored by any Tyler County team. Only the 1986 Sistersville Tigers eclipsed that total in a 76-8 win on September 12th of that year. Wirt County fell 28-7 to Parkersburg Catholic, following back-to-back wins in the two weeks prior.

Why It’s Important: With expectations of being a playoff team, Tyler Consolidated needs to right the ship and get back above .500. Wirt County has a real chance to inflict a damaging blow on the Silver Knights’ hopes, while also boosting their own hopes for a winning season, as Jason Hickman’s team continues to build confidence. 

Who to Watch for Tyler Consolidated: Much is made of the rushing of Mark Rucker — the new career rushing leader in Tyler Consolidated history with 3,136 total rushing yards — and he had a stellar game against Calhoun County a week ago. Rucker ran just nine times for 108 yards, but scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. 

But Gage Huffman had a career-night for the Silver Knights against Calhoun County. Six of his 14 carries went for touchdowns as part of his 283-yard rushing night. Most impressive: five of the six touchdowns were scored in the second half and five of the six were on runs of 35 yards or greater, with half of his six touchdowns scored on runs of 50  yards or greater.

Who to Watch for Wirt County: Garrett Parsons ran for 95 yards and a touchdown in Wirt’s 28-7 setback to Parkersburg Catholic. Nathan Murray is a ballhawk on defense for the Tigers, with six interceptions already this season. 

No. 14 Buffalo (3-1) at No. 8 Williamstown (3-1)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Last Week: Williamstown rolled to a 44-0 win over Ravenswood. After their opening week 35-13 loss to defending state champion Wheeling Central, the Yellowjackets have allowed just seven points in three straight wins – two of them shutouts. Buffalo has also won three straight after a season-opening loss, with the latest coming by a 33-6 score last Friday at Sherman.

Why It’s Important: With a date looming next week against rival St. Marys, Williamstown wants to build wins and keep their momentum going. They also want to prove regional supremacy against a foe from the southern part of the state. Buffalo is trying to prove they can hang with the elite of Class A, and they realize a lot of the state will be looking at this matchup in an effort to determine the same thing.

Who to Watch for Williamstown: With Jarrett Frazier out with a leg injury, Williamstown relied on the arm and legs of quarterback Brayden Modesitt. He connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Mason Deem, while also running for a touchdown. The Yellowjackets also stepped up big on defense last week against Ravenswood. Williamstown’s D forced two fumbles, with Jacob Modesitt returning one for a touchdown. They also limited Ravenswood to just 68 total yards of offense.

CLASS AA

Braxton County (0-4) at Roane County (1-1)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Last Week: Roane County hasn’t completed a game since its 39-22 win against Lincoln County on September 6. The remainder of their game against Clay County was cancelled the following week, in light of the passing of Alex Miller after an on-field incident during that game. The Raiders had a bye week last week. 

Braxton County put up its highest point total of the season in a 34-28 loss to East Fairmont.

Why It’s Important: Football once again becomes a part of the healing process for the Raiders, on what’s sure to be an emotional night in Spencer, in the first Roane County football game since Miller’s death. On the field, the Raiders will try to build on a win in their last game, while Braxton County looks to build off their best offensive effort of the season as they search for their first win.

Who to Watch for Roane County: The senior class. The Raider players will look to them for leadership, comfort and guidance throughout the contest, as Roane County attempts to get through 48 minutes of football. These are uncharted waters and for some, just getting through the game will be an accomplishment, while for others, the return to a semblance of normalcy will be a welcome reprieve. 

CLASS AAA

Marietta, Ohio (3-1) at No. 11 Parkersburg (2-2)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Last Week: Parkersburg fell on the road to Capital, 35-13. The Big Reds have won both home games and lost both road games this season. Marietta defeated Ripley 21-14, with running back Chase Taylor scoring on a 65-yard touchdown run early in the 4th quarter to provide the difference-maker for the Tigers.

Why It’s Important: Parkersburg can go into their bye week, and finish their first half, with a 3-2 record with a win. Marietta has some momentum after a win over Ripley last week and would like to carry that into the back half of their schedule. A win at PHS would also be their signature win of the season.

Who to Watch for Parkersburg: Bryson Singer has settled into the role of starting quarterback for the Big Reds. Last week against Capital, he ran for both PHS scores as part of a 127-yard effort. This week, running back Anthony Craig is expected to make his first appearance of the season for Parkersburg, which should allow the Big Reds to get as close as they’ve ever been to what they’ve intended to look like on offense all season. 

John Marshall (1-3) at No. 3 Parkersburg South (4-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Last Week: Parkersburg South kept their record spotless as the Patriots rolled to a 55-18 win over Princeton. 55 points is South’s highest offensive point total of the season. The five takeaways created by the Patriot defense was also a season-high. John Marshall fell 35-6 to Bellaire, Ohio. The Monarchs have been held to a single touchdown in all but one of their four games thus far this season.

Why It’s Important: This game comes at the end of a three-game homestand for the Patriots and marks the end of the first half of their season. South is looking to go to 5-0 for the first time since their State Championship 2003 season. John Marshall plays three of their final five games at home and can get their season back on track with a win Friday.

Who to Watch for Parkersburg South: Brandon Penn has made a name for himself on both sides of the ball for the Patriots this season. Last week, he fired touchdown passes to four different receivers and ran for a fifth score on offense. On defense, Penn snagged two of the four interceptions the Patriots hawked away from the Princeton Tigers. Sam Schuler also intercepted a pair of passes for South, while Devin Gaines ran for two scores and 122 for the Patriots. 

Other games: Ripley (1-3) at Brooke (1-3); Paden City (1-3) at Hundred (1-3); Ravenswood (1-2) at Sherman (0-4); Federal Hocking, Ohio (1-3) at Wahama (1-3)





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