POCA, W.Va. — Entering the seventh week of high school football season, 12 teams remain that have yet to suffer a loss.
Half of those 12 are in Class AA, including Poca, which was also unbeaten at this time a year ago.
The Dots, No. 4 in last week’s WVSSAC playoff ratings, are coming off a 69-24 dismantling of No. 10 Sissonville to improve to 6-0.
The lopsided win followed a 21-14 victory at Mingo Central that is Poca’s only close call to date this season.
“It’s good to be able to put things in perspective, put things behind you and move on to be ready to play that week,” Poca head coach Seth Ramsey said.
A year ago, the Dots won each of their first nine games, but star tailback Ethan Payne suffered a season-altering hip injury that slowed Poca down late in the year.
After a narrow win over Herbert Hoover allowed the team to improve to 9-0 in 2018, Poca was shutout in its regular season finale against Wayne and soundly beaten by Weir in the opening round of the postseason.
But Payne, who earned first-team all-state honors last season, was only a sophomore then. He’s piling up eye-opening numbers on a team that has outscored the opposition, 308-81, over its first six games.
All Payne has done is rush for 1,433 yards and 24 touchdowns, putting him squarely in the discussion for the Kennedy Award.
Running behind an offensive line starting a pair of seniors and a trio of sophomores, the 205-pound Payne has used his mixture of power, speed and vision to haunt opposing defenses.
The next test for Payne and his teammates comes Friday when the Dots welcome No. 10 Winfield, a team with four straight wins since losing its season opener to Hurricane.
“Winfield is a really good ball club and they’re coming off a bye,” Ramsey said. “We’re going to get their best so we have to make sure we’re ready to play and bring our ‘A’ game.”
But the Generals will have their work cut out to slow an offense that’s surpassed 60 points in three games and scored at least 40 in five.
In addition to the stellar running game, the Dots have gotten quality play from quarterback Jay Cook. Cook, a junior, is a plenty good enough passing threat that makes it tough for defenses to stack the box against Payne.
Payne also isn’t the only player in his family Winfield will have to contend with. Younger brother Toby Payne, a sophomore, is coming off a performance in which he caught three touchdowns, intercepted two passes — one of which he ran one back for a score — and recovered a fumble.
While the Dots’ defense may not get the praise the team’s offense does, a large chunk of the 81 points the team has allowed have come against reserves, including three Nitro touchdowns in the season opener.
Holding the Miners to 14 points was a statement performance as the Dots managed to contain one of the state’s most feared passing attacks.
“Defensively, we’ve made big plays and we’ve limited big plays,” Ramsey said. “(Against Sissonville) our guys got lined up right and just played. I’m really proud of the second, third and fourth quarters that we put together.”
Following the matchup with Winfield, Poca’s last three games are against Scott, Herbert Hoover and Wayne — teams currently with a combined record of 3-13.
While staying in the moment has been a strong suit for the Dots, those around the program are well aware an unbeaten regular season is within reach.
“You have to stay in the now,” Ramsey said. “You can’t be looking in the past and can’t be looking ahead at the future. You just have to stay in the now and do it one week at a time.”