With the final week of the high school football regular season here and with 97 teams still with one regular season game remaining, one would think we are far from figuring out the top 16 teams that will make the playoffs in each class. Well, while it is true some playoff positioning is still in the works and some of the games this weekend will go a long way in determining the final list, there are a few spots that seemed to be locked in.
According to good friend John Simonson from WTOV-TV9, in Class AAA Huntington and Martinsburg have wrapped up the top two spots atop the rankings. The three time defending state champion Bulldogs of Martinsburg have at least the #2 spot locked down and could move into the top spot if Huntington stubs their toe this Friday night when they wrap up their regular season on the road at Winfield. If the current #1 ranked and undefeated Highlanders take care of business this weekend when they battle the 4-5 Generals then Huntington would finish at #1 and Martinsburg would stay at #2. The Bulldogs finished their regular season last week with a 48-12 win over Musselman. Martinsburg wrapped up the regular season schedule with a 9-1 record and their only loss came back on September 20th when they lost 35-34 on the road in Leesburg, Virginia to Tuscarora High School. The Tuscarora Huskies are currently 8-1 with a final regular season game this Friday night at Broad Run, Va. Also, unofficially there are a total of 11 teams that have clinched one of the 16 playoff spots in Class AAA. In addition to Huntington and Martinsburg, Point Pleasant, Capital, George Washington, University, Wheeling Park, Cabell Midland, Oak Hill, Morgantown and South Charleston are all in the field of 16. The five teams that control their own playoff hopes are Washington, Spring Valley, Lewis County, Hampshire and Logan. The schedule for those teams this weekend looks like this: Washington (6-3) entertains (5-4) Jefferson….Spring Valley (6-3) hosts (5-4) Hurricane…..Lewis County (7-2) has to travel to undefeated #4 Point Pleasant (9-0), while Hampshire (6-3) will visit Class AA #8 Frankfort (7-2). The final team in Class AAA that controls their own fate are the Wildcats of Logan who sit at (6-3) and will entertain Class AA Scott (3-6).
In Class AA, twelve teams have clinched playoff spots including Bluefield, Wayne, Bridgeport, Summers County, Wyoming East, Fairmont Senior, Sissonville, Frankford, Mingo Central, Keyser, Nicholas and Ritchie County. The four teams that control their playoff hopes are Roane County, Robert C. Byrd, Philip Barbour and Ravenswood. The schedule for those teams will find Roane County (7-2) at Class A #9 Williamstown (7-2)….Robert C. Byrd (6-3) entertaining Elkins (0-9)….and Ravenswood (5-4) hosting Class AAA rival Ripley (2-7) in a battle for the Hatchet and a playoff spot. Philip Barbour has finished their season at (6-4) and should have enough bonus spots to be safe.
In Class A, the playoff picture is a little clearer as ten teams have clinched playoff spots and there are eight teams vying for the remaining six playoff positions. Of the eight teams, five control their own fate while there are three more teams that remain mathmatically still in the hunt. The ten teams in are, Madonna, St. Marys, Valley-Fayette, Clay-Battelle, Man, Moorefield, Greenbrier West, Wahama, Williamstown and Meadow Bridge. The five teams that control their playoff lives are East Hardy, Tucker County, Notre Dame, Doddridge County and by virtue of their big win this past Saturday over Wheeling Central, Bishop Donahue. The other three teams that are still alive with work to do include Magnolia, Parkersburg Catholic and Wheeling Central. The schedule for the teams that control their playoff fate looks this way: East Hardy (7-2) is at Class AA Petersburg (3-6)…Tucker County (6-3) entertains Notre Dame (6-3)….Bishop Donahue (6-3) welcomes Tyler Consolidated (5-4). Doddridge County (7-2) will wrap up the regular season with a visit from #2 St. Marys (9-0). The other three teams in Class A still clinging onto hope and their opponents this weekend are Magnolia (5-4) hosting Oak Glen (0-9), Parkersburg Catholic (7-3) is finished and Wheeling Central Catholic will take on the Cardinals of Spring Mills (1-8) when the Maroon Knights visit the eastern panhandle this Saturday afternoon.
We will have all of the scores from all of the games this Friday night so be sure and join us on GAMENIGHT from 9:30 to Midnight. And, you can also follow all the scores at our website, plus the live audio and video screening, at wvmetronews.com.