Bridgeport (8-1) at Preston (5-4)
Preston fell flat in a game last week against a Buckhannon team that could have resulted in the Knights making the playoffs. Preston turned the ball over four times during a stretch of five possessions in the first half. Now the Knights playoff hopes hinge on upsetting defending Class AA champ Bridgeport.
Bridgeport looks to take an eight game winning streak into the postseason. The Indians beat Fairmont Senior 42-7 last week. Bridgeport continues to have the top ranked defense in Class AA. The Indians had a season high 431 rushing yards in the Fairmont Senior win.
Bridgeport won last year’s game with Preston 64-14. It was the first meeting between the two schools since 2007.
Clay-Battelle (8-1) at Madonna (2-7)
The Cee-Bees look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, playing without injured quarterback Jarret Hockenberry and top running back Jacoby Steele. Clay-Battelle lost on the road at Notre Dame 36-18. The Cee-Bees had problems with turnovers and with stopping the run.
Santino Cava rushed for 263 yards and the Cee-Bees turned the ball over five times. Clay-Battelle can still take momentum into the playoffs with a road win at Madonna. The Cee-Bees are guaranteed the first home playoff game at their school win or lose this week.
There will be a new state champion in Class A as defending champ Madonna has struggled with a young team. The Blue Dons have dropped five in a row heading into the final game of the regular season.
In the series, Madonna has won two straight and six of the last seven. The last win for Clay-Battelle over Madonna came back in 2011, the Cee-Bees winning 33-6.
Tucker County (4-5) at Notre Dame (7-2)
The Irish are streaking having won seven in a row. The Irish will close the regular season with a fifth consecutive home game as they are hoping to host a first round playoff game as well. Notre Dame has won its previous four home contests by an average score of 38-16.
The Irish handed Clay-Battelle its first loss of the season last week as the Irish rolled up 357 yards of offense while forcing five turnovers on defense. Notre Dame will have back-to-back playoff seasons for the first time since ’06-’07.
Tucker County looks to finish strong as it has won two of its last three games. These teams have met in each of the last two years, splitting a pair of high scoring games. Notre Dame won 46-34 last year. Tucker County won 69-35 back in 2012.
Lewis County (7-2) at Shady Spring (2-7)
The Lewis County defense earned its third shutout of the season last week as the Minutemen won at Elkins 42-0. Lewis County has allowed one touchdown or less in six of its nine games so far this year. Lewis County is in the hunt to host a playoff game as it will be in the post season for the third year in a row and for the fifth time in the last six years.
Shady Spring has lost four in a row.
East Fairmont (3-6) at Fairmont Senior (6-3)
A playoff berth is on the line for the Polar Bears who had a four game winning streak snapped in a 42-7 loss to Bridgeport last week. Fairmont Senior is trying to make its way into the playoffs for the second straight season following a two year absence.
The Polar Bears have won five in a row in this cross town series. East last won the game 30-7 back in 2008.
East Fairmont earned its third win of the season last week beating Philip Barbour 21-7 on the road.
Philip Barbour (1-8) at Robert C. Byrd (7-2)
RCB has won five in a row after a 21-0 win over Elkins last week. The shutout for the Eagles was their third in four games. The Eagles have allowed a total of four touchdowns during this five game win streak.
Elkins (3-6) at Buckhannon-Upshur (6-3)
Buckhannon took a huge step toward a playoff berth with a 44-14 win at Preston last week. Junior Chase Lewellyn was one of the standouts. Lewellyn recovered two fumbles on defense including one that he returned 46 yards for a score. He had a 37-yard touchdown run and a 22-yard touchdown reception. The Buccaneers defense forced five turnovers and stopped Preston inside the 30 yard line on two other occasions.
Buckhannon has its most wins in a season since it went 9-2 back in 2005. That was also the last time the Bucs had a winning season and the last time they made the playoffs.
Elkins has been shutout in back to back losses to playoff teams Lewis County and Robert C. Byrd. The Tigers had a two game winning streak prior to that.
Buckhannon has won six of the last seven in this series. The Buccaneers won 50-28 last year. Preston did earn a 39-26 win back in 2012.
Grafton (5-4) at Ritchie County (3-6)
Grafton needs a win and some help to secure its first playoff spot since 2011. The Bearcats have bounced back nicely from a winless season last year. Nate Moses had five touchdowns in a victory over North Marion last week. Grafton has scored 104 points in its last two games. Ritchie County has lost five in a row.
South Harrison (5-4) at Wirt County (1-8)
South Harrison kept its playoff hopes alive with a come back win at Paden City last week. The Hawks fell behind early, but would get touchdowns from Chase Jenkins and Austin Barker. A win would secure the first winning season for South Harrison since 2009. The Hawks are trying to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2006.