CLASS AAA
No. 6 South Charleston (9-2) at No. 3 University (10-1): Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Senior Michael Ramsey was all over the field for No. 3 seed University in a first round playoff win over Woodrow Wilson.
“I’ve been a head coach for 28 years and I’ve been involved in almost 50 playoff games and that was the single greatest performance I’ve seen out of anybody,” said UHS John Kelley. “That’s a level he took it to that I’ve not seen before. What a tremendous game he had with the plays he made, the hits, the tackles. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Ramsey scored the first touchdown of the game on a 44-yard run. He would make two more very big offensive plays to set up additional scores including a one-handed reception he cradled against the side of his helmet until he could control it. Ramsey had two interceptions on defense and a couple of big hits from his cornerback position as well. The Hawks beat Woodrow Wilson 28-6.
“We moved the football on the ground and took the air out of it because we could,” Kelley said. “We dominated time of possession by running the football. And we stopped the run on defense.”
The UHS defense held Woodrow Wilson to just 28 yards rushing as Flying Eagles’ quarterback Brent Osborne was playing on two injured ankles.
“We’re up against it now,” said Kelley. “We are down to the final eight and all of these teams left are very, very good. That’s the way it supposed to be. It’s supposed to be tougher every week.
“South Charleston reminds me a lot of Capital,” Kelley continued. “They’ve got it all. Tremendous speed, a little bit of size. Play makers all over the field.”
Quarterback Kentre Grier is the main concern.
“He’s a creator,” said Kelley. “You think you have them stopped and then he’ll keep the play going, get to the edge and just tear you up.”
Kelley is hoping his versatile offense can continue to move the ball against South Charleston.
“The (South Charleston defensive) scheme isn’t something you can point at and say it’s a 4/3 or a 4/4,” Kelley said. “But they do have speed and they fly to the football. I’ve watched them, though and they do give up yardage and points. They score points and they give some up. Scoring in the 40’s and 50’s is just a routine game for them.”
The Hawks’ defense continues to play well. The Woodrow Wilson game was the third time in the last five contests UHS has held its opponent to a single touchdown.
“We’ll have to adjust some this week,” said Kelley. “We are big up front defensively, but we’ll likely have to take some of those guys out and put in some quicker, athletic guys to deal with their speed. It’s the yards after the catch that is crucial for them. You have to catch up to them and then tackle well. That’s why they throw so much short stuff is to get their guys the ball in open space.
“They are smart, creative football team,” Kelley concluded.
CLASS AA
No. 8 Robert C. Byrd (9-2) at No. 1 Bridgeport (10-1): Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
A second round rematch is in store for these two rivals after Bridgeport won the regular season game over RCB 31-7 back on Sept. 19th. The Indians scored 31 unanswered points after the Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
It will be a matchup of schools just five miles apart and teams very familiar with one another.
“They will run their spread, shotgun formation,” Bridgeport coach Josh Nicewarner said. “They are a little more run oriented than they’ve been in recent seasons.
“We may have changed formations as well but they are still familiar with about 85-90 percent of the plays we run.”
For Robert C. Byrd, having two more months of experience will be key.
“I’d like to think we are a smarter football team than we were then,” said Eagles coach Bruce Carey. “We are more confident in the offense now. The offense was new then.”
Former RCB head coach Bryan Fisher has returned to the school as offensive coordinator following a stint in the college ranks at Fairmont State.
“We are certainly more focused,” Carey said. “But Bridgeport is really in a groove. They are really playing well and they are right were they are used to being winning in the playoffs.
“There is really nothing we can change,” Carey said. “We’ll play our defense and they’ll play theirs. We’ll run our offense and they’ll do what we do. It will come down to which team executes and which team gives the effort.”
Bridgeport has won five in a row in this series including a 2011 playoff win. Nicewarner is emphasizing taking another step in facing a rival with so much on the line.
“We have a goal in mind,” said the coach of the defending Class-AA state champs. “You want your kids to play with emotion but you don’t want their emotions to dictate how they play. The kids are excited for the opportunity and they are excited to face RCB. The most important thing is that they know they will be tested.”
CLASS A
No. 12 Bishop Donahue (9-2) at No. 4 Clay-Battelle (10-1): Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
The Cee-Bees are on to the second round of the playoffs for just the third time in school history after slugging it out with Greenbrier West last week in a 14-7 victory.
“We knew they had an advantage with their size and we were very physical with them,” said Clay-Battelle coach Ryan Wilson. “I’m very proud of our team in standing up to them.”
Wilson said he knew his team had a speed advantage on Greenbrier West and the Cee-Bees had success early throwing the ball down-field. Clay-Battelle scored on a 30 yard pass play from Jarret Hockenberry to Braden Barr and then on a 22-yard pass play from Hockenberry to Tanner Bragg. Hockenberry would finish with 228 yards passing and the two scores.
Now it’s on to a familiar opponent in Bishop Donahue. These teams play every year in the regular season with the Cee-Bees winning this year 33-28 back in week No. 3. Both quarterbacks have had outstanding seasons as Hockenberry returned last week from a knee injury.
Bishop Donahue’s Jesse Padlow has thrown for 2,056 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has rushed for 549 yards and eight touchdowns.
“It’s almost like looking in a mirror,” Wilson said. “We both have excellent quarterbacks and we are evenly matched in other areas as well. The game at the beginning of the year came right down to the wire. I expect it to be close again. It might come down to a turnover or who has the ball last.”
The Cee-Bees are having fun playing back to back home playoff games for the first time in school history.
“It was great walking down to our own locker room and walking out to our own field,” Wilson said. “We have the privilege of doing it again this week. I was talking with the parents of some of our players. The first ever playoff game in Clay-Battelle history was 30 years ago and they all still talk about that. Well, this playoff win against Greenbrier West will be another one that will go down as one of the all time great games as well.”