By: Fred Persinger II
No. 7 (AAA) Greenbrier East (2-1) at No. 7 (AAA) Musselman (2-1)
Greenbrier East is off to another solid 2-1 start to the 2016 season. The Spartans are coming off a 33-7 win over Preston and find themselves in the top 10 in the first WVSSAC Class AAA rankings. In the win over Preston, Greenbrier East had two running backs go over the 100 yard mark as Billy Honaker rushed for 159 yards, 108 in the fourth quarter, and Jaylon Battaile rushed for 104 yards on 21 carries. The Spartans outgained the Knights 258 yards to 126 yards on the ground. Of those 126 yards for Preston, Brady Baker and Dakota Holt accounted for 113 of those yards. The defense for Greenbrier East stepped up as well, collecting three interceptions to help secure the win.
This week, Greenbrier East will travel north on I-81 to the eastern panhandle to battle the Musselman Applemen. Musselman is also 2-1 and ranked No. 7 in Class AAA. The Applemen are coming off an impressive 40-15 win over Jefferson.
The Applemen actually trailed 15-13 heading into the game’s final quarter. Latrell Warr rushed for over 130 yards and scored four total touchdowns in the win for the Applemen.
Musselman is averaging 41.3 points per game and has outscored its opponents 124-60. Kickoff from Inwood will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.
Independence (2-1) at Shady Spring (0-3)
Two long time Raleigh County rivals will battle Friday night at Shady Spring. Independence is coming off of a tough, 27-6 loss to Class AA No. 1 James Monroe. Independence could not overcome five turnovers in the game, including four fumbles. James Monroe’s defense held Independence running back Markus Guy to just 36 yards on eight attempts, but Noah Adams picked up the slack with 132 yards on 20 carries for the Patriots.
For Shady Spring, it has been a tough start after dropping back down to Class AA. Shady has been outscored 161-39 through three games and is coming off a 55-12 loss to Summers County. Shady Spring managed just 105 rushing yards last week on 21 carries. Quarterback Joseph Cantley was 16 for 34 passing for 125 yards. The Shady Spring defense gave up 195 yards rushing and 203 yards passing in the loss to Summers County. Kickoff on Friday night is set for 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 (Class A) Fayetteville (3-0) at Meadow Bridge (0-3)
Fayetteville is putting together a solid 2016 season as the Pirates are 3-0 and are coming off a 49-6 win over Richwood last week. Fayetteville quarterback Will Fenton was 9 of 13 passing for 177 yards in the game, while Jordan Dempsey rushed for 65 yards on 10 carries to lead the rushing attack.
Meadow Bridge, a mainstay in the Class A playoffs over the years, finds itself at 0-3 on the year. Last week, in a 45-12 loss to Midland Trail, running back Chris Simms led the way on the ground for the Wildcats, gaining 99 yards on 26 carries. Midland Trail’s Thomas Ferris collected 131 yards on 16 carries in the win. Kickoff on Friday between these two Fayette County rivals will be at 7:30 p.m.
Other Games:
Lincoln County (0-3) at Princeton (2-1)
Pikeview (0-3) at #1 (AA)James Monroe (2-0)
#2 (A) Summers County (2-0) at Wyoming East (0-3)
#13 (AA) Roane County (3-0) at #10 (AA) Nicholas County (3-0)
Valley-Fayette (0-3) at Clay County (0-2)
Bluefield (0-3) at Gate City, Va.
Oak Hill (0-2) at Wayne (0-2)
#1 (A) East Hardy (2-0) at Pocahontas County (1-2)
#5 (A) Buffalo (3-0) at Greenbrier West (0-2)
#7 (A) Sherman (3-0) at #11 (A) Gilmer County (3-0)
Richwood (0-3) at Midland Trail (2-1)
Phelps, Ky. at Montcalm (1-2)
Beckley Woodrow Wilson – Idle this week
Liberty Raleigh – Idle this week
Mingo Central – Idle this week
Mount View – Idle this week