By: Michael Minnich
Mineral Daily News Tribune
AAA No. 1 Martinsburg (4-0) at AAA No. 3 Morgantown (4-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
A series that has yielded some epic games — but all Martinsburg wins — in recent years continues at the top of the Eastern Panhandle slate.
Martinsburg won last year’s game, 17-16; two years ago, it was 30-26, Bulldogs; three, 28-21.
Last week, both teams tuned up with routine wins.
Martinsburg thumped Spring Mills, 69-7, as Isaac Brown scored the first three touchdowns and Tyson Bagent threw for four scores.
Martinsburg enters the week second in the WVSSAC computer rankings, which determine playoff seeding, while Morgantown is fifth.
Tygarts Valley (1-3) at A No. 2 East Hardy (3-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
East Hardy, who remained atop the SSAC rankings this week, cruised to a 37-3 win at Pocahontas County last week.
Tygarts Valley fell at Doddridge County, 38-14, last week, after picking up their first win against Paden City, 47-20.
East Hardy won last year’s game, 56-24.
A No. 7 South Harrison (3-0) at A No. 4 Moorefield (4-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Moorefield remained perfect with a 48-21 win at Tucker County last week.
The Yellowjackets, fourth in the SSAC rankings and just .17 points behind South Harrison for third, had a 432-174 advantage in total yards and received a sharp passing performance from Sloan Williams, who nailed nine of 12 passes for 136 yards and four scores.
Jacob Stickley (21 carries, 147 yards, one TD) and Varsey Bright (10 carries, 106 yards, two scores) paced the rushing attack, with all three of Bright’s receptions going for touchdowns covering 59 yards.
South Harrison comes off of a bye after an impressive 40-14 win at Grafton two weeks ago.
The two schools did not meet last year.
AA No. 6 Keyser (3-1) at Allegany, Md. (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
What might be the most pivotal game this season for the Keyser Golden Tornado tilted their way in the final five minutes at Weir last week.
With the score tied at 14, Brady Ours rushed for two scores and KHS forced turnovers on all of the Red Riders’ final three possessions in a 28-14 win.
Ours accounted for all four scores, passing to Reggie Redman and Camden White for the first two, and finished with 88 yards rushing on 16 carries and 123 yards passing, hitting seven of 11 throws.
The win moved Keyser from out of the playoff picture into a tie for ninth with Herbert Hoover and Sissonville in the SSAC rankings this week.
Allegany has flown out of the gates under interim head coach and former Shepherd standout Bryan Hansel, pitching 40-0 and 38-0 shutouts against local rivals Southern and Mountain Ridge, with a 39-12 win over a Chestnut Ridge (Pa.) team that beat Musselman easily in between.
The Campers likely haven’t forgotten their 42-0 loss at Keyser on Homecoming night last year, either, one of the most lopsided ever in the Cumberland area’s longest-running rivalry.
AAA No. 8 Weir (3-1) at Petersburg (2-1), Saturday, 4 p.m.
Having lost a close game to one eastern foe last week, Weir hopes to make amends in a rare Saturday afternoon kick this week at Petersburg.
Cody Enrietti was impressive in defeat for the Red Riders, rushing 31 times for 163 yards and a touchdown, while Domenick Murphy had 89 yards and the other TD.
Petersburg put up over 450 yards of offense in their 31-22 win over Southern Garrett last week, with a 75-yard passing TD from Jacob Hartman to Cody Southerly the highlight.
Weir is tied for 12th in the SSAC playoff rankings, while Petersburg is outside of the field of 16 at the moment in a tie for 20th.
The two schools did not meet last year.
Jefferson (1-2) at Sherando, Va. (1-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Jefferson got into the win column last week with a 40-34 result against Hedgesville, with Jeremy Beach’s 3-yard rushing TD with 1:25 to go the difference.
Beach turned 22 carries into 193 yards and two scores, while dual-threat quarterback Isaac Myers was plenty potent, finishing with 139 yards passing and 182 yards rushing.
Despite having a losing record and a 4.33 point total that would would put them 26th in AA and in a tie for 21st in A, the Cougars are currently in the 16th and final playoff spot in AAA.
Sherando has lost its three games by a combined 15 points, most recently a 35-28 defeat at the hands of Eastern View (Va.); their win was a 71-13 result against Washington the week before.
One of Jefferson’s two regular-season losses last year came here, 35-7.
Northern Garrett, Md. (3-0) at Frankfort (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Out of a 13-0 hole rose the Frankfort Falcons last week in a 35-21 win at Berkeley Springs, its second in a row after losing to Class A powers Moorefield and East Hardy to open the year.
Nate Strietbeck scored by rush and by reception as part of a 141-yard offensive day, while Dalton Pollock also cashed in the pigskin twice as part of a 77-yard day, while Noah Abe returned an interception for the other TD.
Frankfort still has climbing to do to get back in the playoff picture, entering the week in 24th.
A veteran Northern club thumped Clear Spring, 68-7, last week, and delivered a similar 52-6 beatdown to FHS last year.
James Wood, Va. (1-3) at Hedgesville (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Hedgesville trailed 21-0 early and 34-13 later against Jefferson last week, but scored on three possessions in a row to make it interesting at the end.
Jason Plotner caught fire during the rally, completing nine of 14 second-half passes for 216 yards for the Eagles, who are 15th in the SSAC rankings this week.
James Wood lost to Strasburg (Va.), 35-14 last week; they claimed a 28-0 win in this series last year.
Spring Mills (1-3) at Southern Garrett, Md. (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Spring Mills will look to rebound after last week’s 69-7 pounding at the hands of Martinsburg.
Kameron Cale’s late rushing TD accounted for the points for the Cardinals, who are tied for 19th in the AAA computer rankings.
Southern lost at Petersburg last week, 31-22.
Spring Mills took last year’s game, 64-0.
Berkeley Springs (1-2) at Williamsport, Md (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Berkeley Springs couldn’t make an early lead stick against Frankfort last week, falling 35-21.
Joshua Hartman had 97 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Michael Hovermale rushed for 86 yards and a score.
Williamsport lost to Liberty (Md.) by a 27-2 score last week.
Berkeley Springs earned their first win of the season last year in this series, 44-13.
Mountain Ridge, Md. (1-2) at Hampshire (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Hampshire had the week off last week after losing at Spring Mills, 41-21, while Mountain Ridge was blanked by county foe Allegany, 38-0, last Friday.
Mountain Ridge took last year’s game, 38-28.
OFF: AAA No. 8 Musselman (3-1) remained undefeated against in-state foes last week, thrashing Greenbrier East, 62-8. The Applemen, who are tied for sixth in the SSAC rankings, allowed only 29 yards and two first downs on defense in the first half, with Jacob Northcraft grabbing the offensive headlines with three scores and 206 yards.
Washington (0-4) has an extra week to prepare for Martinsburg after a 42-7 loss to Morgantown last week. Matthew Grant scored on a 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Gavin Mccubbin rushed for 76 yards for the night.