By Shawn Rine – The Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register for WVMetroNews.com
Shadyside, Ohio at Wheeling Central
WHEELING – Things have gotten interesting for Wheeling Central (2-3). At 21 in the latest WVSSAC ratings, the Maroon Knights are going to have to pick up the pace, beginning at 7 on Friday night at Bishop Schmitt Field on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University.
Coach Mike Young understands the ramifications of another loss, but stopped short of calling this one a must-win game.
“Every game is a big game so I never want to say a game is a must-win,” Young said. “That is putting undue pressure on them because what if you lose? What do you tell them for the rest of the season?
“We know we are going to go out on Friday and play as hard as we can. Last week, we played hard – didn’t play well at times, but a lot of that was because of Linsly. We got knocked down and we are going to get back up and play Shadyside.”
Shadyside (5-1) is certainly no slouch. Coming off a 39-28 victory against rival River in a game in which they trailed 21-0, the Tigers are ranked No. 5 in Ohio Division VI, Region 23.
“That showed a lot of resiliency,” Shadyside coach Mark Holenka said. “I was really proud of the way they responded. It was well-deserving and they didn’t give up.
“What I need to find out is, are we more of that first-half team or that second-half team?”
Wheeling Central fell behind one of its top rivals, Linsly, but rallied. Eventually they fell by a 21-13 score even though they had the ball late with a chance to tie. The Maroon Knights’ three losses have come to teams with a combined 15-3 record.
“They are a typical Central team. They may only have two wins, but if they went back and played each of those games, I think they could win them,” Holenka said. “It is hard to stop teams that are explosive so you have to score when you have the football.
“We have to capitalize on on our possessions and that is something we didn’t do in the loss to Meadowbrook.”
Young’s squad is led by quarterback Curtis McGhee III, as well as tailback Dawson Wear and do-everything Bray Price. Adam Murray and Vinny Mangino lead a punishing defense.
Shadyside would like to control the clock and it has just the running backs to do that in Connor Banco and Alex Krupa.
Krupa leads the way with 111.5 yards per game and nine touchdowns. Banco averages 94.7 yards per game and has 12 scores. Quarterback Anthony Coggins has passed for 833 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
“They are very disciplined and run a lot of multiple sets,” Young said. “They have big backs that run hard and a quarterback that throws it pretty good.
“Defensively, they get to the ball.”
Each coach looks forward to this rivalry game on a yearly basis. Central won last season’s contest, 27-12.
“It is a healthy rivalry and both staffs and players really enjoy playing each other,” Holenka said. “There is a lot of respect. Fans respect that we play and don’t run away from each other. There are times where we have lost and their fans congratulated us.”
Young echos agreed.
“There is a lot of great tradition between the two teams, with us in West Virginia and them in Ohio,” Young said. “We have been each otherás nemesis in the past and there has been great football games played between Wheeling Central and Shadyside.
“Our coaches coached against them in the all-star game a few years ago. I always look forward to it and I know Mark does, too. I can’t wait until we get under the Friday night lights.”
Wheeling Park at Morgantown
MORGANTOWN – For the first time in a decade, Coach Chris Daugherty and Wheeling Park are staring at the possibility of missing out on the postseason festivities. Coach Matt Lacy and Morgantown have played have played a brutal schedule and their position is also perilous.
The Patriots (3-3) and No. 16 in the Class AAA ratings, travel to Pony Lewis Field to battle the Mohigans (3-3) on Friday night.
Wheeling Park is coming off a 43-36 loss to Parkersburg in a game it led at one point in the first half, 36-14.
“That was a game that we felt going in we could win, and we felt going into the half that we were going to win,” Patriots coach Chris Daugherty said. “But we are going to do our best to get some things fixed. We have had great defense at Wheeling Park the last five seasons and we will go back to the drawing board and work on the minor changes we need to make to get back there.
“There are some young kids playing, and you will make some mistakes, but we just cannot give up the amount of points we have been giving up. There also has got to be some adjustments on special teams, it’s not just the defense.
“We came out of the half with the lead last week, put together a drive that took nearly seven minutes, but turned the ball over and didn’t score. Then they end up scoring two plays later. That was a huge turnaround in the game and it kind of snowballed on us from there.”
The Patriots have alternated wins and losses all season long, and have allowed at least 35 points in each of their three defeats.
As for Morgantown, it has won the games it should and lost the ones it has played against some strong competition. The teamás three losses have come to Pennsylvania power North Allegheny (4-2), Ohio power Steubenville (6-0) and defending West Virginia Class AAA state champion Martinsburg (6-0).
Against those three teams the Mohigans have scored 13 points, while putting up 105 in three victories, including last week’s impressive 39-29 triumph over previously unbeaten Musselman.
“That was a big win for us last week,” Lacy said. “We sat the kids down last Monday and told them that we were 2-3, and that wasn’t what we wanted, but that there were also a lot of playoff points ahead of us with our schedule if we could play well and by no means were we out of the mix.
“Then we went out, got up two touchdowns, and while we let them back in, the kids responded and we got a win. We fumbled twice, but the defense was able to hold them on downs which was huge for us.”
After racking up a school-record 695 yards a week earlier, things started the same for Wheeling Park last week. Senior quarterback Cross Wilkinson, a Toledo recruit, threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times, after throwing just three the first five games of the season.
Wilkinson’s numbers have been off the charts, completing 89 of 143 passes for 1,410 yards and 13 touchdowns.
There is also the two-headed running back monster of Donnie Evans (590-8 tds) and Rennie Clark (585-5), who have combined for over 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Senior Nate Phillips has turned into one of the premier receivers in the Ohio Valley and has hauled in 35 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns, including eight for 117 last week. Meanwhile, Jack Stakem has 22 catches for 347 and five more scores, including three for 116 and two touchdowns against the Big Reds.
“Wheeling Park is a very good football team,” Lacy said. “You hear all the talk about Cross, and it is all true. He does everything they need him to do and can put the ball on the numbers and outside the numbers as well as anyone.
“And no matter where he throws the ball, if it is even in the vicinity, Phillips seems to track it down and go get it. They also have two very elusive running backs that you have to be aware of.”
Other Games
John Marshall at Warren, Ohio
Fairmont Senior at Weir
Crestview, Ohio at Magnolia
Clay-Battelle at Paden City
Tyler Consolidated at Ritchie County
Hundred at Valley
Oak Glen at East Liverpool, Ohio
Cameron at Conotton Valley, Ohio
Parkersburg South at Brooke
Linsly at Western Reserve Academy