by Greg Carey and Joe Brocato
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Class AAA No. 1 Martinsburg reeled off its 29th consecutive victory Friday, cruising by Loudoun Valley (Va.) for a 62-12 win.
The Bulldogs got off to a slow start, with the Vikings returning the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and the early 6-0 lead.
But Martinsburg reeled off 62 unanswered points, starting with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Grant Harman to Jarrod Bowie.
A blocked punt in the end zone created Martinsburg’s second touchdown and the Bulldogs were well on their way to the lopsided win.
Dewayne Grantham rushed for one touchdown in each half of the victory, while Harman connected with Bowie for a 19-yard TD pass in the second quarter.
Spring Valley rolls by Wayne
Class AAA No. 3 Spring Valley had no difficulty defeating AA No. 5 Wayne, as the Timberwolves rolled to a 49-8 victory over the Pioneers.
Owen Chafin’s 63-yard touchdown run gave SV the early lead, and they continued to add to it until Wayne got on the board late.
Isaac Howard’s 3-yard TD run, along with an 87-yard touchdown pass from Nate Ellis to Graeson Malashevich, put the Timberwolves in front, 21-0.
Capital earns quality win at Johnson Central (Ky.)
The Class AAA No. 2 Cougars got a late interception from Breece Hoff to hold off Johnson Central (Ky.) for a 28-21 victory.
Kalai Clark’s 17-yard touchdown run with 1:29 remaining gave Capital the lead, before the Cougars sealed the win by forcing the late turnover.
Clark also scored on a 39-yard run in the third quarter, allowing the Cougars to pull even after they had faced a 14-7 halftime deficit.
The victory helped Capital avenge its season-opening loss to Johnson Central from a year ago.
Huntington knocks off Belfry (Ky.)
The Highlanders, No. 4 in Class AAA, held on for a 17-9 win in an out-of-state matchup.
Huntington got off to a strong start, building a 14-0 first-half lead on 1-yard touchdown runs by Bryce Damous and Ty Wilcoxon.
Stellar defense from the Highlanders allowed them to take that two-touchdown advantage into halftime, and although Belfry produced a long touchdown run early in the third quarter, that would be the only time they found the end zone in the nightcap of the Pike County Bowl.
Click Here for Greg Carey’s postgame recap of University-John Marshall
CLASS AA
Point Pleasant hands Mingo Central rare home loss
Class AA No. 6 Mingo Central’s 22-game regular season home win streak was halted by No. 4 Point Pleasant, 42-35 on Miner Mountain. Cason Payne scored on a 39-yard touchdown run with 2:37 to play to break a 35-35 tie and put the Big Blacks ahead for good.
Payne completed 14-of-20 passes for 136 yards and two scores while rushing for 229 yards and two more touchdowns. Josh Wamsley caught two touchdowns for Point Pleasant.
The Miners were led by new starting quarterback Darlin Goad. He completed 21-of-30 passes for 360 yards and a pair of scores. Goad also scored three rushing touchdowns. Devin Hatfield and Drew Hatfield teamed up for 17 receptions and 311 receiving yards.
The teams combined for 913 yards of offense.
Bridgeport wins 15th consecutive season opener
Jake Bowen rushed 17 times for 170 yards as Class AA No. 3 Bridgeport rolled past Lewis County, 45-17. Bowen scored three first-half touchdowns, before the Indians began to pull their starters early in the second half.
D’Andre Holloway scored on a 95-yard kickoff return for the Tribe. BHS outgained Lewis County, 260-28 in the first half.
Marshall Hobbs found the end zone twice for the Minutemen, scoring on runs of 72 and 37 yards.
Bluefield blows by Graham (Va.)
The second-ranked Beavers used a dominant first half to drub the G-Men, 38-14, in one of the nation’s longest high school football rivalries at Mitchell Stadium.
On the strength of three first-quarter touchdowns, the Beavers built a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Chandler Cooper threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Johnson to help build the early led the defending Class AA state champions would never relinquish.
Click Here for Joe Brocato’s highlights from Fairmont Senior-RCB
Class A
Magnolia blanks Sherman
With solid quarterback play and a dominant defensive effort, the Class A No. 9 Blue Eagles shut out the No. 5 Tide for a 24-0 win at home.
Magnolia QB Pat Mirandy threw first-half touchdown passes to Sebastian Stickler and Dakota Litton. Mirandy also made a 31-yard field goal and threw a second-half TD pass to Stickler.
America leads Doddridge County past South Harrison
Doddridge County junior running back Hunter America as the Class A No. 10 Bulldogs defeated No. 6 South Harrison 52-14 in Lost Creek. America rushed for 193 yards on 20 carries. He also added a 33-yard touchdown reception.
Senior quarterback Tanner Lett completed 6-of-8 passes for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Bulldogs led 42-14 at halftime in the matchup of ranked teams.
Click here for full statewide scores
(Photos courtesy of Wes Wilson & Chris Davis. Check back this weekend for galleries)