— By Wes McKinney
CLASS AAA
No. 1 Martinsburg (13-0) vs. No. 2 Cabell Midland (13-0)
When: Saturday at noon
Last Week: Cabell Midland put together perhaps its most complete effort of the season as the Knights make a trip to Wheeling Island for the first time since 2012 with a 31-0 win over Spring Valley in the Class AAA Semifinals.
“I felt like we played a complete game in all three phases,” Cabell Midland head coach Luke Salmons said. “We made a few mistakes — early on offense. We were still able to drive the ball and control the line of scrimmage.
“Defense did really good, offense executed and special teams did a good job. As the game went on, we had a couple of pick sixes that really sealed the deal. It was a total team effort.”
The Knights used touchdowns runs from Jakob Caudill and Jackson Fetty in the third quarter to establish a 17-0 lead before interceptions for touchdowns from Palmer Riggio and J.J. Roberts pushed Cabell Midland to its first title game in seven years.
Martinsburg pulled away from Parkersburg South midway through the first half on its way to a fourth consecutive trip the Class AAA Championship game with a 77-20 win over the Patriots. It was also the 55th straight win for the Bulldogs.
Why It’s Important: It’s been seven years since Cabell Midland has played in the Class AAA Championship.
“They’ll be ready to play — we’ve been that way all year,” Salmons said. “This is a different group of kids — they are focused. We just have to have a good week of practice. We have to make sure the game isn’t too big for them. They know what’s at stake and they are excited about being there.”
While it’s been seven years since the Knights have made an appearance at Wheeling Island Stadium, the opponent hasn’t changed as Martinsburg defeated Cabell Midland, 38-14, in 2012.
“We need to enjoy the moment,” Salmons said. “This is what you work for all offseason, when you’re a kid when you’re younger is to play in the state championship. They’ll get that chance because of the work they have to put in throughout the whole course of the season.”
Who to Watch for Martinsburg: It is no secret the Bulldogs have athletes all over the field, but the offense is led quarterback Elijah Banks, who has helped Martinsburg average 77 points throughout three playoff victories.
“You just try to slow them down and play fundamentals, execute and tackle — you have to tackle in space — because they have good athletes,” Salmons said. “We understand who they are and we respect them. We know they’ve done a lot of good things.”
Some of Banks’ top targets at receiver include Jarod Bowie and Malaki Brown, who will put Cabell Midland’s pass defense to the test fresh off two scores in the last round.
“You have to block, you have to tackle, you have to play fundamental and you have to play at a high level to play for championships,” Salmons said. “It’s no different this week.”
Who to Watch for Cabell Midland: While Caudill and Roberts have been consistent throughout the season — leading the charge for the Knights — Fetty has stepped up the last two weeks to play a key role in two Cabell Midland playoff victories. It’s also other unsung guys that have helped CMHS get to this point.
“The offense and defensive lines have played well, but Fetty and kids like Zach McCoy have been dominant on both sides of the ball all year,” Salmons said.
Ultimately, it takes kids like Fetty, (Mason) Moran and others stepping up in their role to make a state championship caliber team.
“We have good players and people hear about them, but it takes those role players to really buy in,” he continued. “They don’t really care about being superstars. They want to do what it takes to be a championship caliber team.”