Week number one of the 2022 H. S. Football season had just about everything as the season opened with a record number of games played on Thursday (9), 48 games contested on Friday night and for the first time in memory, we had no games played on Saturday night! Week #1 also saw 14 new head coaches get in on the action as they were scattered across the state; plus, in several areas across West Virginia, we had a lot of rain with many games delayed because of lightning in and around the football stadiums! In those games where new head coaches were roaming the sidelines, we had four of them pick up wins, while the other 10 started the season 0-1. (Stat courtesy of GAMENIGHT video producer Taylor Kennedy). Did we have any surprises? In week #1, I personally think it is tough to say a team played poorly and was “upset”…..I often save my comments concerning wins and losses to week #2! However, if you want to use the word “surprised”, then I guess we did indeed have a few surprises in week #1!
In Class AAA, for the most part, your powers that be all survived the nerves and jitters of playing in that opening game. If there were any surprises, they were small! George Washington slipped by Cabell Midland 28-21 and a lot of folks were “surprised” by that score, however if you look at the overall talent Head Coach Steve Edwards, Jr. returned from last season, expect the Patriots to be good this season. They have a big test this weekend as Ashland Paul Blazer comes to town! Another great game from this past Friday night saw pre-season power Huntington fall on the road at Spring Valley, losing 29-28 when a 33 yard field goal attempt sailed left and miss the uprights!
In Class AA, I guess the biggest surprise found the Scott Skyhawks going on the road and knocking off Herbert Hoover 34-19. Also in Class AA, the Oak Hill Red Devils survived one of those long weather delays and outscored the Nicholas County Grizzlies 17-7 at Memorial Stadium in Summersville. And, how about the Nitro Wildcats? Head Coach James (Boom) McKinney led his Kanawha County Wildcats on the road and came away with 27-26 big win over the Poca Dots!
In Class A, the one real surprise took place in Sistersville as home standing Tyler Consolidated shut out last year’s Class A State Champion Ritchie County 41-0! Things don’t get any easier this week for the Rebels as they will take the bus south west to Mason, WV where they will battle the undefeated White Falcons of Wahama. Last Friday night, Wahama defeated Racine Southern from Ohio 53-0!
In other games of interest this weekend, in Class AAA the (1-0) Bridgeport Indians travel to Morgantown to battle the (1-0) Mohigans – Musselman (1-0) will meet up in the eastern panhandle with Martinsburg, the Bulldogs are (1-0). Also in AAA, University (1-0) will face a tough test and long drive as the Hawks board the bus to head to Wood County where they will battle the undefeated Patriots of Parkersburg South!
In Class AA, some of the outstanding games this week will feature Class AAA Princeton (1-0) making the short trip to Mitchell Stadium to take on the (0-1) Beavers of Bluefield – while, Fairmont Senior, last year’s Class AA State Champs will have their hands full as the Cadets of Linsly from Wheeling invade East-West Stadium.
Don’t forget to join Dave Jecklin and me this Friday night for GAMENIGHT……the show can be heard on 48 great radio stations around the state and we stream the live video and audio of the program @www.wvmetronews.com.