No. 16 Elkins (5-3) at No. 1 Sissonville (5-0)
Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Best Wins: Sissonville has two candidates. The 28-21 win against AA playoff qualifier Herbert Hoover, but the 60-47 shootout against AAA Greenbrier East (5-4) was rife with bonus points. For Elkins, the 39-34 edging of playoff qualifier Tygarts Valley was a good win, but the 42-8 outburst on the road at Nicholas County last weekend was a good precursor to the postseason.
Worst Loss: For Sissonville? None obviously, not unless you count the lengthy delay to its season as it resides in Kanawha County. The Tigers have three losses, but all three were to playoff participants in North Marion, Robert C. Byrd, and Fairmont Senior. Elkins wasn’t embarrassed in either, so the Tigers should be battle tested.
Players to Watch: Elkins has a balanced rushing attack led by quarterback Rodney Vandevender (582 yards, 12 TDs) along with backs T.J. Guire (557 and 5) and Dante Ramirez (477 and 7). Vandevender has throw for 442 yards but Elkins prefers to attach with its ground game. The running of Dylan Griffith paces the Indians. He’s accounted for 920 yards and 13 TDs whilst quarterback Jackson Foster is a threat to run or pass (444 rushing/820 passing with nine TDs)
Outlook: Elkins has made the playoffs only five times in school history, the last coming in 2012. It has yet to win a game. That likely won’t change here, but this isn’t your normal Tigers’ team. It’s played some tough games and fought hard in defeat. Sissonville employs a few more weapons and a bit more diversity on offense, but this will be closer than many are likely thinking.
Prediction: Sissonville 28-13
No. 15 Clay County (7-2) at No. 2 Bluefield (5-1)
Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Best Wins: Clay County’s 35-3 win against Class AAA Hedgesville stands out in a myriad of victories against teams with losing records. Bluefield beat Princeton twice and you could pick either of those. However, following the surprising road loss to Parkersburg, coach Fred Simon’s club bounced back with a 35-9 win against Oak Hill.
Worst Loss: For Clay? You could pick either of Clay’s two losses, 33-0 to Liberty (R) or 36-0 to Braxton County. For Bluefield? Only one option, though the Beavers likely didn’t expect to have the poor offensive showing they displayed in the 29-8 loss at Parkersburg. The Big Reds’ defense had much to do with that.
Players to Watch: Grant Krajeski’s 1,698 yards and 19 touchdowns through the air leads the Panthers’ offense while back Elijah Payton provides a nice complement with 818 yards rushing. Bluefield’s Carson Deeb can light up opposing defenses with a live arm and ample weapons. He’s thrown for 1,443 yards on 87-141 passing with 14 touchdowns.
Outlook: It doesn’t bode well for the Panthers that they failed to score against both playoff teams they faced. Bluefield has faced a tougher schedule, faired better doing it and every starter on this team has playoff experience. Last time Clay made the postseason was a first-round exit in 2012.
Prediction: Bluefield 35-0
No. 14 Independence (5-2) at No. 3 Frankfort (7-1)
Sunday, Nov. 15 at 5:00 p.m. *
Best Wins: Independence’s dismantling of Class AAA Lincoln County (4-4) in the finale, 62-8, stands out for the Patriots. Frankort’s got a few big wins on its schedule, but none more than holding high-flying Spring Mills to 19 points in a 20-19 triumph.
Worst Loss: For Independence? The Pats were 3-0 before a humbling 50-24 loss to Petersburg. For Frankfort? The Falcons have one, narrow loss to AAA playoff participant Washington (20-19).
Players to Watch: Independence’s backfield boasts one of the top Kennedy Award candidates in Atticus Goodson. He’s logged 1,506 yards and 24 touchdowns through seven games. Frankfort is comparable to Bridgeport in that the Falcons predicate everything the football. Cole Hiett and Peyton Clark lead the way in Frankfort’s Wing-T attack.
Outlook: Frankfort’s defense has shown the ability to stop or at least limit some of the state’s top offensive talent. The Falcons methodical offensive attack amasses large amounts of yardage and game clock with equaling levels of success. That should spell trouble for Goodson and the Patriots, who may not get many cracks at the Falcons defense.
Prediction: Frankfort 27-14
No. 13 Herbert Hoover (5-2) at No. 4 Liberty Raleigh (6-0)
Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Best Wins: Hoover has a couple nice wins this season, led by the 31-14 win against Doddridge County. Doddridge is Class A, but that defense is nasty, so to put up 31 against it is impressive. Liberty, likewise, has a few quality wins against playoff participants like Clay, Braxton County, and Independence, which it beat 36-26 during the first week of October.
Worst Loss: For Herbert Hoover? The Huskies easily could be unbeaten having lost both games by a combined nine points. However, a two-point road loss to Class A Moorefield hurts a little more. For Liberty? Zero, zilch, nada. The Raiders are undefeated. The lone downside is they have played one game in the last five weeks and may be rusty. Hoover hasn’t had a week off since Oct. 2.
Players to Watch: The Huskies implement a balanced attack with the passing of Nick Grayam (882 yards, seven TDs) and the rushing of Hunter Bartley (703 yards, nine TDs). Ryan Simms leads a diverse ground game for Liberty with 568 yards and eight TDs while Isaac Atkins has thrown for 838 yards and 11 TDs.
Outlook: This could be a better than usual 13 v. 4 matchup. Hoover is a few plays away from being unbeaten though Liberty has a few better victories. Neither team has a great postseason record. Liberty has made the postseason multiple times without a loss since 2000. Hoover last won in 2016 and you have to go back to 1994 for the last time the Huskies got out of the second round.
Prediction: Liberty 14-13
No. 12 Point Pleasant (4-2) at No. 5 Oak Glen (6-1)
Saturday, Nov. 14 at 4:00 p.m.
Best Wins: After starting the season 1-2, Point turned things around with three straight wins, starting with a 38-28 triumph against Keyser. Speaking of the Golden Tornado, that was also Oak Glen’s best win in a 35-12 week three triumph that wasn’t that close.
Worst Loss: For Point? It has two losses, and an argument could be made for the loss to Bluefield but that was at Mitchell Stadium. The Big Blacks opened the season at home and lost to Oak Glen, 36-13. Their season could start and end with the same team. The Golden Bears lone defeat came against Wheeling Park on the Island. Star Hunter Patterson was 100 percent but it likely wouldn’t have mattered. Park owned the field in a 28-14 win.
Players to Watch: Point’s Hunter Bush has thrown for 1,067 yards and seven scores through six games. Oak Glen’s Patterson is one of the top offensive talents in the state and a legitimate threat to score every time he touches the ball. He’s joined by quarterback Nick Chaney, who has 1,274 yards and 13 TDs against two picks.
Outlook: Point showed resilience following the Bluefield loss and beat Keyser and Man in back-to-back weeks. Oak Glen took out its frustrations of not playing for two weeks on Philip Barbour in a 49-7 blowout that saw nearly 30 different Golden Bears carry the football. Oak Glen is on a mission.
Prediction: Oak Glen 42-13.
No. 11 Braxton County (6-2) at No. 6 Fairmont Senior (7-2)
Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Best Wins: Braxton saved its best win for last, shutting out playoff participant Clay County 36-0 in the regular season finale. Fairmont has some big wins, but none are more impressive than the 27-18 home upset of Spring Valley.
Worst Loss: For Braxton? Its forfeit loss to Lewis County. No offense to the Minutemen, but if that games played, the Eagles are sitting 7-1 and not having to face the Polar Bears in the opening round. Fairmont’s two losses came against two of the state’s best in Bridgeport and Musselman, though the 42-21 loss to the Applemen was a bit less competitive.
Players to Watch: Braxton County QB Jett Cogar has turned fine season, throwing for 1,208 yards and 15 touchdowns. Fairmont Senior has none other than Gage Michael, a multi-year, multi-faceted Kennedy Candidate. He’s equally dangerous with his arm or legs.
Outlook: Fairmont’s faced, and defeated, better competition and has one of the top playmakers, not only in AA, but in West Virginia. He’s a Division I recruit for a reason. Michael and company will be too much for the Eagles.
Prediction: Fairmont Senior 35-21
No. 10 North Marion (6-3) at No. 7 Keyser (7-2)
Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3:00 p.m. *
Best Wins: North Marion’s 33-15 win against Elkins was its lone victory against a playoff participant. Keyser has some big wins against AAA playoff participants, two in fact. But that 56-21 ‘W’ against John Marshall stands out, not only for the offensive barrage, but the Golden Tornado’s ability to curtail John Marshall’s Dalton Flowers.
Worst Loss: For North Marion? It has three losses to AA qualifiers, but the 30-17 loss to Robert C. Byrd is a game the Huskies likely felt they could win before kickoff. For Keyser? That early-season loss to Oak Glen was tough. The game was effectively over by halftime as Patterson had his way with the Keyser defense.
Players to Watch: North Marion’s Tariq Miller is a stud receiver who can take it to the house with any reception. Keyser’s ground attack is led by Drae Allen, a punishing runner with good speed. Quarterback Logan Root is also capable of making plays with both his arm and leg.
Outlook: Keyser has looked good the last few weeks and has better quality wins than North Marion. Look for the Golden Tornado to do what they do best, ground clock and yardage by running the football and keeping Miller and company on the sideline.
Prediction: Keyser 34-20
No. 9 Poca (6-1) at No. 8 Robert C. Byrd (7-2)
Sunday, Nov. 15 at 5:00 p.m. *
Best Wins: Poca’s best win was against Class A champion Wheeling Central, 34-6, to start the season. The Dots had to milk that win for a bit as COVID kept Poca from playing four out of the first five weeks. Robert C. Byrd’s 30-17 win against North Marion was a nice springboard to the end of the season.
Worst Loss: For Poca? It has one loss, and it was a rough one against Class AAA’s No. 1 Cabell Midland Knights, 62-20. For RCB? The 58-21 trouncing at Bridgeport was far from competitive. The Eagles played much better later in a loss to Fairmont Senior.
Players to Watch: This matchup will pit two of Class AA’s better running backs in Robert C. Byrd’s Jeremiah King, the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher, and Ethan Payne, the reigning Kennedy Award winner.
Outlook: Poca has gone long stretches without playing and Byrd has faced a tougher overall schedule. Despite the Eagles being at home, many will likely go with Poca. So, I’m feeling the upset here.
Prediction: Robert C. Byrd 28-21.
