Well hello Spring Valley.
No one is foolish enough to take the Timberwolves lightly. They’ve been near the top of Class AAA quite frequently in recent seasons.
But facing the defending Class AAA champions and leading Kennedy Award candidate Trey Dunn last week, few outside the SV lockerroom likely expected the final result.
In fairness, Dunn was without his two top weapons in Chris McCorkle and Duane Harris. Still, the result was a 53-8 whitewashing in Huntington.
One quarterback did stand out in this game, but it wasn’t Dunn. Those laurels belong to Timberwolves QB Dalton Fouch, who threw for 239 yards and three TDs whilst rushing for 57 yards and another score.
Equally as impressive was the performance from the Spring Valley defense. The T-Wolves limited Dunn to zero yards rushing on five carries and only 73 yards on 8 of 22 passing. Dunn was intercepted three times in the same quarter, including a pick six.
The defensive prowess for SV should come as no surprise. It was the Timberwolves who snapped Martinsburg 57-game winning streak last year with a win at the Bulldogs’ home field. Last season, it was the COVID map, not an opponent, that sent SV home during the postseason.
The road ahead gets no easier for the Timberwolves, however. Next up is a showdown with unbeaten Huntington, which is coming off a slow start but solid finish against Capital. The Highlanders trailed the Cougars 7-3 at the half before coming back for a 30-7 win.
The winning of this game may be viewed as the top challenger to Martinsburg’s annual dominance and, given SV defeated MHS last season, a rematch will be one looked forward to matchup.
Strong in Defeat
Jeremiah King and the Robert C. Byrd Eagles fell to an ever dominant Bridgeport squad last weekend, 35-17.
Still, it didn’t prevent King from having another standout game as the senior rumbled for 225 yards and two touchdowns—one an 87-yarder—in the loss to the Indians.
As stated previously, the top three backs in the state up for the Kennedy Award are King, Independence’s Atticus Goodson, and Martinsburg’s Braxton Todd who is again battling an injury.
Goodson didn’t play last weekend, but has two games this week, starting with Westside on Tuesday before Summers County on Friday.
RCB is off this week, meaning Goodson will have an opportunity to compile some serious stats this week.
South Charleston faces George Washington this week and Dunn will look to bounce back with the return of his full complement of weapons. But another similar performance may allow either Goodson or King to slide into the top spot.
Hawks Getting it Done
University keeps impressing, as does quarterback Chase Edwards.
The Hawks improved to 5-0 with a win against defending Class AA champion Fairmont Senior. In that contest, Edwards threw for 210 yards on 18 of 26 passing with three touchdowns.
University has tougher games ahead, but this week takes on Albert Gallatin (Pa.) this week. Two more games follow before the annual MoHawk Bowl against rival Morgantown.
Edwards is certainly furthering his name throughout the state with his recent performances and will be one to watch come playoff time.
Other Top Performances
Bryson Tate, Winfield: Winfield’s faced a brutal schedule thus far, but against Logan, Tate exploded for 261 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover: Huskies remained unbeaten as the freshman QB had another big game, rushing for 196 yards and accounting for four total touchdowns.
Cyrus Traugh, Parkersburg South: Traugh is developing into one of the top threats in the state, regardless of class or position. In a narrow win over a game John Marshall club, Traugh caught six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Lorenzo Ferrerra, Wheeling Central: In Wheeling Central’s most impressive win of the season, a victory against No. 4 Man, Ferrerra did a bit of everything. He carried the ball three times for 75 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass for a 51-yard touchdown reception, returning an interception for a touchdown and, including special teams, accounted for 251 all-purpose yards as the Maroon Knights certainly appear rounding into shape.
Carson Shriver, Clay-Battelle: Shriver ran for 250 yards and five TDs and intercepted a pass against Tygarts Valley.
