Cameron faced what appeared to be a stiff test on paper Friday night at Dragon Stadium and passed with flying colors.
Once-beaten Clay-Battelle rolled into Marshall County with hopes of upsetting the Dragons and left on the heels of a 44-0 spanking. If anyone had any doubts about the validity of Cameron’s team this season, those were likely put to rest.
Offensively, Isaac Ball again led the show with 217 yards and four touchdowns, pushing him past the 1,100-yard mark for the season. Quarterback Colson Wichterman threw for 71 yards and a touchdown, rushing for 62 and another score.
While Ball is the straw stirring the CHS drink, he’s not a one-man show, which is what makes Cameron such a dangerous team. This may be the program’s best offense since Wyatt O’Neil was toting the leather in the backfield way back when Cameron fell to Wheeling Central in the semifinal round of the playoffs during a game hosted at John Marshall back in the early 2000s.
Coach Tim Brown’s charges face Beallsville this week before closing out the regular season at home against Trinity, which currently sports a nearly impressive 5-1 record. A win there, and Cameron will remain unbeaten and pick up a nice rash of bonus points for when the postseason begins.
The Dragons are currently second in those SSAC ratings, with Doddridge County just ahead as the only other unbeaten in Class A. The Bulldogs will certainly figure prominently in the postseason race, as will once-beatens Williamstown, Moorefield, Ritchie County, plus the ever looming prospect of someone having to advance past Wheeling Central in the postseason.
The Maroon Knights are coming off a 35-0 loss to St. Clairsville, but Mountain State football fans know how this song goes come the Round of 16.
Narrowing the Field
There have been a number of great performances this season from all three classifications and in all corners of the state.
But two names rise above as consistently giving their teams their all, compiling wins, and doing it week in and out.
In fairness, there are some players on teams, like Martinsburg for instance, that if you took Hudson Clement off the roster and put him with a team that wasn’t quite as deep, that his numbers likely would skyrocket.
The same can be said for Cabell Midland’s Jackson Fetty–surrounded by talent and not enough balls to go around. A few names that were near the top of the Kennedy Award race earlier in the season have dwindled off, either by lack of production, limited production because of sharing the spotlight, or just unlikely losses that threw a little tarnish on their overall shine.
It’s high school football. That happens. It doesn’t mean said players are any less effective. But to win the Kennedy, it’s a week in and out battle against yourself and other worthy candidates throughout the state.
That’s why I’m saying now, with a couple games before the regular season, that this race is down to two people, and both are in Class AA.
Honestly, I think it’s neck and neck as well. It’s either going to be Independence’s Atticus Goodson or Robert C. Byrd’s Jeremiah King.
Neither did himself a disservice last week, with Goodson rushing for 215 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries in the Patriots’ blowout win against Man, 74-7. King, meanwhile, gave a yeoman’s effort in a tough loss on the road to Fairmont Senior.
He ran for 309 yards on 36 carries with two TDs in the 21-20 defeat.
Indy has a better record. But it’d be hard to argue against RCB playing a tougher schedule. The best thing that can happen for both players, along with Kennedy Award voters throughout the state, is for the Patriots and Eagles to meet in the playoffs.
A nice head-to-head battle is what this race needs to finally determine a clear-cut winner. Fingers crossed that’s the night little wrap-up we get.
Other Notable Performances
Ethan Haught, Ritchie County: Haught passed for five, count them, five touchdowns while finishing with 213 yards passing against Webster County.
Gavin Barkley, Berkeley Springs: Indians quarterback makes a return to the statewide notable list after throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for two more against Class AAA Hampshire. Barkley finishing with 393 passing yards and 56 rushing. Rounding out his night, he picked up a pair of passes defensively.
Cyrus Traugh, Parkersburg South: Traugh caught 15 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in a narrow Patriots’ loss to Morgantown. For the season, Traugh has 781 yards and seven TDs receiving through six games to go with 150 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Raiden Childers, Liberty (H): Childers rushed for 327 yards and five scores in a big win against East Fairmont.
Ian Cline, Greenbrier East: Greenbrier’s Cline ran for 284 yards and four touchdowns against the Ripley Vikings.
Dalton Fouch, Spring Valley: Timberwolves QB tossed five touchdown passes whilst rushing for another as SV rolled through Capital. Fouch finished with 212 passing yards.
Grant Cochran, Princeton: Cochran threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns to help the Tigers remain unbeaten in a comeback win against Hedgesville, 21-16.
Ricky Allen, Williamstown: Yellowjackets ran through the Silver Knights, led by Allen’s 179 yards and four touchdowns in the 42-22 win.
