GAMES TO WATCH
Class A
No. 4 Williamstown (5-1) vs Wheeling Central (4-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m. (Scheduled to play at West Liberty University)
Last Week: Both teams had a bye-week last week after both couldn’t find opponents.
Why it’s important: Central Catholic needs a win in order to make the Class A playoffs this season. The three-time defending champs are looking to possibly pull off the upset this Friday. Meanwhile, the Yellowjackets are looking to prove they aren’t your average Class A team. This marquee matchup in Class A will show a better picture of the postseason playing field.
Whom to watch for Wheeling Central: Jordan Waterhouse and Payton Marling are both leaders to watch out for this week; this duo can become a huge threat on the gridiron on both sides of the ball.
Whom to watch for Williamstown: Brayden Modesitt and Trevor Oates are the key to this season’s Yellowjacket offense and both will be a huge threat on the field.
Class AA
No. 4 Oak Glen (5-1) at No. 3 Frankfort (7-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Oak Glen had a bye-week while Frankfort had one of their most impressive wins over a quality North Marion team, winning, 36-19.
Why it’s important: Both teams currently within the Top 5 in Class AA so a win for either team will most likely guarantee a few home playoff games coming in the next couple of weeks.
Whom to watch for Oak Glen: Hunter Patterson will be the main threat on offense as he is one of the top receivers in the Upper Ohio Valley.
Whom to watch for Frankfort: Senior tailback Cole Hiett reached the end zone three times in last week’s win over North Marion.
CLASS AAA
No. 7 Keyser (6-2) at No. 13 John Marshall (5-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: John Marshall lost to possible playoff contender in Parkersburg by the final of 54-14. However, Keyser won in dominating fashion over Class A Petersburg, 62-26.
Why it’s important: John Marshall needs this win to hold on for the Class AAA playoff picture; a win could possibly move them closer to the Top 10. Meanwhile, the Golden Tornadoes of Keyser are seeking to move up within the Top 8 in Class AA to possibly host one or two playoff games.
Whom to watch for John Marshall: Dalton Flowers will be the main threat on offense for the Monarchs this upcoming Friday evening.
Whom to watch for Keyser: Drae Allen led the way last week over Petersburg with a total of 112 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. Gavin Root also accounted for 75 yards on 6 carries and three additional touchdowns.
Other games:
FRIDAY- Wheeling Park (6-1) at Parkersburg South (1-6); Weir (1-6) at Brooke (1-6); Madonna (5-2) at Vienna Matthews, Ohio (3-3); Clay-Battelle (2-1) at Montcalm (1-7); and Bridgeport, Ohio (2-4) at Cameron (4-3).
WEEK 9 NOTES: (All Wetzel County related games were canceled as of 10/27/20) – We will continue to keep everyone posted!
This week’s high school football coverage leads me to the Mohawk Bowl in Morgantown.
No. 16 (2-2) University travels a little over two miles across the city to take on a familiar opponent in No. 16 (2-2) Morgantown High School. Both teams currently hold the No. 16 spot in Class AAA, and a win can almost guarantee a spot in postseason play while a loss could possibly knock that team out of the 2020 playoffs. You can follow updates throughout the Week 9 weekend on my Facebook page @Teran Malone, and you can also follow updates via Twitter @TeranMaloneMN.
Highlights of the University and Morgantown game can be found at (https://wvmetronews.com/sports/high-school-sports/)
Next week we will dive deeper into the state football schedule for many marquee games that will be crucial in each classification. We will also provide the up-to-date playoff rankings and schedules throughout the remainder of the season all the way up to the Super 6 weekend.
