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Eastern Panhandle Report: Week 5

Is this the week Martinsburg is tested? The Bulldogs head to Philadelphia to find out how their game stacks up against Academy Park, Pa. Elsewhere, Petersburg looks to continue its unbeaten start to the season when it plays host to Weir on Saturday.

GAMES TO WATCH

Class AAA

No. 6 Martinsburg (4-0) at Academy Park, Pa. (4-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Last week: The Bulldogs were dominant yet again in recording their 32nd straight win, 56-0, against Spring Mills. Academy Park earned a 28-8 victory over Simon Gratz, Pa. 

Why it’s important: Martinsburg coach David Walker came into this season thinking this would be one of the Bulldogs’ toughest tests and Academy Park’s unbeaten record seems to suggest so. Martinsburg rarely finds itself in a close contest during the second half, but this could be one of those instances.

Who to watch for Martinsburg: Dewayne Grantham and Grant Harman are two-way standouts who have no trouble getting to the ball when they don’t possess it. Wide receiver Jarod Bowie makes plays in the passing game, while Elijah Banks and Naieem Kearney help anchor the Bulldogs’ rushing attack.

Who to watch for Academy Park: Quarterback Skylor Fillis has 379 passing yards and four touchdowns and is the team’s leading rusher with 368 yards and five additional TDs. Defensively, Utensee Nankay has eight tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery. Devon Covert has three of the team’s eight interceptions.

Class AA

No. 11 Weir (3-1) at No. 4 Petersburg (3-0)

When: Saturday, 4 p.m.

Last week: Weir suffered a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to Keyser after the Red Riders fell flat over the game’s final 20 minutes and allowed the Golden Tornado to rally from a 40-14 deficit. Petersburg prolonged its unbeaten start to the season, scoring late to knock off Hampshire, 35-28.

Why it’s important: Weir can’t let one loss become two and needs to bounce back in a big way. The Vikings can continue to build on their surprising start to the season with a win over a team they could battle with for playoff positioning down the line.

Who to watch for Weir: Donavan Kirby keys the running game and found the end zone five times in the loss to Keyser. Quarterback/defensive end Tyler Komorowksi is also a standout, but missed part of last week’s game with an injury, which allowed Sebastian Spencer to play QB.

Who to watch for Petersburg: Jacob Hartman threw two touchdown passes to Tyce Wisniewski last week and Hartman ran for two more TDs. Zach Wampler scored the game-winning touchdown on a 35-yard run.

Class A vs. Class AA

Philip Barbour (1-3) at Class A No. 3 Tucker County (4-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Last week: The Colts rode their power run game to their first win of the season, 27-21, against a solid Liberty (Harrison) squad. The Mountain Lions won a close game for the second straight week, edging Moorefield, 19-17.

Why it’s important: Philip Barbour needs another win to build some momentum and trend toward a .500 record. The Mountain Lions can not only get a bonus in the playoff ratings by beating a Class AA team, but they can continue their remarkable turnaround after last season’s 3-7 finish.

Who to watch for Philip Barbour: For the Colts to be successful, they need a big performance from Chase Collier. That’s exactly what they got in the win against the Mountaineers as Collier rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns.

Who to watch for Tucker County: Liam Hood passed for 153 yards while completing 12-of-21 attempts in the win over Moorefield, during which Tucker scored all 19 of its points in the first half. Jeffrey Snyder and Ben Callaway are two of Hood’s favorite targets, while Cole Rapp paces the rushing attack.

Other games: Mountain Ridge, Md. (1-2) at Hampshire (0-4); James Wood, Va. (2-2) at Class AAA No. 8 Hedgesville (3-1); Jefferson (0-4) at Class AA No. 15 Keyser (2-1); Princeton (0-3) at Class AAA No. 2 Musselman (3-0); Class AAA No. 16 Spring Mills (2-2) at South Hagerstown, Md. (2-1); Washington (0-4) at Clarke County, Va. (1-2); Berkeley Springs (0-4) at Clear Springs, Md. (1-2); Northern Garrett, Md. (1-2) at Class AA No. 11 Frankfort (4-0); Southern Garrett, Md. (2-1) at Class A No. 10 Pendleton County (3-1); South Harrison (1-3) at Moorefield (0-4)