High School Football
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North Central Report: Week 6

GAMES TO WATCH

CLASS AAA

No. 5 Musselman (4-0) at No. 9 Morgantown (3-2)

Morgantown won a game over Linsly 31-28 in overtime last week despite being outgained, 466-294. Linsly ran 84 plays from scrimmage as it rallied from a three touchdown deficit in the second half to force overtime.

“We were very opportunistic,” Morgantown coach Matt Lacy said. “We didn’t have a normal offensive game, but we came up with six turnovers including an interception for a touchdown.”

Ty Konchesky had a 90-yard pick six and Morgantown eventually won on John McConnell’s 31-yard field goal in overtime.

“We’re beat up physically,” Lacy said. “We lost three starters on Friday. But that old cliche of next man up needs to hold up for us this week.”

Receiver/kick returner Preston Fox, defensive back Cody Calvert and lineman Marcellus Marshall all were injured in the Linsly game.  Fox has been ruled out for the Musselman game.

Musselman has allowed the third fewest points among Class AAA teams this season while averaging nearly 44 points per game so far this season.

Morgantown won on the road at Musselman, 39-29, last year.

St. Albans (1-4) at University (2-3)

The Hawks welcome junior running back/linebacker Logan Raber back into the lineup for this game. Raber was averaging a team-best four yards per carry when he was injured during week 2. 

The Hawks need a spark after losing back to back games to Wheeling Park and Fairmont Senior.

“Getting Logan back will help the running game,” UHS coach John Kelley said. “Hopefully it will take some of the pressure off the passing game. “I think we have the best quarterback (Logan Holgorsen) in the state, but we are just having trouble protecting him.”

The Hawks hope to get back on the winning track against a St. Albans team that has 14 freshmen among 32 players on the roster.  These teams played an overtime thriller at St. Albans last year, with UHS winning in overtime, 44-37.

St. Albans quarterback R. T. Alexander threw for 253 yards in that game as a freshman. Alexander is no longer a part of the Red Dragons program as he moved to Valdosta, Georgia at the end of the school year. 

Class AA

No. 6 Bridgeport (4-1) at Class AAA No. 14 Buckhannon-Upshur (2-2)

Bridgeport beat rival Robert C. Byrd for the 11th consecutive time, 41-35 last week as Jake Bowen rushed for 255 yards and five touchdowns. 

Bridgeport will try and extend another long win streak in this one. The Indians and Buccaneers played every season between 2007-2015 with Bridgeport winning all nine of those games. 

The series resumed last year following a break in 2016. Bridgeport won last season’s game, 35-19.

Buckhannon-Upshur was held to just 76 yards of total offense and just 18 rushing yards during a disappointing 32-6 homecoming loss to Greenbrier East last week. Mistakes and special teams played a big role as Greenbrier East returned a punt for a touchdown.  B-U also had a touchdown called back on a kickoff return due to a block in the back.

Class AA

No. 1 Fairmont Senior (5-0) at Elkins (2-2)

Fairmont Senior enters having earned back to back blowout wins over Bridgeport and University.

“We’ve done a great job of preparing to play these good teams the last few weeks,” Fairmont Senior coach Nick Bartic said. “Our offense has received a lot of attention this season. I would like to give a lot of credit to our defense as well, especially the way the secondary played against UHS.”

The Polar Bears held University to just 28 rushing yards. They contained scrambling quarterback Logan Holgorsen and they held standout receiver Amir Richardson without a catch.

Bartic was asked to put the back to back wins into perspective.

“These guys have put so much into this and they are unbelievably competitive,” Bartic said.  “It’s a true wolfpack mentality. They fight each other to get better and it’s wonderful to see it pay off so far, but we’ve got a lot of the season left to play.”

Quarterback Connor Neal keys an explosive FSHS offense, while the Polar Bears defense will try to slow a solid Elkins rushing attack.

Lewis County (3-2) at No. 15 Robert C. Byrd (3-2)

Lewis County coach Dustin Cogar was pleased his team was able to re-establish the running game during a 41-7 victory over Preston last week. 

The Minutemen scored on their first four possessions of the game and five of six possessions in the first half.  Sophomore Marshall Hobbs got a majority of the work as he rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns.

“We are beginning to jell very well as the season have moved along,” Cogar said. “A 1-9 season last year isn’t where we thought we would be, but that’s where we found ourselves  During the off-season, we really found out who wanted to still be around and who wanted to join us.”

A much improved Lewis County team takes a three game winning streak into the RCB matchup.

RCB moved the ball well during last week’s loss to Bridgeport.  Ghovan Davidson rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Jeremiah King added 108 yards rushing and 134 yards of total offense in the loss.

RCB beat Lewis County 48-39 last year in the first meeting between the two schools since 2011. Byrd has won the last nine games in the series dating back to 2004.

Other games: Philip Barbour (1-4) at Petersburg (3-1); Lincoln 1-3 at East Fairmont (0-4); Braxton County (0-4) at Liberty  Harrison(2-3); South Harrison (1-4) at Tolsia (3-2); Clay-Battelle (2-2) at Calhoun County (1-4)