As we get set to head into week number seven of the 2022 High School Football season, we are headed into that time of the year when winning is very important! If you take a look back at the teams that were in the football playoffs last year, Class AAA is almost a mirror image of 2021, while Class AA and Class A, at this point, have a lot of new faces seemingly headed to the playoffs for 2022.
In Class AAA, of the 16 teams that made the playoff field last season, 14 of those 16 teams would be in the Class AAA field this season if the playoffs began this week! Those 14 teams that were in last year and would be in this season are Parkersburg South, Spring Valley, Martinsburg, Hurricane, Huntington, Bridgeport, Cabell Midland, Beckley Woodrow Wilson, Princeton, George Washington, Jefferson, University, Morgantown and Wheeling Park! The two teams that made the playoffs last year, but currently are on the outside looking in, is Greenbrier East and South Charleston. The two teams that would be in this season if the playoffs began today are Musselman and Hedgesville!
In Class AA, of the 16 teams in last year’s playoff field only 8 would be back this season. Those eight include North Marion, Scott, Independence, Frankfort, Roane County, Nicholas County, Fairmont Senior and Point Pleasant. The eight teams that made last year’s Class AA playoff field but are currently outside the top sixteen this season include Herbert Hoover, Robert C. Byrd, Lincoln, Poca, Liberty (R), Shady Spring, Bluefield and Grafton. The eight teams that would be in the playoffs if we began today are Winfield, Keyser, Logan, Clay County, East Fairmont, Philip Barbour, Chapmanville and Weir.
In Class A, only 7 of the 16 teams from last year’s field would be back in the playoffs if the season began today. Those seven are Williamstown, Wheeling Central, Doddridge County, Greenbrier West, Cameron, James Monroe, and Clay-Battelle. The 9 teams that made the field of 16 but still have work to do this season if they want to make it back to the top 16 are Gilmer County, Moorefield, Ritchie County, Mount View, Sherman, Midland Trail, Trinity Christian, Meadow Bridge and East Hardy. The nine teams that would be in the Class A playoff field if the tournament began today are Wahama, Tucker County, Petersburg, Man, Van, Wirt County, Tug Valley, Montcalm and Valley (Wetzel)!
With week #7 coming up this weekend, once again we have some great matchups across the state in all three classes. In Class AAA, Spring Valley (5-0) will travel to Cabell Midland (4-1), Huntington (4-1) will head to Beckley Woodrow Wilson (5-1), Princeton (3-1) will travel to Hurricane (4-1) and Morgantown (3-2) will host Class AA Fairmont Senior (4-2). In Class AA, some exciting games include Logan (5-1) heading to Scott (6-0) and Weir (4-2) traveling Class A power Williamstown (5-0). In Class A this weekend, Greenbrier West ((6-0) will travel to James Monroe (5-0), Petersburg (5-0) will host Northern Garrett, Maryland, St. Marys (3-2) will host Wirt County (4-1), and Valley (W) (4-2) will travel to Cameron (6-0).
Don’t forget, after your local high school football game, be sure and join Dave Jecklin and me for GAMENIGHT as we will have every score of every game played this Friday night across the state. GAMENIGHT is heard on 48 great radio stations around the state and the live audio and video of the show is streamed at www.dev.wvmetronews.com.
Talk with you this Friday night!