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Weir High faces must-win scenario

DIVING FORWARD — Donavan Kirby and the Weir High Red Riders travel to East Liverpool in a must-win situation this Friday. (Photo by Joe Catullo)

WEIRTON — The playoffs are beginning early this year for Weir High and East Liverpool, as the two old rivals get together at Patterson Field in East Liverpool in what appears will be a postseason atmosphere. The opening kick is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

For both teams, it is win and they’re in. Lose and they’re out. It’s as simple as that.

The Red Riders are ranked 13th in West Virginia Class AA, with a 6-2 record. The Potters are 5-3 and ranked eighth in Ohio Division IV, Region 13.

“They (East Liverpool) have some size, and they have some speed,” veteran Red Rider coach Tony Filberto said. “And, they have a big, powerful back. This will be a battle.”

Potter mentor Josh Ludwig also is looking for a big game.

“What a great opportunity for us at home with all these playoff implications and Weirton coming into town the same way,” he said. “Good opportunity for both schools and, being the game of the week on television, it should be a great atmosphere. What a great night for both teams to come out ready to go.”

Both teams started the season with nearly all of their starters returning, so there are plenty of veterans on both sides. Weir High defeated the Potters, 41-6, at Jimmy Carey Stadium last year in a rivalry that has been off and on but dates back to 1936.

“This is the best East Liverpool team we’ve seen in a few years,” Filberto said. “They have two backs, one with speed in Derek Carter and the other with power in 250-pound Jalen Moman. Their running game is the strength of their offense.”

Moman scored on a 2-yard run last year. He finished that game with 11 carries for 31 yards. Carter carried the ball 10 times, gaining 45 yards. East Liverpool senior quarterback Peyton Reed completed 4 of 8 passes a year ago for 25 yards and gained 31 yards on the ground.

Reed threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in a 48-16 romp over Buckeye Local last Friday. Reed is very efficient with his passes, completing 112 of 144 for 1,207 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s completing just shy of 78 percent, and he averages 150 yards passing per game.

“Peyton is a senior with a 4.0 grade-point average,” Ludwig said. “He’s a very smart kind who understands what we want to do each week and follows the game plan no matter what.”

Filberto, however, feels the Potter offense goes through the running backs.

“Their quarterback is very adequate and runs the team well, but our plan is to attack the run and make them do something else,” he said.

Moman, a senior, is a load. He has rushed the ball 49 times from his fullback position for 399 yards and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Carter, a junior, is the scat-back with 76 carries and a team-leading 524 yards with six scores. Senior Cory Weyand has 37 carries for 284 yards and eight touchdowns, while Reed has rushed for 252 yards on 62 carries and also has eight touchdowns.

“It’s a two-back offense,” Filberto said. “They want to do some misdirection and get into a power game. They want to be downhill runners. They want to run straight at you with that power game and get the speed of Carter outside. They will get you defending that and then hurt you with the big, powerful back inside. Plus, the quarterback can run a little bit.”

Weir High relies mainly on a one-back offense, with senior Donavan Kirby carrying the rushing load. He reached the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight year, with his 129 yards in the 47-15 win over Edison last week.

Ludwig pointed out his Potters’ three losses have come by a total of 21 points. They lost to Indian Creek, 26-20; Salem, 28-14; and Martins Ferry, 27-26.

Up front, both teams are very similar and basically play the same type of defense.

“I really like my line this year,” said Ludwig, who knew he had talent coming up through the ranks for the past couple of years and was pointing to 2018 as a breakout year for the Potters. “I like my defensive front. We’re a smart defense and tough. I don’t think Weir has played a front seven like ours this year. We’re very, very disciplined and gap-sound.

“Weir High, though, is the most balanced team I’ve ever broken down. They are 50-50, literally half throw, half run. They are almost like an old-school run team even when they throw because they usually throw quick-hitters.

“They’re trying to get first downs and control the clock and, while you’re sleeping, take a shot down field here and there.”

Filberto said he was happy with the return of senior Tyler Komorowski back to the defensive lineup last week after missing parts of four games with a knee injury.

“He’s an all-stater, a good one, and he makes a difference when he’s in there,” he said. I’m not sure if he’ll get any time again this week at quarterback. It all depends upon how practice goes this week and what we are trying to accomplish in the game. He gets reps in practice at quarterback, and it always is a possibility that he’ll see some time there in the game.

“We just want to bring him back in a pace because he’s hasn’t played football for a long time. I don’t want him going out there and get tired because, when you get tired, that’s when injuries happen.”

Junior Sebastian Spencer has been playing well at quarterback since the Komorowski injury in the Game 4 win over Keyser. He has thrown for 550 yards, completing 48 of 92 with five touchdowns. Spencer, the 200-meter state champion, always is a threat in the Weir High run game. He now has 202 yards on the ground, with 38 carries and four scores.

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