Buckeye 8 rivals collide with playoff implications on the line
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- As the high school football season approaches the midway point, the playoff races have begun to take shape.
Indian Creek has a big opportunity to score some playoff points on Friday night when it travels to St. Clairsville.
The Redskins are 3-1, coming off a 43-6 victory over Buckeye Local and are ranked fifth in Division IV, Region 13. The Red Devils are 4-0, having knocked off rival Martins Ferry, 41-26, in their last outing.
"They have an excellent football program," Indian Creek head coach Andrew Connor said. "He (head coach Brett McLean) and his staff do a great job. I was fortunate enough to coach some St. C. kids in the (OVAC) All-Star game. They are tough kids, and they play hard. We are going to have to be ready to play four quarters.
"It's always been competitive with them being in the Buckeye 8 South and us in the Buckeye 8 North. It's an important game for the Buckeye 8 overall. It's an important game for the state playoffs. I think our kids are looking forward to the opportunity."
The Redskins are averaging 264 yards and 27.5 points per game on offense, with the bulk of the yardage coming on the ground. Trevor Fante is the second-ranked back in the Herald-Star/Daily Times coverage area with 454 yards and six touchdowns, averaging better than 6 yards per carry.
On defense, Creek is ranked third, allowing 211 yards and 8.25 points. The Red Devils have scored 36 or more points in three of their four games.
"We need to do what we do well," Connor said. "We can't give away plays and make mistakes where we are doing things that we should know better or do better. We have to play a football game where we go out and we execute. We have to make St. Clairsville make plays. The biggest things for us are we have to play in front of the chains on offense, and defensively we have to stop the run and win first down.
"The last eight or nine years have felt like a playoff game. It's about the time, now in Week 5, where you kind of know who you are and you know who they are. It's an early test to see where we are at."
Oak Glen at
East Liverpool
EAST LIVERPOOL -- Off to the best start in school history at 4-0, Oak Glen is ranked third in West Virginia Class AA and go across the river to rival East Liverpool to put it undefeated record on the line Friday night.
The Golden Bears are coming off a 41-14 victory over Pittsburgh Perry, while the Potters bounced back from a couple of close losses by defeating Beaver Local, 26-7, to even their record at 2-2.
"We're really excited about it," Oak Glen head coach Ted Arneault said. "We have a lot of respect for coach Josh Ludwig and their program. They're coming off a big win, and they are battle tested with close losses to Salem and Indian Creek, two really good programs. The kids grew up with each other, they have played sports with and against each other their whole lives."
The Golden Bears sport the top offense in the area, averaging 480.25 yards per game and 44.75 points. This year's attack has been more balanced than the previous two, as the Bears have rushed for more yards than they have passed for. Junior QB Nick Chaney is once again the top passer in the area with 814 yards and 10 touchdowns. Leading the rushing attack are Hunter Patterson with 427 yards and seven scores, and Paxton Shuman with 263 yards and four six-pointers.
"This is another step in looking at things one week at a time," Arneault said. "This is a big challenge for us."
The Potters average 26 points for and 13.5 points against.
"They do a lot of things well," Arneault said. "They are a run-first team, but I was really impressed with their quarterback, Nate Davis. I was surprised how well they throw the ball. I'm very impressed with their defensive line and their secondary."
Crestwood at Toronto
TORONTO -- Another team that has an opportunity to score some big playoff points in Week 5 is Toronto, hosting undefeated Crestwood on Friday.
The Red Knights have improved each week, sitting at 3-1 and sitting fifth in Division VII, Region 25, while the Red Devils are fifth in Division V, Region 17.
"They're a good ball club," Toronto head coach Josh Franke said. "Without a doubt, it's a big opportunity for playoff points. They are a Division V school and play other larger schools. We're one of the smallest schools on their schedule. There are a lot of playoff points up for grabs.
"This is a game where we are going to find out what type of team we are."
Toronto has the third-ranked offense in the area, averaging 413.25 yards and 32.75 points per game. Caleb Leasure, who has only played three of the Red Knights' four games, is the fourth-ranked passer in the area, having thrown for 547 yards and six scores. Garrett Dozier is the fourth-ranked rusher in the area, racking up 387 yards, three scores and a YPC average of better than six. On defense, Toronto is ranked second in the area, allowing 192.75 yards and 11 points per game.
"We have strung three really good weeks of football together and have progressively gotten better," Franke said. "If we're going to have a test, this is the right time to do it. This is one of those are-we-a-pretender-or-contender games. We're going to find out. We're going to measure ourselves against what is probably a Division V playoff team."
The Red Devils average 42 points for and 14 points against.
Ripley at Brooke
WELLSBURG -- Two teams looking to get back on track will take the field at Brooke Memorial Stadium on Friday, as the Bruins host Ripley.
Both teams are 1-3 and are coming off a loss in their last outing.
"They are a big team up front, they are a physical team," Brooke head coach Mac McLean said. "They can run the ball, and that is something we're going to have account for. They have a tailback that is like lightning in a bottle.
"They've played some really good teams, and all of their games have been competitive. Looking at them on film, I would say they are very comparable to Hedgesville and University."
The key for the Bruins is getting the offense going again. While Brooke is averaging 307.33 yards and 24 points per game, it was held to just six and 15 points in its last two outings -- both losses -- after putting up 45 during a Week 2 win.
"The big thing for us is finding a way to get our groove back on offense," McLean said. "We started this year out rolling pretty good on the offensive side of the ball, and for about the last five quarters we have been non-existent. We haven't been able to establish anything on the ground, as we have been turning the ball over way too much in the air. Some of those interceptions are situational at the end of the game, but we have to find a way to protect the ball and put some points on the board."
The Vikings average 24 points for and 26.25 points against.
Edison at Beaver Local
CALCUTTA -- Edison goes on the road Friday in search of its first win of the season in a battle of young coach versus mentor.
Shane O'Brien, the Wildcats' second-year head boss, played his high school ball under current Beaver Local head coach and former Edison grid boss Mike McKenzie.
"They are a rival for us, and last year was really exciting game," O'Brien said. "Being that coach McKenzie was my high school coach makes it more familiar. It's exciting. I have a lot of respect for him from when I played for him, and he's been a mentor to me being a young head coach. I appreciate everything he's done for me, and it's a unique situation being that we're both competitive."
The Beavers are 2-2, averaging 20.25 points for and 17.75 against. Edison, on the other hand, averages 9.5 points for and 38.6 against, while sitting at 0-4.
"I am pretty familiar with what they are trying to do offensively," O'Brien said. "It's similar to the system that I played in. They have a lot of athletes that can hurt you. They have two good quarterbacks that they rotate between. They like to get the ball on the edge and get their athletes in space, so trying to contain them is going to be the challenge for us."
Freshman Gage Cline leads Edison with 140 passing yards and a score, completing more than 56 percent of his passes. Tyler Griffith averages more than 4.5 yards per carry, totaling 234 yards and three scores overall.
River View at
Buckeye Local
YORKVILLE -- After a couple of weeks on the road against good opponents, Buckeye Local returns home to World War II Memorial Stadium on Friday night to take on River View, a new opponent on the schedule, for homecoming.
"I talked to our kids about it. For 11 of them, this is their last homecoming game," Buckeye Local head coach Roger Herbert said. "As of now, we have had one home game and been on the road most of the year. We want to defend our home turf.
"There's nothing like being at home. It's nice to get back here in front of our crowd. We're 1-0 at home. Our message to the kids was we haven't been undefeated on the season, but let's be undefeated at home."
Both teams are 1-3. The Panthers average 11.5 points per game and allow an average of 35.5. They have used two quarterbacks in Seth Richardson and Hayden Taylor. Richardson has thrown for 174 yards and a score, while Taylor has rushed for 43 yards and passed for another 55 and a score. Charlie Smith leads the Panthers' rush attack with 117 yards and two touchdowns.
"They have a quarterback that throws the ball really well," Herbert said. "We are really impressed by their skill. They are mostly in a spread attack. They have played some pretty tough opponents. They are 1-3, but their record doesn't really tell the tale of how good they can be.
"I think Indian Creek is a really fine football team, and Oak Glen is ranked third in West Virginia, so we haven't had the easiest of schedules either. I think this a very evenly matched game on Friday night."
Harrison Central at
Martins Ferry
MARTINS FERRY --Neither Harrison Central or Martins Ferry have had the seasons they would have hoped for to this point in the season, sitting 1-3 entering Friday's match-up at the Dave Bruney Complex.
Both teams, though, have a chance to get back on track in the rivalry meeting.
"Both of us are not happy with how we've started the season," Harrison Central head coach Anthony Hayes said. "Speaking from our standpoint, I feel we have progressed from Week 1 to Week 4. It's not all you can ask for, but it's a positive outlook. We hope that this week is our best effort to date.
"Martins Ferry is usually a powerhouse team, not just in the valley, but in the state of Ohio. We are well-versed in what they bring to the table. They are a very physical team. Offensively they are sound, and defensively they are sound."
The Huskies average 271.25 yards and 21 points per game, allowing 307 yards and 25.25 points. Martins Ferry allows 23.75 points and scores an average of 24 points per outing.
Harrison Central is led by junior Kobe Mitchell, who is third in the area with 551 passing yards and seven touchdowns despite missing the second half of the Toronto game. The ground game is led by Cale McAfee with 178 yards and three scores.