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MOUNDSVILLE -- The Brooke football team is in the rivalry portion of its schedule.
Brooke ended its three-game losing streak with a 47-6 victory against Oak Glen this past Friday night on Senior Night on Paul "Bud" Billiard Field inside Brooke Memorial Stadium.
"After losing three straight games, it was good to get back on the right side and get a 'W'," Brooke (4-3) head coach Mac McLean said. "I liked the way we played. We got after it. We played the way we should play. We did a good job of not letting them get much going. I was hoping we were going to be able to do that, and we did."
After defeating the Golden Bears, the Bruins have turned their attention to one of their main rivals.
This week, Brooke travels south to take on John Marshall at 7 p.m. Friday night on the road.
"Absolutely," McLean said. "That is just the way the sked shapes up. Our last four games are against teams from the valley, and they are some of our biggest rivals.
"That's the way it stacks up, and John Marshall is right up there on that list. There is a lot of history there. I am expecting it to be a good game."
John Marshall (1-6) enters this week coming off a 35-10 loss to Keyyer last Friday night on the road.
"When anybody looks at John Marshall, I think the first thing the notice is how imposing they are up front," McLean said. "They have some large people to block for them. We are familiar with them. We saw them at the Linemen's Challenge down at Shadyside. They are impressive."
John Marshall opened the season with five straight losses, with those losses coming to University (42-7), Union Local (32-25), Bridgeport (72-24), Washington (30-21) and Parkersburg South (62-24). The Monarchs picked up their only win in Week 6 as John Marshall defeated Warren, 31-20.
The boys from Moundsville like to run the football, but they can also get creative with their offense.
"They like to mix it up," McLean said. "Their base is the power running, but they will throw enough to keep you honest. They like to dip into their bag of tricks. They run double passes and hook-and-laterals. We cannot afford to go asleep. The hook-and-lateral is not a gadget play for them. It is a well practiced play."
John Marshall's linemen play both ways.
"Their big guys play up front on both sides," McLean said. "At a big school, that is not ideal, but they are physically imposing. That group plays on the offensive and defensive lines."
The Monarchs used multiple defensive tactics.
"They do a little bit of both," McLean said. "They are going to look and see what has been effective against us. They might come with pressure, or they might sit back. Coach Cisar is going to come up with a game plan like any seasoned coach should."
John Marshall has gotten the better of Brooke lately, and the Bruins are looing to change that this week.
"We are going to take them one at a time," McLean said. "We have a lengthy losing streak against them. I have a big senior class, and they want one more chance against them. This is their last chance, and they would really like to end that losing streak."
Brooke's offense struggled during the team's losing streak, but the offense came alive in its win against Oak Glen. The boys from Brooke County are going to have to continue to be able to score points this week.
"We are going to have to play sound football," McLean said. "We are going to have to score points like we did last week. During that three-game losing streak, our offense was anemic. Last week, we were able to score a lot of points.
"Defensively, we are going to have to do well against the run. We have done a pretty good job against the run this season. Bridgeport was the outlier, but we have done a good job against the run this season."
The Bruins are not looking past their rivals from Marshall County.
"If you look at John Marshall's record, you might think we are heavy favorites going into this game, but you have to look at their schedule," McLean said. "They have played University, Parkersburg South and Bridgeport. They have played some really tough teams. They are much better than their record indicates. One thing I am going to preach to my kids this week is they are a top-notch opponent. We can't take them for granted. They are well coached."
John Marshall shut out Brooke, 27-0, last season on the road.
This week is a another big game for the boys from Brooke County as Brooke currently sits 16th in the West Virginia Class AAA playoff rankings.