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WEIRTON -- A few weeks ago when first-year Madonna head coach Troy Fetty said his Blue Dons were getting into the hardest part of their schedule, he was not kidding.
The Dons have dropped three-straight since a 2-0 start, but those losses were at the hands of teams with a combined record of 17-2 and to teams most certainly headed to the post season in Toronto, Catholic Central and Cameron.
Taking that into consideration, it should be to the surprise of no one that this week's opponent is another good football team having a good, playoff-bound season as the Beallsville Blue Devils invade Jimmy Carey Stadium on Friday night and bring a 5-2 mark to Weirton.
"This is absolutely going to be another big challenge for us," Fetty said. "I said this was the hardest part of our schedule ... Toronto, Catholic Central and Cameron are three really good football teams, and Beallsville is right up there with them.
"It's a challenge to overcome it, but we've got to keep noses to the grindstone and keep working. Our kids have gave great efforts in all three games, sometimes it doesn't go your way and teams are just better than you, that happens, it's football, but the effort from the kids has been great all season and they're going to keep working."
One thing working in Madonna's favor is the return of Jonah McKay, a speedy senior receiver and defensive back, from a preseason injury.
"Jonah is making his debut for us this week, that is big and gives us another weapon back," Fetty said. "We're getting close to full-strength with everyone on the roster playing. We're getting there."
The Blue Dons also will be extra fired up because it is homecoming night for Madonna, which is part of an exciting week of festivities at and around the school.
"Homecoming week is a special week, it's a fun week for the kids," Fetty said. "You take a lot of pictures, there's stuff going on all week. We had a volleyball tournament at Madonna (Tuesday), there's a powder puff game before our game on Friday afternoon, we're expecting a big crowd on Friday night, there's a parade and a pep rally on Thursday ... it's a big deal and a week that's a lot of fun, we're looking forward to it."
While it's his first homecoming week at Madonna and as a head coach, Fetty is no stranger to knowing the balance required by the players to stay focused on the game but also have fun with the week that homecomng is as a long-tenured assistant coach around the Valley.
"There is a fine balance, but it's part of the high school experience," Fetty said. "It's one of the things that makes high school special for the kids, along with the senior nights and alumni weeks and stuff like that.
"They're kids and this is a week for them to be kids. You have balance the stuff through the week with preparing them for a football game. At 7 o'clock on Friday night, it's time to go."
As for the opponent, Fetty has seen them in person and knows they will present a lot of challenges.
"They're a really good football team, they have a really good offense," he said. "They have a really good running back, they have a good quarterback and a good fullback and they have a good game plan. They try to give you different looks and they give the ball to their running back a ton and run a lot of option stuff.
"They have capable receivers and their line is decent, too. They have moved the ball really well and scored a bunch of points every time I've seen them.
"They are very well-coached, coach (Rusty) Bondy has done a very good job bringing that program back. Not too long ago he had 14 kids."
The Blue Devils have wins over Millersport, Frontier, Hundred, Clay-Battelle and Valley on their resume. Their losses are to Newcomerstown in Week 2 and at Bridgeport (Oh.) last week, which snapped a four-game winning streak.
They average 27 points per game and allow 24.6 points on average.
"Their defense is a handful, too," Fetty said. "They bring a five-man front and they have a linebacker that really flies around. They make plays."
The Dons, meanwhile, average 18.8 points and allow an average of 22.2. In their two wins, Madonna scored 32 and 49 points while putting up huge offensive numbers. They will look to get that offense going again after being held off the scoreboard in the last two games.
Leading the way this season for Madonna is quarterback Chase Littleton, who has thrown for 467 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception and rushed for another 266 yards and four scores. He ran for 55 yards against Cameron last week, averaging 5 yards per carry. For the season he averages 4.8.
Luca Muzzi has 187 rush yards and two trips to the end zone on the ground, averaging 4.9 per carry on the season, while Koleton Grishkevich has hauled in 14 passes for 211 yards and three scores, an average of 15.1 yards per grab.
"We have to establish the run and get the ball to our playmakers," Fetty said.
The teams did not meet last season, but Madonna has won seven-straight meetings with Beallsville going back to 2013.