PARKERSBURG - There may be only a smattering of area high school football games this weekend, but they are important in determining West Virginia playoff positioning as well as if two more Mid-Ohio Valley grid squads will join the six already playoff bound in the Mountain State.
In Class AAA, both 5-4 Parkersburg South and 4-5 Parkersburg High finish up their regular seasons this weekend, but they will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start next weekend.
The No. 19 Patriots are home at the Erickson All-Sports Facility tonight to play John Marshall (2-7) at 7:30 p.m. in the swan song for South head coach Jon Bolen.
The Big Reds travel to Charleston Saturday to tangle with fourth-ranked George Washington (7-2) at 1 p.m. at Laidley Field.
In the playoffs already from the Class AA ranks are Ritchie County and Roane County, both 6-3 and tied for the ninth spot in the state ratings. The Rebels take on visting Grafton (2-7) tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Ellenboro while the Raiders play a key home game in Spencer tonight against Williamstown (5-4), also at 7:30 p.m.
The Yellowjackets, tied for 17th in Class A, will make it into the playoffs with a win tonight, but maybe even if they lose.
Fact Box
Prep & College Football Schedule
FRIDAY
(All games start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)
John Marshall (2-7) at Parkersburg South (5-4)
Williamstown (5-4) at Roane County (6-3)
Ripley (4-5) at Ravenswood (2-7)
Grafton (2-7) at Ritchie County (6-3)
Doddridge County (6-3) at St. Marys (8-1)
South Harrison (3-6) at Wirt County (6-3)
Bishop Donahue (6-3) at Tyler Consoliated (3-6), 7 p.m.
Gilmer County (2-7) at Hannan (1-8)
Buffalo (7-2) at Wahama (9-0)
Magnolia (8-1) at Oak Glen (4-5), 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
Parkersburg (4-5) at George Washington (7-2), 1 p.m., Laidley Field, Charleston
8th seed Fort Frye (8-2) at No. 1 seed Kirtland (10-0), 7 p.m., Ohio Division V regional playoff quarterfinals
Colleges
Glenville State (5-4) at Shepherd (6-2), noon
Otterbein (6-2) at Marietta College (0-8), 1:30 p.m.
Memphis (1-7) at Marshall (3-5), 2 p.m.
TCU (5-3) at WVU (5-2), 3 p.m.
Illinois (2-6) at Ohio State (9-0), 3:30 p.m.
However, in Class A is where most of the MOV's playoff teams will come from this year as No. 2 Magnolia (8-1), No. 3 Wahama (9-0), No. 6 St. Marys (8-1) and No. 13 Wirt County (6-3) have clinched postseason berhs - and they all play tonight, too.
The Blue Eagles play at 4-5 Oak Glen at 7 p.m., while in 7:30 p.m. games. the White Falcons square off with No. 10 Buffalo (7-2) in Mason; the Blue Devils entertain 6-3 Doddridge County, tied for 17th in Class A, and the Tigers clash with 3-6 South Harrison at Elizabeth. In the playoffs, though, with a win tonight over Wirt could be Doddridge as well.
Other area games tonight are Ripley (4-5) at Ravenswood (2-7) in the 7:30 p.m. battle for Jackson County bragging rights for the next year, No. 15 Class A Bishop Donahue (6-3) at Tyler Consolidated (3-6) at 7 p.m., and Gilmer County (2-7) at Hannan (1-8) at 7:30 p.m.
In Ohio, the prep playoffs kick off this weekend, with the one area Buckeye State squad being 8-2 Fort Frye. The eighth-seeded Cadets open play in the Division V, Region 17 quarterfinal round at 7 p.m. Saturday, facing the task of unseating undefeated (10-0) top regional seed as well as defending Division V state champion Kirtland on the Hornets' home field.
