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Week 3 prep grid takeaways

There can never be enough football talk this time of year. One of the most watched sports in the Mountain State is in full-swing and with it comes me catching up on all the action around the state from the previous night, which kicks off an always busy Saturday for me afterwards.

Here are a few of my thoughts from Week 3:

One easy observation right away in Class AAA is this is Martinsburg’s house with everyone else paying rent to live there at the moment.

Dave Walker’s Bulldogs are 3-0 with victories over a trio of out-of-state teams. No one has been close to the orange and black either. MHS is winning in dominant fashion; their average margin of victory being 43 points.

Sticking to my analogy, one team paying a little less rent then everyone else right now is Huntington High. Billy Seals’ squad currently sits at 3-0 with a trio of impressive victories under their belts.

A 20-point come-from-behind victory against four-time defending Kentucky 6A state champion Belfry started the Highlanders on a high note. The good times kept rolling with a 14-0 win over last year’s state runner-up Spring Valley; followed by a 35-17 road victory over a competitive George Washington squad.

If you are looking for a an early leader for the Curt Warner running back award, look no further than the Highlanders’ Jadon Hayes.

His rushing totals through just three contests stand at 539 yards on 70 carries with 10 touchdowns.

The Highlanders’ next test is against Parkersburg High at home Friday night.

Capital and Cabell Midland are two teams to keep an eye on as well.

I am hardly surprised to see Bridgeport, Fairmont Senior, and Mingo Central emerging as the cream of the crop in Class AA. Their combined record sits at 9-0 through the opening weeks, though someone will have a loss after this week as Bridgeport and FSHS clash Friday night.

I wouldn’t sleep on Point Pleasant either. The Big Black’s only loss was on Mingo’s Hail Mary pass with no time left the first week of the season.

East Hardy and St. Marys are the top dogs in Class A.

Jodi Mote’s Blue Devils are the reigning champs and on a 16-game winning streak so it is kind of hard to not include them in the upper echelon.

Meanwhile Chad Williams’ Cougars (2-0) shut down Wheeling Central (0-2) at home, 10-7, for a big statement win early in the season.

Speaking of Central, Mike Young’s team and rival Williamstown (1-2) sit at a combined 1-4. While it certainly isn’t panic time yet, if either team wants homefield advantage in the playoffs they have to come together quickly.

Coincidentally, those two schools face off at 7 p.m. Friday night in Wheeling. Other teams looking good so far include Fayetteville, Cameron, Magnolia, and Midland Trail, and Pochantas County.

Come back again next week for my thoughts on Week 4.

Contact Joe Albright at jalbright@newsandsentinel.com.

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