Welcome back to The Deep Post!
This week’s helping dives into the quarterfinal round, the area matchups and the disappointing crowd turnouts of Week 1.
An ode to the quarterfinal round
Two of my favorite weeks of the year are the week the NFL Divisional Round Playoffs and the week of the football state quarterfinals.
By this point there are no bad football teams and the games are amongst the best of the postseason. Here are just a few that come to mind in recent years.
- Roane County at Independence, 2021 – Independence survived an upset-minded Roane County squad that kept the ball away from the Patriots.
- Parkersburg at Princeton, 2023 – Kalum Kiser produces a fourth-down pressure and a game-sealing strip sack as Princeton rallies from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to reach its first semifinal in 100 years.
- Fairmont Senior at Independence, 2022 – Independence stamps its title candidacy by putting a running clock on the perennial power in Class AA.
- North Marion at Princeton, 2024 – Princeton scores 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stave off an upset-minded North Marion 34-20.
- Summers County at Midland Trail, 2017 – Summers County forces and recovers a goal line fumble on the final play to earn a 6-0 victory in a game played at Nicholas County.
- Fairmont Senior at Robert C. Byrd, 2021 – Dylan Ours returns a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:10 remaining, giving the Polar Bears a 33-28 win as the No. 16 seed, a run that ended in a state title.
- Wahama at Greenbrier West, 2023 – The Cavaliers successfully run the Philly Special on a two-point try and intercept a Wahama attempt on the following drive coming away with a 22-20 win.
- Sherman at Midland Trail, 2018 – Trailing 14-8 at halftime and playing without starting QB Austin Isaacs, who suffered an ankle injury, No. 2 Trail flipped the game with a 92-yard pick six in the third quarter that tied the game and later recovered a fumble that led to the winning score in a 20-14 win.
- Independence at Winfield, 2023 – A week after thrashing No. 3 Roane County as the 14 seed, Independence traveled to Winfield and blanked the Generals 13-0 in a rainy, muddy affair.
Instant classics, right?
I believe we’re set up for another one this week when Hebert Hoover comes to Princeton. More on that in a bit.
The Patriots Persist
The most talked about knee/ankle in the state is the one belonging to Sylas Nelson. The all-state running played only a handful of snaps Friday night against Lincoln, shutting it down after the first play of the second half. It’s the question I’ve received from those that don’t even have a dog in the fight. I can confirm he’s good to go Friday night against Doddridge County. We’ll see if he plays both sides of the ball but I would think considering that he didn’t play defense against Lincoln, that’s probably off the table.
As great of an offensive player as he is, it’s painfully obvious how badly they miss him on defense. Since his injury teams have aggressively attacked Indy’s pass defense. Here’s what it’s looked like.
- Chance Barker, Princeton – 16 of 27, 205 yards 3 TDs, 1 INT
- Coleton Hellems, Nicholas County – 17 of 35, 176 yards 4 TDs, 2 INT
- Eli Franklin, Summers County – 10 of 19, 100 yards, 1 TD
- AJ Bart, Lincoln – 34 of 50, 322 yards 2 TD, 1 INT
In the interest of fairness, there are some good QBs there and Princeton and Lincoln have offenses built around the passing attack but for opposing teams there’s a very real blueprint for attacking and potentially upsetting Independence. But there is reason for optimism – the only remaining team in the Class AA playoff field that can replicate that strategy (Bluefield) is on the other side of the bracket and won’t factor in until a potential title game meeting.
The Patriots will host Doddridge County, a team that can pass and will play sparingly out of shotgun but they’re unlikely to drop back 30 times unless they’re in a negative game script early.
The Bulldogs major in the under center run game out of different formations (three backs, power I, double wing). If the Patriot front seven are relatively healthy it’s a game that suits their preferred style but an injury last week at linebacker forced them to shuffle some and move Landon Riddle from the edge to inside linebacker. When Doddridge does pass, it does so mostly out of shotgun. There are some under center drop backs and play action looks mixed in but when they’re going to throw they mostly get into a formation that indicates as much.
For the Indy offense sustaining drives will be key as it helps keeps the defense healthier and refreshed against an offense that’s going to run right at you. Doddridge will want to force the Patriots to stick their noses in and tackle 40 times a game. Having a good running back and game helps mitigate those opportunities for Doddridge.
I do believe Independence comes away with a win Friday. When the Patriots find themselves in a game against this style of opponent I ask myself this – do I think this team is better than Barnesville? I don’t believe Doddridge is but Independence shouldn’t take them lightly.
The Rematch
For the third straight year Princeton has advanced to the quarterfinal round, a mountain that seemed impossible to reach for years. It’s easy forget how difficult winning a playoff game was for the program (It took 100 seasons to win the first quarterfinal game).
I say that to hammer the point that playoff games aren’t easy to win, but for three weeks the playoff prognosticator has pointed to the matchup I’ve eagerly awaited – Herbert Hoover at Princeton. As a refresher Hoover walked into the Hunnicutt Stadium in last year’s semifinals and ran the ball at will, stunning the Princeton crowd.
Hoover rushed 44 times for 262 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, and five touchdowns. It was total domination in the trenches as Princeton was only able to rush for 31 yards on 21 carries.
The end result was a 35-13 stunner.
This year the Huskies come back to the scene of their semifinal victory, a vastly different team than they were a year ago.
While their quarterback a year ago, Dane Hatfield, finished as the Kennedy runner-up and the House Award winner, his replacement Peyton Grigsby has kept the Hoover offense on track in a different way. The Capital transfer finished the regular season with 2,770 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns, both numbers that exceed those of the three star quarterbacks we have in our area.
Princeton fans may remember him from the 2024 season opener where he completed 5 of 13 passes for 93 yards while taking most of the reps at QB as a freshman for the Cougars. He’s had twenty games under his belt since then and he’s a much improved player. I covered Hoover’s loss to Independence in the season opener where he was sacked eight times and he rebounded well and even found a way to mitigate Indy’s pressure in the second half by scrambling and extending plays until he could find an open receiver.
I expect Hoover’s game plan to look similar to that of Independence’s and Bluefield’s but a skillset Grigsby possesses that Max Simpson (Bluefield) and Brock Green (Indy) do not is his ability to scramble when pressure comes. And here’s where the most intriguing matchup of the game comes for me – Princeton’s blitz-heavy defense against Hoover’s pass protection.
The Hoover offensive line massively struggled when I saw them against Indy. Those eight sacks weren’t the result of blitz looks alone, they were getting home quickly with three-man pressures.
When Hoover lost to Frankfort the Huskies were unable to run the ball and lost in the trenches. Now it’s worth noting that regardless of classification, Independence and Frankfort are championship programs with great players, but Hoover against Princeton’s pressure looks is what I’m monitoring. Because even though that’s a weakness for Hoover, there’s a ton of boom or bust potential for the Huskies.
Bluefield had a good game plan but was unable to execute it against Princeton’s pressure. Independence executed well and forced Princeton to make several changes. Hoover can attack those same pressure points. And it isn’t that Princeton’s secondary is bad, it’s that its very lonely 30 yards downfield and one-on-ones aren’t designed to favor the side of the ball that’s guessing.
There’s also the sheer amount of weapons Hoover has. Kno’Sean Hampton, Lance Williams and Aiden Hernandez (a Winfield transfer that Princeton fans are likely familiar with) are all explosive receivers and Sam Kee is another steady receiving option.
Then there’s Hoover’s best offensive player and probably one of the top 10 offensive players in the state in running back Blake Fisher. His explosiveness and versatility is comparable to that of Brad Mossor. One thing Independence did well that limited his impact that Princeton stands to replicate is bring pressure. Fisher is talented and can play receiver at a high level but he’s primarily a running back meaning he has pass protection responsibilities, so when the Tigers blitz they can take him out of a play. Indy was even able to get Fisher in one-on-one situations against Isaiah Conley, a defensive end of the same caliber as Princeton defensive end Kalum Kiser.
The task for Hoover head coach Joey Fields will be finding a way to make sure Princeton can’t constantly force Fisher into protection. And Princeton will need to be aware of where he is because Hoover uses him much like Princeton uses Mossor – moving him all over the formation to capitalize on his explosiveness and skillset.
On the other side of the ball Hoover’s defense is optimized to defend spread passing attacks with a 3-3 (three defensive linemen, three linebackers) stack. Princeton has some natural answers and I believe it could be a big game for QB Chance Barker in the run game. Those stack alignments are vulnerable to scrambles and when the Tigers run Barker they like doing so on QB power, a play where they pull an offensive lineman or two (often Landyn Moore) across the formation to escort him through the defense. Chances are (ba-dum!) you’ll be plus-one in the run game if the running back is used as a blocker.
I am curious to see how Fields and Co. defend Mossor. They’re probably the one team Princeton’s faced with extensive experience against high end receivers having scrimmaged Martinsburg’s Boston Todd and played Independence’s Christian Linksweiler and reigning Moss Award winner Malachi Thompson of Nitro. Much like Sylas Nelson, I’ve received questions about Mossor’s knee injury he sustained against Hampshire. My impression is he isn’t going to miss any time but I do wonder if Hoover tries to roll the dice and test it early with single coverage.
If he get’s a bracket, this is where I point out that Wyatt Cline had a career game against Hoover last year, catching five passes for a then career-high 135 yards. He’s surpassed that total once since – against Graham in a game where all eyes were on Mossor.
One last note and an important one – Hoover’s special teams have struggled this year. When the Huskies lost at Frankfort it came in part because they handed the Falcons 10 points on kickoff returns in the first half alone. Saturday they’ll be without their standout kicker Voss Duernberger who can routinely boot the ball through the end zone. The Huskies will have to divide his duties and find a way to make up that loss in a facet where Princeton already holds an edge.
I believe this is the best matchup of the week statewide. Saturday can’t get here soon enough.
Trailblazers
It felt good being back at Mitchell Stadium for a Saturday playoff game, a nostalgic experience for me. In my first year out of college I joined the Beckley newspaper as a sports writer and had the privilege of covering the 2017 Bluefield team, still the best high school football team I’ve ever covered.
The first playoff game I covered from that team was a Saturday demolition of Point Pleasant and the venue has become my favorite to cover games in since. As an added bonus, should Bluefield win this week you can get a two-for-one next week with the Christmas lights set to open on Nov. 27.
Now, to the actual game at hand.
Midland Trail rode the horse that brought a home playoff game to Hico 42 times against Petersburg as Jayden Roop compiled 236 yards rushing in a win at Petersburg. Bluefield used an explosive passing attack coupled with several explosive runs to put Oak Glen away in the first quarter.
The two teams have a common opponent in James Monroe and both teams beat the Mavericks by one score, though it’s worth noting Bluefield was up 35-7 when they pulled their starters.
Trail has won in a variety of ways despite primarily relying on Roop who has rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this season. When James Monroe took Roop away over the final three quarters of the matchup, sophomore quarterback Rayce Dickerson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another on a broken play.
As explosive as Bluefield’s offense is, the best path to victory for the Patriots is likely a ball-control offense. That’s a style the Patriots are comfortable with. They don’t go hunting big plays but that’s easier said than done.
Bluefield has improved every week with a slew of signature wins over playoff teams in higher classes such as PikeView, Greenbrier East and Beckley – all teams that wanted to run the ball as well. That’s where Dickerson and the receivers come in. Can the Patriots apply a counter punch in the passing game that helps sustain drives and occasionally generate explosive plays? It’s possible as the wide zone runs they call pair well with play action passes.
For Bluefield the key will be avoiding penalties and long down and distances. Trail boasts a really good pass rusher in Zander Ooten who can wreck drives with his motor. But if the Beavers are able to consistently hit on explosives and build an early lead, it spells doom for Trail which will have to abandon its bread and butter to catch up.
Playoff Crowds
When I cover playoff games at Independence I usually have to park across the road. This a byproduct of arriving 15 minutes before kickoff but also the crowd size. When I pulled up Friday, I was able to pull right into the school parking lot, which was surprising. When I walked into the stadium I found out why – the crowd size was underwhelming.
It was easily the smallest crowd I’ve seen in the four years since Independence started hosting playoff games in 2021. That was incredibly disappointing considering this Indy team battled through a gauntlet and at one point in the last two years went a full year without a home game.
Even worse the weather was great by playoff standards. I remember when the place was packed to the brim on a 20-degree Black Friday in 2021. The crowd wasn’t deterred when the Patriots hosted Bluefield in a downpour in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.
What happened to the crowds? I didn’t think Bluefield, which was hosting a playoff game in Mitchell for the first time since 2020, had a great crowd either and the weather was even better there on Saturday.
The convenience of streaming is great but there’s nothing like taking in a playoff atmosphere and to have three local teams hosting quarterfinal playoff games is an achievement. Hopefully this weekend provides a better turnout for the teams that fought through difficult regular season slates to earn the right to host.
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