CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After the carnage that befell many teams ranked in the Daily Mail preseason poll last Friday, Week 2 of the high school football season could not arrive soon enough.
Of the 30 teams ranked in the preseason poll, 10 sustained losses in season openers. Thanks to three of its teams having an open date in Week 1, Class AA had only two members of its top 10 - top-ranked Wayne and No. 5 Grafton - win games.
As traditional first-game rivalries are cleared from teams' schedules, highly ranked clubs should suffer less attrition tonight and Saturday.
I had about as good a first week picking games as the Baltimore Ravens have with quarterbacks. A 5-8 record wouldn't even get me a bowl bid.
Here's this week's picks, with thanks that this is neither professional nor college football:
Spring Valley at Class AAA No. 2 St. Albans - The Red Dragons showed last week that a change in offense may not be as impressive as it first sounds when they held off Ripley 14-6. With a game under their belt and Duran Workman finally in the lineup, things should go much smoother. ST. ALBANS 29-13
Class AAA No. 3 George Washington at No. 9 South Charleston -It doesn't matter who's more motivated and it doesn't matter who has more talent, because each issue is a push. The winner will need to make a play late in the game to decide things. GW 21-20
Class AAA No. 4 Cabell Midland at Capital - Midland will need to re-energize itself after a thrilling win over Parkersburg last Friday. Capital needs to keep its head up after falling short against GW. Whichever team has its head straight will come out on top. CAPITAL 26-17
Riverside at Huntington - Huntington super-prospect C.J. Crawford completed nine of 23 passes for 132 yards and three interceptions in last week's loss to Beckley. He rushed for 31 yards on 17 carries. Riverside's defense, even without the injured Tyler Long, could dominate this one. RIVERSIDE 22-11
Lincoln County at Winfield - Winfield gets to play at its home field after its scheduled opener had to be moved due to a press box fire. Expect the fireworks to come on the field in this one. WINFIELD 35-14
Class AA No. 7 Poca at Ravenswood - If the Dots can avoid a repeat of last week's fourth quarter meltdown they should be able to get a win at a place that's traditionally been a trouble spot. POCA 33-20
Herbert Hoover at Chapmanville - Chapmanville opened the season with a bang last week, proving its 2007 playoff appearance was no fluke. Look for more of the same tonight. CHAPMANVILLE 36-12
Sissonville at Point Pleasant - Point is young but impressively talented, led by sophomore running back Allan Wasonga.
The Indians may need a few more weeks before their passing game truly takes flight. POINT PLEASANT 22-13
Class A No. 6 Buffalo at Parkersburg Catholic (Saturday) - The Bison surprised in their relatively easy time at Gilbert a week ago. Unlike the Lions, however, Parkersburg Catholic returns a majority of its starters. PARKERSBURG CATHOLIC 20-15
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After the carnage that befell many teams ranked in the Daily Mail preseason poll last Friday, Week 2 of the high school football season could not arrive soon enough.
Of the 30 teams ranked in the preseason poll, 10 sustained losses in season openers. Thanks to three of its teams having an open date in Week 1, Class AA had only two members of its top 10 - top-ranked Wayne and No. 5 Grafton - win games.
As traditional first-game rivalries are cleared from teams' schedules, highly ranked clubs should suffer less attrition tonight and Saturday.
I had about as good a first week picking games as the Baltimore Ravens have with quarterbacks. A 5-8 record wouldn't even get me a bowl bid.
Here's this week's picks, with thanks that this is neither professional nor college football:
Spring Valley at Class AAA No. 2 St. Albans - The Red Dragons showed last week that a change in offense may not be as impressive as it first sounds when they held off Ripley 14-6. With a game under their belt and Duran Workman finally in the lineup, things should go much smoother. ST. ALBANS 29-13
Class AAA No. 3 George Washington at No. 9 South Charleston -It doesn't matter who's more motivated and it doesn't matter who has more talent, because each issue is a push. The winner will need to make a play late in the game to decide things. GW 21-20
Class AAA No. 4 Cabell Midland at Capital - Midland will need to re-energize itself after a thrilling win over Parkersburg last Friday. Capital needs to keep its head up after falling short against GW. Whichever team has its head straight will come out on top. CAPITAL 26-17
Riverside at Huntington - Huntington super-prospect C.J. Crawford completed nine of 23 passes for 132 yards and three interceptions in last week's loss to Beckley. He rushed for 31 yards on 17 carries. Riverside's defense, even without the injured Tyler Long, could dominate this one. RIVERSIDE 22-11
Lincoln County at Winfield - Winfield gets to play at its home field after its scheduled opener had to be moved due to a press box fire. Expect the fireworks to come on the field in this one. WINFIELD 35-14
Class AA No. 7 Poca at Ravenswood - If the Dots can avoid a repeat of last week's fourth quarter meltdown they should be able to get a win at a place that's traditionally been a trouble spot. POCA 33-20
Herbert Hoover at Chapmanville - Chapmanville opened the season with a bang last week, proving its 2007 playoff appearance was no fluke. Look for more of the same tonight. CHAPMANVILLE 36-12
Sissonville at Point Pleasant - Point is young but impressively talented, led by sophomore running back Allan Wasonga.
The Indians may need a few more weeks before their passing game truly takes flight. POINT PLEASANT 22-13
Class A No. 6 Buffalo at Parkersburg Catholic (Saturday) - The Bison surprised in their relatively easy time at Gilbert a week ago. Unlike the Lions, however, Parkersburg Catholic returns a majority of its starters. PARKERSBURG CATHOLIC 20-15
Pick 6:
Class AAA
No. 1 University at East Fairmont - University is the top-ranked team in the state and is moving into its brand new stadium next week.
With all the positive aura surrounding the Hawks right now, the only thing Coach John Kelley will be thinking will be that his team lost to the Bees the last time they played them in Fairmont, in 2006. UNIVERSITY 27-10
No. 6 Parkersburg at Beckley - The always-strong Big Reds' defense gave up 340(!) yards rushing to Cabell Midland in their season-opening loss. Beckley's Vashawn Wood ran for more than 210 against Huntington. It would appear Parkersburg could be in trouble, but a more telling statistic is that the Big Reds have lost consecutive games just six times since 1994. PARKERSBURG 27-24
Class AA
No. 1 Wayne at No. 2 James Monroe - James Monroe begins its second Don Jackson coaching era with a visit from the top-ranked Pioneers. These two met in the playoff semifinals a year ago, with the Mavericks earning their first trip to the Super Six. Wayne Coach Tommy Harmon makes John Kelley look like he's got ADD when it comes to revenge. WAYNE 35-13
Class A
Midland Trail at No. 3 Fayetteville - Junior running back Drew Weis grinded out 118 yards rushing in a Pirate win over Oak Hill last week. He'll have a considerably easier time tonight against another Fayette County rival. FAYETTEVILLE 34-18
Others
Class A No. 2 Williamstown at Class AA No. 6 Magnolia - The Blue Eagles' lopsided loss to rival River, Ohio, last week wasn't indicative of the team's potential.
Then again, Williamstown's blowout win over Tyler Consolidated might not have been true to its, either. WILLIAMSTOWN 27-20
Class AA No. 4 Keyser at Class A No. 8 Moorefield - Keyser reached the playoff semifinals six years ago, and then again six years before that. The Golden Tornado's march to a cyclical run deep into the playoffs begins tonight. KEYSER 30-13
