The Weirton Madonna Blue Dons clinched a perfect 14 – 0 season and a West Virginia Class A State Championship on the legs of QB, Ross Comis on a cold Saturday night at Wheeling Island Stadium.
Comis ran all over the Greenbrier West Cavalier defense for 144 yards on 32 carries and a touchdown on Madonna’s second drive of the game. Both teams went three-and-out to start the game before the Blue Dons went 82 yards in 9 plays to start the scoring.
During that drive, Comis would make the play of the Super 6 weekend when being chased and pulled down by a West defender, he flipped the ball over his shoulder and into the hands of a wide open Elliot Nero for 19 yards to keep the drive alive. Ross would finish it off with a 1 yd run to make it 7 – 0.
Greenbrier West and their QB, Malik Boatwright (21 carries, 61 yds, TD) would try to answer immediately as they drove inside the Madonna 10yd line, but they would stall and miss a 22 yd field goal. Those would be the only two scoring opportunities by both squads going into the half.
Madonna started the second half with a surprise onside kick, but the ball was illegally touched allowing West to take the ball and drive it 48 yds to tie things up 7 – 7. It would be the closest Greenbrier West came to victory as Comis and the Blue Dons took over from there.
Comis would hook up with Will Bowser on a 43 yd touchdown on the insuing drive and again later from 34 yds out on a desperation scramble from Comis to extend their lead to 21 – 14, but West would not go away as Madonna penalties would aid in a Cavalier touchdown to tighten the score to 7 on a Cory Cox 2 yd run.
West appeared to stop Madonna on the next possession with just under eight minutes remaining, but a 15 yd personal foul penalty gave the Blue Dons a fresh set of downs setting them up for a 22 yard field goal by Matt Green to make it 24 – 14 with 6:12 remaining to secure their second ever State Championship.
Comis would finish the game 5 / 7 passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns while Bowser finished with three catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
Comis was named the player-of-the-game. He finishes the season with 2,037 yards rushing and 35 TD and 1,731 yards passing and 22 TD passes. Worthy of Kennedy Award recognition.
(Photo Credit: RSN Sports Network)
