WHEELING — Most West Virginia prep football programs dream about having the opportunity to hold practice Thanksgiving Day. At Wheeling Central, that’s written in permanent marker when parents get their schedules each August.
That’s just the way it’s been for the Maroon Knights, who once again find themselves in more than one familiar position. No. 8 Wheeling Central (9-3) will travel to take on No. 4 Ritchie County (11-1) in a 1:30 p.m. Saturday Class A state semifinal. They’ll do so carrying the banner for the entire Ohio Valley, by virtue of being the lone team remaining from the area.
“To be the last team standing in the Ohio Valley, there’s a lot of pride and expectations that come with that,” Central coach Mike Young said. “Our kids rise to the occasion. We set goals every year to be playing the first week in December, and we are one week away from accomplishing that.
“Playoff time always comes out to be ‘Knight’ time, and that’s with a ‘K,’ not a ‘C’.”
Central has taken a familiar path to this point, once again playing a brutal schedule that has prepared it and then some, for anything that Class A might have to offer. Sure, the Maroon Knights took some lumps — back-to-back losses to Shadyside and Bellaire, then one later to St. Clairsville — but football seasons have always been marathons, not sprints.
“If you look at this year the teams that we lost to, all three OVAC champs in their own class — Shadyside in 2A, Bellaire in 3A and St. Clairsville in 4A,” Young pointed out. “We’ve played some good competition.
“It’s the same thing I’ve always said … it’s a long season. If we go down to practice and get better each day, we’re going to prepare to be able to play on Friday night.”
Some may not realize that this is a young Wheeling Central team. It’s taken some growing up for this season’s bunch to check its goals off the list.
“I’m very fortunate to have a staff that believes every day is teaching. Coaching is every-day teaching.”
-Coach Mike Young
“At times in the coaching room they say ‘we don’t have this or have that,’ ” Young recalled. “I say ‘it’s our job to coach what we have.’ “I’m very fortunate to have a staff that believes every day is teaching. Coaching is every-day teaching.”
The Knights enter this contest off a 55-0 rout of No. 16 Gilmer County, which a week earlier shocked the state by eliminating top seed and fellow OVAC member Cameron. Central indeed made everyone Forget the Titans.
“Gilmer had a heckuva quarterback and a very good receiver, both who had set records,” Young said. “Coach (Shannon) Kuchinski did a great job to take away the long pass and containing the quarterback. Our special teams with Eli Tucker kicking and Coach (Phil) Pest, we kept them in a hole. They had their backs against the wall every drive.”
Offensively, the Maroon Knights did pretty much anything they wanted. Seven different players scored touchdowns that day, providing Ritchie County with plenty of weapons it must prepare for.
The ground game has long been Wheeling Central’s staple attack, and this season has been no different. The Maroon Knights have racked up 2,584 yards and 36 touchdowns in that manner, and they have done so with a plethora of players.
Juniors Riley Watkins (132 carries, 894 yards and seven touchdowns) and Lorenzo Ferrera (64-761-9) lead the way, but are not alone. Seniors Cody Martos (55-362-4) and Braxton Anderson (43-246-4) are also threats.Cole O’Neil only has 97 yards, but has scored eight TDs.
Junior Payton Hildebrand has done a good job of filling in at quarterback for the injured Michael Toepfer. Hildebrand completed 46 of 88 for 701 yards and six touchdowns, but Toepfer (45 of 87, 741 yards and 12 touchdowns against four interceptions) is returning to the lineup against the Rebels.
Senior Caleb Ratcliffe leads a deep receiving corps, with 34 catches, 556 yards and eight scores. Anderson (17-288-4), Watkins (13-151), Ferrera (11-225-2) and Jayvon Miller (10-193-4) are all more than capable threats.
“Toepfer will be back ready to go and we will be at full force,” Young said. “And that’s huge in high school football.
“Seven different guys scored last week, and that’s pretty good. If they try to shut down one side, we can come back to the other.”
The Central defense has been just as impressive, especially during the postseason. Through two games, the Knights have allowed a total of seven points.
Martos is the leader on that side of the ball, with 93 total tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery. Ayden Baker has 64 tackles — 13 for loss — including 10.5 sacks. Andrew Johnson has registered 78 stops while Parker and Riley Watkins each have 62.
Ritchie County is coming off a 34-6 vanquishing of No. 5 Mount View. The Rebels, whose only loss was to No. 2 Doddridge County (29-26), which is playing Williamstown in the other semifinal, have been rolling.
They’re a very good team that runs a wing-T set, and they execute it well,” Young said. “They have a good coach in Coach (Rick) Haught and his son (Ethan) is QB.
“We have to put more points on the board than they do. We don’t know if we can shut them down completely.”
It’s a balanced Ritchie attack the Maroon Knights will be facing.
Gus Morrison leads a multi-pronged running game with 109 carries, 931 yards and 16 touchdowns. Brandon Riddle (137-908-12) is right behind, followed by Seth Hardy (58-406-3) and Ethan Haught (63-339-8).
When the Rebels go to the air, Ethan Haught is completing 60 percent (105-for-175) of his passes, for 1,885 yards and 21 TDs against five interceptions. Morrison has 47 catches, 734 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“We know we are going to get their A-game, because we get that week-in and week-out,” Young said.” We respect every opponent and what they are able to do, but we have to feel confident in what we’re doing.
“If you’re blocking and tackling well, good things are going to happen.”
Discussion about this post