Wrapping up another football weekend:
That didn't happen Friday night as PHS bounced back with a win over Woodrow Wilson that may have clinched a playoff berth for the Big Reds.
PHS, which is off this week, will take a 6-2 mark to South Charleston a week from Friday night.
A win over the struggling Black Eagles would assure a playoff spot and set up a huge regular season finale against George Washington at Stadium Field the following week.
Parkersburg South, meanwhile, couldn't maintain the momentum from its 17-0 win over PHS, and suffered a 12-10 setback at Brooke, always a difficult place for the visiting team.
South stands at 4-3 heading into this Friday's final home game against Robert C. Byrd.
Then, the Patriots will travel to Wheeling Park and winless John Marshall to close out the regular season.
The only way South can be assured of one of 16 playoff berths is to win out. The Patriots could sneak in with a 6-4 mark, but they also could find themselves in the situation they were in last year, when they finished 17th.
Two of South's three losses have come by one and two points. Wheeling Park meanwhile, has two losses by one point each. And both team's third and only lop-sided loss came to Morgantown.
Who's the next best bet to be a conference champion? How about West Virginia? The Mountaineers appear to be head and shoulders above the other seven members of the Big East, none of whom is distinguishing itself. WVU will be favored in its remaining six regular season games.
If the Mountaineers take care of business, they will be rewarded with a BCS bowl, quite possibly their first appearance in the Orange Bowl.
January in Miami -sounds good.
With Marshall leading 14-6 and the ball resting on the Rice 28-yard line, Warner was called upon to attempt a 45-yard field goal on what would be the final play of the first half. As if the distance wasn't enough of an obstacle, the wind was swirling around Joan C. Edwards Stadium, changing direction at the drop of a flag. Rice attempted to ice Warner by calling a pair of timeouts.
But that strategy didn't work as Warner drilled the ball right down the middle, giving the Herd a 17-6 halftime lead and a great deal of momentum to take into the dressing room.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
