PARKERSBURG -No time to rest on your laurels.
The opening week of the high school football season is about to begin.
It's when everybody starts with a clean slate.
Several area games have intriguing storylines, including the 100-Mile War matching Parkersburg against Brooke for a 7 p.m. start in Wellsburg on a new artificial surface.
Brooke has dominated the series by winning 15 of 21 meetings despite the Big Reds' 33-22 victory last year at Stadium Field. PHS debuts a new quarterback with junior Aaron Roberts, who joins a pair of returning starters at running back in Chandler Hamilton and Adam Lindamood.
The intensity level will be off the charts at Imlay Field in St. Marys where the Blue Devils play host to Ritchie County.
Fact Box
- GAME SCHEDULE -
Friday's games
(All 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Parkersburg at Brooke, 7 p.m.
Williamstown at Tyler Consolidated, 7 p.m.
Ripley at Parkersburg South
Parkersburg Catholic at Buffalo
Paint Valley at Belpre
Ritchie County at St. Marys
Calhoun County at Gilmer County
Marietta at Morgan
Paden City at Clay-Battelle
Caldwell at Newcomerstown
Symmes Valley at Eastern
Fort Frye vs. River (at New Martinsville)
Frontier at Shenandoah
Wahama at Fayetteville
Alexander at Federal Hocking
Doddridge County at South Harrison
Clay County at Roane County
Philo at Warren
Ravenswood at Herbert Hoover
Waterford at Miller
Saturday's games
Wirt County at Moorefield, 1:30 p.m.
Magnolia vs. Linsly (at Wheeling Island Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
In his first year as head coach last season, Mike Dawson resurrected a Rebels program which earned a postseason berth and finished the season 6-5. St. Marys seeks to continue the momentum after winning four of its final five games in 2011.
Mick Price has produced impressive results as a boys basketball coach at Ravenswood and now looks to make a name for himself as the first-year head football coach with the Red Devils, who open at Herbert Hoover.
The only Wood County representative playing at home has Parkersburg South meeting Ripley at Erickson All-Sports Facility. On the heels of a 7-5 record, the Patriots are ranked No. 6 in the Charleston Daily Mail preseason poll.
Ripley, which starts a brand new quarterback in sophomore Trevor Tucker, lost last year's meeting 32-25 when the Patriots scored with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Last year's state runner-up in Class A will make a visit to Kidwell as Williamstown brings a 13-game, regular-season winning streak into its contest with Tyler Consolidated. Terry Smith needs eight wins to reach 100 as the Yellowjacket head coach.
The Silver Knights return a total of 17 returning starters from a squad which finished 1-9 a year ago.
Another Wood County school in action tonight is Parkersburg Catholic, which continued its playoff tradition after finishing 6-5 in Jeff Campbell's debut as head coach. The Crusaders open at Buffalo.
Across the river in Washington County, Belpre will play host to Paint Valley and Warren welcomes Philo to the town of Vincent.
Belpre has managed just one victory in Greg Adams' first two seasons as head coach, while Warren has turned in consecutive 5-5 seasons under coach Andy Schob.
Rounding out the list of games scheduled for Ohio schools are Marietta at Morgan, Caldwell at Newcomerstown, Symmes Valley at Eastern, Fort Frye at River, Frontier at Shenandoah, Alexander at Federal Hocking and Waterford at Miller.
Marietta seeks its fourth straight win against Morgan under four different coaches, while River will utilize Alumni Field in New Martinsville.
The slate of games scheduled in West Virginia include Paden City at Clay-Battelle, Wahama at Fayetteville, Doddridge County at South Harrison, Clay County at Roane County and Calhoun County at Gilmer County.
On Saturday, Wirt County makes the longest road trip involving programs from the Mid-Ohio Valley as it travels to Moorefield for a 1:30 p.m. contest. Later that evening beginning at 7:30, Magnolia hooks up with Linsly at Wheeling Island Stadium.
