PARKERSBURG -Big games with playoff implications.
That's what the upcoming weekend of high school football features.
It's the final week of the regular season in Ohio and the next-to-last week West Virginia teams can play, and that means there are significant games taking place throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Start in Parkersburg, where both Parkersburg South and Parkersburg High will play home games that will go a long way toward determining their respective playoff fates. At the Erickson All-Sports Facility, South will entertain Wheeling Park in a matchup of 5-3 teams. In all probability, the winner will clinch a playoff berth and the loser will find itself on the playoff bubble.
At Stadium Field, 4-4 Parkersburg High faces a must win game against 5-4 South Charleston. The Black Eagles were upset on Friday by Ripley and must win to have a chance at making the playoff field. PHS, meanwhile, must win its final two games, including the following week at 6-2 George Washington.
Four Little Kanawha Conference games have playoff implications that will effect both Class AA and Class A.
Fact Box
This Week's High School Matchups
Friday's games
South Charleston (5-4) at Parkersburg (4-4)
Wheeling Park (5-3) at Parkersburg South (5-3)
Ravenswood (2-6) at St. Marys (7-1)
Williamstown (4-4) at Ritchie County (6-2)
Roane County (5-3) at Wirt County (6-2)
Calhoun County (2-7) at Clay County (4-4)
Parkersburg Catholic (4-5) at Gilmer County (2-6)
Steubenville Central at Magnolia (7-1)
Paden City (1-8) at Valley Wetzel (1-8)
Tyler Consolidated (2-6) at Braxton County (5-3)
Wahama (8-0) at Miller (1-8)
Belpre (3-6) at Waterford (2-7)
Caldwell at Shenandoah (0-9)
Frontier (4-5) at River (6-3)
Marietta (1-8) at Zanesville (8-1)
Logan (2-7) at Warren (3-6)
Southern (3-6) at Eastern (6-3)
Federal Hocking (6-3) at Trimble (8-1)
Saturday game
Fort Frye (7-2) at Bishop Rosecrans (7-2)
At St. Marys, the 7-1 Blue Devils, who have clinched a playoff berth but are competing for home field advantage in Class A, will play host to 2-6 Class AA Ravenswood.
At Ellenboro, 6-2 Class AA Ritchie County can assure itself a playoff spot with a win over 4-4 Class A Williamstown, who must win out in order to reach the small school playoffs.
At Elizabeth, the 6-2 Tigers, who could use another win to assure a playoff spot, play 5-3 Class AA Roane County, who must win at least one of its remaining two games to stay in playoff contention.
At Sutton, 5-3 Braxton County must beat visiting 2-6 Tyler Consolidated to keep alive its Class AA playoff hopes.
The only LKC games that won't affect the playoff picture will witness 4-5 Parkersburg Catholic travel to 2-6 Gilmer County and 2-7 Calhoun County visit 4-4 Clay County.
A key game involving a Class A team will take place at New Martinsville where 7-1 Magnolia plays host to Steubenville Central Catholic, which is fighting to make the Division VI playoffs in the Buckeye State. Meanwhile, 8-0 Wahama, who already has clinched a Class A berth, will travel to 1-8 Miller.
Speaking of the Buckeye State, many local fans will get their last chance to watch their favorite teams this weekend. Perhaps the biggest game will take place on Saturday when Fort Frye travels to Bishop Rosecrans in a battle of 7-2 teams. Other games involving Washington County teams will see 3-6 Belpre at 2-7 Waterford, 1-8 Marietta at 8-1 Zanesville, and 3-6 Warren entertaining 2-7 Logan.
Other Ohio games will witness 6-3 Eastern host 3-6 Southern, 6-3 Federal Hocking travel to 8-1 Trimble, 1-8 Caldwell visit 0-9 Shenandoah and 4-5 Frontier travel to 6-3 River.
