Parkersburg South’s Brendon Kelley (8) runs with the ball during a high school football game against Spring Mills earlier this season. (Photo by David Pennock)

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg South knows its way around the eastern panhandle. Particularly this season as the Patriots meet their third team from that part of the state for this week’s quarterfinal round of the Class AAAA state football playoffs.

South (6-5) hooks up with a Martinsburg outfit which has averaged a 42-point margin of victory in its 10 wins this season. The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs (10-1) wrapped up a perfect regular season only to have to forfeit its win against Musselman.

Today’s playoff game at 7 p.m. in Martinsburg marks the fourth meeting between the two programs in the past six years. Last year, Martinsburg defeated South 54-7 in the first of the state playoffs.

“Our kids will be fine – they will go and play hard, they are not scared of anybody,” Tanner said. “I told them earlier this year, I don’t care if we are playing the Mountaineers, the Buckeyes, Martinsburg or PHS – we are preparing to kick their tail.”

Last week in the first of the playoffs, on the same day Martinsburg defeated Parkersburg, South managed to get past Washington, 24-17.

With the beginning of playoffs being postponed and teams unsure of their first round opponent due to multiple injunctions being filed in reference to the point system for playoff implications, South actually prepared for three opponents until the supreme court handed down its ruling.

South was able to survive its first test because the system the coaching staff follows allows players to develop a strong football IQ.

“How we operate as a program, we have our systems and we don’t vary away from what we do within our systems,” Tanner said. “Throughout the regular season and with the team we play, we see a lot of different things. So over the course of the season with everything our kids see, their football IQ enhances exponentially.”

Before the supreme court handed down a decision which provided structure for the WVSSAC to follow, South was scheduled to play George Washington. Spring Mills also entered the picture

“We had a good feel for what we were going to do versus whoever we played,” Tanner said. “All three (Spring Mills, George Washington and Washington) of those teams run variations of the spread offense. All three ran even front defenses. And all three play man-to-man on defense.

” A lot of teams have been doing that to us because we have been running the football and they just load the box. All the regular season games prepare us for games like this. Hopefully, we never have another moment where we are in limbo like that. Our kids were ready.”

Against Washington, South senior Devon Forshey put the Patriots on his back. He caught 11 passes for 138 yards for one touchdown . He also intercepted a pass.

The TD reception of 33 yards was thrown by junior quarterback Collin Hayes, who also rushed for one touchdown. Defensively, Hayes made a living providing pressure in the Washington backfield. He finished with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

“Collin is just a good football player,” Tanner said. “He won our Ironman competition – he is not a big kid either. He is 160, 165 pounds and he will find a way to get it done.”

WHEELING CENTRAL AT WILLIAMSTOWN

Game time: 4 p.m. today

Last meeting: Williamstown 36, Wheeling Central 25 (Sept. 13, 2024)

Key Wheeling Central players: RB Kade Koroneos; QB Nico Kusic; WR Max Olejasz

Key Williamstown players: QB Lynken Joy; RB Cooper Billingsley; FB Rex Anderson

Games notes: Williamstown (9-2) is playing in its 25th straight postseason against a foe it knows all too well — Wheeling Central (9-2).

The two teams played in Wheeling in week three of the regular season, with the Yellowjackets rallying for a 36-25 victory.

Williamstown is hoping for a similar result when the two teams meet again at 4 p.m. today for the Class AA quarterfinals.

Fourth-seeded Williamstown is led by quarterback Lynken Joy, who had 86 passing yards and 79 rushing yards in two-and-a-half quarters in the Yellowjackets’ first-round win over Moorefield. Joy had 216 rushing yards last time against the Maroon Knights. Whether or not Central can limit Joy this time around will be a big key.

Defensively, the ‘Jackets will have their hands full with Central’s stable of weapons. Kade Koroneos had 104 rushing yards in last week’s win against Nicholas County. He, along with Isaac Martin and Braeden McWreath, give Central multiple threats out of the backfield. Quarterback Nico Kusic stepped into the position after Seth Cover got hurt in the first meeting against Williamstown and has played well.

SCOTT AT ROANE COUNTY

Game time: 7 p.m. today

Key Scott players: RB David Fennessy; RQB Nathan Easterling; WR Braden Clark

Key Roane players: RB Lane Watson; RB Shay Harper; DB Garrett Brabham

Game notes: If Roane County (11-0) is going to stay unbeaten and advance to the Class AA semifinals, its defense will have to keep its eyes in the backfield.

David Fennessy will need to be accounted for by the Raiders. The Shyhawks running back finished with 151 yards and five total touchdowns in Scott’s first-round win over Wayne.

The Raiders have some talent in the backfield of their own, as Shay Harper and Lane Watson combined for 157 rushing yards in a first-round win over Chapmanville. Watson set the Roane record for points scored in a single season.

Give the edge to whichever defense can do a better job of preventing chunk plays on the ground.

DODDRIDGE COUNTY AT CAMERON

Game time: 7 p.m. today

Key Doddridge County players: QB Brysen Dixon; WR Landon Thomas; DL Jacob Britton

Key Cameron players: QB Kason Angel; RB Klypsan Wallace; LB Carter Paczewski

Games notes: Doddridge County (9-2) defeated Cameron (10-1) 21-6 in the state quarterfinals two years ago and will look to do the same thing today.

The Bulldogs got a strong effort from their defense in a first-round win over Wirt County and will need a similar performance against a prolific Dragons attack.

Cameron, which can advance to the state semis for the first time in program history with a win, is averaging 44.1 points per game and features an 1,100-yard quarterback in Kason Angel and a 1,500-yard running back in Klypsan Wallace. Doddridge will need to keep those guys relatively in check.

DCHS has some firepower of its own, with quarterback Brysen Dixon and receiver Landon Thomas developing a strong connection throughout the season. Lyric Blake, Brycen Eidel, Brandon Davis and Talyn Snyder all are threats on the ground that Cameron will have to account for.