Game Report: James Monroe at Wheeling Central

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The James Monroe Mavericks made the long trek from southern WV to the Northern Panhandle Friday night and came away with a big 45-32 victory. James Monroe defends their win streak against the Marron Knights having beat them in the Class A semifinals last year. Defense was optional most of the night as the Mavericks jumped out to a big lead in the first half but Wheeling Central would close the half strong down 25-13. The Maroon Knights would open the half with a huge 70-yard TD run to bring it to a one-score game. James Monroe would ultimately be too much as they pulled away in the 4th quarter before a last-second Wheeling Central touchdown made the score closer. There was a lot of offensive firepower on both sides and here are some athletes that stood out tonight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">James Monroe Mavericks</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='894275' first='Cooper' last='Ridgeway'] '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was tough to pick an MVP with a number of Mavericks having big games tonight but 2024 RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='894275' first='Cooper' last='Ridgeway'] had a monster game tonight on both sides of the ball. Ridgeway was all over the field tonight and was a nightmare for the Maroon Knights' defense. He started off the night with a huge diving catch on 3rd and long in the first quarter to give his team a big first down. Ridgeway would finish that drive with a short touchdown run from a yard out. He would finish the night with three touchdowns including another one-yarder and a 25-yard scamper. He was big in the running game and in the play-action attack tonight. Ridgeway was also active on defense and a very impressive athlete at the Class A level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB/DB: [player_tooltip player_id='1104849' first='Chaz' last='Boggs'] '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fellow classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1104849' first='Chaz' last='Boggs'] had just as big of a game as Ridgeway and the 5'7165 athlete made plays all night for the Mavericks. He started with a 12-yard TD catch but was just as lethal on defense tonight. His next two big plays were a PBU and a big hit in pass coverage for a minimal gain. After a quick change on a muffed punt snap by Wheeling Central, Boggs would rip off a 20-yard run before scoring from 10 yards out putting his shoulder down at the goal line. Boggs would add another PBU in the second half before intercepting a pass in the 4th quarter with a nice return. He'd finish the night off on about a 15-yard run and was very impressive in tonight's victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB: [player_tooltip player_id='865708' first='Layton' last='Dowdy'] '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dowdy was a bit overshadowed tonight by two stellar performances from his teammates but make no mistake he made some big plays too. Dowdy fired off a 12-yard TD on a rollout to his right and was very good tonight when throwing on the run. On 4th and short, Dowdy scampered for a 31-yard TD run showing off his wheels. Dowdy also had a big 3rd and long pass of about 20 yards for a first down and was clutch on third and fourth down all night. He would add another third-down conversion on a 23-yard scramble to continue his playmaking ability. Dowdy finished with a PBU on defense from his safety position and it's no wonder why he's considered one of the best athletes in Class A. He had great command of the offense tonight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wheeling Central Catholic Maroon Knights</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR/DB: [player_tooltip player_id='907235' first='Braden' last='McWreath'] '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was really high on 2025 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='907235' first='Braden' last='McWreath'] before tonight having him as a top 10 WR in the 2025 class but he has taken his game to a new level this season. McWreath showed off his track speed tonight and was noticeably faster than everyone on the field. It was the McWreath show on their opening drive catching several passes while the Maroon Knights marched down the field before he would cap it off with a long TD catch. He was very good on defense tonight too and his speed was also on display on that side of the ball running down a would-be TD from behind. He'd have his second TD catch of the first half on a 10-yard rollout. McWreath would add a 57-yard TD run in the second half running by everyone and leaving them in the dust. He finished strong even when things were slipping away for his team with an interception at his own goal line and another 15+ yard catch late in the game. I was very impressed with the 2025 athlete tonight, and he'll definitely be a scholarship prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='1119214' first='JJ' last='White'] '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1119214' first='JJ' last='White'] can line up all over the field on both offense and defense and that was very apparent tonight. He started the night with a 15+ yard catch and a sack on defense. White appeared to take momentum on the opening drive of the second half with a huge 70-yard TD run flashing his upper-level speed and racing to the end zone with no defenders in sight. I loved his versatility in the run-and-pass game and he had several medium to long catches in the second half trying to bring his Maroon Knights back in the game. I have him marked down with a run of 10 yards and catches of 13 and 30 yards in the latter part of the game. Look for him to have a big senior season for Wheeling Central Catholic this season as one of the few upperclassmen on this young team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->