Class A Semifinals Recap: Knights and Cee-Bees Advance

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p id="block-32896c7d-e14b-42fd-9249-e04a7ae8bf4f"><strong><em>Get 30% Off Your Subscription with Code PRZWV30 at Checkout!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8 teams have advanced to the state championship and will play for a title this weekend at Laidley Field in Charleston. Here is our playoff semifinals review from this past weekend!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#1 WHEELING CENTRAL 43</strong> vs #4 PENDLETON COUNTY 20</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wheeling Central faced a tough challenge for much of three quarters in their Class A semifinal against Pendleton County, but overcame the pressure to secure a spot in the state title game. The top-seeded Maroon Knights trailed 21-14 at halftime after Pendleton cut the deficit with a late second-quarter touchdown. The Wildcats briefly took momentum in the third quarter, scoring again to pull within one point at 21-20, but a blocked extra point prevented them from tying the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central responded with a dominant ground attack, scoring 22 unanswered points to pull away. [player_tooltip player_id='1580716' first='Kade' last='Koroneos'] led the charge with a key 15-yard touchdown run on an eight-play series, followed by a two-point conversion that gave the Maroon Knights a 29-20 lead. Central continued to control the game, with Koroneos adding a 6-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 36-20.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Koroneos capped the scoring with a 79-yard touchdown run, finishing the night with 266 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Central's ground game totaled 320 yards, while the defense stifled Pendleton's attempts to rally after an early touchdown. The Maroon Knights' combination of rushing dominance and timely defensive plays propelled them into the championship matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#3 CLAY-BATTELLE 24</strong> vs #7 CAMERON 12</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clay-Battelle secured a historic milestone by earning its first-ever trip to the Class A state championship, defeating Cameron 24-12 in the semifinals. The win avenged the Cee-Bees' only loss of the season, turning an opening-week setback into a season-defining triumph twelve weeks later. Now riding an eleven-game winning streak, the third-seeded Cee-Bees advance to face top-seeded Wheeling Central for the title in Charleston.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The turning point came in the second half, when [player_tooltip player_id='1137698' first='Braden' last='Ponceroff'] delivered a one-handed catch-and-run for the go-ahead score and added two key interceptions on defense. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1881425' first='Corey' last='Coen'] powered the offense on the ground and through the air. At the same time, Clay-Battelle's defense smothered Cameron's rushing attack and forced five turnovers to control the momentum after halftime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cameron, coming off a major upset in the quarterfinals, struggled to match its earlier postseason success and finished the year 8-4. The victory also snapped an eleven-game losing streak to the Dragons and marked a full-circle moment for a Clay-Battelle program experiencing its most memorable season in school history as it prepares for its first championship appearance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->