West Virginia Class A Playoffs Round One Recap

<!-- 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>32 teams have advanced to the playoff quarterfinals after the opening round of the postseason in West Virginia. Here is our Class A playoffs review from round one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#1 Wheeling Central Catholic</strong> <strong>51</strong> #16 Tolsia 8</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wheeling Central showed no signs of rust after a three-week break, dominating Tolsia 51–8 in the Class A first round to improve to 7–2. The Maroon Knights jumped out to a 28–0 lead in the first quarter and controlled every phase of the game, piling up 216 rushing yards while holding Tolsia to just 96 total yards. Several players contributed big performances, including [player_tooltip player_id='1580716' first='Kade' last='Koroneos'] with three touchdowns, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1157631' first='Nico' last='Kusic'] with four total scores, and defensive standout [player_tooltip player_id='1473308' first='Max' last='Olejasz']. The Knights' offensive line also set the tone up front, and the second half was played with a running clock as reserves took over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central added three more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 48–0 halftime lead, later adding a field goal before Tolsia scored late to avoid a shutout. With the win, Tolsia ends its season at 3–7, while Central advances to host Tucker County in the quarterfinals. Tucker County enters the matchup at 7–4 after defeating Tug Valley 42–28.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#2 Wahama</strong> <strong>48</strong> #15 Man 22</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wahama continued its Class A state title defense with a 48–22 win over Man, just a week after beating the Hillbillies 49–0. The White Falcons built an early 21–0 lead behind three straight defensive takeaways and touchdowns from [player_tooltip player_id='1155319' first='Trace' last='Simpkins'], Tyler Northup, and Jack Roberts. Backup quarterback Cooper Roush stepped in late in the first half and delivered a 49-yard touchdown strike to help Wahama take a 27–0 lead into halftime. Northup opened the third quarter with a 79-yard touchdown run, and Roush followed with another 49-yard scoring pass to extend the advantage. Man finally broke through with big plays from Jacob Toler and a pair of rushing touchdowns from [player_tooltip player_id='894719' first='Kaleb' last='Mullins'], but Wahama's early dominance created too much separation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite Man's surge in the second half, Wahama responded defensively by forcing a turnover on downs before [player_tooltip player_id='1693748' first='Treyvon' last='Bearhs'] closed the scoring with a late touchdown. Wahama finished with 388 total yards, highlighted by Northup's 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns and a combined three passing scores from Simpkins and Roush. Man posted 256 total yards, led by Mullins' 115 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and Toler's 88 receiving yards. With the win, the White Falcons advance to the quarterfinals seeking greater discipline and consistency as they continue their postseason run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#3 Clay-Battelle</strong> <strong>44</strong> #14 Ritchie County 8</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clay-Battelle hosted its first home playoff game in more than ten years and capitalized with a 44–8 win over #14 Ritchie County in the opening round of the Class A playoffs. The Cee-Bees led just 16–8 at halftime but completely controlled the second half, outscoring the Rebels 28–0. Their run-heavy offense dominated the game, piling up 342 rushing yards on 48 carries. [player_tooltip player_id='1624352' first='Caleb' last='Hall'] led the way with 165 yards and a touchdown, while [player_tooltip player_id='864952' first='Caleb' last='Snodgrass'], [player_tooltip player_id='1881425' first='Corey' last='Coen'], and Cooper Peyton also added scores on the ground. Meanwhile, the C-B defense locked in after the first quarter, holding Ritchie County to only 136 total yards and keeping them off the scoreboard after their early touchdown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The win marked Clay-Battelle's first playoff victory since 2014 and the first under head coach Aaron LaPoe. With the strong second-half surge and a stout defensive effort, the Cee-Bees now advance to the quarterfinals, where they will host No. 11 Wirt County following the Tigers' upset over St. Marys. The victory brought a surge of excitement to the community, setting up another meaningful postseason opportunity next week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#4 Pendleton County</strong> <strong>60</strong> #13 Greenbrier West 7</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pendleton County rolled into the postseason with the same momentum they showed all year, dominating Greenbrier West 60–7. The Wildcats' offense overwhelmed the Cavaliers from the start, powered by a big passing night that included 186 receiving yards and three touchdowns from [player_tooltip player_id='1137709' first='Chase' last='Owens'] and another 83 yards and two scores from [player_tooltip player_id='1624377' first='Travis' last='Owens']. Pendleton County controlled the pace throughout and continued a trend of decisive wins after posting several blowouts during the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Their defense was just as effective, bottling up Greenbrier West's ground game and holding the Cavaliers to only 3.1 yards per carry. Pendleton County has now won six straight to improve to 9–2, averaging nearly 50 points per game during that span. Greenbrier West, meanwhile, ended its season at 4–6, dropping its fourth consecutive road game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#12 East Hardy 42</strong> #5 Sherman 20</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Hardy pulled off a strong first-round win over Sherman, using a powerful and balanced rushing attack to take control in a 42–20 victory. The Cougars piled up 270 rushing yards, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1624351' first='Nehemiah' last='Graham']'s 107 yards and a score, while quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='864946' first='Trevor' last='Roof'] added 46 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Roof was also efficient through the air, throwing two touchdown passes as East Hardy built a 21–12 halftime lead and then broke the game open with big third-quarter runs from Roof and Graham. Sherman briefly stayed in range thanks to a pick-six by [player_tooltip player_id='1139382' first='Dawson' last='Green'] and two touchdown passes from [player_tooltip player_id='1272608' first='Eli' last='Pauley'] to [player_tooltip player_id='894972' first='Trey' last='Lester'], but the Tide couldn't keep pace as the Cougars continued to cash in on long drives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Hardy sealed the win with a late touchdown run from [player_tooltip player_id='1235250' first='Levi' last='Price'], who also contributed through the air as a receiver. The Cougar offense spread the ball around, with several players contributing both rushing and receiving yards, while the defense added key takeaways, including an interception by Brinn Childers. Sherman finished with 215 passing yards from Pauley and 142 receiving yards from Lester, but costly mistakes and defensive lapses made the difference. With the win, East Hardy advanced to face Pendleton County in the quarterfinals, setting up a rematch from their early-season meeting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#11 Wirt County 27</strong> #6 St. Marys 14</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wirt County bounced back in a major way, turning last week's lopsided loss to St. Marys into a 27–14 playoff win in the first round of the Class A postseason. The Tigers leaned on a strong performance from quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='882030' first='Tyler' last='Smith'], who threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, including two to freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1971735' first='Andrew' last='Lemley']. After taking a 19–7 lead late in the third quarter, Wirt County capitalized on St. Marys' turnovers and added a late scoring strike to Easton Wyer to extend the advantage. Defensively, Caiden Stilgenbauer delivered a game-changing fumble recovery and two late sacks, while Dylan Hutchinson sealed the win with his second interception.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Marys hung around behind 104 rushing yards from [player_tooltip player_id='2005994' first='Eli' last='Wilson'] and a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from [player_tooltip player_id='1697685' first='Jeremiah' last='DeMoss'] that cut the deficit to one possession, but costly mistakes halted their comeback bid. An onside kick recovery briefly gave the Blue Devils momentum before another turnover swung control back to Wirt County. Despite a goal-line stand in the first half and a more productive offense after the break, St. Marys couldn't overcome three turnovers and stalled drives. With the win, Wirt County advanced to face Clay-Battelle in the quarterfinals, capping off a strong week for the school following its volleyball state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#7 Cameron</strong> <strong>46</strong> #10 Meadow Bridge 8</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cameron opened its postseason with a dominant 46–8 win over Meadow Bridge, setting up a quarterfinal rematch of last year's Class A state championship against unbeaten Wahama. The Dragons enter the matchup at 7–3 and will travel to Point Pleasant for the highly anticipated showdown. Their offense was nearly unstoppable in the first round, powered by a strong running game that overwhelmed Meadow Bridge from start to finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1154892' first='Marshall' last='Holland'] led the way with 275 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='894634' first='Kason' last='Angel'] added two scoring runs and a touchdown pass to Soier Reed. Gunner Lilley chipped in a long touchdown of his own as Cameron totaled 336 yards on the ground. A steady offensive line and contributions from younger players helped the Dragons overcome recent injuries, giving them momentum as they prepare for the next step in their playoff run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#8 Tucker County</strong> <strong>42</strong> #9 Tug Valley 28</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tucker County and Tug Valley traded big plays early in their first-round Class A playoff matchup, with both teams scoring on their opening drives before the Mt. Lions surged ahead behind touchdowns from [player_tooltip player_id='1139036' first='Reid' last='Kisamore'] and Cayden Arnold. Tucker built a 26–12 halftime lead thanks to [player_tooltip player_id='894988' first='Sam' last='Marks']' efficient passing and a late defensive takeaway, though they came up short on a goal-line opportunity just before the break. Early in the second half, Marks and Arnold connected again to extend the lead, but Tug Valley battled back with two late touchdowns to pull within 34–28.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tug Valley attempted an onside kick, but Tucker recovered and methodically drained the clock before Marks sealed the win with his fifth touchdown pass, an 18-yard strike to [player_tooltip player_id='862706' first='Lucas' last='Barb'], securing a 42–28 victory. Marks finished with 372 passing yards, Arnold and Kisamore combined for four receiving touchdowns, and the Tucker defense was led by freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2001695' first='Branson' last='Hyre']'s nine tackles. In a high-offense matchup that saw both teams top 430 yards, Tucker improved to 7–4 and advanced to face top-seeded Wheeling Central Catholic in the quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->