Elkins entertains rival Philip Barbour; TV, TC play home contests
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ELKINS – Another rivalry contest is on tap for Class AAA, No. 7 Elkins when it entertains Class AA, No. 6 Philip Barbour for a Big 10 Conference matchup tonight at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers (3-1) are coming off a 55-14 win over Buckhannon-Upshur on the road a week ago, while the Colts (2-2) suffered a 52-3 loss at the hands of Class AAA, No. 6 Bridgeport.
“This will be our third-straight rivalry game,” said Elkins coach Chad Ware. “Each week we’ve had to recharge the batteries and get ready for battle, and this week it will be no different.”
Philip Barbour defeated the Tigers 37-14 in last year’s matchup at George Byrer Field.
“Philip Barbour is a fantastic, well-coached team,” Ware said. “They know what it takes to play in, and win big games. So we will have to play our best against them…We have to be focused, understand our assignments, and play well in all three phases of the game to have any type of success. We also have to be disciplined and play hard throughout.”
The matchup between the two schools always draws a big crowd and Ware expects the same for tonight’s clash.
“We anticipate a big crowd for both teams, so it should be a great environment for a high school football game,” Ware said. “These are the types of games you look forward to being a part of. With the schools so close to one another, it just adds a special element to the game, especially for the fans who turn out for both squads.”
In Class A, Tygarts Valley and Tucker County will both play home contests, while Pocahontas County hits the road after playing home games the past two weeks.
The Bulldogs (0-4) will be looking to collect their first win of the season when they play host to Class A, No. 10 Pendleton County at Bulldog Field.
Tygarts Valley fell at Bath County (Va.) 20-0 last Friday, while the Wildcats (1-2) dropped a 35-34 decision at home against Moorefield. Pendleton County defeated the Bulldogs 59-0 in last season’s contest.
Tucker County, meanwhile, will entertain Class A, No. 8 Cameron at R.H. Armstrong Memorial Stadium. The Mountain Lions, ranked 13th in this week’s WVSSAC ratings, picked up a big road win at Clay-Battelle last week.
Cade Rapp led the way for Tucker County (2-2) in last week’s victory by rushing for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Branson Hyre completed 15 of 22 passes for 178 yards in the win. Brayden Bennett was Hyre’s main target in the victory, pulling in 6 receptions for 72 yards.
Cameron (2-1) suffered its first loss of the season last week at River High School (5-0) in Hannibal, Ohio. The Dragons blanked Clay-Battelle 42-0 in their opener and rolled past Valley 48-6 in Week 2.
Pocahontas County (1-3), which was defeated at home 44-8 against Greenbrier West last Friday, will travel to Richwood this evening. The Lumberjacks (1-2) are coming off a 70-0 win over Mount View last week. The Warriors won last year’s meeting 48-0.
Buckhannon-Upshur is idle this week and will return to action on Oct. 2 when it plays host to Fairmont Senior. All of tonight’s games are scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.