Tough road ahead for W.Va. playoff football teams
By Dave Poe, Special to The TimesArticle Photos
Since 1999, the only teams to play in the Class A state championship game have been Wheeling Central, Williamstown, Moorefield and Madonna.
That's about to change.
Although all four of West Virginia's perennial small school powerhouses once again are in the playoff field, they wound up in the same bracket as Madonna is No. 1, Williamstown is No. 4, Wheeling Central is No. 5 and Moorefield is No. 12.
In fact, if Wheeling Central is to make it to the finals, it will have to beat, in order, Moorefield, Williamstown and Madonna.
You can bet the eight teams in the other bracket are smiling due to their good fortune and knowing that one of them is going to be in Wheeling come Dec. 3.
n Emotional Moment: Perhaps the most emotional moment during Sunday's playoff meetings at the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission was provided by Don Harmon.
Unless you're a football coach, it's unlikely you know Harmon personally. But if you are a football fan, you should be quite familiar with his work.
For decades, Harmon has been the official record keeper for West Virginia's high school football playoffs. It is a job he has made a labor of love.
Any time a West Virginia athlete breaks a state record or comes close to breaking one, Harmon requests a videotaped copy of the game so he can watch it and determine whether or not a record has indeed been broken.
He's been a fixture at the Super Six playoffs, having missed just one state championship.
Harmon announced on Sunday, this is his last year. That he is turning 75 and that "Mother Nature and Father Time" haven't been kind to him.
He received an ovation from the coaches, who like the rest of us appreciate his dedication.
n Rocky Road: The toughest road to the state championship?
While a lot of coaches could make a case that no other team has to run a tougher gauntlet, this one is a no-brainer.
The winner is, drum roll, please, Parkersburg High.
In order to win their third state championship in four years the Big Reds likely will have to beat undefeated Bridgeport in the opening round then play three of the four teams to beat them in the regular season, George Washington, South Charleston and Brooke, all on the road.
Given Parkersburg's playoff tradition and the fact the Big Reds have the top performer in the state in running back Allan Wasonga, they are perhaps the most dangerous No. 14 seed in history.
n Who?: Parkersburg South coach Jon Bolen focuses like a laser beam on one team: Parkersburg South.
That became obvious during an interview with Fred Persinger of MetroNews.
Persinger asked Bolen what he thought of Logan Moore, to which Bolen replied, "I don't know who Logan Moore is."
Persinger, taken aback, said, "I always like a comedian this time of year."
Moore is the standout quarterback for Fairmont Senior, the team Bolen's Patriots will meet in the opening round of the playoffs on Friday night at East-West Stadium in Fairmont.
Yes, Bolen knew all about how good the Polar Bears signal-caller was. Yes, the Patriots had scouted Fairmont Senior. But many coaches don't know or learn the names of the opposing players. Rather, they go by uniform numbers. Had Persinger asked Bolen what he thought of No. 4, he would have received a detailed answer.
