PARKERSBURG - The showdown in Williamstown between the No. 5 Yellowjackets and No. 4 Wheeling Central will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

That's when Wheeling Central athletics director and head football coach Mike Young elected to play Williamstown during Sunday's football playoff meeting at the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

It seems inevitable that the Maroon Knights and Yellowjackets meet every year in the playoffs, but they've never met this early in postseason play.

Last year, Wheeling Central visited Williamstown in the semifinal round, with Williamstown emerging victorious on its way to its first state championship. That game took place on Saturday afternoon.

The other four Mid-Ohio Valley teams to survive the opening round of the playoffs - Ripley in Class AAA, Magnolia and Ravenswood in Class AA and Wirt County in Class A - all will play on Saturday, with the Tigers playing the only Saturday night game in the Mountain State.

Class AAA

No. 9 Ripley (9-2) , fresh off its opening-round win over No. 8 Nicholas County on Saturday night at Summersville, once again will play a Saturday game in the

quarterfinals. This time, Vikings coach Jimmy Frashier elected to play at 1:30 p.m.

That's when Ripley will meet No. 1 seed Brooke (11-0) at Wellsburg. Brooke is coming off a hard-fought 33-17 win over No. 16 Princeton, a game the Bruins played not only without head coach Tom Bruney -who was serving a one-game suspension - but also virtually without injured star running back Ryan Lazear, who made only a token appearance in the contest.

Ripley must make the 158-mile trip to Wellsburg, where the Bruins will enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Upper bracket: No. 9 Ripley (9-2) at No. 1 Brooke (11-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday; No. 13 University (8-3) at No. 5 Fairmont Senior (10-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Lower bracket: No. 7 Martinsburg (9-2) at No. 2 South Charleston (10-1), Laidley Field, 7:30 p.m. Friday; No. 6 George Washington (9-2) at No. 3 Bridgeport (11-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Class AA

Both Mid-Ohio Valley representatives - No. 2 Magnolia and No. 8 Ravenswood - will play their quarterfinal games at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

That's when the Red Devils (9-2) will make the 114-mile trek to No. 1 Wayne (11-0) in a matchup of perennial Class AA powers. Ravenswood is coming off an impressive 24-14 win over No. 9 James Monroe, while Wayne struggled in the early going against upstart No. 16 Oak Glen, but the Pioneers eventually pulled away for a 34-12 win.

This game will mark a contrast in styles as Ravenswood is a speed and finesse team while Wayne is noted for its wing-T offense and smashmouth football.

Magnolia (11-0) will remain at home for the second straight week when No. 7 Keyser (8-3) visits New Martinsville Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Eagles blasted No. 15 Roane County, 57-8, last Friday night at Alumni Field.

Meanwhile, Keyser was rolling to an impressive 29-6 win over a Point Pleasant team many were touting as a Class AA darkhorse. Magnolia is attempting to make it to the Super Six Championships in Wheeling for the second straight year. Last year, Magnolia was the Class AA runnerup.

Upper bracket: No. 8 Ravenswood (9-2) at No. 1 Wayne (11-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday; No. 12 Pikeview (8-3) at No. 4 Frankfort (10-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Lower bracket: No. 7 Keyser (8-3) at No. 2 Magnolia (11-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday; No. 6 Bluefield (9-2) at No. 3 Sherman (11-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Class A

Three of the four Class A games - including the Williamstown-Wheeling Central showdown -will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The final small school game will pit No. 6 Wirt County (9-2) at No. 3 Richwood (11-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. That marks the second straight week that Wirt County will have played on Saturday night. Last week, that was because Wirt's first round opponent, No. 11 Iaeger, picked the time and date. This week, it is when Tigers coach Jason Hickman wanted to play.

"We thought we would keep on the same schedule,'' said Hickman, whose team won the first playoff game ever to take place in Elizabeth on Saturday. Wirt's 34-12 win also was the final football game in the history of Iaeger, which will consolidate with Big Creek next year.

Wirt is quite familiar with Richwood as the Tigers and Lumberjacks scrimmaged each other prior to the start of the season at Richwood.

Upper bracket: No. 9 Tucker County (9-2) at No. 1 Madonna (11-0), 7:30 p.m, Friday; No. 5 Wheeling Central (8-3) at No. 4 Williamstown (9-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Lower bracket: No. 7 Fayetteville (9-2) at No. 2 Man (10-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday; No. 6 Wirt County (9-2) at No. 3 Richwood (11-0), 7:30 p.m. Saturday