Football teams look to secure playoff bids
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BEVERLY - After suffering their first loss of the season last week to unbeaten Barnesville, The Fort Frye Cadets will look to get back on track when they renew their annual rivalry Friday night at home against the winless Marietta Tigers.
The Cadets were a perfect 6-0 before being beaten soundly (34-7) by a Barnesville team that has made such beatings a regular occurrence throughout the 2026 campaign,
Quarterback Grady Hesson accounted for the lone Cadet touchdown.
Other key performers for the Eric Huck-coached Cadets are backs Gavin Rauch and Tytan Waller as well as receiver Clayton Tullius.
Rauch leads the Cadets in rushing with 458 yards on 66 carries.
The loss to Barnesville did little to the Cadets in the latest D-V, Region 19 as they remain second with three very winnable games facing them down the stretch.
Marietta was unable to recover from a horrible start as they fell to Williamstown 42-14 last Friday night on homecoming night at Don Drumm Stadium.
The Mike Kupfner-coached Tigers spotted the 'Jackets a 14-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game and despite answering with a touchdown were unable to claw their way all the way back into it.
Braydon Frye scored the Tigers first touchdown on a 1-yard run in the first quarter while Cooper Brown rambled 92-yards in the fourth quarter for his first varsity touchdown.
Frye has been solid all year for the Tigers as he has piled up 584 rushing yards on 97 carries.
Last year in Marietta the Cadets blanked the Tigers 35-0.
CAMERON (4-1) at FRONTIER (5-2)
NEW MATAMORAS - The Frontier Cougars are currently solidly in the playoff picture but to stay there they have their work cut out for them over the final three games of the season.
That all starts Friday night when they play their last home game of the season against Cameron before finishing with difficult road games against Shenandoah and unbeaten River.
The Damon Metheney-coached Cougars lost for just the second time of the season last week at home to Conotton Valley (46-19).
The Cougars spotted the Rockets a 24-0 lead and were never quite able to climb back into it.
Quarterback Luke Mendenhall had a hand in all three Cougar touchdowns as he scored on a pair of three-yard touchdown runs while also teaming with Phoenix Nedley on a 62-yard pass and run for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter.
Mendenhall has rushed for close to 500 yards on the season while passing for close to 900.
Austyn Kephart has hauled in 13 passes for 273 yards as Mendenhall's favorite target.
The Dragons have lost just once on the season and that came at the hands of unbeaten River (25-20).
Last week Cameron rolled over Bridgeport 60-6.
The Cougars also downed Bridgeport (50-14) while both teams scored commanding victories over Valley Wetzel, the only other common opponent between the two.
The two last played one another in 2023 with Cameron blanking the Cougars 52-0.
SOUTHERN (3-4) at BELPRE (4-3)
BELPRE - Both visiting Southern and the Belpre Golden Eagles will need to win out the rest of the way and get a little help along the way to make it to the postseason.
The Golden Eagles had their three-game winning streak snapped last week at the hands of the Trimble Tomcats (23-15).
Belpre currently is ranked in the No. 19 position meaning they would have to leap-frog seven teams in the final three games to secure a playoff berth.
In the loss to Trimble, the Brian Hutchinson-coached Eagles were led by quarterback Mason Baxter who completed 20-of-31 pass attempts for 249 yards and touchdowns to Malik Currie and AJ Copen.
Malakai Ensor led Belpre with 97 receiving yards.
The Tornadoes are ranked 18th but have lost two of their last three games including last week’s 57-0 drubbing at the hands of the Waterford Wildcats.
Southern managed just 26 total yards of offense against the Wildcats.
The two teams have played a pair of common opponents with Southern downing Trimble 39-12 while both own convincing wins over Green.
Last season in Racine, Southern downed Belpre 41-8.
WARREN (2-5) at EDISON (2-5)
RICHMOND - Although neither Warren or Edison has officially been eliminated from the postseason, both teams will likely be playing for pride when they do battle Friday night in Richmond with identical 2-5 records.
The Wildcats have wins over Monroe Central and Weir on the season but have lost three out of their last four including last week’s 7-3 loss to East Liverpool.
Warren comes into the game looking to snap a three-game losing streak including last week’s 44-18 loss to John Marshall.
The Jason Gandee-coached Warriors were led by quarterback Braylen Murray who ran for three touchdowns in the game against the Monarchs.
Murray has had quite a season in his first full year as varsity starter as he has rushed the ball 129 times for 517 yards while completing 57-of-95 pass attempts for 782 yards and six touchdowns.
Warren’s last win came in week number four when they downed Hillsboro 50-47.
The two teams did not play one another last year.
WATERFORD (5-2) at FEDERAL HOCKING (0-7)
STEWART - After hitting a speed bump earlier in the season with back-to-back losses to Nelsonville-York and Fort Frye, the Waterford Wildcats appear to be back on track as they pay a visit to the Federal Hocking Lancers Friday night.
Waterford picked up their second consecutive shutout win last week and their fourth of the season with a 57-0 win over Southern, one week after they blanked Eastern 35-0.
The Eric McCutcheon-coached Wildcats come into the game surrendering less than seven points per game on defense.
The Wildcats offense is led by quarterback Avery Pottmeyer who has passed for just shy of 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.
Senior Hayden Jones has rushed the ball 109 times for 667 yards while totaling 14 touchdowns altogether on offense.
Gavin Heiner leads the 'Cats in receiving while Finn Pennock leads them with four interceptions.
The 2026 season has been a tough one for head coach Dominic Branch and his Lancers as they come into the game looking to score for the first time in eight quarters after shutout losses to Belpre (39-0) and Eastern (48-0).
Last season in Waterford the Wildcats rolled to a 63-0 win over Federal Hocking.
POCA (1-5) at WILLIAMSTOWN (5-0)
WILLIAMSTOWN - The past two weeks have seen the Williamstown Yellowjackets get a measure of revenge against a pair of Tiger teams that beat them last season in Chapmanville and Marietta.
Friday night they will look to hang a loss for the second consecutive season on the Poca Dots as they make the trip to battle the unbeaten Yellowjackets.
Against Marietta last Friday the 'Jackets led 14-0 before the game was two minutes old and never looked back en route to a 42-14 win.
Daniel Cunningham ran for four touchdowns to lead the way for the Chris Beck-coached Yellowjackets.
Cunningham has had quite the breakout season for WHS as he has rushed for 510 yards and seven touchdowns on 74 carries.
Junior QB Breck Allen has been solid as well as he has completed 35-of-59 pass attempts for 528 yards and seven TD's while rushing the ball 70 times for 446 markers.
The Dots opened the season with a 37-13 win over Buffalo but have dropped five in a row since including last week’s 47-8 defeat to Braxton County.
The 'Jackets downed Poca last year 39-19.
SHADYSIDE (6-1) at CALDWELL (2-5)
CALDWELL - The Redskins snapped a five-game losing streak last week with a dominating 42-0 win over winless Bishop Rosecrans.
The Chance Rucker-coached 'Skins will look to make it two-in-a-row Friday when they welcome in a very good Shadyside Tiger team.
The win last Friday was a welcome sight for the young Redskins who had not tasted victory since a season opening win over Buckeye Trail.
Key players for the Redskins include freshman quarterback Blayz Abbott and receivers Mason Arnold, KK Moore and Silas Cain.
The Tigers come into the game licking their wounds from their first loss of the season to River 22-13.
Shadyside is currently in the No. 4 slot in the latest D-7, Region 27 rankings leaving them in prime position to host a playoff game.
Key players for the Tigers include quarterback Jayden Johnson and receiver Michael Hendershot.
Last year Caldwell rolled to a 48-0 victory at Shadyside.
SHENANDOAH (4-3) at RIVER (7-0)
HANIBAL - After a pair of super-impressive victories over really good football teams in Cameron and Shadyside, the River Pilots will look to secure their eighth consecutive win of the season when they host Shenandoah Friday night.
Those two statement wins have the Pilots currently ranked No. 2 in the latest D-6, Region 23 standings.
Key players for River include quarterback Cam Abbott and running back Wyatt Stalder.
A 34-0 loss last week to Monroe Central has the Mac McLean-coached Zeps on the outside looking in for the postseason as they are currently ranked just 17th in the latest rankings despite their winning record.
Key players to watch for Shenandoah include quarterback Brody Brown, running backs Robert Snodgrass and Davyn Kunkle as well as tight end Jamison Archer.
Last season in Sarahsville, Shenandoah blanked the Pilots 33-0.
TORONTO (7-0) at MONROE CENTRAL (4-3)
WOODSFIELD - A thrilling overtime-win last week by Toronto kept the Red Knights season perfect as they prepare a visit to a dangerous Monroe Central Seminole team Friday night.
Toronto tied the game on a late fourth quarter touchdown and two-point conversion and then won it in overtime on a Drake Bowser touchdown run and two-point conversion to stun Tuslaw 29-28.
Toronto holds down the No. 2 seed in the latest D-7, Region 27 standings with three games to play.
Monroe Central snapped a two-game losing streak last week with a 34-0 win over Shenandoah.
Quarterback Cooper Howell fired three touchdowns, two of them to Max Demchack as the Jonathan Calder-coached Seminoles kept their post season hopes alive.
Monroe Central is currently ranked No. 10.
Last season at home Toronto downed the Seminoles 35-21.
MORGAN (1-6) at MEADOWBROOK (2-5)
BYESVILLE - It’s been a very tough season for both the Morgan Raiders and the Meadowbrook Colts as they prepare to do battle Friday night in Byesville.
Morgan opened the season with a 35-32 win over Marietta but have struggled since in a season marred by injuries to key players.
The Seth Brown-coached Raider came very close last week to getting off the snide as they lost a heart-breaker to Coshocton (21-19).
Key players to watch for Morgan include quarterback Gage Roberts, running back Mason Pauley and receiver Casen Foley.
The Colts’ struggles have only grown as the season has moved along as they have dropped their last three games to John Glenn, Philo and New Lexington by a combined 96-6.
The two teams did not play one another in 2025.