LOGAN- At the beginning of the season Logan coach Gary Mullins had three goals for his team.
The first goal, to achieve a non-losing season, was accomplished Friday night when the Wildcats defeated Class AA No. 9 Scott for its fifth win of the 2021 season.
The second goal, a county championship, can be obtained in two weeks when Chapmanville visits Logan on Oct. 15. The third goal, a playoff berth, is still up in the air with three games remaining.
Playoff Implications: Four games involving area teams will have a major impact on the ratings moving forward. Logan, who is 13th, will travel to No. 2 Poca to battle the undefeated Dots. A win for Logan wouldn’t guarantee a playoff berth, but a win could put the Wildcats in position to clinch a berth in two weeks against county rival Chapmanville.
Scott, who was ranked ninth last week in Class AA, finds itself on the playoff bubble sitting at 15th with four games to play. The Skyhawks have a difficult road ahead with games against Class AA No. 6 Liberty (Raleigh), No. 2 Poca and No. 18 Winfield before closing the season with winless Nitro. Two victories could have the Skyhawks in the postseason for the first time in seven seasons.
Three area schools in Class A find themselves on the bubble with four weeks to play. A pair of 14th-ranked teams Sherman and Van meet in what could turn out to be an elimination game for Van while Man visits Class AA unbeaten and third-ranked Independence with a chance to pick up a ton of points with a win.
Neither school has a favorable schedule moving forward and may need victories in three of its remaining four games to secure a spot in the Class A playoffs. Van may to win out to make the postseason. The Bulldogs have the most difficult road of the three. With just nine games on the schedule. The Bulldogs are searching for a 10th game, but as of now the Bulldogs have games remaining with Buffalo, who has just one victory, and Tug Valley, who has won just two games, left on the schedule.
Sherman has a difficult road with two of its four remaining games against Class A ranked competition. Following Friday’s Boone County showdown with Van, the Tide will have games left with 17th-ranked Greenbrier West, Meadow Bridge and Wirt County. The Tide is currently 4-2 on the season and could possibly get into the playoffs with two victories.
The Hillbillies, who are 3-3 on the season, dropped out of the top 16 following last week’s loss to fourth-ranked Mount View. No . 18 Man will have to find a way to slow down the Independence run attack Friday night. The schedule is not favorable either for the Hillbillies as they travel to Class AA No. 5 Point Pleasant before closing the season with Tug Valley and county rival Chapmanville. It is not far fetched to believe that five wins could put Man into the postseason, but many around the state feel that six wins would be needed to qualify for the Class A postseason.
Mingo Central and Tug Valley have not been eliminated from postseason contention, but both face a must win situation for the remainder of the season. It won’t be easy for the Miners either as they travel Class AA No. 17 Shady Spring before hosting top ranked Herbert Hoover. The Miners will close the season against Chapmanville and Bluefield. Sitting at 2-4 in a crowded Class AA field, the Miners need to win out, but even that may not be enough to get in without some help.
Tug Valley, winners of two straight, is building momentum at the right time. The Panthers can qualify for the postseason if they can win out, but that will be a tall task. Remaining games for the Panthers include three ranked Class A opponents in No. 4 Mount View, No. 18 Man and No. 14 Van and a road game at Class AA Westside.
Team of the Week: Logan picked up a much needed victory Friday night when they defeated Class AA No. 9 Scott 21-12. The victory kept the Wildcats in the playoff picture as they attempt to end an eight year playoff drought. The victory improved the Wildcats to 5-2 moving them to 13th in the latest Class AA ratings.
Offensive Performance of the Week: Mingo Central’s Norman Kennedy and Keadon Bolding combined to rush for 311 yards on 23 attempts and five touchdowns in the Miners 65-0 victory over Tolsia.
Kennedy carried the ball 15 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns while Bolding rushed for 139 yards on eight attempts and two touchdowns.
Defensive Performance of the Week: Junior linebacker Ridge Flores registered 17 tackles including seven for a loss in Van’s 12-8 loss to Mount View. The 6’2’’ linebacker has four games of 12 tackles or more and has made 64 tackles during the season. He also has 15 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks this season.
WOW Stat of the Week: In the fourth quarter of its win over Scott, the Logan Wildcats took over at its own 21-yard line and marched down the field. The Wildcat drive covered 15 plays in 9:21 and left the Skyhawks with little hope of a comeback. The drive was capped off with a 5-yard jump pass from Kolton Goldie to Garrett Williamson.
