Sports
Biggest Games of 2014: West Virginia
By: Michael Drapcho
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Editor's Note: With practices beginning in a matter of days, our writers have scanned the schedules to find the biggest games for the upcoming season. We continue with West Virginia.
Williamstown at Ritchie County, Week 10
It’s an old saying, but more times than not, it rings true: revenge is sweet. The Williamstown Yellow Jackets will be looking for some revenge when they meet up with Ritchie County this season after falling to the Rebels 38-31 last season, snapping a 14-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets against Ritchie County. Williamstown will look to start a new winning streak against the Rebels when these teams square off.
Ripley at Parkersburg South, Week 1
Like last season, the Parkersburg South Patriots will open their season with a game against the Ripley Vikings, and if the Patriots have it their way, this year’s season opener will play out much like last year’s thriller. The Patriots left with a 47-35 come-from-behind win over the Vikings. The Patriots overcame an 18-7 halftime deficit thanks in large part to Brendan Schwendeman’s outstanding 410 yard and five touchdown performance. Schwendeman wasn’t the only one to put on s a show, though. For Ripley, quarterback Trevor Tucker ran for 249 yards and one touchdown and threw for 127 and one touchdown. Both Schwendeman and Tucker will be returning to their respective schools, so this has the potential to once again be a high scoring affair.
Parkersburg at Capital, Week 4
Parkersburg will travel to Charleston in week four to take on the Capital Cougars and their star quarterback, Tyrhee Pratt. Last season the Cougars finished 9-2 and made it all the way to the semifinals of the Class AAA playoffs. Parkersburg must focus on slowing down both Pratt and running back Kashaun Haley if they want any hopes of getting the victory, as the duo combined for 276 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, and Pratt totaled 274 yards and two touchdowns passing in the 55-20 win over the Big Reds. A strong performance against a tough team like Capital early in the season could serve as a springboard to help Parkersburg build momentum as the season carries on.
St. Mary’s at Williamstown, Week 6
These two teams have been playing each other for more than 50 years, providing many exciting matchups along the way, and this season should be no different. The theme for this game is also revenge, with Williamstown looking to overcome the 32-13 loss at the hands of St. Mary’s in 2013. Williamstown will look to remedy its struggles from last season when it faces the rival Blue Devils in week six.
Parkersburg South at Parkersburg, Week 11
When a game is nicknamed the ‘Civil War,’ it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a matchup between Parkersburg South and Parkersburg is one of the most important games of the season. The rivalry between the Patriots and the Big Reds is not only one of the biggest rivalries in the state of West Virginia but also the nation. The Parkersburg/Parkersburg South rivalry was featured as one of the games of the week in the Great American Rivalry Series on iHigh.com in 2012. Parkersburg took home the bragging rights last year with a 35-26 last season, increasing their record in the ‘Civil War’ to 34-13 all-time over the Patriots.