WVSSAC Super Six Football Championships

Playoff contenders Scott, Bluefield ready for rematch
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
By RICK RYAN- The Charleston Gazette

Sometimes in the semifinal round of the state playoffs, you get rematches from the regular season.

Two such games loom this weekend.

One in Class A has St. Marys visiting neighboring rival Williamstown, which blanked the Blue Devils 22-0 the first time around.

The other has Scott and Bluefield tangling again, this time on the artificial turf of Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The first time the fifth-seeded Skyhawks (9-3) and No. 1 Beavers (11-0) met, it was at Laidley Field in the teams’ final regular-season game. Bluefield survived 268 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Scott whiz Jordan Roberts to post a 35-25 victory.

Scott coach Shane Griffith said having already played the Beavers will give his team a head start on its preparation, but realizes that Bluefield now also has a better handle on the Skyhawks.

“The first thing we learned,’’ Griffith said, “is that they’re much faster on the field than they are on film. We were able to make some adjustments at halftime to that. Things just happened so much faster, and we were able to gain some experience from that and it will help us prepare this week. We know of their personnel and schemes they use. They have so many weapons — their receivers and their passing game and misdirection — and we’ve had the opportunity to see them and it will benefit us.

“At the same time, though, they will be the first team that’s had a second look at our offense, and I think that will help us. Jordan has obviously proven to be extremely difficult to stop. The formations give people problems, as well as determining which is the best way to line up.’’

Roberts has already broken the state’s single-season records for rushing yards in the regular season (2,895) and all games (unofficially 3,653) and has run for 47 touchdowns.

In the playoffs, Roberts has even turned it up a couple notches. He’s run for 353 yards and five TDs against Sissonville, and last week burned Berkeley Springs with 405 yards and eight scores.

His 268-yard effort against Bluefield the first time around, interestingly, was one of his lowest outputs of the year.

“[Roberts] is good on film, but he’s a lot better in person,’’ said Bluefield coach Fred Simon. “He’s something. I’ll have to look at the film, but I don’t know if there’s any way to shut him down.’’

The Beavers have prided themselves on their offensive balance throughout the season.

Top rusher Shaun Brooks (1,217 yards, 16 TDs) and quarterback Will Cole (1,182 yards, 15 TDs) have nearly matching numbers. Ansel Ponder, with 44 catches for 619 yards and eight scores, is a proven threat at wideout.

“We can mix the pass and the run,’’ Simon said. “We can go about 50-50 if we have to. We’ve passed 25, 30 times a game if need be. Sometimes we’ll go into a game thinking we’re going to run, but if they shut it down, we can pass.

“We use a wing-T and shotgun [formations]. We run inside, run outside and pass. It’s hard in high school for defenses to stop everything.’’

In the other Class AA semifinal, No. 3 James Monroe (11-1) visits No. 2 Wayne (11-1) on Saturday with a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m.

The two survivors this weekend advance to the Super Six finals, where they will play at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Wheeling Island Stadium.

To contact assistant sports editor Rick Ryan, use e-mail or call 348-5175. Mike Whiteford contributed to this report.