Northern (2-1) at No. 3 Frankfort 4-0
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Frankfort leads, 16-5
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2021 — Northern won, 28-6
LAST WEEK: Frankfort def. Berkeley Springs, 45-14; Northern def. Mount Union (Pa.), 50-21
IN THE POLLS: Frankfort is No. 3 in the Area Top 5 and tied for No. 2 in the Class AA point standings; Northern is receiving votes in the Area Top 5 and is No. 3 in the Class 1A West point standings
FOR THE RECORD: Northern has won 4 of 6 in the series, with its win last year ending a two-game Frankfort winning streak against the Huskies. At the time of the victory, the Falcons were No. 1 in the Class AA point standings. Northern would go on to defeat back-to-back WVSSAC No. 1s, as the Huskies beat Frankfort’s Mineral County rival Keyser the following week. … Frankfort has yet to be tested during its 4-0 start. The Falcons have outscored their opponents 174-17. Frankfort averages 372 yards of offense and its defense limits opponents to 143.3 yards a game. The Falcons have a plus-10 turnover margin. Last week, five Frankfort rushers eclipsed 50 yards rushing against Berkeley Springs: Luke Robinette, Parker VanMeter, Tyrique Powell, Landen Kinser and Jacob Nething. … Following a loss to top-ranked Fort Hill in its opener, Northern is coming off back-to-back drubbings of Albert Gallatin and Mount Union. The Huskies ran all over Mount Union to the tune of 515 yards and seven touchdowns. Kyle Broadwater and Ethan Sebold both eclipsed 180 yards on the ground. Kellen Hinebaugh rushed for 129 yards to make it three ball carriers that topped 100 yards.
Hollidaysburg, Pa. (0-4), at No. 1 Fort Hill (3-0)KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Fort Hill leads, 6-3
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2021 — Fort Hill won, 35-33
LAST WEEK: Fort Hill def. Southern, 42-0; Hollidaysburg lost to Butler (Pa.), 40-20
IN THE POLLS: Fort Hill is No. 1 in the Area Top 5 and No. 1 in the Class 1A West point standings
FOR THE RECORD: Fort Hill enters this evening on a 16-game win streak dating back to a 27-12 win over Allegany during the spring pandemic season. Prior to the Sentinels’ loss to Mountain Ridge a week prior to the win over the Campers, Fort Hill’s last regular-season loss came at home to Cathedral Prep, 48-14, on Sept. 26, 2019. … After a gritty 9-7 win at Class 4A Old Mill, the Sentinels routed Southern at Greenway on Saturday, 42-0, in Fort Hill’s home opener. The Sentinels scored three times in a span of less than three minutes in the opening quarter, with Tavin Willis opening with a 61-yard run and later catching a 61-yard TD pass from Lance Bender. Anthony Palmisano had a pick-six sandwiched between the first-quarter scores. Tanner Wertz had a second-quarter touchdown before Mikey Allen’s 29-yard touchdown catch from Anthony Burns made it 35-0 at halftime. Jabril Daniels’ first carry of the season went for a 45-yard score in the third. … Through three games, Fort Hill has outscored its opponents 87-14. During their 16-game win streak, the Sentinels have outscored teams 620-178 (38.8-11.1). … Last week, Hollidaysburg had just 20 yards of offense in the opening half before Butler scored 33 points in the second half to take a 20-point victory in a game the Golden Tigers were without starting wideout Nick Burkey and starting running back Elijah Ransom, both of which were injured a week prior. Quarterback Tucker Rossman was sacked four times and picked off three times. Hollidaysburg finished with 222 yards of total offense. … Fort Hill made the trek to Hollidaysburg shorthanded last season thanks to a COVID outbreak as a result of an opposing player testing positive a week prior. The Sentinels were without nearly its entire offensive and defensive lines, including 10 players and seven defensive starters. Fort Hill led 35-7 at the break before the Golden Tigers came storming back, but the Sentinels were able to bat down a Hail Mary pass on the final play to escape with the victory.
No. 2 Mountain Ridge (3-0) at Smithsburg (1-2)KICKOFF: 6 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mountain Ridge leads, 1-0
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2021 — Mountain Ridge won, 69-6
LAST WEEK: Mountain Ridge def. Allegany, 41-16; Smithsburg lost to South Hagerstown, 32-20
IN THE POLLS: Mountain Ridge is No. 2 in the Area Top 5 and No. 2 in the Class 1A West point standings; Smithsburg is No. 4 in the Class 1A West point standings
FOR THE RECORD: Mountain Ridge’s meeting with Smithsburg last year was the teams’ first, and it wasn’t kind to the Leopards. This year, the Miners kick off a string of four games in five weeks for Smithsburg against opponents in the Western Maryland Athletic Conference. The Leopards face Allegany next week, Fort Hill in two weeks and Southern the week after. … Mountain Ridge has cruised through its 3-0 start outscoring opponents 151-37. Uma Pua’auli is completing 67% of his passes, averages 173 yards a game and has 11 touchdowns to two interceptions. Pua’auli is the Miners’ leading rusher at 273 yards and four scores. Jaden Lee has 192 yards receiving and four scores, and Will Patterson has racked up 125 yards and two TDs. Dating back to the shortened COVID season, Mountain Ridge has won 17 of 19 games. … Smithsburg sophomore quarterback Zac Smith has struggled so far this season, completing just 40% of his passes with five interceptions in three games. Running back Ashton Redman is back and he’s averaging 76 yards a night. Smithsburg’s best player may be its kicker, Cameron Rejonis, who is 5 for 5 on PATs and 2 for 3 on field goals with a long of 36. Last year, Rejonis kicked a 38-yard game-winner against South Hagerstown at the buzzer.
Hampshire (2-2) at No. 4 Keyser (2-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Keyser leads, 41-17
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2021 — Keyser won, 52-14
LAST WEEK: Keyser lost to Beaver Local (Ohio), 31-10; Hampshire def. Park View (Va.), 49-0
IN THE POLLS: Keyser is No. 4 in the Area Top 5 and No. 14 in the Class AA point standings; Hampshire is tied for No. 18 in the Class AAA point standings
FOR THE RECORD:
Keyser has won 24 of the last 26 meetings since 1996. Prior to that, Hampshire had won 8 of 9 meetings between 1987 and 1995. The Trojans’ two most recent victories in the series were in 2001 (32-0) and 2015 (17-14). … Keyser and Beaver Local were tied 10-all with 2:47 left in the second quarter last Friday, but Beaver scored a touchdown in just 57 seconds to race into halftime with a lead. The momentum continued after intermission, as Beaver outscored the Tornado, 14-0, in the second half to hand Keyser its first loss of the season. Tristen Root scored Keyser’s lone touchdown, Edan Parks made a 22-yard field goal and Jack Stanislawczyk intercepted a pass. … Hampshire led Park View 35-0 after the first quarter en route to a seven-touchdown win that ended its two-game skid. Zander Robinson and Caleb Vandevander scored two touchdowns apiece during the opening quarter.
No. 5 Petersburg (4-0) at Moorefield (2-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Moorefield leads, 65-22
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2021 — Moorefield won, 41-0
LAST WEEK: Petersburg def. Pocahontas Co., 47-18; Moorefield lost to Strasburg (Va.), 40-0
IN THE POLLS: Petersburg is No. 5 in the Area Top 5 and tied for No. 7 in the Class A point standings; Moorefield is No. 24 in the Class A point standings
FOR THE RECORD: Prior to back-to-back defeats over the last two seasons, Petersburg had won the previous three meetings with the Yellow Jackets. Before that, Moorefield had won 21 of 22 from 1994 to 2015. … Petersburg is off to its best start in 30 years. The Vikings haven’t started 4-0 since they won their first five games in 1992. Running back Peyton Day has been dominant both on the ground and as a receiver. Day has an area-best 477 yards rushing and eight touchdowns to go along with 202 receiving yards and two scores. Quarterback Bumby Van Meter has completed 23 of 45 passes for 545 yards, eight TDs and two interceptions, and he has 185 more yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The Vikings’ offense is averaging 51 points and 408 yards per game. … After winning back-to-back games, Moorefield was shut down by Strasburg last Friday, which limited the Yellow Jackets to just 106 yards of total offense. No Moorefield back eclipsed 20 yards. Running back Adam Landes entered the game having rushed for 267 yards and seven TDs over the previous two weeks, but Strasburg held him to only nine yards on three totes.
Pendleton County (1-2) at Southern (0-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Pendleton County leads, 3-2
LAST MEETING: Sept. 27, 2019 — Pendleton County won, 42-7
LAST WEEK: Southern lost to Fort Hill, 42-0; Pendleton County def. Grafton, 34-18
IN THE POLLS: Southern is tied for No. 6 in the Class 1A West point standings; Grafton is tied for No. 31 in the Class AA point standings
FOR THE RECORD: Last year’s meeting between Southern and Pendleton County was canceled due to COVID-19. Pendleton County took the first two games in the series in dominating fashion with wins of 46-6 and 40-16 from 2015-16. Southern got revenge the following two seasons, downing the Wildcats 54-6 and 35-21. Pendleton broke the tie in 2019 with a 42-7 romp.
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