CHARMCO – Greenbrier West returns to the gridiron for the first time in two weeks this Friday night as the Cavaliers travel to Dunmore to clash with the Pocahontas County Warriors. West won their last contest on the field on September 6 with a 27-0 shutout of longtime rival Summers County. A week three trip to Paden City got shut down when the Wildcats chose to cancel their contest with Greenbrier West due to injury and illness concerns. After failed attempts to replace the Wildcats under short notice, the Cavalier coaching staff had to decide whether to take a forfeit or a no-contest for the result of the Paden City game. Believing a forfeit will ultimately suit their playoff needs in a better fashion, the Cavaliers scored a 1-0 victory and put the first three weeks in the rear-view mirror.
It has been a mixed bag for Greenbrier West in their first two games. The Cavaliers generated 252 yards of total offense at Pendleton County but turned the ball over four times in a 27-21 loss. Senior quarterback Evan Vandall threw for over 100 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 19 yards and a touchdown in his first career start, but the senior signal caller fumbled once and threw an interception. Another senior, Isaac Agee, rolled up 160 yards and a touchdown on the ground but also coughed up the football. Brandon Poticher gained an exceptional 71 yards carrying the ball, but also suffered a fumble in the loss. Although the Cavaliers gained 21 first downs to the Wildcats 15, the turnovers proved costly.
Week two saw the Cavaliers protect the football and notch their 13th home shutout over the past five seasons. A week after his first career 100-yard passing game, Vandall rambled to his first 100-yard rushing game and a career-long 50-yard touchdown run. Vandall added two touchdown passes and threw for 91 yards to solidify himself at the quarterback position. Agee and Poticher each pulled down a scoring reception, and Agee added a 44-yard punt return for a score. The defense held Summers County to eight first downs and Randy Keener pulled down an interception. Junior defensive tackle Logan Berry helped control the line of scrimmage with a solid effort.
After two weeks of preparing, the Cavaliers should be more than ready to perform at Dunmore. Greenbrier West has won the last five meetings between the two schools and holds a commanding 36-9 record in the series. The stingy West defense has shutout the Warriors the last four seasons. Agee, Poticher, and Vandall should be ready to run wild against a Warrior defense that surrendered 304 yards to Meadow Bridge’s Kaiden Sims in week two. Before last year’s meeting between West and Pocahontas County, a game ended with 8:42 remaining in the second quarter due to lightning, the Cavaliers have huge rushing games historically against the Warriors. Noah Brown set a single-game program record with 322 yards in 2019, Brown and Levi Weikle each went over 100 yards in 2020, and Ty Nickell rumbled for 148 yards in 2021 with another 232 yards in 2022.
The Warriors surrendered 160 yards passing along with two touchdowns in the Sherman loss last week. 107 of those yards through the air went to the Tide’s Trey Lester (seek you in week nine).
Vandall has thrown for 193 yards and three scores in two games. Look for West wideouts Asher Barclay and Kamden Sams to have productive outings.
While Pocahontas Count opened the 2024 campaign with three straight defeats, the Warriors have shown some improvement. Doug Burns returns as head coach after a one-year hiatus, and he has gotten competitive efforts out of his team the last two weeks. The Warriors fell 26-18 to Meadow Bridge in week two and 34-20 to Sherman last Friday after a tough week-one loss to Tucker County. Senior Devon Burgess saw extensive action last year versus Greenbrier West and had a 65-yard scoring reception at Tucker County and a 64-yard touchdown reception against Meadow Bridge. Haydon Moore had tough sledding last year in Charmco but has shown an explosive burst in 2024 with a 70-yard kickoff return in the Meadow Bridge loss to go along with a touchdown run.
Although a prohibitive favorite on paper, Greenbrier West has to be wary of a wounded Warrior squad in their own house. The tilt with Pocahontas County has historically been one of the more physical contests on the schedule, and the Cavaliers can’t get caught looking ahead to a homecoming matchup with the Man Hillbillies.
Friday night’s game kicks off at 7:30 P.M. Radio coverage can be found on Rock 95 beginning at 7 o’clock.
