CHARMCO – Greenbrier West and Liberty will face each other in football for the first time this Friday night in Glen Daniel. The Raiders are one of four new schools on the Cavaliers’ schedule this season, and it’s a matchup those in Charmco have hoped to get scheduled for many years. The two schools are a little over an hour apart and have met on the baseball fields, basketball courts, and wrestling mats for a long time. Overdue would be a great way to categorize this matchup.
Greenbrier West rebounded from a week one loss to Roane County with a resounding 52-12 victory at longtime rival Summers County. The Cavaliers rushed for 297 yards and four touchdowns, passed for two more, a punt return touchdown, and added a fumble recovery score for good measure. The list of firsts was long. Colton Dunbar threw his first career touchdown pass, Mason Ward hauled in his first career touchdown pass, Ben Butler scored his first punt return touchdown, Vaxton Vaughan hustled in for his first career rushing touchdown, and Anthony Martin scored his first career touchdown on a scoop-and-score.
The West defense was also up to the task, forcing three fumbles and grabbing an interception. Shane Plogger’s first career interception would’ve been a pick-six if not for a late block in the back call. Ben Butler registered a career-high 11 tackles and forced a fumble. Logan Berry and Ryan VanMeter also forced fumbles for the opportunistic Cavalier defense, and one of the fumbles led to Martin’s score.
Special teams provided some pop again for the second straight game. Ben Butler made quick work of a 51-yard punt return, hitting the Bobcat sideline and giving West a two-touchdown lead midway through the first quarter. Ryker Ball debuted as the team’s placekicker and hit 4-8 extra points. With four years ahead of him, Ball will have plenty of time to hone his craft. The special teams will get a big boost this Friday when Kamden Sams returns as the team’s kickoff specialist. Expect the opposition to start each drive a little deeper this week.
Liberty has had a rocky start to begin the 2025 season. The Raiders opened at home with 2024 Class A quarterfinalist Doddridge County. The Bulldogs pushed Liberty around with sophomore tailback Lyric Blake accounting for 119 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just 11 carries. Brandon Davis added 110 yards and a score, staking Doddridge County to a 34-0 lead. Liberty quarterback Jaxson Workman was the main offensive threat, going 9-18 for 94 yards and a touchdown as well as 22 yards on the ground. Workman connected with Colton Tolliver on a 68-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the lopsided loss.
Liberty was much more competitive in week two as Workman again led the way in the Raiders’ 38-30 overtime loss to Pikeview last Friday night. Workman carried the ball for 99 yards and four touchdowns while going 15-23 and 132 yards through the air. Isaac Williams added a touchdown run and 136 yards. The Raiders’ undoing came in the special team’s department, allowing a 79-yard kickoff return touchdown that knotted the game at 30 and ultimately sent it to overtime. Liberty allowed Peyton Mounts to rush for 135 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, and it was Mounts who returned the game-tying kickoff return.
Fans attending the game or listening to the radio need to be aware that the kickoff this Friday is at 7 p.m.
Greenbrier West’s JV team kicked off their season Monday night in Charmco with a 39-22 win over Midland Trail. Sophomore quarterback Mason Ward rushed for two scores and passed for another. Freshman quarterback Hayden Holliday rushed for a touchdown, ran a kickoff back for another score, and pulled down an interception. Vaxton Vaughan added a rushing touchdown, and Elijah McDaniel caught a scoring toss from Ward. In total, the West defense created five turnovers in the win. The JV team heads to Woodrow Wilson Monday night at 6 p.m.
