Greenbrier West (4-2) at Richwood (1-4)
Friday, October 15, 7PM
Dean Memorial Stadium
Radio: WKCJ 93.3 FM (6:30 PM)
Series: Greenbrier West leads 44-10
Last meeting: (10/16/2020) Greenbrier West 64 Richwood 12
Last game: The Cavaliers dropped a 20-14 decision to James Monroe. The fact that Greenbrier West never punted in the game and still came out on the short end of the scoreboard speaks volumes. The Cavaliers turned the ball over four times (2 fumbles, 2 interceptions) as well as turning the ball over on downs twice. To add to their troubles, Greenbrier West allowed a kickoff return touchdown for the second time this season. Even with all the miscues, the Cavaliers were still in a great position to get possession of the football at midfield with approximately four minutes remaining in the game. to drive for the potential game-tying score. An illegal participation penalty was assessed against Greenbrier West giving the Mavericks a fresh set of downs to burn valuable clock. The Cavaliers were left with little time to mount a comeback.
Richwood fell 48-6 to a Grafton Bearcat squad that took advantage of Lumberjack mistakes and progressively worsening weather. The Bearcats got out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and never looked back. Kaden Delaney plagued Richwood’s first half efforts with a rushing touchdown, a pick six, and an interception for a touchback. Richwood also had a first half fumble that contributed to a 29-6 halftime deficit. The only Lumberjack points of the night came early in the 2nd quarter when Mason Campbell caught a 24-yard pass from Cooper Donahue. Rain began to fall early in the third quarter, and the Lumberjacks and Bearcats both struggled to maintain a clean handle on the football.
The Matchup: Greenbrier West is coming off a stinging home defeat to James Monroe, one they feel like they should’ve won if not for self-inflicted mistakes. Sitting at 4-2 in a loaded Class A field, the room for error is slim if the Cavaliers want to keep their playoff hopes alive. On the plus side, Ty Nickell had his fifth straight game of rushing for over 100 yards and easily leads the team with 904 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Nickell is the second leading receiver with seven receptions. Nickell has been a catalyst for Greenbrier West on both sides of the football, leading the team in tackles, tackles for loss, and blocked kicks, and is tied for the team lead in sacks with three. Kadin Parker has displayed the explosiveness the coaching staff envisioned in August over the past two weeks but failed to reach the endzone against the Mavericks. Chase McClung is also one of the best threats the Cavaliers have in their arsenal, and he went without a reception in the James Monroe loss. Cole Vandall needs to manage the offense and distribute the ball to his three playmakers after a three turnover night last Friday.
Richwood has dropped four straight games in a season that hasn’t been memorable for many good reasons. Injuries have beleaguered the roster all season, especially as of late. The Lumberjacks have had as few as 14 players healthy enough to hold a practice. After postponements delayed their season from starting until September 21, Richwood opened with a win for the Wagon Wheel over Webster County. Four nights later they were shutout by Pocahontas County. In an eight-day span beginning October 1, the Lumberjacks played two games and forfeited another, losing to Tygarts Valley and Grafton on the field while officially bowing to Van. Considering the Lumberjacks fell victim to big plays which included a 73-yard interception touchdown and a 54-yard touchdown pass to Grafton, matching up with the Cavalier offense will be a daunting task. One of the brighter spots for the Lumberjacks has been explosive sophomore running back Tyler Barnhouse. Cooper Donahue has done an admirable job at quarterback showing a good ability to connect on the deep throws.
Miscellaneous: Fridays game will kick off at 7PM instead of the usual start time of 7:30. Radio coverage will move to Oldies 93 this week due to the Marshall at North Texas game. Out-of-market listeners will have to access the game at www.radiogreenbrier.com/oldies-93-3fm as the TuneIn app will not be an option for streaming.
Richwood is one of only two Greenbrier West opponents to play the Cavaliers each year of the school’s existence (Hinton/Summers County is the other). Greenbrier West defeated Richwood 6-0 at Rainelle in the inaugural game for the program, earning head coach Toby Harris his first win. Perry Hubbard provided the first touchdown in Cavalier history, a ten-yard score with :15 left on the clock. Another notable game between the schools was the first game at Cavalier Field, a 22-7 West win in 1974. Toby Harris is 11-1 versus the Lumberjacks as a head coach. His only loss to Richwood came in 1973, a 13-6 defeat that happened to be the first career win for head coach Fred Hill.
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