CHARMCO (WVDN) – The 2022 WVSSAC playoffs kick off Friday night when the Greenbrier West Cavaliers host the South Harrison Hawks. The Cavaliers secured the eighth seed by virtue of their 9-1 record. The Hawks vaulted to the ninth seed after their week eleven upset of previously undefeated Tucker County. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Cavalier Field.
This is the Cavaliers 26th playoff appearance overall, and the fourth straight for this senior class. This crop of seniors has enjoyed playoff victories over Tygarts Valley in 2019 and Madonna in 2020 with an overall record of 2-3 in the postseason. The seniors have an overall record of 34-9
Offensively, the Cavaliers average 264.5 rushing yards per game. West has punched in 44 rushing touchdowns on the season, with 2021 first team All-State running back Ty Nickell carrying the majority of the load. Nickell has already rushed for 300 more yards and 10 more touchdowns than he did last season, and has his sights set higher. In the 2020 Class A first-round playoff at Williamstown, Nickell was held to 52 yards and one touchdown. The Cavaliers will need something closer to Nickell’s regular season average of 183.6 yards per game and almost three touchdowns per contest to have success.
Greenbrier West isn’t a one-trick pony. Cole Vandall has rushed for over 300 yards and five touchdowns. Vandall has also passed for 400 yards and a touchdown. Vandall’s carefully selected carries complimented Nickell’s, giving West a solid one-two punch in the backfield.
The extra pop in the offense lately has come from Ethan Holliday. Holliday has been steadily recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the Shady Spring game, and his impact on the offense has been noticeable. Holliday has four touchdowns on the ground this season, but his big-play capability really shines in the passing game. Holliday had Greenbrier West’s first 100-yard receiving game since last year’s playoff game at Williamstown in the win over Moorefield. With 295 yards on 14 catches, Holliday leads the team with three touchdown receptions.
Dalton Heath has also been a reliable receiver for the Cavaliers. Heath has 17 receptions for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Kadin Parker, Tucker Lilly, and Nickell all have at least five receptions, with Parker pulling in a touchdown pass. Vandall has a scoring reception to his credit as well.
Lilly has passed for 413 yards and six touchdowns, and although Holliday had a 100-yard receiving night, neither Lilly nor Vandall have a 100-yard game to their credit. Lilly has been on the doorstep though, with 99 yards passing against both Pocahontas County and Moorefield.
The Cavalier offensive line has been a makeshift group in recent weeks, but the results have been stellar. Offensive line coach Steve Price, a head coach at Van for ten seasons before coming to Charmco, has gotten the most out of this position group. When healthy, the group consisted of senior Reney Cordial, V, Jacob Whitt, Logan Berry, Jacob Nutter, and Daron Vaughan. Trent Parker has essentially been the sixth starter and logged a lot of minutes. Cameron White, Ethan Hamons, and Peyton Ford have also seen playing time. The West offense has churned out over 2,600 yards on the ground and this group has been an integral part of that success.
The Cavalier defense has been on point in 2022. The unit set program records for the most consecutive shutouts to open a season with five, the most shutouts in a season with seven, and is the only Greenbrier West team to never allow a point scored on their home field for an entire regular season. West’s 46 points allowed are the second fewest in school history, trailing only the 1983 team that gave up only 42 points. The Cavaliers have allowed a paltry 448 passing yards and two touchdowns but have picked off nine passes. Equally as impressive, West has given up 769 yards on the ground and five touchdowns while collecting 20 fumbles.
Holliday is the team’s leading tackler with 91 while lighting the stat line up like a Christmas tree. Holliday also leads West with 3 interceptions, has two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eleven tackles for loss, and a blocked kick. Nickell has 78 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a sack, a blocked kick, and a fumble recovery. Heath has 74 tackles and Jacob Nutter has 64 tackles and four sacks.
The Cavalier corners have been out of the spotlight, and that’s a great thing for a defensive back. Marcus Adkins and Evan Vandall have 41 and 43 tackles respectively with both being strong in run support. Their coverage skills are underrated but may not be needed much against the run-first Hawks.
Not to be overlooked, the special teams have been solid in 2022. Isaac Agee has handled punting duties, botting sixteen balls for an average of 30 yards per punt. He has done an exceptional job pinning teams inside their 20-yard line when called upon. Trey Franklin has handled the lion’s share of the kickoffs and has displayed a strong leg in most situations. Hayden Ridgeway has quietly been one of the most consistent performers for Greenbrier West. Ridgeway has gone 41-54 on PAT’s for 76%, making him the fourth leading scorer on the team.
This will be South Harrison’s 17th postseason appearance. The Lost Creek school has been open only slightly longer than Greenbrier West, opening their doors in 1965. This is the second time the current seniors have qualified for the postseason, losing to Ritchie County in 2019 under former head coach Chris Underwood. Overall, this kettle of Hawks is 21-18 over the course of their careers.
Speaking of seniors, South Harrison has them to the tune of 14. That’s roughly half of the Hawk’s roster total of 29. Noah Burnside, a 2021 Class A Honorable Mention All-State selection as a junior, leads South Harrison with 1,651 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. Burnside is also the leading tackler for the Hawks with 71, 9.5 for loss, and 3 sacks. The Cavaliers will have to account for the 6’4”, 190-pound Burnside at all times on both sides of the ball.
Another senior standout is Aiden Moreno. Moreno is a 6’2”, 190 pound running back and defensive back. Moreno has 838 carries from the middle halfback spot of South Harrison’s stacked-I offense, scoring 18 touchdowns. Also the Hawks’ leading receiver, Moreno has 6 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. Moreno has also handled the majority of the Hawk’s kickoff returns with 12 for 185 yards. A do-it-all for South Harrison, Moreno has four punts for an average of 29 yards. Finally, Moreno is second on the team with 62 tackles. Greenbrier West will be wary of #12’s whereabouts.
Caden Davis is South Harrison’s quarterback, completing 13 of 37 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Davis has rushed for three touchdowns and just over 100 yards on 42 carries. Simply put, South Harrison relies on its running game.
Senior kicker Seth Klimas is a respectable 9 of 12 on PAT’s, but the Hawks like to go for two. Burnside has 9 2-point conversions, Davis four, and Moreno has two. Klimas does have a big leg and has boomed four touchbacks this season. As a team, the Hawks have only punted six times all season with Lucas Rush doing the duty four of those times.
Here’s how the matchup boils down. West holds teams to 76.9 yards per game on the ground. South Harrison pounds out yards to the tune of 287.3 per game. This is a gut check for both teams. Immovable object meets unstoppable force. The Hawks only pass for 30 yards a game and the Cavaliers only allow 44 per game, so I see that in favor of Greenbrier West. On the other hand, the Cavaliers match South Harrison’s ground game with 264.5 yards per game. The slight advantage in the passing department goes to Greenbrier West at 81.5 yards per game. The numbers are similar. What else would you expect in an eight versus nine game?
Rain is in the forecast Friday night, meaning you may see a muddy slop fest that rivals the Northfork game of 1982 or the Notre Dame game in 2006. If you believe in karma, West shut out both of those opponents to the tune of 26-0 and 30-0, respectively. That’s been a great recipe for success this season. If the other team doesn’t score, they can’t win.
Tickets for the game will only be offered digitally and can be purchased at GoFan.com. Adult tickets cost $8 and student tickets are $5 but be advised the the GoFan website adds a small processing fee to each ticket. NO tickets will be sold at the gate. WVSSAC passes will be accepted. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Local radio coverage can be found on Rock 95 beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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| Ty Nickell (#1) and Ethan Holliday (#9) lead the Cavaliers into Fridays Class A first round playoff against South Harrison. Photo courtesy Eli James. |
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| Ty Nickell (#1) and Ethan Holliday (#9) lead the Cavaliers into Fridays Class A first round playoff against South Harrison. Photo courtesy Eli James. |
