CHARMCO, W.Va. — Seven years ago, Greenbrier West’s dream of a state football championship ended at the hands of Madonna in the title game at Wheeling Island Stadium.
The Cavaliers will seek a bit of redemption Saturday night.
West, a perfect 8-0 during the regular season, is the No. 2 seed in the West Virginia Class A playoffs and will host No. 15 seeded Madonna (7-2) in a first round match-up at Cavalier Field.
The 16-team brackets for each classification were released Saturday night by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.
How many of the 24 first round games will actually be played?
It’s still up in the air.
A total of 11 counties were either orange or red on Saturday’s West Virginia COVID-19 metrics map. All playoff games involving teams from those counties, there are 12 of them, have been scheduled for Sunday.
Those counties must drop to green, yellow or gold on Saturday’s COVID map for their schools to participate in the playoffs. If not, a forfeit will be declared and the opposing team will advance.
Greenbrier West rolled through a regular season that we all know has been anything but “regular.”
Both West and No. 1 seed Tug Valley (3-0) have home field advantage all the way to the state championship game.
However, Mingo County, where Tug Valley is located, has been red on the COVID map for a month. Unless there is a change on Saturday’s map, Tug would forfeit their opening round game to No. 16 seed Tygarts Valley.
The Blue Dons of Madonna havent’s lost since September 18 and bring a six-game winning streak to Charmco.
Under first-year head coach Dan Rovira, Madonna played four West Virginia schools and five from Ohio to make up their nine-game regular season schedule. They have averaged over 37 points a game.
The Blue Dons, who have won three state championships including the 24-14 win over West in the 2013 title game, are making their third playoff appearance in the last four years. Madonna lost first round games in both 2017 and 2019.
Greenbrier West has outscored their opposition 408-84 in eight games. The closest contest for Coach Toby Harris’ bunch was a 42-20 win over Pendleton County on September 18.
Harris came out of retirement a year ago to help turn around the Cavalier program.
After four consecutive losing seasons, West went 10-2 last year and won a playoff game before falling to Williamstown in the second round, 34-22.
Game time Saturday night at Cavalier Field is 7:30 p.m.
Complete pairings:
Class AAA
No. 16 John Marshall (5-4) at No. 1 Cabell Midland (5-0), Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 15 Ripley (6-3) at No. 2 South Charleston (5-0), Sunday, 3 p.m.
No. 14 University (3-3) at No. 3 Musselman (6-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 13 George Washington (3-2) at No. 4 Martinsburg (4-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 12 Washington (5-4) at No. 5 Bridgeport (6-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 11 Hurricane (4-2) at No. 6 Spring Valley (4-1), Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 10 Princeton (6-2) at No. 7 Wheeling Park (7-1), Sunday, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Spring Mills (5-2) at No. 8 Parkersburg (6-2), Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Class AA
No. 16 Elkins (5-3) at No. 1 Sissonville (5-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 15 Clay County (7-2) at No. 2 Bluefield (5-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 14 Independence (5-2) at No. 3 Frankort (7-1), Sunday, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Herbert Hoover (5-2) at No. 4 Liberty-Raleigh (6-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 12 Point Pleasant (4-2) at No. 5 Oak Glen (6-1), Saturday, 4 p.m.
No. 11 Braxton County (6-2) at No. 6 Fairmont Senior (7-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
No. 10 North Marion (6-3) at No. 7 Keyser (7-2), Sunday, 3 p.m.
No. 9 Poca (6-1) at No. 8 Robert C. Byrd (7-2), Sunday, 5 p.m.
Class A
No. 16 Tygarts Valley (7-2) at No. 1 Tug Valley (3-0), Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 15 Madonna (7-2) at No. 2 Greenbrier West (8-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.,
No. 14 East Hardy (5-2) at No. 3 Doddridge County (6-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 13 Wheeling Central Catholic (6-3) at No. 4 St. Mary’s, Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 12 Buffalo (5-2) at No. 5 Midland Trail (4-1), Sunday, 3 p.m.
No. 11 Tolsia (4-2) at No. 6 Williamstown (5-2), Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 10 Wirt County (5-2) at No. 7 Ritchie County (8-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
No. 9 Moorefield (4-2) at No. 8 Pendleton County (5-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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