The Shadow
With three weeks left in high school football’s regular season the playoff picture is starting to take shape.
Covington, who is observing an open date this Friday, looks to be well positioned to make its third straight playoff appearance and Bath County is currently positioned in 13th in Region C, Division 1 (East Division).
The top 16 of 22 teams in the Eastern Division make the playoffs.
While Covington and Bath County are currently in, the Alleghany Mountaineers sit one spot out of making the Region III, Division 3 playoffs.
The top six teams in the region make the postseason and the Mountaineers are currently in seventh, a full point behind Rustburg for the final transfer spot.
The Mountaineers return to the confines of Mountaineer Field to host the Rockbridge County Wildcats, a 38-0 winner over Lord Botetourt last Friday.
The Wildcats bring a 6-1 record and a perfect 2-0 BRD mark to Valley Ridge Friday. Rockbridge’s lone loss came on September 16 when they lost 14-0 to R.E. Lee, who is ranked fourth in the Region III, Division 3 standings behind the Wildcats.
Rockbridge is led offensively by quarterback Porter Abell, who has accounted for 1,198 yards of total offense and 12 TDs. Abell has rushed for 712 yards and six scores on 94 carries, while completing 36 of 67 passes for 486 yards and six TDs with one interception.
Ling Zheng is Rockbridge’s leading rusher with 844 yards and 10 touchdowns on 122 attempts, while Colton Wilson is the Wildcats’ leading receiver with 11 receptions for 154 yards.
The Mountaineers (3-4, 0-2 BRD) are coming off a 41-25 setback to the William Byrd Terriers last Friday.
Alleghany closed to within two (21-19) late in the third quarter, but Joe Barton picked off Seth Bradley and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to shift momentum.
Bradley accounted for 313 yards of total offense in the loss, rushing for 108 yards and two scores, while completing 14 of 22 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Bradley has completed 76 of 143 passes for 999 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions, while rushing for a team-high 393 yards and five scores on 64 totes.
Running back Casey Walker has rushed for 374 yards and five touchdowns on 92 totes. Kendall Kessinger is the area’s leading receiver with 22 grabs for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Ethan Nicely has caught 18 passes for 246 yards and three scores, while DeAndre Burks has 17 receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown.
The Mountaineers defeated the Wildcats a year ago, winning 31-7. The Alleghany defense limited Rockbridge to just 137 yards of total offense.
While Alleghany is looking to bounce back, Bath County will try and build off last Friday’s 20-14 win over Parry McCluer. The win helped the Chargers snap a five-game losing streak.
Bath County (2-5, 1-1 Pioneer) returns to Carl F. Williams Field to play host to the Craig County Rockets, a 55-14 winner over Montcalm, W.Va.
The Rockets currently sit in 11th in the Region C, Division 1 (Eastern Division), .12 points ahead of Bath County.
Last season, the Chargers topped the Rockets, 28-15, limiting Craig County to just 94 yards on the ground and 214 for the game.
Craig County (3-4, 0-1 Pioneer) is led by quarterback Matt Ouellette and running back Cody Dunbar.
Going into last Friday’s game against Montcalm, Ouellette has accounted for 705 yards of total offense, rushing for 383 yards and passing for another 322.
Dunbar had rushed for 671 yards and nine scores on 94 totes prior to last Friday.
The Bath County offense sputtered in their 20-14 win over the Blues, totalling just 190 yards of total offense and committing three turnovers in the win.
It was the defense, who forced to turnovers and turned in two pick sixes, that was the difference in this one.
Michael Criser and Dariene Hepler both recorded interception returns for touchdown in the victory. The Blues were driving late for the game-tying score but lost track of downs and spiked the ball on fourth down from the Bath County 8-yard line.
The Chargers are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Tyler Robertson, who has completed 45 of 97 passes for 603 yards and six touchdowns with eight interceptions.
James McCulley is Bath County’s leading rusher with 188 yards on one score on 45 carries, while Aaron Newmarker leads the receiving corps with 18 receptions for 146 yards and one score.
