Published: September 15, 2008 11:41 pm         

Central looks to start another streak; Ansted's record still stands

Wheeling Central coach Mike Young figures the best way to forget a loss is to start winning again.

It wasn’t just any loss, either.

The Maroon Knights return to action Friday night against Morgan, Ohio, one week after falling short of matching the longest winning streak in state history.

Wheeling Central’s streak was stopped at 35 straight games with a 22-14 loss at Shadyside, Ohio. Ansted holds the record of 36 straight set from 1970-74.

“It’s a different feeling for sure,” Young said. “When you’ve had two-and-a-half years and you haven’t lost, it’s a different feeling, but yet it’s a reality check, too.”

Four-time defending Class A champion Wheeling Central had allowed no points and 100 total yards in its first two games. But in one of only two road games on the schedule this season, Wheeling Central allowed Shadyside to score the final 16 points.

Wheeling Central managed just 122 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times.

“They did an excellent job of preparing for us,” Young said. “We can’t afford to give up turnovers like that to a quality team and we did.

“Our job is to regroup and get ready for this week. Even when we were winning, we knew we had to go into the next week and get better. We’re even more focused now.”

Last year, Williamstown ended a 57-game regular-season winning streak, the longest in state history.



JOHNSON GANG

Big Creek High School received fame in the 1999 film “October Sky” as the school attended by Homer Hickam Jr. and the “Rocket Boys.”

Now the Johnson gang is trying to bring some attention to the school.

There are five Johnsons on Big Creek’s 29-player roster, so coach Mike Vallo has to be careful when he sends someone on the field.

“You’ve got to have a first name,” Vallo said.

Halfbacks Austin and Devon Johnson are brothers. Their cousin is starting quarterback Cody Johnson. Jeremy and Nicholas Johnson also are brothers but are unrelated to the others. Jeremy Johnson, a lineman, is the only senior among the five.

The Owls are coming off a six-win season and have come a long way from a 1-8 finish in 2006. The team hasn’t made the playoffs in a decade but hopes are high after a 2-0 start this season.

And the Johnson contributions are plenty.

In a 54-18 win over Mount View, Cody Johnson threw two touchdown passes, scored on a 31-yard run and returned an interception 94 yards for another TD. Devon Johnson ran for one score and caught a TD pass, and Austin Johnson had a 70-yard scoring reception.

Which Johnson is the best?

“That’s not for me to say. I don’t know yet,” Vallo said. “I think they have some ability. That will wash out by the end of the season. They all need to get better if we’re going to make the playoffs.”



BACK FROM INJURY

A year ago, Wheeling Park’s Shane Kandis reached the semifinals of the state wrestling tournament and he started the 2007 football season with a three-touchdown effort against Bellaire, Ohio. Then Kandis tore a knee ligament the following week and he missed the rest of the season.

In a weight room workout during his rehabilitation, Kandis herniated three disks in his back and his 2008 comeback appeared to be in jeopardy. But he returned to the Wheeling Park lineup on Friday night, catching a short pass, getting two carries at running back and making five tackles on defense.



PREP POLL

Williamstown took over the No. 1 spot Monday in the Charleston Daily Mail’s Class A state high school football poll. Wheeling Central fell to second. University and Wayne remained first in Class AAA and AA, respectively.



ODDS & ENDS

Defending Class AAA champion Parkersburg is 0-3 for the first time since 1915. And not since 1966 have the Big Reds allowed 30 or more points in three straight games. ... Cabell Midland defensive backs Anthony Nance and Tyler Anderson suffered broken collarbones in a 26-0 win over Woodrow Wilson.



TOP PERFORMANCES

Preston’s Tyler Milton and Logan’s Derrick Perrin shared honors Monday as The Associated Press high school co-players of the week.

Milton, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior, rushed 31 times for 361 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-19 win over Elkins. His TD runs covered 33, 18, 34 and 6 yards.

Perrin, a senior backup quarterback forced into action when starter Dave Brown suffered a broken arm, ran 22 times for 221 yards, including TD runs of 75 and 50 yards, and threw a 50-yard TD pass in a 20-17 win over Poca. Perrin also caught two passes for 38 yards and had an interception on defense.

Other top performances:

—Riverside wide receiver Raheem Waiters threw a 76-yard scoring pass and caught four passes for 110 yards, including two TDs, in a 34-22 win over Winfield. He also intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble.

—Capital’s Keion Wright carried 31 times for 218 yards and four TDs in a 36-12 win over Huntington.

—Hurricane’s Terrell Martin ran 14 times for 187 yards and three TDs in a 42-10 win over Ripley.

—St. Marys’ Derek Spitzer ran for 215 yards and three TDs in a 42-14 win over Parkersburg Catholic. Parkersburg Catholic’s Cole Cwynar caught five passes for 169 yards and two TDs.

—Midland Trail’s Dustin Nickell carried 14 times for 184 yards and three TDs in a 44-24 win over Meadow Bridge.

—Notre Dame’s Nolan Tucci threw for 209 yards and three TDs in a 28-24 win over Cameron. Cameron’s Kyle Warsinsky ran 19 times for 190 yards and two TDs.

—Matewan’s Josh Sammons completed 9-of-12 passes for 200 yards and two TDs and he ran for two scores in a 50-22 win over Grundy, Va. He also threw four two-point conversion passes.

—Lincoln’s Tyler Browning threw for 252 yards and two TDs and ran for another score in a 34-22 win over Sissonville. Sissonville’s Raymond Boggess ran 30 times for 238 yards and two TDs.

—Musselman’s Casey Cochran ran for 185 yards and caught a TD pass in a 24-6 win over Woodstock, Va.

—Cabell Midland’s Brad Jenkins carried 27 times for 171 yards and three TDs in a 26-0 win over Woodrow Wilson.

—George Washington’s Taylor Norman went 6-of-6 for 189 yards and two TDs in a 35-6 win over Nitro. Roland Willis caught two passes for 117 yards and two TDs while Greg Jones ran 20 times for 134 yards and two scores.

—Man’s Khris Tolliver ran 21 times for 171 yards and two TDs in a 28-20 win over Westside.

—Gilbert’s Cameron Ellis ran 14 times for 160 yards and two TDs in a 48-32 win over Tug Valley.

—Parkersburg South’s Chanz Jarrell ran seven times for 154 yards and one TD and Hunter Ferguson had 11 carries for 148 yards and scored three times in a 48-28 win over Springarn of Washington D.C.

—Wayne’s Joey Ferguson went 9-of-11 for 148 yards and three TDs in a 51-24 win over Herbert Hoover.

—Clay-Battelle’s Sean Wilfong ran for 159 yards and two TDs in a 27-6 win over Paden City.

—Keyser’s Jeremy Green caught three passes for 79 yards and a TD, scored on a 74-yard punt return and had four rushes for 62 yards in a 13-7 win over Fort Hill, Md.

—Big Creek’s Cody Johnson threw two TD passes, scored on a 31-yard run and returned an interception 94 yards for another score in a 58-18 win over Mount View. Mount View’s Lamar Cunningham rushed 20 times for 206 yards.

—University’s Brandon Tucker ran for 125 yards and two TDs while Dominique Dixon ran nine times for 121 yards and a TD in a 35-13 win over Buckhannon-Upshur.