MOUNT HOPE — Why not Mount Hope’s Da’Von Marion?

In a year where nobody has stepped up as a clear-cut favorite for the Kennedy Award, given annually to the state’s top player, submitted for your approval are the stats of Mustangs’ monster running back:

Four games, 77 carries, 752 yards, 9.8 yards per carry (almost a first down every time he touches the ball) and 188 yards per game. Oh, yeah, the 6-foot, 185-pound senior also has 13 touchdowns.

“Anything we ask him to do, Da’Von steps up and does it without question,” coach Eddie Souk said. “He’s a workhorse, and he gets the job done. We think we have some other kids who do, too. People always say, ‘Take Da’Von off the team and what do they have?’ Well, I never said, ‘Take John Elway off the Broncos and what did they have?’ That’s who they had. But I am glad that Da’Von Marion is on our team, I can tell you that.”

Souk gave kudos to the line — tackles Chris Thompson and Austin Cottle, guards B.J. Puckett and Brandon Kincaid and center D.J. Mullins.

“Those kids were in the weightroom all winter, never missed a workout,” Souk said. “They didn’t play basketball, run track. They came in, worked out, went home and the next day did it over again.”

The Mustangs are 4-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class A.

Mount Hope will travel to No. 13 Midland Trail (3-2) Friday night to begin a stretch that includes road games at Fayette County rivals Fayetteville (5-0 and No. 8 in Class A) and Meadow Bridge (3-2 and tied for No. 15).

“Any time Fayette County plays Fayette County it’s going to be a tough, physical game and the teams usually have their ‘A’ games on the table,” Souk said. “Up to this point I’d say Trail is the best team we’ve played.”

In one of the wildest games of the year, including a frenetic fourth quarter where 36 points were scored in a five-minute period, Sherman topped Liberty 47-46 last Friday in the Whitesville State Bank Bowl.

“Well, it was entertaining,” said Liberty coach Jeff Alexander. “I’ve watched the tape twice and it was entertaining. And it would have been a lot more entertaining if we had won the game, I can tell you that.”

Liberty outscored Sherman 22-14 in that span, but it wasn’t enough.

“It’s one of those situations where the team that had the ball last was probably going to win,” Alexander said. “It was tough. We weren’t stopping them and they weren’t stopping us. I think we both are probably better defensively than we showed.”

The Raiders lost the game and might have also lost versatile Jamie Newman, who has played quarterback, tailback, receiver, slotback, linebacker and safety, to a leg injury.

“It would be bad if we lost him because he does so much,” Alexander said. “But also because you hate to see a kid get hurt. He’s a tough kid, and if he can come back, he will. He’s a kid who’ll give everything he’s got. You have to love a kid like that. He’s so coachable and he understands football. Some kids play a position, but he understands the game.”

Liberty is at Class A No. 10 Wahama this week.

Woodrow Wilson will try to bounce back from a 34-7 road loss to Capital when the Flying Eagles (3-2) host No. 4 Hurricane (4-0) Friday night at Van Meter Stadium.

It’s been a tale of two teams for Class AAA No. 15 Woodrow Wilson this season.

Woodrow is 3-0 at home and has outscored opponents 102-53.

The road has not been kind to the Eagles, where they are 0-2 and have been outscored 60-7.

The good news is, of course, this is a home game.

“We have to hold serve on our home games,” coach John H. Lilly said. “It (losing on the road) is a concern, but I’m not worried about it. It’s something we brought to the team’s attention in very vivid detail. If that’s the case, we’re (losing on the road) because some of the kids aren’t focused in (on the road). With the schedule we play, you have to have 22 kids focused, not 16. And I think that is the problem we had (against Capital).

“You can read a lot into it. But it might have something to do with the fact that the two teams we lost to on the road (Capital and Cabell Midland) are pretty good teams.”

Another intriguing game Friday night with potential playoff implications pits Class AA No. 9 James Monroe (3-1) at No. 11 Wyoming East.

It’s been a tough season for the Warriors, what with the death of assistant coach Andy Grogg, whose son Thad is the Warriors’ all-state quarterback.

The Warriors, a pass-happy team, went to the run last week in a win over Mount View.

James Monroe is coached by Don Jackson, who has 167 career wins and returned to the sideline after a five-year hiatus.

Many people will remember the epic battle these two teams staged in the 1999 Class AA semifinals at Van Meter Stadium. The Warriors pulled out the win and went on to beat Bluefield in the state title game to finish a 14-0 state championship season.

A couple other area teams making an early impression are Class AA No. 5 Shady Spring (at winless Oak Hill this week) and Class A No. 5 Pocahontas (hosting Wirt Friday). Pocahontas handed Shady Spring its only loss of the year, 41-34.

— E-mail:

demorrison@register-herald.com



PARKERSBURG (AP) — The SSAC’s high school football computer ratings released Tuesday, with team records and points. The top 16 teams in each class advance to the playoffs beginning Nov. 14:

CLASS AAA

Team Rec Pts Pvs

1. Wheeling Park 4-0 14.50 1

2. South Charleston 5-0 13.80 2

3. Bridgeport 5-0 13.00 5

4. Hurricane 4-0 12.75 6

5. University 5-0 12.60 3

6. Cabell Midland 4-1 11.60 t7

7. Capital 4-1 11.40 t9

8. George Washington 4-1 11.00 t9

9. Morgantown 4-1 10.80 t7

10. Fairmont Senior 3-1 10.25 11

11. Spring Valley 3-1 9.50 4

12. Preston 3-1 9.00 14

13. Nicholas County 4-1 8.80 15

14. Martinsburg 3-2 8.00 17

15. Woodrow Wilson 3-2 7.80 12

16. Brooke 3-2 7.40 13

(tie) Parkersburg South 3-2 7.40 —

18. Musselman 3-2 7.00 —

19. Lincoln County 3-2 6.80 —

20. Robert C. Byrd 3-2 6.60 —

CLASS AA

Team Rec Pts Pvs

1. Grafton 4-0 11.75 1

(tie) Keyser 4-0 11.75 2

3. Chapmanville 5-0 11.00 t3

4. Wayne 5-0 10.60 t3

5. Philip Barbour 4-1 8.00 6

(tie) Shady Spring 4-1 8.00 t7

(tie) Weir 4-1 8.00 t10

8. Ravenswood 3-1 7.75 5

9. James Monroe 3-1 7.50 t15

10. Frankfort 4-1 7.20 t13

11. Wyoming East 3-1 7.00 t15

12. Webster County 4-1 6.80 t15

13. Greenbrier West 3-1 6.50 t13

14. Scott 3-2 6.40 t7

15. Tolsia 3-2 5.80 t10

16. Braxton County 3-2 5.60 9

(tie) Point Pleasant 3-2 5.60 20

18. Liberty Raleigh 3-2 5.40 t10

19. Magnolia 2-3 4.40 18

(tie) Tyler Consolidated 2-3 4.40 —

CLASS A

Team Rec Pts Pvs

1. Williamstown 4-0 10.00 1

2. Matewan 5-0 9.60 2

3. Mount Hope 4-0 8.75 5

4. St. Marys 5-0 8.60 t3

5. Pocahontas County 5-0 8.40 t3

6. Big Creek 4-0 8.25 6

(tie) Madonna 4-0 8.25 10

8. Fayetteville 5-0 8.00 7

9. Wheeling Central 4-1 7.80 8

10. Wahama 4-0 7.25 9

11. Parkersburg Catholic 3-1 6.50 13

12. Clay-Battelle 4-1 5.60 t14

13. Midland Trail 3-2 5.20 t11

14. Calhoun County 3-2 5.00 t11

15. Iaeger 3-2 4.80 t19

(tie) Meadow Bridge 3-2 4.80 t19

17. Man 2-2 4.75 18

18. Notre Dame 3-2 4.40 t14

(tie) Paden City 3-2 4.40 —

(tie) South Harrison 3-2 4.40 17

(tie) Wirt County 3-2 4.40 t14