County teams gear up for playoff football

Nov. 11—FAIRMONT — Marion County sports are experiencing multiple firsts this Friday.

It's the first time that three county high schools have made the playoffs in the same season, and for two of those teams, their first time facing off against their opponent in school history.

The Bees, Huskies and Bears all kick off at the same time Friday evening, 7:30 p.m.

No. 13 East Fairmont joins the dance for the fourth time in school history, their first-round matchup against No. 4 Scott marking the first meeting between the Bees and Skyhawks.

No. 7 Fairmont Senior's home matchup against No. 10 Chapmanville will likewise be the first game between the Polar Bears and Tigers in school history. The game makes 10 consecutive postseason appearances for the defending state champs.

No. 6 North Marion, on the other hand, hosts a familiar foe at Roy Michael Field — a Big Ten opponent in No. 11 Lincoln, who the Huskies defeated 35-0 in week five this season. North has their own postseason streak going, with four straight playoff seasons as of Friday.

The Bees will be the lone road team Friday, travelling to Madison, West Virginia to play a 9-1 Scott squad.

The Skyhawks and Bees share a similar trajectory, in that both teams have brought their programs brighter days in seasons of late. Scott went 7-3 in 2021, but before that campaign the Skyhawks had broken .500 just once in the eight years previous.

Now with their best record since 2006, Scott is led by sophomore quarterback Matt Frye, who has already established himself as a top player at his position.

Frye broke Scott's school records for most passing touchdowns and total touchdowns in a game this season, and his team is averaging nearly 40 points a game.

The Skyhawks enter the playoffs after thrashing Nitro 69-13 in their regular season finale. The game prior though, Scott suffered their only loss on the gridiron to this point, a 34-14 defeat at the hands of Winfield, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs this season.

Winfield beat the Skyhawks by running the ball and keeping Scott's offense off the field, with two Winfield rushers going for over 100 yards. With Bees sophomore Dom Fantasia sliding in as the team's No. 1 back, and senior running back Vaughn Frederick returning from injury in week nine, East's ability to run the ball will be crucial Friday.

North Marion, meanwhile, has a formula for topping their playoff opponents as the Huskies downed Lincoln 35-0 in September.

The Cougars did themselves no favors in that prior matchup, coughing up three turnovers in the first six minutes of play, but North did well to cash in on all three opportunities, turning them into 20 points in short order.

North Marion quarterback Casey Minor both ran for a touchdown and connected with Parker Kincell on a passing touchdown in the win, while Aaron Hoffman ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, both explosive runs of 37 and 63 yards.

Gavan Lemley also ran in for a score in that game, marking four rushing touchdowns for North. The run game has proven profitable for North all year long, and the plan for Friday shouldn't waver from how they've gotten to their current 8-2 record.

Fairmont Senior goes into the playoffs at 7-3, and will take nobody by surprise, having won the state title each of the last two years, and made the playoffs each year of the past decade.

Their opponents reflect their 7-3 record, as Chapmanville has dropped games against No. 1 Winfield, No. 4 Scott, and No. 9 Herbert Hoover.

Perhaps more used to seeing Chapmanville on the basketball court, where the two teams have met multiple times in the state tournament in recent years, this is Fairmont Senior's first time ever playing the Tigers on the gridiron.

This is the Tigers' first playoff appearance since 2015, a spot they earned after going on a four-game winning streak to end the season.

The Polar Bears' run defense has faced tough challenges this year, and Chapmanville has a 1,200-yard rusher in Kohl Farmer that they will have to work to slow down.

Farmer and the Tigers' offensive line have been strengths for Chapmanville, and Farmer currently sits at 1,279 yards and a staggering 21 touchdowns on the season. If Fairmont Senior can keep the 6'3" senior's rushing total down, it will bode well for the Polar Bears' outcome Friday.

Chapmanville also has experience under center, in 6'5" senior Brody Dalton.

Fairmont Senior's own offense has been explosive, with 16 passing touchdowns from quarterback Brody Whitehair and 21 total rushing touchdowns, eight coming from running back Dylan Ours, six from Whitehair and five from Germaine Lewis.

If both offenses perform as advertised, it may be a shootout at East-West Stadium.

Three county teams play in the postseason for the first time ever Friday in a historic first round of the Class-AA playoffs and all three are hoping to make more history by the end of the tournament.

Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-2548, on Twitter @nfhenthorn_135 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.