Photo by Kristin Mazgaj Wheeling Central’s Lorenzo Ferrera runs against Tuscarawas Central Catholic earlier this season.

SHADYSIDE — For over a decade Wheeling Central and Shadyside has been one of the most anticipated, hard-fought football rivalries in the entire Ohio Valley.

And while a look at the records early in the 2022 season may have people believing Friday night’s contest between the Maroon Knights (3-0) and Tigers (0-4) at Fleming Field may be something different, don’t try to convince veteran Central head coach Mike Young that this year’s contest will not once again be a fight.

“There is a lot of pride and tradition at Shadyside, and it is their Homecoming game so I know this will still be a battle,” Young said. “Their record might not indicate it, but they have lost to some pretty good football teams, and they are still a scrappy bunch.”

Wheeling Central is coming off a hard-fought, 26-20, victory over Bellaire last Friday night while interim head coach Mike Kernik’s Tigers were dropping their fourth consecutive contest to start the campaign in a 38-0 blanking at the hands of visiting Barnesville.

“I really don’t want to get too excited about our start to the season because even though we are 3-0 fundamentally and physically we are not a great football team right now,” Young said.

“Last week was a great atmosphere and a great game, but while our last drive last eight minutes and took 17 plays, we weren’t able to finish it off with a score and gave the ball up with a minute to play. We have to finish those things.

“Bellaire dropped some crucial passes, and we came up with some crucial runs and that all benefitted us in the end. We did play well on special teams, offense and defense, but there is still plenty of room to improve and get better.”

It is only the second time during the 2000s that the Orange and Black have started a season 0-4, the last being in 2015 when they still qualified for the playoffs and eventually finished with a 4-7 record. Shadyside has made the Ohio state playoffs every season over the past 22 years with the exception of 2004. And while the Tigers have struggled out of the gate, the top 16 teams in each region in Ohio will qualify for the playoffs again this season and even without a win Kernik’s crew is currently tied for 16th presently.

“With the playoffs extended to 16 teams it’s crazy, but we are still in it,” Kernik said. “We keep harping on the kids that every game is just as important as the last one and that there are still opportunities available for us.”

Through three games penalties and the lack of a running game have been major contributors to Shadyside’s struggles, and while the Tigers managed to cut trim the penalties to just one against the Shamrocks last week, they were also held to negative 52 yards on the ground and had only two positive rushing attempts out of 14 on the night.

“We have tried a few different things on offense, but we really need to figure this out,” Kernik mentioned. “What we need to do is figure out what we are best at and stick to it. When you are so one-dimensional it makes it tough. You have to be able to pass and run the football and everyone knows that.”

Junior quarterback Ben Wach completed 10 of 24 passes for 108 yards a week ago but was also picked off three times. Shadyside does have a big-time, big-play receiver in senior Elijah Brock, who caught four passes for 48 yards against Barnesville. The Tigers were limited to a total of 103 yards in last week’s loss.

“The Wach kid does a good job at quarterback, and they have a very good wide receiver you have to be concerned with,” Young added. “I know this has to be a tough transition for them with a new coach and everything, but I also know they are going to be fired up and ready to play Friday night.”

The Maroon Knights are led by their two-headed monster at running back in seniors Riley Watkins and Lorenzo Ferrera. Both went over the 100-yard mark against the Big Reds with Watkins finishing with 23 carries for 182 yards and two scores and Ferrera adding 20 totes for 143 yards and a touchdown. In all, Central finished with 432 total yards of offense, including 327 on the ground while allowing Bellaire 304.

“Riley and Lorenzo are both so exciting to watch and play so hard, but I am also very pleased with the blocking up front for them and the back-ups that are able to give them a break,” Young added. “They are both quality young men as well.”

Senior quarterback Payton Heldebrand directs the offense, and while he isn’t normally asked to do much, has completed 11 of 19 passes for 248 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception through three games. Sophomore speedster Braden McWreath had two catches for 87 yards last week, including what turned into the game-winning 35-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter.

“They have big talent and this is a big challenge for us,” Kernik said. “They run their spinner offense and their kids are extremely good at it. They have been doing it for awhile and it is phenomenal. As coaches we need to do our best to put our athletes in position to stop theirs.

“Central is always so well coached and disciplined and we have to match that.”

“Listen, I don’t want the kids to get too big-headed right now,” Young cautioned. “We are a good football team, but there is still plenty of improvement needed and that is my job to make sure it gets done.”

Shadyside picked up a 33-21 victory last year, snapping a six-game Wheeling Central winning streak in the series, which included three straight wins by a total of six points. The Tigers’ last triumph over the Maroon Knights at Fleming Field was a 33-7 win in 2014.