Cameron Welcomes Doddridge County In Class A Quarters
Trending
CAMERON - The 2022 Cameron football team will be trying to do something that no other Dragons team has before. That is to start a season 12-0. However, first things first.
Cameron (11-0) will get its chance to set a new standard when it hosts Doddridge County (9-2) Friday night at what is supposed to be a very chilly Dragon Stadium in a West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Class A quarterfinal round contest. Kick off is set for 7:30.
"It is outstanding to have the opportunity to play on our home field," Cameron head coach Tim Brown said. "There's no travel involved and I think the kids are more confident and focused when we play at home."
The third-seeded Dragons defeated former OVAC rival Tyler Consolidated 20-6 last week in their postseason opener, while the No. 11 Bulldogs stunned sixth-seeded Van, 41-0.
"In watching them on tape, they remind me a lot of Tyler," Brown said. "They are big up front and have a good running game, but I think their passing game is a little better. They've got a couple of receivers that go high-point the ball and bring it down."
Doddridge County is led by quarterback Trenton Huffman who has passed for 1,152 yards on 79 of 144. The senior has thrown 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He has also rushed for a pair of six-pointers.
The running game, which has accounted for 2,684 yards and a whopping 34 touchdowns, is led by senior Seth Richards with 166 carries for 1,259 yards and a dozen TDs. He has seven 100-yard-plus games. Richards is aided by sophomore Talyn Snyder who has picked up 549 yards and scored three six-pointers on 66 totes. He has surpassed 100 yards in a game thrice. Senior Bryce McKinney has run for 378 yards but reached the end zone 12 times on his 75 attempts.
The top target through the air is senior Gabriel Stewart who has 39 catches for 506 yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 13 yards a catch. Freshman Landon Thomas has caught 18 passes for 371 yards and a trio of TDs. He averages 20.6 yards a reception. Richards has landed 10 balls for 142 yards and a score.
"I think they are more balanced than Tyler, but it's still a 70-30 run-pass," Brown added. "They can throw some surprise formations at you."
Defensively, McKinney, a linebacker, and senior lineman Adam Burnside have each charted 114 tackles, with Burnside recording 76 solo stops and 38 assists, while McKinney has logged 63 and 51, respectively. Burnside also had an eye-popping 30 tackles for lost yardage and 11 quarterback hurries. Stewart has 10 TFLs and eight quarterback sacks. Thomas leads with three picks.
The Bulldogs are giving up just 8.3 points per outing while scoring 31.5.
Meanwhile, the Dragons are scoring at a 37.4 clip and yielding a meager 8.2.
Cameron has been paced offensively by the strong arm of quarterback Colson Wichterman and tailback Payton Neely.
Wichterman, just a junior, has completed 69 of 110 passes for 1,160 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five INTs. He has a completion percentage of 63 and a quarterback rating of 118.9. He also has 353 yards on the ground and seven TDs.
Neely, a hard-running senior, has run for 1,004 yards and scored 13 touchdowns on 98 carries. He has six games in which he has rushed for more than 100 yards. Junior J. Ross had picked up 553 yards and scored five TDs.
When Wichterman goes to the air, senior Cole Burkett is his primary target with 38 receptions for 722 yards and 12 touchdowns, two of them coming in last week's win. He averages 19 yards a catch. Neely is also a receiving threat out of the backfield.
On defense, senior linebacker Adam Angel is the top tackler with 139 stops, of which 99 are solo. He averages 12.6 tackles a game and has logged 13 TFLs and eight sacks. Sophomore Wes Starcher has charted 42 solo tackles and assisted on 26 for a total of 68. He has three sacks. Neely has 61 total tackles and junior Delbert Van Tassell has 58 tackles and a pair of sacks. Senior Mason Debolt has four sacks.
"Last week we diagnosed and rallied to the ball," Brown recalled. "Our line also did a good job of staying low and didn't get blown off the ball.
"Offensively, we just need to do a good job with ball security," Brown stressed. "We need to be more consistent. We had a couple of bobbled snaps. Sure, it was poor conditions but it is supposed to get extremely cold and the ball will be slick. We can't have any turnovers."
The winner will advance to the state semifinals and face either No. 2 Williamstown or No. 7 Tucker County.