Linsly Can Clinch OVAC Class 3A Title With Win Friday At Morgantown
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MORGANTOWN -- While winning Ohio Valley Athletic Conference championships are special for every school in the giant conference, capturing an OVAC crown for Linsly has always been a big deal with the Cadets not being a member of the WVSSAC and not having the ability to play for state championships.
Friday night Coach B.J. Depew and his powerful 8-1 Linsly football team will look to secure its first conference flag since 2017 when the Cadets head to Morgantown for a season finale with the 6-3 record Mohigans at Pony Lewis Field. A victory would give the Wheeling-based school the Class AAA championship, however, should Linsly lose they could still win the title with a John Marshall triumph over Wheeling Park that same night.
"I told the team Monday that we knew all season that going into week 10 we were going to be playing a meaningful football game," Depew admitted. "We can't play in the postseason, but we couldn't ask for anything more meaningful than what we have in front of us.
"The fact is that we clinch an OVAC championship with a win and it really isn't that often that you can go out and decide these things on the field on a given night. It's stressful, but it is what we want, and it is just going to make playing Friday night even sweeter."
Linsly, which is coming off a 44-0 drubbing of John Marshall last week, has made its way through a schedule loaded with traditional powers including the likes of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, Steubenville, Fort Frye, Dover and St. Clairsville along the way. The only setback in 2022 was a hard-to-swallow 27-24 setback at Fairmont Senior early in the season before running off seven consecutive victories.
"When we started changing the scheduling philosophy here we wanted to start playing as many meaningful games as possible," Depew added. "We want the kids to have the best experience possible and we honestly believe they are getting that this season. Extra special memories are being made every week and I know that there weren't many experts giving us much of a chance to do what we have done this year before the season started.
"I am just so happy that the kids are getting the opportunity to live through this. It has been a long seasons and I don't believe that anyone has really taken the time to look back and reflect on it yet with everything we have had to prepare for, but once Friday is over there will be a lot of emotions and I think our kids, our coaches and the people in the Valley who really get football will have a season to look back on and remember."
The Cadets' skill position players were once again on display last week in Moundsville with quarterback Atley Cowan hitting 18 of 22 passes for 371 yards and five scores. Do-it-all standout Luca DiLorenzo had five catches for 148 yards and three scores while Nate Coleman added four grabs for 207 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown snag.
"The kids have put everything into this, and they are having fun," Depew added. "Which makes it even better. They have fun at practice, during the games and during the week."
Coach Sean Biser's Mohigan are coming off a big win of their own, solidifying a playoff berth with a 21-20 MoHawk Bowl victory over arch-rival University last Friday. Quarterback Maddox Bowers' touchdown pass on a fourth-and-six call to Bobby Powell on the last play of the third quarter turned out to be the difference maker. Powell added a pair of interceptions on defense in the win.
Morgantown, which trailed by 13 early in the contest, also received a rushing touchdown from Marcus Ullom.
The Mohigans have won three of their previous four games, including a prized 14-0 victory over Fairmont Senior, the only team to defeat Linsly this season.
"Morgantown is a big, mean football team and it doesn't matter what their record is," Depew commented. "It's a tough place to play and we have never won there and believe me, we are all well aware that they shutout Fairmont Senior this year and we will not go down there and take them lightly."
Morgantown has won two of the three meetings between the two schools since 2018, including a 61-40 decision in 2020.