AAA: South Building A Program; Huntington Stands In The Way
Patriots Gunning For 2nd State Title; Highlanders Eye Crown
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PARKERSBURG --Since putting the first bricks in place 4 1/2 years ago, Parkersburg South football coach Nate Tanner and his staff have built quite a residence for players in his program.
Saturday afternoon at Wheeling Island, the top-ranked Patriots (12-1) try to secure the school's second state championship when they hook up with No. 2 Huntington (12-1) in the Class AAA title game.
Opening kickoff is set for noon.
"We have two guys on staff that were players for us in 2019 when we advanced to the final four," Tanner said. "We talked about that first meeting we had before the season started. It was March 18, 2019. We laid out the vision and the goals. From that day to now we have been putting bricks on the house every single day."
No. 2 Huntington returns to the championship game for the second year in a row. Coach Billy Seals, now in his 14th season with the Highlanders, was 0-3 against Martinsburg in the postseason -- including last year's 62-21 defeat in the state title game.
Last Saturday on his home field, Seals got that proverbial "monkey off his back" as the Highlanders erased a 21-14 deficit late in the third quarter with consecutive touchdowns runs by quarterback Gavin Lochow and secured a 28-21 win.
"When the bracket came out, we felt the best opportunity to beat Martinsburg was at home," Seals said. "Wheeling Island is a home away from home for them because they have been there so much. We knew it was going to be a long road. I'm proud of my guys and the way they executed."
Entering the final week of the regular season, Huntington defeated Hurricane 24-21 to avoid dropping to a No. 6 seed for the playoffs. Huntington takes pride in the turnover department where they hold a plus-23 margin, including a plus-6 in three postseason games.
South has dominated in the turnover department as well with a plus-21 margin, including plus-9 in the playoffs.
"We have done a great job of taking care of the football this year," Seals said. "We have been solid across the board as far as playing all three phases of the game. Gavin Lochow has been a phenomenal player."
The respective starting quarterbacks on Saturday have been nothing less than impressive. South junior Robert Shockey has thrown for 2,967 yards with 35 TDs with only seven interceptions. He ranks second on the team in rushing with 1,185 yards and 16 TDs.
"I would much rather see the South quarterback take the day off," Seals said facetiously. "
On the flip side, Lochow's 33 TD passes is a school record. The 6-foot senior has thrown for 2,139 yards with only three picks. His rushing totals include 1,072 yards and 16 TDs.
"These two quarterbacks is a pretty good story," Tanner said. "As a football fan, I can revert back to the week of our game against Wheeling Park who had Brett Phillips at quarterback. It will be a cool quarterback dual on Saturday for sure."
The offensive balance for both teams is eerily similar -- the one difference being that the Patriots play more up-tempo.
For Huntington, receiver Wayne Harris has established school records for receptions (54), receiving yards (1,081) and TD catches (17).
South's primary receiving threat is senior Cyrus Traugh, who has hauled in 78 receptions for 1,181 yards and 19 TDs. As one of South's defensive backs, three of Traugh's team-high eight interceptions have occurred in the postseason. As a team, South's playoff opponents have combined for seven interceptions.
At running back, Huntington features Zah Zah Jackson, who has gained 1,185 yards with 14 TDs. South counters with junior Gage Wright, who gained 1,470 yards and scored 29 TDs.
"Hurricane was up-tempo and I thought the kids handled it well," Seals said. "We get another challenge against an up-tempo team in South. It will challenge our defense to play well this week and get some turnovers. We have to tackle well in space. We know that."
Defensively, Turner Garretson leads the team with 143 tackles. A close second is Braeden Hamilton with 132. At linebacker, Wright has collected 15 sacks as part of his 27 tackles for loss. Lineman Demetrius Gearhart is second on the team in sacks with seven.
"South puts points on the board and they play solid defense," Seals said. "I don't think their defense gets enough credit."
Names to keep in mind when Huntington lines up on defense are Avonte Crawford, Wayne Harris and Jackson in the secondary, lineman Donovan Garrett and linebacker Gavin Adkins.
"Our kids have been here -- they understand all the pageantry and everything that goes along with the Super 6," Seals said. "They understand they are there to win a football game. We try to keep it as low-key as possible. The main objective is to be 1-0 Saturday afternoon.
"As a coach, I'm just excited for our program and our kids. Last year, obviously with the way it ended at the Super 6 it motivated our football team to close the gap and get back there."
Since the football program was first established, Huntington is 0-2 all-time at the Super 6. The roots of football at Parkersburg South date back to 1967. The Patriots are 1-1 all-time at the Super 6 -- having won the school's only state title in 2003.
Huntington is unbeaten since losing its season-opener at Spring Valley, while Parkersburg is currently riding a seven-game winning streak since losing to Bridgeport 28-20 on Sept. 30.
"Bridgeport was a tough loss," Tanner said. "After that game, we rechanneled our kids' focus. Not just our kids' focus, but our coach also. From that loss to now, our kids are just getting better."