Wheeling Central Ready To Roll After Playoff Postponement
Nick Henthorn Trending
WHEELING - The Maroon Knights are back to work.
With the West Virginia playoffs back on, Wheeling Central (8-2) finds themselves seeded No. 5 with a home meeting against No. 12 Nicholas County (6-4) set for Friday at 7 p.m.
"We're glad to get started," Wheeling Central head coach Mike Young said in a phone interview Wednesday. "We're glad to be playing and we're glad to know there's an end in sight now. All the unknown is what had us in limbo."
The last week-plus have been a cause for anxiousness across the state. For a team like Wheeling Central, who've won seven straight after a 1-2 start, they feel as though they are still on a roll.
"We're definitely still in that groove," Young said. "I don't think we lost them. We made some changes to our practice plans and schedules to stay focused. We varied things a little, we went up to the Highlands [Sports Complex]. We focused on fundamentals, and we tried to keep it focused on what the goal was- to play for a state championship."
Like many teams, Wheeling Central experienced some uncertainty about who their first-round opponent would ultimately be. At one point, the Maroon Knights saw Chapmanville as their draw, but now have their sights set on the Grizzlies.
"We were going between what [the SSAC] originally had and then after the moves, and then not making the moves, we're back to Nicholas County," Young said.
"We were preparing for both. Believe it or not, it helped. It helped break up the monotony of preparing for one team, not knowing for sure."
Nicholas County's attack is centered around Devin Nash, a 5-11, 210-pound junior running back who has totaled over 1,100 rushing yards behind a sizable offensive line.
The Grizzlies' size all-around stood out to Young.
"They're big, they're aggressive, they've got a nice front," Young said. "They run a spread offense that tries to hit the edge. I heard they were working through a couple injuries. We're going to hit the field whether it's run or pass, we're going to defend whatever they give us.
"We're going to execute what we executed all year, we've been able to put points on the board. Even in our losses we've put points up. Whether it's run or pass, we've got to block and tackle either way."
Nicholas County was last seen dispatching Pikeview 41-13. They lost their two prior games against Ripley and Shady Spring, both games within a one-score margin. Wheeling Central defeated Shady Spring 48-7 in their most recent game.
This is set to be the first meeting between the two teams.
The Maroon Knights played through injuries this season, but have gotten healthier over the past few weeks. Senior all-state running back Braden McWreath has played in three games, tallying 7.6 yards a carry in that time. Junior running back Isaac Martin is closing in on 1,000 yards with 943 and 15 touchdown runs this season. Quarterback Nico Kusic has rushed for 424 yards and six touchdowns while throwing for 1,007 yards and 17 touchdowns. Max Olejasz has been his top target with 427 yards and eight touchdowns, followed by Kade Koroneos with 328 yards and four touchdowns. McWreath has been used in the receiving game with 137 yards receiving, third-highest on the team, and two touchdown catches.
"I think it helped us in terms of- the kids who came back, them coming back rejuvenated us," Young said. "They weren't burnt out because they weren't out there earlier in the year. To have guys line up beside you later in the season, guys you know you can count on, that's a plus to being successful."
In their first year in the new-look SSAC playoffs, Wheeling Central feels confident in themselves.
"I think if we can stay healthy and continue to improve as we had, I think we have a shot, that's for sure," Young said of his outlook. "I'm proud of what our coaches, day-in and day-out, have done to prepare. I have a very loyal staff, a very veteran, committed staff who believes in these kids. I think that leads us to lining up and playing the best football we can play. The talent we have and the preparation we do to get to the next level, to the next game in the playoffs, it's looked good these last two weeks."
"Bottom line is we've got to secure the ball and take away the explosive plays, no matter who we play. If we can do that, we can come out with the W."