photo by: Kim North

Cameron quarterback Kason Angel races up the sideline during the Dragons’ playoff game against Meadow Bridge. Angel and Cameron will face Clay-Battelle on Saturdy at 1 p.m. in the Class A state semifinals.

CAMERON — Three months ago, heading into their regular season opener against one another, the Cameron Dragons and Clay-Battelle CeeBees thought themselves to be in the same position.

“When we played them the first game, we were up 22-8,” Cameron head coach Tim Brown said. “Then, we had a turnover and they capitalized. And the next thing you know, it’s 22-16 and it’s a fight to the finish.”

After the game was over, Coach LaPoe asked me, ‘You know, I know we’re pretty good and we’ve got a long way to go, but how good are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m the same as you, Coach, when it’s early, we don’t know.'”

On Saturday, the Dragons and CeeBees will once again find themselves in the same position.

A rematch between No. 7 Cameron and No. 3 Clay-Battelle is on the horizon, the CeeBees set to host a WVSSAC Class A semifinals game on Saturday at 1 p.m., the latest of a longstanding series of games going back all the way to 1940. The two teams have played every year since 1972.

Cameron leads the all-time series 41-26-1. The Dragons have won 11 straight over the CeeBees, but Clay-Battelle had won nine in a row before that.

“Clay-Battelle was fantastic,” Brown said. “I mean, we barely got by with the win, and they’ve been undefeated ever since. So obviously, [LaPoe]’s doing a great job. They have a great team. They have good size, good speed, good run game, good pass game, good defense. I mean, you don’t get to be ranked third in the state if you’re not a very good team, very well-coached team. So we have a lot of respect for them. And we’re obviously gonna have to come in and play an outstanding game to try to win this game.”

Since losing to Cameron, Clay-Battelle has not tasted defeat. The CeeBees are in the third round of the playoffs for only the second time in school history, and their success has been led by the backfield of junior quarterback Corey Coen and sophomore running back Caleb Hall, who each totaled over 100 yards and scored multiple touchdowns in their team’s state quarterfinals victory over Wirt County, 46-14. Clay-Battelle rushed for 355 yards and five touchdowns as a team in what was just another showing of ground-bound dominance this season by the CeeBees.

The Dragons have also had a banner season on the ground– lead back Marshall Holland ran for 252 yards and two touchdowns in Cameron’s state quarterfinals affair against Wahama– which they’ve accomplished despite injuries up-and-down their roster.

“We’ve got very good line coaches and they’ve done a really good job of having kids ready to play and understanding. Our offensive coordinator, coach [Matt] Burge, does a really good job of explaining what we’re trying to accomplish and how one play gives you another play and how you have to take what they give you. I have to commend the kids for really giving all their attention to the coaches and all their effort. And I have to commend the coaches for being able to communicate and make the kids understand what it is we’re trying to do. You know, Marshall’s a really good running back.”

“We also had Talon Brown and some other kids were helping out with that. But, you know, now we’re down to Kason [Angel] and Marshall and sometimes Gunner [Lilley] can come in there. Coach Burge has been good about being able to get our receivers involved. And we’ll have a well-placed pass here and there to make them still defend the whole field. And as long as you are paying attention and trying to get the plays that they’re giving you, then I think you’re always going to be able to run the ball.”

Cameron finished as state runners-up last season.