More often than not, the Mohawk Bowl between Morgantown and University serves a dual purpose: It presents the winner with a huge, delicious serving of bragging rights for a year, but more importantly, it sorts out potential playoff seeding and impacts who will host playoff games.
This season, beyond the usual rivalry high-intensity stakes, both the 5-4 Hawks (No. 13) and the 4-5 Mohigans (No. 17) find themselves on the bubble in a fight for their postseason lives.
As Friday’s matchup at Pony Lewis Field approaches, here is how Morgantown got to this point. (Check out University’s season).
Game 1: Morgantown 45, Parkersburg 35
There’s no better way to start a season than a thrilling upset win at home, which is just what the Mohigans pulled off against the No. 7 ranked Big Red. Ty Konchesky, running behind the burly MHS O-line, rushed for 120 yards and two scores. A roller coaster of a game, MHS led 17-0 in the first quarter before surrendering 28 unanswered points in the second quarter before Jace Whetsell’s 91-yard KO return TD brought the score to 28-24 at the half. The momentum shifted, the Mohigans put up two touchdowns in the third quarter to take command, then Konchesky’s late TD from the 5 sealed the win.
Game 2: Steubenville (Ohio) 21, Morgantown 17
From a win over the Big Reds, MHS dropped a close game to the Big Red on the road. The teams traded first-quarter touchdowns before Steubenville took the lead late in the half. John McConnell nailed a 41-yard FG to end the half. Up by 4, the Big Red scored on a long pass to go up 21-10. Kaden Rice’s 85-yard pick-six got the Mohigans close, but a late-game drive ended on the Steubenville 24.
Game 3: Fort Hill (Md.) 16, Morgantown 7
Despite being smaller in numbers and in stature, the Sentinels, who’ve appeared in five straight Maryland Class 1A state title games, dominated physically in the bruising win. Out gaining MHS 421 (all but 11 on the ground) to 261, Fort Hill won the battle in the trenches, which won the war. Despite the yardage disparity, MHS was either leading or within a single score throughout the game. But a costly fumble after a catch, a red zone turnover, and an offensive drive that couldn’t punch the ball in from the 1-yard line all contributed to the disappointing loss.
Game 4: Morgantown 63, Brooke 6
MHS evened its record with a big road win over the hapless Bruins. Gaining 502 yards on offense and limiting Brooke to just 128, the outcome was never in doubt, as the Mohigans scored on eight of their 11 drives in the game. Konchesky again led the way with 93 yards and 2 TDs.
Game 5: Morgantown 31, Linsly 28, OT
The Mohigans scored on their first play on a Cam Rice to Jestohn Moore 69-yarder, but gave up a long bomb as Linsly tied it. MHS broke the game open with three TDs in the third quarter, including Konchesky’s 90-yard pick-six, only to watch the Cadets tie the game with three touchdowns of their own. McConnell’s 53-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired, then Aaron Alvarez’s OT pick (MHS’s sixth of the game) set up McConnell’s game-winning kick.
Game 6: Musselman 13, Morgantown 7
The No. 5 Applemen invaded Pony Lewis Field and escaped — thanks to a stingy defense and a plethora of MHS penalties — with their undefeated record intact. Musselman took the lead on a 17-yard TD scramble from QB Leon Beard. Konchesky knotted it up in the third with a 29-yard scoring run, but Beard found Ethan Wilson on a 21-yard scoring pass as the third quarter ended. A late Mohigans drive was snuffed out inside the 10.
Game 7: Wheeling Park 31, Morgantown 0
The MHS offensive woes continued on the road at Park, as the Patriots defense dominated. The Mohigans gained just 14 yards on 14 first half rushes, and were limited to a paltry 3 passing yards in the second half. Although Morgantown was severely injury limited, coach Matt Lacy admitted after the game that “we still have to make adjustments … it’s next man up, and we have to find a way.”
Game 8: Parkersburg South 35, Morgantown 7
It was same-old-same-old as MHS dropped its third straight. Outscored 79-14 in the three losses, MHS was on the outside of the playoff picture, and needed to win out to have any chance of a postseason berth.
Game 9: Morgantown 49, John Marshall 13
In a major upset, the Mohigans offense woke up against the Monarchs. The return of Preston Fox from injury was huge, as he caught six passes for 151 yards and two TDs. MHS scored three first-quarter TDs and never looked back. 470 yards of total offense and six touchdowns propelled Morgantown back into the playoff picture bursting with momentum heading into the Mohawk Bowl.
