MORGANTOWN — The fastest three months of the year wrap up as Week 11 of the high school football season is here.
“This season has went by very fast,” said Clay-Battelle junior Kooper Statler. “It feels like yesterday we were having our first practice and getting to know the new players. Also having a new coach was a good and different experience. The saying ‘time goes by fast’ is very true.”
The Cee-Bees head into the final game of the season with a 4-4 record and the current No. 16 spot in the upcoming Class A playoffs. Also fighting for their playoff lives this week are the Magnolia Blue Eagles (3-6) — Clay-Battelle’s opponent tonight.
Magnolia is No. 20 in this week’s WVSSAC rankings, but a win over the Cee-Bees — and some additional help — could vault the Blue Eagles into the playoffs.
“This is definitely a make-or-break game for us,” Statler said. “I think we are ready to prove that we can make it to the playoffs again.”
Clay-Battelle missed out on the playoffs last year with a 3-6 record and also suffered a 39-21 loss to Magnolia in the last week of the season. That is some added motivation for the Cee-Bees this week. Some personal bragging rights are on the line, too, as first-year Clay-Battelle head coach Aaron LaPoe is good friends with Magnolia head coach Craig Mason, an alumnus who is in his second year at the helm.
LaPoe and Mason coached together in 2005 at South Middle School in Morgantown.
“We’ve been friends since then,” LaPoe said. “Even when I was coaching at Capital in Charleston, he would come visit me and we’ve always stayed in touch. It’s kind of surreal that our coaching debuts against each other is back with our hometowns for a spot in the playoffs. We’ve helped each other throughout the season and have leaned on each other in situations.”
LaPoe said Magnolia plays “smart football” and highlights their discipline and fundamental blocking techniques as key attributes.
“We feel that we can match up with them in the trenches and use our diversity on offense to gain an advantage,” LaPoe said.
The Clay-Battelle defense is also coming into its own after allowing just six points in a dominating win over Beallsville (OH). Statler is one of the team’s top tacklers and has already come through in a big way this season with 20 tackles in a 34-28 win at Meadow Bridge.
With another big game on the line this week, Statler is ready to step up again.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Statler said. “They’ve helped push me to get those tackles. I have been able to push myself and others on the team and I’ve learned more about every position and just the game in general this year.”
Magnolia started the year 0-5, facing some steep competition. The Blue Eagles have won two straight, though, including a 46-32 win against Valley last week.
Clay-Battelle lost to Valley 33-7 on Sept. 13.
“I don’t care if you’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Wetzel County Crawdads — what winners do is they stay focused,” LaPoe said. “Our team believes in themselves and that’s a great place to be in. But we realize we’re not in (the playoffs) yet. What matters is Saturday morning when you wake up with what you have.”
Another area team on the brink of the playoffs is Preston in Class AAA. The Knights are 3-6 and sit at No. 18 in the WVSSAC Class AAA rankings. Brooke (3-7) is one spot ahead of Preston and also missing the playoffs. Holding on to the final playoff spot at No. 16 is Point Pleasant (3-5).
Brooke does not play this week and Point Pleasant hosts Winfield.
The Knights’ final regular season opponent is Phillip Barbour (6-3), which is No. 5 in Class AA.
“There’s a chance for us to get in,” said Preston head coach Mark Deep. “Playoffs are the goal and wins will go a long way. We want to be competitive every game. The scoreboard will take care of itself at the end.”
— Story by Matthew Peaslee
