The prevailing theme of this final week of the 2009 regular season in the Mid-Ohio Valley seems to be regional rivalries. The match-up of two Wood County Class A schools highlights a slate of games that also sees two very good Jackson County ballclubs fighting over a Hatchet. (Who even uses a hatchet nowadays anyway?) Either way, it’s a schedule that serves as a nice appetizer for the playoffs next week:

Williamstown (7-2) at Parkersburg Catholic (7-2) – Two of the Little Kanawha Conference’s bitterest (and closest) rivals take to the turf of Stadium Field in a rare Friday night home game for Parkersburg Catholic when the Crusaders host the Williamstown Yellowjackets. Parkersburg Catholic earned a key 35-6 win over Gilmer County last week that helped the Crusaders break out of a recent case of the doldrums. The victory over the Titans was just Parkersburg Catholic’s second in its last four games and was the first time it had won by more than a touchdown in over a month. Williamstown struggled early against a pesky Ritchie County team but earned a 44-7 victory in its first home game since Sept. 25. Leading only 16-7 at the half, the Yellowjackets piled on the points late, pulling away with 17 fourth quarter points. For Williamstown, it will adjust to the only artificial surface it plays on during the regular season. That shouldn’t be a tough task for Terry Smith’s ballclub, having proven through the years that it would be just fine playing in the parking lot or a nearby street. This year, six of the Yellowjackets’ 10 games have come on the road – further proof that they’ll play anyone, anytime, anywhere. Parkersburg Catholic should be on the lookout for the ballhawks in Williamstown’s secondary, as the Yellowjackets took away three interceptions last week. The Crusaders, with 211 rushing yards last week against Gilmer, will be well equipped to keep the ball on the ground. This game should serve as an excellent tune-up to prepare both squads for the caliber of postseason play, and a slight edge might go to the Yellowjackets as a result of their more difficult regular season schedule. Williamstown’s two losses are to teams in Class AA, of which there are five total on the Yellowjackets’ 2009 schedule.

Ripley (7-2) at Ravenswood (8-1) – For the 54th time, Ripley and Ravenswood will tangle in their annual Battle for the Hatchet. This year’s match-up wraps up a banner regular season for both of Jackson County’s high school football teams. The Ripley Vikings of head coach Jimmy Frashier survived a mid-season two-game losing streak and should make their first postseason since 2002. Ravenswood’s one stumble has come at the hands of a solid Point Pleasant team, and a win Friday will likely allow the Red Devils to stay at home for the first two weeks of the playoffs should they be fortunate enough to advance that far. The Red Devils racked up 384 yards of total offense in a win last week against a decimated St. Marys team, led by Cole Starcher’s three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and a defense that picked off three Blue Devil passes and held St. Marys to negative yardage through the air. Ripley has had two weeks to prepare for the Red Devils and is licking its chops at the chance to have them at home. The Vikings are averaging more than 28 points a game in their four home contests this season. Ripley needs a win if it wants the remote chance to play at home this postseason and to do that, the Vikings will have to slow the threat of Starcher, tailback Luke Corley and top receiving target Luke Murray. They’ll have their hands full in what should be one of the best Hatchet games in some time.

Parkersburg South (6-3) at John Marshall (2-7) – Last week on our Lite Rock 93R Scoreboard Friday show, I joked that Parkersburg South defeated Wheeling Park by hitting their three-pointers, forcing turnovers on defense and sealing the deal with free throws late in the game. OK, maybe it was a lame joke, but all involved would agree that of all the wins in Parkersburg South’s current six-game winning streak, none was as strange as the 77-71 overtime victory against Wheeling Park last Friday on the Island. I couldn’t even imagine the absurdity involved with calling that game on the radio and telling listeners that the contest was “knotted at 71 at the end of regulation.” Hunter Ferguson scored a mind-numbing seven touchdowns in the win for the Patriots. Containing Ferguson will be a key point of emphasis for John Marshall on Friday if the Monarchs are going to pull the upset. Another will be a quick start for the Moundsville 11, as the physicality of last week’s marathon contest took its toll on the bodies of the Patriots, even a week later. For Parkersburg South, soothing the psyche of a defense that allowed 71 points – even in a win – will be of optimum importance in a game the Patriots need to win to clinch a playoff spot. It is still believed that mathematically, with a loss, Parkersburg South could be on the outside looking in.

Roane County (5-4) at Ritchie County (2-7) – The Roane County Raiders – much like Parkersburg South – weathered an 0-3 start to the season to go 5-1 over the subsequent six weeks to set up a “win and you’re in” finale against Ritchie County. The Rebels boast a strong-armed quarterback in Andy Lipscomb and a bruising fullback in Brian Tingler but have struggled to put points on the board and move the football consistently due to injuries at skill positions and inexperience on the offensive line. Even without the added bonus of a playoff spot, Tom Hardman’s Raiders are still working hard at the prospect of a winning season. Ritchie will be playing to finish one game better than last year’s 2-8 mark and to send its seniors out in style, but it still may not be enough to top a Raiders team that has a winning season and playoff berth in sight.

Wirt County (7-2) at South Harrison (6-3) – It’s been a storybook season in Elizabeth, as the Wirt County Tigers have developed one of the area’s best defenses and combined it with a solid passing attack to go 7-2 through nine games. A win over South Harrison ensures a home game for the eighth-seeded Tigers, but it will be no easy task against the Hawks, who sit on the periphery of the playoff picture despite six wins. At No. 20, South Harrison will need to win this LKC battle with Wirt County and hope for a little help from their friends to get into the playoffs. The Tigers’ defense will certainly have their hands full with a Hawks’ team that’s been held to single digits on the scoreboard just once this year and has scored 40 or more points in four of its six wins.

St. Marys (2-7) at Calhoun County (5-4) – Circumstances in the St. Marys Blue Devils’ 2009 season have ranged from the bizarre to the absurd to the sublime in a matter of weeks. Head Coach Jodi Mote has tried everything to muster some life out of a team, and particularly an offense, that has been decimated by injuries and as a result, the Blue Devils have been relegated to playing out the string for more than a month now. Mote’s Blue Devils tried their fourth quarterback of the season last weekend – freshman Andrew Cosper – in an attempt to find an elixir for his offense and to see what was in the cupboard for next year. The result was a snake-bitten passing game that passed for negative yardage and was intercepted three times. Calhoun County picked up a season-saving 21-7 win a week ago against Braxton County. Previously, the Red Devils had dropped four of their last five contests after a 3-0 start. The offense was certainly not Calhoun’s problem during the skid, as the Red Devils scored 20 or more points in three of those four losses. Unfortunately, Calhoun yielded 39 or more points in three of those losses. A win Friday night should be enough to keep the Red Devils in the playoffs, so expect a motivated Calhoun County ballclub that’ll be taking care of business against a St. Marys team that’ll be glad to have this season in the books. Fans can hear the game locally as the Game of the Week on Lite Rock 93R (93.9 FM) or online at literock93r.com.

Weir (1-8) at Tyler Consolidated (4-5) – Even though a win against the Weir Red Riders gives Tyler Consolidated a .500 season, TCHS head coach Rob Caldwell has to be asking himself, “What if?” You see, back in week five the Silver Knights lost at home 29-28 to then Class AA No. 1 Ravenswood in a game Tyler Consolidated led throughout. With that win, the Silver Knights would be 5-4 and likely in the top 16, but you know what they say about how if “if’s” and “but’s” were candy and nuts, then everyday would be Christmas, right? Expect the speed of senior Nate Taylor and the strong arm of junior quarterback Jordan Smith to be all the Silver Knights need to get to the break-even point against a Weir team that’s battled injuries and inexperience all season long. Fans can hear the game locally as the Game of the Week on WXCR Radio (92.3 FM).

Other Games:
Gilmer County (3-6) at Richwood (9-0)
Bishop Donahue (6-3) at Doddridge County (3-6)
Wahama (7-2) at Buffalo (3-6)

Regular Season Complete: Parkersburg (6-4)
Paden City (4-6)