Some performances worthy of Kennedy, some not
Monday, November 27, 2006
By RICH STEVENS - Charleston Daily Mail

There may be erasures on some Kennedy Award ballots, which will be counted prior to the high school state championship football games this weekend at Wheeling Island Stadium.

As some of the procrastinating members of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association fill out their ballots at the last second, performances from Friday and Saturday may alter their decisions.

Fairmont Senior quarterback Kyle Allard, considered among the frontrunners going into Saturday's game at Martinsburg, struggled against the Bulldogs. He was 7-of-23 for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Allard wouldn't get a vote from Martinsburg quarterback Dustin Peters, following the Polar Bears' 40-0 Class AAA semifinal loss.

"What won this game was defense," Peters told the Martinsburg Journal. "They just killed (Allard).

"That Kennedy guy comes in ... I can tell he doesn't look like a Kennedy guy to me."

Martinsburg running back Josh Twyman, another candidate, reinjured his ankle after rushing for 63 yards on five carries. His status for Saturday is unknown.

However, Class AA candidate running back B.J. Evans of Tolsia continued to pile up the postseason numbers on Saturday, rushing for 210 yards on 43 carries.

In three playoff games, Evans, an All-State choice as a place-kicker in 2005, has rushed for 553 yards on 93 carries and five touchdowns. He also has a 32-yard field goal that eliminated Bluefield in the quarterfinals.

Through 13 games, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Evans has run for 2,639 yards on 389 carries with 31 touchdowns.

This is the first state championship game appearance for Tolsia, which is a 1987 consolidation of Crum and Fort Gay high schools.

• TOLSIA IS playing in the state championship game in only its fifth playoff appearance since 1990.

  The No. 4 Rebels own a 7-5 record in the postseason during that time, losing in the first round only once -- 27-7 to eventual state champion Poca in 2001.

  In a 7-6 Class AA semifinal victory over previously unbeaten James Monroe on Saturday, the Rebels earned a measure of revenge for their 34-27 loss at the hands of the Mavericks last year in the second round of the playoffs.

• WHEN WAYNE County teams Tolsia and Wayne kick off at 7:30 Friday night at Wheeling Island Stadium, it will mark the first time since 1993 that two teams from the same county play for the state title.

  The last time was when Kanawha County rivals Capital and DuPont played for the championship 13 years ago. DuPont won that game 29-3.

• MORGANTOWN'S chances of a third consecutive Class AAA state championship went down in flames in a 42-14 loss to No. 1 Parkersburg at Stadium Field on Friday.

  Still, the semifinal appearance kept a streak alive for the Mohigans.

  The last time Morgantown didn't play in the Class AAA semifinals was 1999 when it dropped a 29-13 decision to Musselman in the quarterfinals.

  Since then, the Mohigans have played in the state championship four times.

  Saturday's noon Class AAA state championship game will be a rematch of the 2001 title game, won by Parkersburg 28-17.

• THIS IS Martinsburg's fourth state championship appearance in six years. The Bulldogs lost to Parkersburg (2001), Parkersburg South (2003) and Morgantown (2004) in the previous three trips.

  The most infamous one was the 26-20 loss to Parkersburg South, dubbed by many as the "Mud Bowl." The Bulldogs, who were led by quarterback Nate Sowers and wide receiver Brandon Barrett, led at halftime but succumbed to the conditions and Parkersburg South senior fullback Ben Gum.

  It also prompted Wheeling officials to add turf to Wheeling Island Stadium.

• MUCH HAS been made of Williamstown's 56-game regular season winning streak and its lack of Class A state championships.

  Coach Terry Smith's team will get another shot at the elusive title on Saturday at 7 p.m. against two-time defending champion Wheeling Central.

  Despite its lack of titles, the Yellow Jackets have a 12-5 record in the playoffs since the streak began in 2001 and have not been eliminated prior to the semifinal round in any of those seasons.

  This is their third appearance in the title game during that time, losing to Moorefield (20-18) in 2003 and Wheeling Central (35-20) last year.