Woodrow Wilson's season so far has turned into a tale of two cities.
Woodrow Wilson's season so far has turned into a tale of two cities.
When the Flying Eagles play in Beckley, they've been unbeatable and explosive - 3-0 with offensive averages of 444 total yards and 34 points. When they play on the road, however, the opposite holds true - they're 0-2 and turn in just 187 yards and 3.5 points per game.
Those facts haven't escaped Hurricane coach Willis May, whose unbeaten and Class AAA No. 4 ranked team visits Flying Eagle Stadium tonight. Kickoff is set for 7:30.
"Ain't that my luck,'' May mused. "We'd sure like to play at our house.''
Woodrow features three backs with well over 300 yards so far - Vashawn Wood (479), Rakeem Fowlkes (366) and quarterback Dominique Hairston (326).
Along with Hurricane's speedy Terrell Martin (647 yards, 14 touchdowns, 10.3 yards per carry), the field will be littered with players who can break a big gainer at any time.
"They're something else,'' May said of the Flying Eagles. "They're big. God, they've got three kids weighing 300 pounds on the line. And they've got all those running backs who are just so quick and they're sending so much misdirection at you. Three people are moving in the backfield at one time, and all of them are going in different directions. They're a very deceiving football team to be 3-2.''
May doesn't want his players fooled by Woodrow Wilson's losses to Cabell Midland (26-0) and Capital (34-7), Likewise, he downplays the fact his Redskins have beaten four teams with a combined three wins so far - Ripley (2-3), St. Albans (1-4), Winfield (0-4) and Huntington (0-5).
He thinks any game against a Mountain State Athletic Conference team is a potential stumbling block.
Woodrow Wilson's season so far has turned into a tale of two cities.
When the Flying Eagles play in Beckley, they've been unbeatable and explosive - 3-0 with offensive averages of 444 total yards and 34 points. When they play on the road, however, the opposite holds true - they're 0-2 and turn in just 187 yards and 3.5 points per game.
Those facts haven't escaped Hurricane coach Willis May, whose unbeaten and Class AAA No. 4 ranked team visits Flying Eagle Stadium tonight. Kickoff is set for 7:30.
"Ain't that my luck,'' May mused. "We'd sure like to play at our house.''
Woodrow features three backs with well over 300 yards so far - Vashawn Wood (479), Rakeem Fowlkes (366) and quarterback Dominique Hairston (326).
Along with Hurricane's speedy Terrell Martin (647 yards, 14 touchdowns, 10.3 yards per carry), the field will be littered with players who can break a big gainer at any time.
"They're something else,'' May said of the Flying Eagles. "They're big. God, they've got three kids weighing 300 pounds on the line. And they've got all those running backs who are just so quick and they're sending so much misdirection at you. Three people are moving in the backfield at one time, and all of them are going in different directions. They're a very deceiving football team to be 3-2.''
May doesn't want his players fooled by Woodrow Wilson's losses to Cabell Midland (26-0) and Capital (34-7), Likewise, he downplays the fact his Redskins have beaten four teams with a combined three wins so far - Ripley (2-3), St. Albans (1-4), Winfield (0-4) and Huntington (0-5).
He thinks any game against a Mountain State Athletic Conference team is a potential stumbling block.
"I feel sorry for the teams who aren't supposed to be very good in this league,'' May said. "For example, Huntington. They haven't won, but they're daggone good. They just haven't won in this conference, and anybody can beat anybody. Like Beckley. They're 3-2, but if they're not playing in the MSAC, they'd probably be undefeated.
"It just keeps getting harder. Our games are getting harder and the only thing I can hope is we work hard enough every day in practice and improve every week, then maybe we can take that test next week because we're getting better. I'm proud of our kids to have had that workman attitude every week. You know, 'This is what I did bad last week and this is what I've got to get better at.' In order to be effective and get things done with this schedule, you have to have that attitude.''
Ripley air show
Quarterback Seth Parsons brings an accomplished passing attack to Oakes Field tonight for Ripley's game against unbeaten and No. 2 South Charleston (5-0).
Parsons stands second in the MSAC in passing with 771 yards, and seems to be finding a rhythm with first-year receiver Jeff Walls, who set a school record with 193 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns in last week's 38-34 comeback win over Princeton.
In last year's 41-23 loss to SC, Parsons passed for a personal-best of 273 yards.
Quick kicks
Two key running back injuries to watch - Brad Jenkins of AAA No. 6 Cabell Midland (4-1) and Joey Stevens of AA No. 3 Chapmanville (5-0). Jenkins broke two fingers and Stevens hurt his shoulder last week.Balance for AA co-No. 1 Keyser (4-0) is supplied by quarterback Preston Hartman (347 yards, five TDs) and running backs Jeremy Green (288 yards, two TDs) and Matt Wilmer (275 yards, three TDs).More tough luck for Nitro's work-in-progress offense - a date against Capital, whose defense allows just 10 points and 169 net yards a game.One problem for Chapmanville has been penalties. The Tigers average 11 flags per game for nearly 88 yards.Reach Rick Ryan at 348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.
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