WV High School Playoffs Roundup: RCB, Pendleton, St. Marys Advance to Semis

CLASS AA

No. 8 ROBERT C. BYRD 33, No. 16 ELKINS 6: One play after Elkins scored to make it a 12-6 game, Byrd quarterback Xavier Lopez hit standout running back Jeremiah King for a 64-yard touchdown just before halftime and the RCB defense took care of the rest. Byrd blanked the Tigers in the second half to send the Eagles to next week’s Class AA state semifinals.

For Elkins, Rodney Vandevender’s one-yard touchdown run capped a long drive that chewed up a large chunk of the clock it the second quarter, but King’s touchdown snatched back all of the momentum the Tigers built before the break.

King showed again why he is among the state’s top backs, running for 228 yards on 25 carries in the win. RCB will play on the road at Oak Glen in next week’s state semifinal round pending Saturday’s COVID metrics map update.

CLASS A

No. 8 PENDLETON COUNTY 41, No. 16 TYGARTS VALLEY 17: Dalton Dunkle ran for six touchdowns as the Wildcats ran away from the visiting Bulldogs on Sunday.

Pendleton County jumped out to a 20-0 lead before Tygarts Valley began to chip away. The Bulldogs got that lead down to just 10 points in the third quarter when a Jace Swecker touchdown catch made the score 27-17. The Wildcat defense clamped down from there, and the offense outscored Tygarts Valley 14-0 down the stretch to put the game away.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to play at St. Marys in this weekend’s state semifinal round, with a spot in the Class A championship game against Ritchie County (which, due to COVID map forfeits, received a bye after its quarterfinal win directly into the Super Six).

No. 4 ST. MARYS 52, No. 5 MIDLAND TRAIL 49: It was a rough day for both defenses on Sunday afternoon in Pleasants County, but after the Patriots scored late to cut the lead to just three points the St. Marys offense never gave Midland Trail another chance with a drive that took the final four minutes off the clock to secure the win.

Senior running back Trey Moss led the Blue Devils on the ground with 200 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Brennen Boron was responsible for two rushing and two passing touchdowns while also running for 100 yards. For Midland Trail, quarterback Christopher Vines ran for 195 yards and four touchdowns while Aden Isaacs chipped in with two more touchdowns in the loss.

St. Marys advances to next week’s Class A state semifinals and the Blue Devils are no stranger to the stage. It will be St. Mary’s seventh semifinal appearance under veteran coach Jodi Mote, with three title game appearances (2014, 2016, 2017) with one state championship in 2016. The Blue Devils will host Pendleton County at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday for a chance at another trophy.