A walk through the numbers of high school football 2024 is an interesting and fun trek, so letòòò½ÊÓƵ™s take a stroll as we stop and smell the statistics.
Chesapeake is 4-3 and has a chance for its first winning, or at least non-losing, regular season since going 9-2 in 2016. The Panthers are home to winless Gallia Academy Friday, then visit Rock Hill (6-1) and Fairland (7-0) to close the regular slate.
Chesapeake defeated South Point 41-26 Friday to break a 21-game losing streak in Ohio Valley Conference play dating to a 49-38 victory over Portsmouth Sept. 18, 2020.
Rock Hill at 6-1 is off to its best start since opening at 7-1 in 2007. Fairland is the lone undefeated team in the Tri-State. That status will be in jeopardy Friday when the Dragons entertain Ironton (6-1). Dating to last season, Cabell Midland has lost six straight games, its longest losing streak since 1998.
At 4-1 Wayne is off to its best start since opening 10-1 in 2017. River Valley football has lost 18 consecutive games. The Raiders, who last won 55-12 over Manchester Oct. 21, 2022, have games remaining with Vinton County (2-5), Athens (7-0) and Trimble (5-2). Tug Valley football is 5-0 for the first time in program history.
Greenup Countyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Tyson Sammons ran for 248 yards, six touchdowns and three two-point conversions, passed for 153 yards, made 19 tackles and one interception Friday in a 42-37 win over Boyd County. Winfieldòòò½ÊÓƵ™s and Princetonòòò½ÊÓƵ™s football teams combined for eight unsportsmanlike conduct penalties Friday in the Tigersòòò½ÊÓƵ™ 55-28 triumph. Two Princeton players were ejected. Spring Mills football (6-0) has outscored opponents 297-0.
AMAZING STATS OF THE WEEK: Fairlandòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Gabe Polcyn scored his 54th career goal to become the programòòò½ÊÓƵ™s all-time leader in scoring, surpassing Mason Fannin. Dragonsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ volleyball player Chloe Mayo recorded her 500th career kill. South Point volleyballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Adyson Copley made her 500th career dig.
Wellston socceròòò½ÊÓƵ™s Harry Fry made 26 saves in a 4-1 loss to Ohio Valley Christian. Raceland beat Boyd County in volleyball for the first time since 2017. Portsmouth Notre Dame volleyballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Bree Hicks made her 1,000th career dig and Maddie Entler her 1,000th career assist. Russell volleyballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Emily Clark made her 1,000th career assist.
Minford volleyballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Lindsee Williams made her 1,000th career kill. Kendan Trent set the Mingo Central boys soccer all-time record for goals, with 63, breaking the mark of 62 by Garrett Noe.
Former Boyd County basketball star Savannah Wheeler scored 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, with five rebounds, four assists and three steals in her professional debut in Poland.
COMMITMENTS: Gallia Academy softballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Ava Angel (Minnesota), Rock Hill trackòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Wade Hankins (Shawnee State), Boyd County baseballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Cole Adams (Cincinnati). Wheelersburg softballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Ava Estep (Maryland). Huntington Prepòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Braydon Hawthorne (West Virginia).
OFFERS: òòò½ÊÓƵhland footballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Braxton Jennings (Louisville) and basketballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Preston Hoskins (Bethany). Ironton footballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Austin Bump, Jesse Copas, Bowen Gossett, Aiden Layne, Tyler Roach, Braden Schreck, Nick Sites and Braylon Sturgill (Pikeville). Nitro basketballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Natalie Smith and South Charleston softballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Caraline Dunn (University of Charleston).
VISITS: Spring Valley footballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Jalyn Abercrombie and Brock Biggs (Penn State) and Liam McGuire (West Liberty), òòò½ÊÓƵhland footballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Sam Lyons (Eastern Kentucky). Green basketballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Abbie Knapp (Miami-Ohio). Rock Hill footballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Brody Simpkins (Akron) and Logan Hopper (Pikeville).
NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES: South Gallia and Sciotoville East played their high school football game Friday at Green because of poor field conditions at East. The Rebels won 46-8. Scioto County was hit hard by flooding from Hurricane Helene. The contest marked the second consecutive week Green served as host for two teams not from Franklin Furnace, Ohio, as Ironton and Clarkson North played there last week after Tanks Memorial Stadium was storm damaged.
Former Marshall University and New York Giants standout Ahmad Bradshaw was at Pioneer Field for Lincoln Countyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s football game at Wayne Friday. Parkersburgòòò½ÊÓƵ™s girls won the Mountain State Athletic Conference girls soccer championship. Huntington High took the boys title. Boyd Countyòòò½ÊÓƵ™s girls cross country team won the Eastern Kentucky Conference championship.
