Parkersburg South running back Eli Bartley, 11, looks for holes during a game at Spring Mills earlier this season. The No. 9 Patriots will take on No. 8 Washington in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs at the Erickson All-Sports Facility on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. No. 16 Parkersburg will travel to No. 1 Martinsburg on Friday for kickoff at 7 p.m. (Photo by David Pennock)
PARKERSBURG — The final play of the regular season was painful for everyone involved in the Parkersburg South football family.
And despite being guaranteed a spot in the 16-team field to the Class AAAA state playoffs, the Patriots missed out on a game-winning touch as replay video showed the South defender stepping up and giving Princeton the game-winning touch. When he was given a down, he picked up a Hail Mary pass in front of the Princeton receiver in the end zone, who was basically trying to figure out that the win was stolen, and fell to the ground, clearly still holding the ball. .
“I sent the video evidence to WVSSAC and agency leadership, and both said the call was unsuccessful.” South coach Nate Tanner said this during the coaches state playoff meeting next Sunday at the WVSSAC building. “We can’t change anything at this point.
“Yes, I think it’s a personal thing. It’s not easy to deal with. This is the first time in my life that I’ve experienced something like this in sports – in the 35 years I’ve been alive.”
Despite losing 48-47 to Princeton, Parkersburg South (5-5) earned a home game in the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots will play No. 9 Washington (6-4) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Also in Class AAAA, No. 16 Parkersburg (4-6) will play No. 1 Martinsburg (9-1) on Friday with kickoff at 7 p.m.
“The bus ride home from Princeton was tough.” Tanner said. “What makes it so hard is the time, the emotions, the work and everything else that goes into preparing for a football game. I’ve always said it’s hard to win a football game. When you’re outplayed at a position and our kids are stepping up and playing a really big role, to have it taken away from you like that at the end of the game is tough to deal with. .
“After the game, I gave the kids a lesson that life isn’t fair. Whether you’re right or wrong, sometimes things don’t always go your way.”
That night when South played Princeton, the atmosphere throughout Parkersburg High School changed dramatically after the Big Reds ended the regular season with a win over Musselman.
“I’ve been telling our guys all season that if we can play all three phases for four quarters, we’re going to be a good football team.” PHS coach Matt Kimes said. “I didn’t do that until Friday night.
“In our pregame conversation, we said let’s play our best game of the year because we’re running out of time, and I feel like we did that.
“If we can repeat that performance and maybe step up a little bit, we’ll give ourselves a chance. We play a full four quarters, we’re a scary team for sure. We have a chance. Yo.”
PHS and Martinsburg have met five times, all in the postseason. The Big Reds lead the series 3-2 all-time, including two wins in the state championship game (2001, 2006).
“The kids are excited to go out there and play again. I told them that once this playoffs start and we play like we can, it’s going to be a breathtakingly tough game. did.” Kims said.
Injuries hit both the South and PHS hard. In the Patriots’ game against Princeton alone, the starting left tackle played the entire game with a torn ACL. They finished the night deep in the reserves, with two backups at linebacker, two backups at cornerback, and wide receiver Devon Forshey at quarterback.
“Throughout the season, I was impressed with the grit, toughness and perseverance of our kids.” Tanner said. “We had a lot of injuries and a lot of kids who had to step up and play positions that didn’t start the season. They’re basically the next guy at this point, really. Yes, and the kids accepted it.”
“If we can play a full four quarters, I think we have a good chance. At the end of the day, we’re thankful and grateful to be in the position we’re in. (Friday’s game against Princeton) was disappointing. But we are moving forward.”
South running back Eli Bartley had his most productive performance, running for 237 yards and six touchdowns against Princeton.
“Eli ran like a wild man” Tanner said. “Our offensive line blocked well at the point of attack. That’s been our MO all year and we were able to run on Friday night.”
Contact Kelly Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com
