Thursday 3 December 2009
Weirton Madonna and Man have met before on the football field - a Blue Dons' victory in 2004 on their way to the championship game.
Posted by Mahfuz at 23:31
MEETING AT MIDCOURT — Madonna senior Lou Comis talks to the crowd during Wednesday’s pep rally for the Blue Dons football team at the Dubie Dome . The Blue Dons will meet Man at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wheeling Island Stadium in the West Virginia Class A state title game.-- Ashley Newman
WHEELING - Weirton Madonna and Man have different stories coming into Saturday's 7:30 p.m. West Virginia Class A title game at Wheeling Island Stadium.
The Blue Dons have gotten over the proverbial hump with a victory against Wheeling Central and are looking to legitimize themselves as a power.
The Hillbillies are making their first title game trip since 1984, getting back to the game after years of rebuilding from numerous down years.
The experience factor favors Weirton Madonna, but don't think for one second coach Bob Kramer is going to take anything for granted.
''(Man) is a very good football team and they are precise in what they do,'' Kramer said. ''They like to run the football, go double-tight I with a flanker most of the time and run right at us. They have good size and good technique with their blocking.
''They have good quickness in the backfield and their quarterback is very shifty, very elusive. Their tailbacks, they use two or three, they all have good speed and are hard to bring down. They have a big fullback, about 5-foot-9, 5-10, that is a good lead blocker a lot like (Lou) Comis. They like to play smashmouth football.''
Weirton Madonna and Man have met before on the football field - a Blue Dons' victory in 2004 on their way to the championship game.
That is about all the teams know about each other. Separated by 4 hours and nearly 250 miles, the teams don't play each other and common opponents are a rarity.
But both have reached the same destination -Wheeling Island Stadium - and are sure to put on a good show in the Super Six finale.
''The kids are like me, we don't really know what to expect,'' Man coach Harvey Arms said. ''All we know is that we have to get ready to play a football game. We can't get too caught up in the excitement.
''We are going to try and have a normal practice and schedule everything like we would normally do. We know Madonna is a pretty good football team and they beat Wheeling Central convincingly. We have to find a way to break down their defense and put some points on the board.''
The Hillbillies will try to do that with old-fashioned smashmouth football.
''We don't do anything too fancy, we have mostly a ground game but we like to run it at you and run it at you hard,'' Arms said. ''We play a strong defense and we are aggressive.''
Man is led by a strong class of seniors in all the key positions.
Three-year starters Emmanuel Gibson and Tyler Dunigon anchor the offensive and defensive lines.
Ryan Crum is the quarterback, a dual threat that is as solid with his arm as he is with his legs.
Joining Crum in the backfield are Brandon Plymale (1,047 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Andrew Hale (504 yards, seven TDs) at tailback, and Michael Lomax at fullback. Evan Riggins and Jeremy Hatfield are the leading receivers.
''They are very good at what they do and we have to shut down their running game,'' Kramer said. ''They don't throw frequently. They don't like to throw the ball but they can. They are a lot like us.
''Their bread and butter, though, is running the football straight at you and saying 'Here we come, stop us.' It will be a challenge for our defense.''
That Blue Dons defense has been more than up to the challenge this season.
Comis is the captain of the unit and his presence has been a major factor in the Weirton Madonna success. Along with Connor Arlia, Grant Weaver, Nick Nero, and a just about everyone on the roster, the Blue Dons have taken pride in being one of the top defenses anywhere.
Quarterback Max Nogay is a born leader and one of the finest athletes in the state.
When the game is tight, the ball is almost always in Nogay's hands. With a strong line blocking and backs leading the way, Nogay has rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season and thrown for nearly that much.
A loaded backfield that also consists of Comis, Arlia, Jim Deter, and A.J. Klein is also at Kramer's disposal.
Add in the experience factor from playing in last season's title game and Weirton Madonna will likely be one of the more focused teams the Super Six has ever seen.
''They were in the semis two years ago and the final last year so I don't think they will get too caught up in the excitement and that is always a problem,'' Kramer said. ''They know they have another week of football and that's how they look at it. They have another game to play Saturday night and they have to go down and play the best they can. That's all anybody can expect them to do.
''Any time you are playing for a state title, you have to be excited. It's something they've dreamt about and worked real hard toward. It's a fitting reward for the work they put in and the years they've put in.''
Being the underdog doesn't bother Arms too much.
''It takes some of the pressure off but it doesn't make too much of a difference,'' he said. ''We know it's going to be a tough game, but we feel we can play with anybody in the state. Football is always about not turning the ball over and not letting penalties effect your drives or help their drives.
''This is a great group of kids and I expect them to leave it all on the field.''
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