Charleston Gazette

November 02, 2007

Nitro goes for playoff clincher

Other spots up for grabs on final weekend

By Rick Ryan, Assistant Sports Editor

Nitro coach Scott Tinsley knew it would probably take six wins to get into the Class AAA playoffs. He just wishes his team could have secured that sixth victory before now.

With their postseason hopes perhaps clinging to the outcome, the Wildcats brace for the long road trip to Mercer County tonight to play Princeton. Kickoff is set for 7:30.

Nitro (5-4), tentatively holding down the No. 13 spot in AAA, probably needs a victory to advance to the playoffs.

Before Thursday’s state Supreme Court ruling that reinstated two forfeit losses to top-ranked Martinsburg, twelve teams had locked up berths in AAA, and Nitro was one of four teams that had control over their own fate — win and you’re in. The others were No. 14 Fairmont Senior (at East Fairmont), No. 15 John Marshall (vs. winless Parkersburg South) and No. 17 Wheeling Park (at unbeaten Robert C. Byrd).

However, since Martinsburg will fall to ninth, according to projections by WWVA.com, and Morgantown (which picks up one of those forfeit wins from Martinsburg) vaults from the list of eliminated teams to a ranking as high as No. 13, Nitro may not be assured a spot even if it wins tonight.

Although the possibility is slim, WWVA.com says there is a scenario that could keep a 6-4 Nitro team out of the postseason. It would involve Park beating 9-0 RCB and perhaps winning a fifth tiebreaker with Nitro for a playoff berth.

But that doesn’t alter the outlook of Tinsley, who fully expects to get a playoff spot if his Wildcats win at Princeton.

“Things haven’t changed since Week 1,’’ Tinsley said. “I talked then about winning six games. We haven’t gotten there yet, and we have one more opportunity to get it. I want to get win No. 6. As far as we’re concerned, the playoffs start this week.’’

If this season is any indication, anything can happen to Nitro tonight. The Wildcats have beaten two top-10 teams, but lost to previously winless Huntington last week and last month gave up 56 points and fell to Cabell Midland, which was 2-5 at the time.

Nitro averages 41.3 points per game and allows 29.3. The only times the Wildcats allowed fewer than 21 came in victories against No. 6 St. Albans and No. 10 Hurricane.

Princeton (1-8) seems to fall into the same spoiler category as Midland and Huntington — teams without a lot of wins, but teams that can move the ball behind athletic quarterbacks.

Sophomore Jerrell Powell directs the attack for the Tigers, who nearly shocked George Washington earlier this season, falling 20-14 as GW intercepted a pass in its own end zone in the final minute. Powell has run for 594 yards and five TDs and thrown for 622 yards and three more scores.

“There’s nothing fun about it,’’ Tinsley said. “We have to go there and we have to play an athletic quarterback, and we haven’t done well against athletic quarterbacks — as the Huntington game showed, as the Cabell Midland game showed. Teams that spread us out have given us problems — Capital, too. It’s not going to be easy.’’