WHO: Greenbrier East (1-1) at Bluefield (0-2)
WHEN: Thursday, September 12 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield, WV
LAST WEEK: Gbr East (lost to Woodrow 38-0) — Bluefield (lost 63-7 to Princeton)
COVERAGE: The Greenbrier Valley Channel live streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Optimum Channel 5—- Radio- 103.1, WRON.
After a confidence deflating defeat to their rivals, the Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles, the Greenbrier East Spartans look to get back on the winning track against the Bluefield Beavers in a special Thursday night edition of high school football at Mitchell Stadium.
The Spartans need to bounce back quickly from the 38-0 loss to Beckley and in a rare occurrence, the Beavers may be just the matchup they need. East gave up a 57-yard touchdown on the very first play of the game last week and honestly, never really recovered from that point. And while Bluefield is traditionally a Class AA powerhouse, things are looking a little different so far in Mercer County.
ABOUT THE BEAVERS:
It is easy to underestimate Fred Simon’s group in Simon’s 40 th year as head coach. Bluefield is 0-2 on the year and has scored a total of seven points in two games. They were shutout in week one by Graham (10-0) and were then throttled by their rival, Princeton (63-7). It is unchartered territory for the Beavers to struggle out of the gate as they have thus far. They are still trying to replace players such as Sincere Fields, RJ Hairston, and Gerrard Wade, and have yet to fully find the replacements. The Beavers have also been decimated by the injury bug to several key starters and their status for the game against the Spartans is unknown at this time. But it is only two games, and it is Bluefield. A lucky bounce or two that helps them win is typically all they need to burst onto the scene.
–Players to Watch—
Bluefield: QB Mattox Simpson, RB Willis Wilson
Greenbrier East: QB Brody Hamric, Util Nate Suttle, LB Keshawn Bland, RB Brady May, WR/DB Donavin Penn
For Bluefield, Simpson is a freshman quarterback that is still getting accustomed to the speed of varsity football. Wilson is the Beavers best player–at least based on numbers– and had 87 yards rushing along with a TD against Princeton on just seven carries but got sick during that game and missed almost all the second half. Assuming he is good to go this Thursday, keeping Wilson at bay should be and will be priority no. 1 for Greenbrier East.
Top 3 Keys to the Game:
Spartan rush defense against Willis Wilson
Spartans’ ability to pressure FR quarterback Mattox Simpson
Brady May needs over 100 yards rushing, Hamric will need at least 150 through the air
Summary:
It is no secret that after last week’s results, both teams are looking for something positive to hang their hats on. The Spartans had an emotional win in week one only to have that momentum shut down and be squashed by Beckley. Bluefield has not had much momentum on their side yet, but if they get healthier, that could change quickly. The Spartans rush defense will be under the microscope in this one and after giving up 362 yards on the ground to Woodrow, it will need to be better. Wilson is a good runner for the Beavers, but Bluefield has not shown any semblance of a passing game, so loading up the box and forcing the freshman QB to beat you may be the best strategy. Still, the Beavers have a long history of being dominant and East must make sure not to allow them to find that dominance again this Thursday night in Mercer County.
*Fans May Remember: * Last season, these two teams played in Fairlea. The game started on Friday and ended on Monday. A lightning storm delay was the reason. Bluefield won 34-19.
The post Football Game Preview Week 3: Greenbrier East at Bluefield appeared first on West Virginia Daily News .
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