The Clay-Battelle football team lost its first game of the season to Bishop Donahue 36-14. That is the one and only loss the CeeBees suffered this season. At 9-1, one of the best records in school history, Clay-Battelle is the No. 8 team in class "A" and the 2011 conference champion. The CeeBees boast a very tough defense, one their coach admits no long has to think. They just go out and react. This isn't surprising to the CeeBee coaching staff.
"Going back to August, we had a lot of people to replace. I think we only had three starters back on the defense and maybe three or four on the offense. So we knew we were going to be a young ball club and there would be some growing pains," admitted Clay-Battelle Head Coach Ryan Wilson. "We knew that we had kids that would work and get better as the season went on. We just didn't know how quick the wins would start accounting."
Clay-Battelle faces No. 9 Moorefield. Home field advantage will be at University High School for the CeeBees. Clay-Battelle's field at the high school is known for being very muddy. University has a turf field. Moorefield Head Coach Josh See said playing on a turf field is a plus for his team. Coach Wilson said his team is playing with confidence and a different venue won't change the CeeBees game.
"It's not like we're going to come in here and put in a whole new system this week," said Coach Wilson of this week's practices. "You go with what your strengths are and you go what's gotten you here because that's what your kids know and that's what your kids do best."
Moorefield finished up 7-and-3 and a no huddle offense might be its ticket into the second round.
"It's a Wing-T base with some Spread mixed in. It's all no huddle," described Moorefield Coach See. "We can go from a double tight look to five wide and not take a kid off the field. It's kind of difficult to defend in ‘A' and we just like to do it. We don't do a whole lot out of different things."
But neither coach staff has had the chance to scout the other team. Moorefield plays a tough schedule and Coach Wilson said the CeeBees' win over Van boosted the team's confidence. It's all what can be taken off game video.
"I haven't seen anything on Clay-Battelle," admitted Coach See. "I follow them and look at the scores and things like that, but I don't even know what their quarterback or running backs' names are yet."
"As a coach, I like to see a team live. We're not able to do that," said Coach Wilson. "Where as, during the season, I'm able to get out on the road and scout the teams. You see them live. I can judge speed a little bit better there, whereas on film it's a little bit tougher, at least for me. We'll take the films and we'll break them down the best we can."
Hopefully what Coach Wilson will see on film, is a way to stop a few dynamic Moorefield players.
"I've got Lewis Richardson. Lewis had 1400 yards last year. He's up over 1000 already this year," said Coach See of his offensive power. "On defense, a kid named Zach Laughlin. Zach's got 26 or 27 career interceptions. He got two again the other night. He's returned three of them for touchdowns. He ran back two kickoffs and one punt so he's a pretty good skill guy."
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