Jefferson gets fifth win, playoff berth against Musselman
Jefferson had 10 touchdowns and scored the game’s last 53 points to close out its regular season with a 77-14 victory over winless county rival Washington.
With a 5-5 overall record, the Cougars finished 14th in the final Class AAA ratings and will qualify for the 16-team playoffs, where they will open play on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on the road at Musselman, a team they lost to, 40-15, during the regular season.
Washington finished the 2016 season with an 0-10 record, the only winless team in the big-school ranks this year.
Musselman, which had an 8-2 overall record, finished third in the final Class AAA ratings.
Leading only 24-14 in the second quarter, the Cougars scored four more times before halftime to establish an insurmountable 54-14 lead and clinch their third consecutive playoff berth.
Isaac Myers had three of Jefferson’s scores with Jimmy King scoring twice. Scooter Gaskins, Richard Ramseier, Noah Cunningham, Corbin Pierson and Corey Anderson all had touchdowns.
Jefferson outscored the Patriots, 23-0, in the second half. Reserve quarterback Pierson threw more often than did starter Myers, trying 10 passes to Myers’ eight.
The Class AAA playoffs have all four Berkeley County schools involved.
Unbeaten and top-ranked Martinsburg will play 16th-rated Hedgesville in the first round.
The Eagles were 5-5 and were thumped, 52-7, last Friday by Spring Mills. The Cardinals finished 13th and will take a 6-4 record to 4th-rated Morgantown.
In other Friday night games, fifth-rated University hosts Hurricane, sixth-rated Capital is at home against Cabell Midland, seven-rated Huntington gets South Charleston and eighth-rated George Washington is at home against Wheeling Park.
The winner of the Jefferson vs. Musselman game will play the winner of the Capital vs. Cabell Midland game.
The Class AA playoff field includes unbeatens Bridgeport, Mingo Central and Point Pleasant as well as Sissonville, Fairmont Senior, James Monroe, Nicholas County and Lincoln hosting first round games.
Rounding out the field are Independence, Keyser, Winfield, Herbert Hoover, Weir, North Marion, Liberty of Harrison County and Roane County.
All the Class AA games are on Friday night except the Weir at Sissonville game.
There will be five undefeated teams in the Class A playoff field.
Top-rated East Hardy, second-rated St. Marys, third-rated Fayetteville, fifth-rated Cameron and seven-rated Gilmer County are the unbeatens in the Class A field.
Twice-beaten and fourth-rated Tolsia has two losses and still finished higher than undefeated Cameron and Gilmer County.
The remainder of the small school field has Wheeling Central Catholic, Williamstown, South Harrison, Summers County, Sherman, Pendleton County, Tug Valley, Van, Buffalo and Tyler Consolidated.