By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
There is a computer rating system called Massey Ratings and they rate everything sports from big time college football all the way down to high school football.
This ratings service provided point spreads based on its rating system for the West Virginia Class A High School playoffs. And in the game that matters to readers of the Hur Herald, Massey picked Weirton Madonna as a 16-point favorite over Calhoun County.
So point No. 1 is the computer pick for the Blue Dons.
Point No. 2 is the WVSSAC ratings where Madonna is ranked 7th and Calhoun 10th.
Point No. 3 is Madonna's perfect 10-0 record compared to the 7-3 mark for Calhoun.
Point No. 4 is that the game will be played in Jimmy Carey Stadium in Weirton Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Point No. 5 is that Madonna had 18 starters back from last season's team.
Given all those points, it seems that a slam dunk of Calhoun could be expected.
But I think all those points are wrong.
That Calhoun has Madonna right where it wants it and that's why I look for the Red Devils to "upset" the Blue Dons and move on to the second round of the playoffs against the winner of the Pocahontas County-Big Creek game.
So why do I like Calhoun?
First is that I am pro-Calhoun. I try to be a straight shooter when it comes to the Red Devils but to be honest when there is a shadow of a doubt or a question I will always go with my alma mater.
And, I know I am guilty of that here.
That said, however, I like Calhoun because frankly Weirton Madonna, while undefeated, hasn't played anybody. As a matter of fact only two teams on the Blue Dons' schedule had a record of better than .500 and one of those - Clay-Battelle - played a weaker schedule than even Madonna.
The other team on the Blue Dons' schedule with a winning record was Bridgeport, Ohio, and in that game Madonna struggled to post a 14-6 win.
I will grant that Madonna did beat the folks it was supposed to beat - most of them like a drum.
But with a schedule that includes Hundred, Valley Wetzel, Paden City, Clarksburg Notre Dame, Bishop Donahue, Toronto, Ohio, Bellaire, Ohio, St. John, and Cameron you ought to beat them like a drum.
Madonna did such a good job hammering people that it outscored its opponents 455-64.
And that's impressive.
But let's put Madonna up against a schedule (such as Calhoun's) that included teams such as Williamstown, St. Marys, Parkersburg Catholic, Roane, South Harrison, Wirt, etc., etc., and see how they do.
Even the weaker teams on Calhoun's schedule - Ritchie, Doddridge, Gilmer and Braxton - would have winning records against the Madonna schedule.
So the 10-0 record and the 455-64 scoring advantage should be thrown out the window.
But even against a patsy-of-the-week schedule like Madonna played it won them all and that's saying something - like Madonna has talent.
How much talent?
Not as much as Williamstown. Not as much as St. Marys. Not as much as Roane. No, Madonna's talent is probably comparable to South Harrison or Parkersburg Catholic. And that talent-level is a level against which Calhoun can compete successfully.
Yes, I know Parkersburg Catholic beat Calhoun throwing a whitewash at the Red Devils.
But that was a game in which Calhoun was its own worst enemy with too many mistakes, way too many.
Following that Saturday night loss in the fourth week of the season Calhoun turned it up a notch and won its next four games to clinch a playoff spot.
This a better Calhoun team than the one that lost to Parkersburg Catholic, better than the one that was hammered by St. Marys last week too.
Madonna does not have St. Marys speed or Williamstown's power and Calhoun can't be as mistake prone as it was against Parkersburg Catholic.
If Calhoun plays up to its capabilities (which means not turning the ball over or getting too many penalties) - it will win.
As a matter of fact I'd say Massey has it backward and that Calhoun is a couple of touchdowns better than Madonna.
| 
