By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
On a wet, cold Saturday night playing on a field that was a quagmire of mud, Weirton Madonna beat Calhoun County 16-0 in the first round of the Class AA playoffs.
The Blue Dons, 11-0, had a pair of second half touchdowns from A.J. Klein to end Calhoun's season with a 7-4 record. It marked the third time in the last four years the Red Devils have advanced to the playoffs and the third time they had been ousted in the first round.
The field condition at Jimmy Carey Field were horrendous since Weirton High School had played Independence High School in a Class AA playoff game the night before in the rain, turning the field into a field of mud.
And while field conditions were the same for both teams it probably had more affect on the Red Devils, a team that relied on quickness in its running-heavy attack.
Randy Fluharty, who had averaged 197.8 yards per game was held to 61 yards on 22 carries by the Madonna defense and the Jimmy Carey Field mud.
Still Fluharty went over the 2,000-yard mark on the season with 2,039 yards on 265 carries. He scored 21 touchdowns to establish what should be first team Class A all-state credentials as a junior.
But Saturday night belonged to the Blue Dons and the weather conditions.
Calhoun had opportunities and moved the ball from time to time between the 20-yard-lines. But they were never able to score.
On the other hand Madonna took a couple of completed passes to set up a couple of short touchdown runs by Klein, which proved to be all the scoring the Blue Dons would need.
Madonna, now 11-0, advances to the second round of the playoffs Saturday at 1:30. | 
