MAN – All eyes were on Man on Saturday night as the Class A No. 2-ranked Man High School football team hosted Matewan in West Virginia’s regular season finale.

The Hillbillies were hoping to blow out the Tigers and have a good tuneup game heading into the first round of the playoffs this week.

A blowout is exactly what the Billies got as Man clobbered Matewan, 56-6, and closed out the regular season with a 9-1 record.

Man is projected to maintain the No. 2 seed and open the Class A playoffs at home against No. 15 seed Parkersburg Catholic next Friday or Saturday.

Man will find out who its official post-season opponent will be Sunday as playoff coaches from across the state were to meet at the WVSSAC offices in Parkersburg.

The Billies will have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

Man had no trouble with Matewan, which dropped to 5-4 and were eliminated from the playoffs.

The Billies led 7-0 with Andrew Hale’s 5-yard touchdown run and Josh Booth’s extra point kick at the 4:29 mark of the first quarter. The score was set up by Jeremy Hatfield’s interception.

With 5:57 remaining until the half, Ryan Crum’s 25-yard touchdown run and Booth’s PAT made it 14-0.

A second Man interception – this one by Derrick Earnest – then set up Michael Lomax’s 6-yard touchdown run with 2:13 left. Earnest then booted his first PAT and Man led 21-0 at the half.

Man’s Cody Owens then caused a fumble and fell on the football on the second half kickoff. Five plays later, Hatfield made it 28-0 with a 9-yard TD run.

Hatfield then picked off his second pass of the game, leading to a 23-yard TD pass from Crum to Even Riggins to make it 35-0 with 9:21 left in the third quarter.

The Billies made it 42-0 with 10:13 to go in the fourth quarter after Jeremy Tipton’s 8-yard touchdown run. Earnest’s PAT was again good.

Matewan avoided the shutout with a 34-yard TD pass from Cody Centers to Jacob Staton with 7:17 left to make it 42-6.

Man then upped the lead to 49-6 late in the fourth quarter after Wade Maynard’s 2-yard TD run.

The Billies’ Shane Browning then gave the Tigers a going-away present with a 19-yard TD run to make it 56-6.

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