WILLIAMSON - Local prep football moves into high gear tonight as teams on both sides of the river engage in some big matchups tonight. Here’s a quick look at the match-ups:

WILLIAMSON 

vs MEADOW BRIDGE

This games sees Williamson travel to the Appalachian Highlands tonight to take on one of Class A’s middle of the road teams

Meadow Bridge lost 34 to 14 lasr week to Class AA Pikeview in their season opener. Meadow Bridge offers a solid running attack similar in nature to most high school programs. They can be exploited defensively, especially in the secondary.

Williamson, while off last week in their open week, had an emotional week to say the least as the team dealt with the death of longtime Assistant Coach David Tincher. Tincher’s loss took a strong emotional toll on not only the players, but the coaching staff as well. But Wolfpack Coach C. Douglas Ward reports that the team has worked harder than ever getting ready for this game and believes his team has solved some of the “physicality issues” that plagued them in their Grid-A-Rama game against Hurley.

The ‘Pack are wanting to play tough tonight after their emotional week. Don’t be surprised if they come home with a very big win tonight.

MATEWAN 

vs WEBSTER COUNTY

The Matewan Tigers, like the ‘Pack, had Week One off. Tonight they travel north to Webster County for a tough match-up against a Class AA school.

Webster lost a tight game last week to Richwood, 37 to 26 and are looking to avoid opening at 2 and 0. Webster is one of those few prep teams that tend to run the spread offense as their primary offensive set. Matewan’s defense will have to answer the call often and early.

Matewan is coming in to their opener still assessing to a certain degree what they have after several key players last year to graduation. But Matewan’s tough offensive line is still strong enough to anchor this team’s offense.

Look for this one to be a game where the keys will be time of possession and how well the Tiger defense plays in the secondary. If Matewan can control the clock and limit Webster’s passing attack, the Tigers should have no problem coming home with a season opening win.

PHELPS 

vs BURCH

This an early season battle between two up and coming teams.

Coach Jesse Peck’s Phelps squad comes in looking to redeem themselves after being on the recieving end of a blowout last week at the hands of East Ridge in the Pike County Bowl. Burch lost a heartbreaker to Betsy Lane and is still looking to end West Virginia high school football’s longest active losing streak.

Both clubs have an increased number of players out this season with both seeing the largest teams their schools have enjoyed in five years or longer.

Both clubs run virtually the same offensive set, running the ball 90% of the time and running a lot of wishbone plays.

One interesting sidenote to this contest is it sends Burch Head Coach James “Butch” Joplin up against his former team, the Hornets.

Both teams are hungry for success and both teams feel they have something to prove in this one. In this battle of virtual equals, a winner will be hard to predict. One thing is for certain. This one could go down to the final minutes before it’s settled.

ASHLAND PAUL BLAZER 

vs BELFRY

This game at the CAM will be an interesting match-up in that it pits Paul Blazer, a team that likes to mix it up between the run and pass and Belfry that keeps doing the same thing they have done better than anyone else over the last twenty years - run the football.

Paul Blazer comes in looking to prove themselves against one of Eastern Kentucky’s true football powerhouses.

Belfry shook off a Week One loss to Prestonsburg in grand fashion last week in the Pike County Bowl defeating Boyd County 28 to 14 in a superb game. Thomas Varney showed why he is being called by every coach that sees him play, one of Kentucky’s best athletes in general.

Belfry’s twelfth man (otherwise known as the (Pond Creek Nation) made the CAM a tough place for an opponent to be last week and helped inspire Coach Phillip Haywood’s young club to a win. They’ll be out in full force again tonight, so look for Belfry to pour it on tonight at home.

SHELBY VALLEY

vs TUG VALLEY

In this “Battle of the Valley’s”, numbers and depth could be the key to deciding who wins this one.

Both of these clubs have their smiliarities. They both have new first year head coaches. They both are run dominant teams. They both are consolidated school communities.

The big difference that could be key to this matchup comes down to numbers. Shelby Valley brings about three times the number of players that the Panthers have on their squad. That means that depth becomes an issue when the Wildcats can keep fresher people in over the course of the game than the Panthers can.

As the Panthers showed last week in a smarting 57 - 0 loss to Point Pleasant, they’re still working to get their feet wet in Coach Josh Duty’s new offensive and defensive schemes. But after a good week of practice, look for them to be tougher and hungry in their 200 home opener.

WESTSIDE 

vs GILBERT

Gilbert proved last week they can both put the points on the boad and keep the opposing offense from doing much damage at all in their 48 - 0 win over Buffalo Putnam.

Westside proved the same thing in their 47 -0 pasting of Liberty Raleigh.

Now these two rivals clash head on in Gilbert’s home opener and Lion country will most certainly be anything but tame tonight.

Look for a war in the trenches with the winner taking all.