MORGANTOWN – It’s that time again.
Thursday night will see the opening of the 2025 high school football season in West Virginia as Morgantown welcomes Parkersburg to Pony Lewis Field for the annual WVSSAC Kickoff Game presented by The West Virginia Army National Guard on Thursday, August 28. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
For both teams, the week will bring a challenge before the game, as a Thursday evening kickoff takes away a day of preparation they would typically have.
MHS head coach Sean Biser says he and his staff did some things during fall camp that helped his team simulate its Week 1 schedule.
“It’s definitely different,” he said. “For one, we changed up our second scrimmage to a Thursday to give us an extra day that week. Plus, when it comes to Parkersburg and its coaching staff, that’s a tough way to start the season out. They’re very numerous, which has given us some fits in the past. People don’t think that one day can really make a difference, but when you lose a whole day to prepare, it changes things.”
MHS defeated the Big Reds 24-13 in Week 1 of 2024 in Parkersburg. The Mohigans last fell to Parkersburg in 2019, 27-21 on the road.
Morgantown sophomore quarterback Maddox Twigg says the short week did cut down some time, but being able to play at home is something he and his teammates look forward to.
“Definitely excited to be playing at home for our first game,” he said. “We have a great atmosphere, and I know there will be a ton of fans and supporters coming out. That really helps our team spirit and honestly is a factor in how our team performs.”
Twigg also spoke on the short week and playing on Thursday.
“It’s cut down a little practice time, missing the extra day,” he said. “It’s been a long and hard week; we even practiced at 8 a.m. last Saturday to get the extra day in. I think the most important thing for our team to focus on is making sure our team chemistry is on point. That’s going to play a huge role in how not only this game, but the whole season goes. We know that when we play together as a team, nobody can stop us.”
Parkersburg is coming off a 4-7 season that saw wins over South Charleston, Capital, Musselman, and St. Albans.
The Big Reds are an experienced team, boasting 34 combined juniors and seniors on their roster, and MHS knows they will be prepared for the challenge on Thursday night.
The senior duo of quarterback Bryan Gregory and running back Ethan Jones will be one to watch for Parkersburg.
Jones appeared in all 11 games in 2024, accumulating 415 yards on 70 carries and scoring four touchdowns. He held the longest rush on the team of 68 yards as well and averaged 5.9 yards per carry, coming in second on the roster in yards per game.
“For us to be successful against Parkersburg, I think we need to be very disciplined on both sides of the ball,” Twigg said. “Especially defensively, because they run a lot of misdirection in the backfield and will try to catch us off guard with some sneaky plays if we don’t pay attention. We want to stay focused on the play at hand every single time.”
