On Friday, November 6, 2026, the Webster County Highlanders hosted the Pocahontas County Warriors in a regular-season varsity football matchup. The game concluded with Webster County securing a 42-13 victory over Pocahontas County.
As of the latest West Virginia Class A high school football rankings for the 2026 season, here is where both teams currently stand:
| Rank | Team | Overall Record | Rating |
| 15 | Pocahontas County | 3-6 | 19.97 |
| 16 | Webster County | 5-4 | 13.79 |
The 2026 West Virginia Class A high school football regular season wraps up this weekend, meaning the postseason is just days away.
Here is the current timeline for the playoffs:
- Bracket Announcement: The official WVSSAC Class A playoff bracket, including the pairings, exact dates, and kickoff times for the opening-round matchups, will be officially announced tomorrow, Sunday, November 8, 2026.
- Opening Round: The playoffs will officially begin with first-round games kicking off next weekend, November 13-14, 2026.
- State Championship: The Class A State Championship game is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Charleston, WV.
As soon as the WVSSAC releases the official matchups tomorrow, the top 16 teams in Class A will be locked in for the opening round.
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The WVSSAC uses a mathematical formula that rewards teams not just for winning, but for playing a difficult schedule. A team's playoff standing is determined by their Rating Average, which dictates the top 16 teams.
Here is how the WVSSAC calculates that rating:
The Core Playoff Formula
Total Rating Points ÷ Games Played = Rating AverageTo get the Total Rating Points, the WVSSAC adds up points from three separate categories:
- Base Points: A team earns base points for every game they win. The exact number of points awarded is scaled based on the classification of the opponent defeated (beating a larger school class yields more points than beating a smaller one).
- Defeated Opponent Bonus Points: Once a team beats an opponent, they become invested in that opponent's future success. A team earns additional bonus points for every subsequent game that their defeated opponent wins or ties during the season.
- Winning Opponent Bonus Points (The "Good Loss" Rule): Even after a loss, a team can still earn fractional bonus points. If the team that beat them goes on to win or tie games against opponents in their own class or higher, the losing team receives points. This helps soften the blow of losing to highly-ranked, powerhouse programs.
At the end of the regular season, the sum of those three categories is divided by the total number of games the team played. The 16 teams with the highest Rating Average in each class secure their spot in the postseason bracket.
Webster County's 42-13 victory over Pocahontas County on November 6, 2026, was a masterclass in ground-control offense and defensive discipline. Entering the matchup with a 5-4 record, the Highlanders executed a physical game plan that neutralized the Warriors' momentum and exploited mismatches at the line of scrimmage.
Tactical Breakdown
The Rushing Attack as a Weapon
Webster County’s offensive identity relies heavily on overpowering opponents on the ground. Coming into the game averaging nearly 240 rushing yards per contest, they leaned on their star hybrid threat, Ryder Wright, who averages over 170 rushing yards per game. By heavily featuring Wright and executing physical power running concepts, the Highlanders dominated time of possession. This approach systematically wore down the Pocahontas County defensive front and kept the clock moving.
Defensive Edge ContainmentPocahontas County arrived in Upper Glade with offensive confidence, having just dropped 42 points on Tygarts Valley the week prior. To counter this, Webster County's defense prioritized gap integrity and shutting down the edge. With Wright patrolling from the linebacker position (averaging 13 tackles per game) and players like Braxton Williams applying backfield pressure, the Highlanders forced the Warriors into predictable, long-yardage passing situations, ultimately holding them to a mere 13 points.
Pacing and Momentum
Scoring 42 points requires capitalizing on field position and preventing the opponent from sustaining drives. The Highlanders' ability to convert in the red zone created a snowball effect that Pocahontas County (falling to a 3-7 record) simply could not match with their own offensive efficiency.
The video below shows the physical rushing style and edge containment techniques typical of this kind of matchup.
Key insight: Webster County's strategy fundamentally hinged on complementary football. By establishing an elite rushing attack early, they simultaneously maximized their own scoring opportunities while playing the best possible defense—keeping Pocahontas County's offense safely on the sideline.
I encountered an error doing what you asked. Could you try again?When a defense commits eight or nine players to the box, they leave themselves mathematically vulnerable on the perimeter and deep downfield. Since your son participated in high school football in Pocahontas County, you might have seen coaches make these exact in-game adjustments to punish defenses for crowding the line of scrimmage.
Play-Action Passing
The most devastating counter to a stacked box is the play-action pass. If safeties and inside linebackers are aggressively triggering downhill at the snap to stop the run, a run fake forces them to commit.
As shown above, this creates massive voids in the middle of the field and deep zones. A simple "post-dig" combination (where one receiver runs a deep post and another runs an intermediate crossing route) easily exploits the space vacated by the run-focused safeties.
Run-Pass Options (RPOs)
Instead of calling a strict run or pass, the quarterback reads a specific "conflict defender" (usually an outside linebacker or safety) after the snap.
If the conflict defender crashes the line of scrimmage to stop the run, the quarterback pulls the ball and throws a quick slant or bubble screen to the space that defender just left. If the defender drops into coverage, the quarterback hands the ball off to a running back who now faces a more manageable box.
Spreading the Formation
Offenses can force a defense out of a stacked box simply by changing their pre-snap alignment. By lining up in a four-receiver or empty backfield (five receivers) formation, the offense forces the defense to make a choice: either move linebackers and safeties out of the box to cover the receivers, or keep them in the box and leave receivers completely uncovered. If they choose to stay heavy in the box, the quarterback takes the snap and immediately throws to the perimeter for an easy, uncontested gain.
Perimeter Screen Game
A heavy box means the defense has fortified the interior but weakened the edges. Fast screens—such as bubble screens, tunnel screens, or quick flat routes—act as an extension of the running game. By getting the ball out to a playmaker in space instantly, the offense bypasses the pile of bodies in the middle and forces the defense to make open-field tackles.
The videos below walk through the mechanics and reads of RPOs and play-action concepts used to beat a heavy box.
Against an Odd front (like a 3-4, 3-3 Stack, or 5-2), high school offensive lines must completely alter their blocking rules because the center of the formation is covered by a true nose tackle, and the edges are threatened by stand-up linebackers. Instead of blocking a traditional four-man defensive line with clear inside/outside leverage, the offensive line has to account for unpredictable gap exchanges and second-level rushers.
Securing the Zero-Technique (The Nose Tackle)
The defining feature of an odd front is the "zero-technique"—a defensive lineman lined up directly head-to-head with the center. Because the center must snap the ball, he is at an immediate physical disadvantage.
Offensive lines adjust by ensuring the center almost never blocks the nose tackle alone. In zone blocking, the center and a guard will execute a heavy double-team (a combo block) on the nose tackle to secure the A-gaps before one of them peels off to block an inside linebacker. In gap schemes, the center blocks back on the nose while the play-side guard pulls.
Identifying the "Mike"
In an even front (4-3), identifying the middle linebacker is usually straightforward. In a 3-4 odd front, there are two inside linebackers. The offensive line must make a pre-snap "Mike declaration" to set the blocking count. The center points to one of the inside linebackers and declares him the "Mike." This tells the offensive line exactly which linebacker the center and guards are responsible for in their combo blocks, leaving the other inside linebacker for the fullback or a pulling guard to handle.
Adjusting the Edges (Tackles vs. Outside Linebackers)
In a standard 4-4 or 4-3, offensive tackles block defensive ends who usually have their hands in the dirt. Against a 3-4 or 5-2, the defensive ends shift inside (often lining up head-to-head with the tackles or inside their shoulders in a "4i" technique), and the outside edge is patrolled by fast, stand-up outside linebackers.
- Zone Schemes: The offensive tackle must take a wider lateral step to prevent the outside linebacker from shooting the C-gap or crossing his face, often stretching the play horizontally.
- Down Blocking: If the play is going inside, the tackle will block "down" on the defensive end lined up inside him, purposely leaving the outside linebacker completely unblocked. A pulling guard or H-back will then trap or kick out that unblocked outside linebacker.
The videos below break down the footwork, combo blocks, and communication rules offensive linemen use to neutralize an odd front in real time.
To see how these rules change the geometry of the play, explore the interactive whiteboard below.
The fundamental difference between Zone and Gap blocking schemes lies in who the offensive line is trying to block. In Zone blocking, linemen are responsible for securing specific areas (zones) on the line of scrimmage. In Gap blocking, linemen are assigned to block specific defenders (men), often using leverage, pulling, and trapping to create a predetermined hole.
Zone Blocking (Blocking Areas)
In a zone scheme (like Inside Zone or Outside Zone), the entire offensive line steps laterally or diagonally in unison at the snap.
- The Rules: A lineman blocks whoever enters his designated track. If a defender is lined up directly over him, he blocks him. If no one is there, he works a double-team (a combo block) with a teammate on a defensive lineman, driving him backward before one of the offensive linemen slides off to block a linebacker at the second level.
- The Running Back's Job: Zone plays do not have a strict, guaranteed hole. The running back presses the line of scrimmage, reads the leverage of the defensive linemen, and makes a fluid cut based on where a lane naturally opens up (often taught as a "Bang, Bend, or Bounce" read).
Gap Blocking (Blocking Men)
In a gap scheme (like Power, Counter, or Trap), the play is mathematically designed to hit one specific, pre-planned hole (gap).
- The Rules (Down, Down, Kick Out): Linemen on the play-side usually block "down" (angling toward the center of the formation) to pin defensive tackles and linebackers inside. Because they block inward, they purposefully leave the outside edge defender unblocked.
- Pulling Linemen: To handle that unblocked edge defender and lead the running back, one or two linemen from the backside (usually a guard) pull rapidly across the formation behind the line of scrimmage. They "kick out" the edge defender or lead directly through the hole to clear out the remaining linebackers.
- The Running Back's Job: Unlike zone running, the running back knows exactly where the play is supposed to hit. He follows his pulling blockers like a snowplow straight into the designated gap.
The interactive whiteboard below lets you toggle between a Zone scheme and a Gap scheme to see how the specific blocking rules and paths change for the offensive line.
For most high school programs, a Gap blocking scheme is easier to install and execute quickly. While Zone blocking looks simpler on a whiteboard because the whole line steps in the same direction, Gap blocking offers black-and-white assignments that remove hesitation.
The Case for Gap Blocking (Rigid Rules)
Gap schemes (like Power or Trap) give teenagers concrete directives. A lineman is taught specific, unbending rules: for example, "block down on the first defender inside of you." There is very little guessing. If the defender moves, the offensive lineman still washes him down inside. This rigid rule set ("Down, Down, Kick Out") allows players to fire off the ball aggressively without overthinking. In smaller regional programs like those in Pocahontas County where roster sizes and experience levels fluctuate year to year, Gap schemes allow coaches to plug in a less-experienced player, give him a specific man to hit, and successfully run the play.
The Challenge of Zone Blocking (Post-Snap Processing)
Zone blocking requires high football IQ and hundreds of hours of line chemistry. Because linemen are blocking areas rather than specific men, they have to read the defense on the fly. When two linemen execute a zone double-team, they must read a linebacker's movement during the physical collision and perfectly time when one of them will peel off to make the second-level block. If they miscommunicate for even a half-second, a defender shoots the gap and ruins the play.
Personnel Dictates the Choice
Ultimately, high school coaches cannot draft players—they have to build a system around the athletes walking the hallways:
- Gap Schemes require a specialized athlete: You need at least one aggressive, athletic guard or H-back who can pull across the formation, run full speed, and violently kick out a defensive end.
- Zone Schemes require agile thinkers: You don't need massive road-graders. Smaller, quicker linemen who communicate exceptionally well can thrive in a zone scheme by using the defense's own momentum against them to create seams.
The videos below discuss the coaching philosophies, practice constraints, and drill differences when installing zone versus gap concepts for high school athletes.
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