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SPORTS
Midland facing another hefty foe
ONA -- After defeating the two-time defending state champions last week, Cabell Midland coach Chip McMillian had all of 15 hours to celebrate.
That's because starting Saturday afternoon, he was preparing for the Capital Cougars, this week's opponent in high school football.
And upon watching some film of the Cougars, McMillian is convinced that as well as his team played last week, they will have to be even better to start the season 2-0.
"Capital was the most impressive team at the (MSAC) Grid-O-Rama a couple of weeks ago and they lost to a very good GW team (last week)," McMillian said. "They are extremely quick on both sides of the football. They are definitely a playoff football team. We can't celebrate any longer."
The Cougars feature a lot of speed and the return of running back Keion Wright, a sophomore running back that started as a freshman last season.
Wright is coming off a game in which he amassed more than 200 all-purpose yards in a 19-8 loss to George Washington. He finished the game with 175 yards on 25 carries and three receptions for 38 yards.
"He is probably, if not the best, one of the best backs in the conference," McMillian said. "Everything goes through him."
The performance was especially impressive considering George Washington was able to stack up against the run with Capital quarterback Joe Beane struggling. Beane finished the game 8-of-26 for 102 yards. He was also intercepted on four different occasions.
The game will come down to which side is able to establish the biggest advantage with its strengths. Capital's biggest strength is the speed which it has on both sides of the ball while Cabell Midland's strength is the beef on its offensive and defensive lines.
Last week, Marsh
McMillian said it was a toss-up as to which team had the advantage.
"I don't know. They are so quick," McMillian said. "Quick teams have traditionally given us problems....I figure it is just going to be another Capital-Cabell Midland ballgame -- it is going to be tough for four quarters."
Last year's game ended up in favor of the Cougars in a defensive struggle. Cabell Midland had a fourth-quarter lead, but Malik Witten was able to engineer a comeback and Capital left with a 17-10 victory.
Unlike last season, Cabell Midland is coming into the game with confidence after winning a tight game. However, McMillian does not think that is any reason for overconfidence.
"We definitely can't rest on our laurels," McMillian said. "Every week in our conference is a battle."
