Friday nights in the Mountain State aren't just about a game. They’re a ritual. If you spent any time near a stadium this past November, you know the air felt different. Honestly, the 2025 season was one of those years where the form chart basically got tossed out the window by the time the quarterfinals rolled around. Everyone's looking for the latest west virginia hs football scores to make sense of how the power shifted, especially with the introduction of the four-class system.
It was a wild ride.
Morgantown sitting on top of Class AAAA felt right to some, but the way they got there? Total nail-biter. They took down Martinsburg 28-21 in a championship game that had people holding their breath until the final whistle at Laidley Field. If you missed that one, you missed a masterclass in defensive adjustments.
The Reality of West Virginia HS Football Scores This Season
Looking back at the scoreboard, the sheer volume of blowouts in the early rounds was startling. But then the semifinals hit. That's when things got real. In Class AAA, Princeton managed to squeeze past Nitro with a 36-35 victory. One point. That’s all it took to define a legacy. Nitro had an incredible run, entering the playoffs as a #5 seed and knocking off North Marion and Chapmanville. They almost pulled off the ultimate upset, but the Tigers held firm.
The scores don't always tell the full story of the grit on the field.
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Take the Class AA battle between Frankfort and Bluefield. Frankfort finished the year 14-0, punctuated by a 49-42 shootout in the finals. Bluefield is a powerhouse, a name synonymous with WV football royalty, yet Frankfort found a way to outlast them. It wasn't just about talent; it was about a conditioning level that seemed a step above everyone else in the bracket.
Why the New Classification Changed Everything
We used to have three classes. Now we have four.
This change was supposed to level the playing field, and mostly, it did. You saw schools like Chapmanville making deep runs in AAA that might not have happened under the old system. They stunned Bridgeport 33-27 in the quarterfinals, a result that sent shockwaves through Harrison County. Bridgeport is rarely on the losing end of a score like that in November.
- Class AAAA: Morgantown (13-1) proved consistency wins rings.
- Class AAA: Princeton (13-1) survived the Nitro scare to take the trophy.
- Class AA: Frankfort (14-0) remained the only undefeated team across the top three tiers.
- Class A: Wheeling Central Catholic (12-2) reminded everyone why Coach Mike Young is a legend, beating Clay-Battelle 56-34 in the final.
Kade Koroneos from Wheeling Central put up numbers that look like a video game. 415 rushing yards. Seven touchdowns. In a state championship game. It’s almost hard to wrap your head around that kind of production against a defense as disciplined as Clay-Battelle’s.
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Breaking Down the Biggest Upsets
If you were tracking west virginia hs football scores weekly, you saw the Chapmanville-Bridgeport game coming, or maybe you didn't. Bridgeport was the #1 seed. They were supposed to cruise. But Chapmanville’s offense found gaps in the Bearcats' secondary that nobody else had seen all year.
Then there was the University over Huntington game in the AAAA quarters. University was the #7 seed. Huntington was #2. On paper, it was a mismatch. On the turf, University walked away with a 35-28 win. It’s those kinds of results that make the WVSSAC playoffs so unpredictable. You can have all the computer rankings and power points in the world, but a cold night in November doesn't care about your "strength of schedule."
What the Numbers Say About the Future
A lot of people think the "big" schools always dominate. While Morgantown and Martinsburg are definitely the giants of the north and the panhandle, the gap is shrinking. The average margin of victory in the 2025 semifinals was less than 10 points. That's tight.
Is the coaching getting better? Sorta. But it’s also about the kids. You’ve got players like Noah Lewis at George Washington and Eli Sancomb at Wheeling Central who are multi-sport athletes. They bring a level of athleticism that forces coaches to get more creative with their play-calling.
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We’re also seeing a shift in how teams prepare. More schools are adopting year-round strength programs, and you can see it in the fourth-quarter scores. Teams aren't fading like they used to. Frankfort’s 14-0 run wasn't just luck; they were physically stronger than almost every opponent they faced in the second half.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a fan, a parent, or a player looking ahead, the landscape has shifted. Here is how to keep up with the momentum:
- Watch the Reclassifications: The WVSSAC isn't done tweaking. Keep an eye on enrollment numbers, as a few schools are right on the bubble between AA and AAA.
- Follow the Transfers: It’s a reality of the modern game. Key players moving between districts can change a team's win-loss projection by three or four games.
- Track the MetroNews Power Ratings: While the computer doesn't play the game, the MetroNews rankings are usually the best indicator of who is actually "for real" heading into October.
- Support the Local Underdogs: The 2025 season proved that seeds 5 through 8 are more dangerous than ever. Don't count out a team just because they're traveling for a first-round game.
The 2025 season is in the books, but the discussions at the local diners and on the sidelines aren't stopping. Between Morgantown's defensive clinic and Princeton's heart-stopping one-point win, there’s plenty of film for coaches to obsess over until August rolls back around. High school football in West Virginia is evolving, and if this past year was any indication, the scores are only going to get closer and the stories more compelling.
Keep an eye on the rising juniors. The 2026 class in the Kanawha Valley is particularly deep, and we might see a few more "unbeatable" records go down when the lights come back on.