The last time Moorefield and Pendleton County met in the playoffs, it was Pendleton’s inaugural year as a school. The Yellow Jackets were in the thick of their late-90s dynasty years and handily defeated the Wildcats in the 1998 semifinals 39-6 in late November 1998.
This year was different as the Wildcats to defeated Moorefield in the first round of the Class A State Football playoffs 26-7.
The victory comes just three weeks after Moorefield blanked the Wildcats 35-0, handing them their only loss of the regular season.
“Pendleton County is a good football team. They took care of opportunities to score and played well. We had three drives that started inside of our own five yard line, only had one possession in the third quarter, and struggled to get off the field defensively on third down. And when you play a good team like Pendleton you have to capitalize and utilize every opportunity you get and unfortunately we were unable to do that,” Moorefield Football coach Matthew Altobello commented after the playoff loss.
“It is a great accomplishment for our guys to make the playoffs. I know I loved playing in them as a player. It is something these guys had worked hard to do. I am proud of our senior class for their leadership, response to change, and acceptance of all challenges that were put in their paths. They have all ended their high school football careers on a high note. Now, with that said, it is time for the next group to step up and build upon this experience. This offseason will be a time for growth and dedication to our program’s standards. I look forward to getting back to work with our guys and am excited about the future of our team.”