PARKERSBURG — Despite W.Va. Governor Jim Justice’s proclamation canceling this evening’s University at Parkersburg South game due to rising COVID-19 numbers in Monongalia County, the Patriots are still playing a football game at Erickson All-Sports Facility.

An opponent from later in the season marks the opener for the Patriots.

South and second-year head coach Nathan Tanner now welcome in Cabell Midland for a 7:30 p.m. start. The Knights of head coach Luke Salmons return many pieces from last year’s team that played for a Class AAA state championship.

The game was moved from its original date of Oct. 23.

“With this situation you never thought something like this could have happened but it is par for the course with just how crazy things are. We just wanted to get our kids an opportunity to play football every week. And if a game gets canceled five hours ahead of time and we have to reschedule that is what we are going to do,” South head coach Nathan Tanner said.

Salmons’ group brings with them a great running game featuring four different backs in Jaydyn Johnson, Isaiah Vaughn, Chandler Schmidt and fullback Jakob Caudill, who ran for 1300 yards last season. Nemo Roberts is the lone player back on the offensive line.

Tanner and company are taking the appropriate measures to ready themselves for the game on such a short notice.

“The main challenge is we had zero time to prepare for them and we are going to get to Erickson early and prepare our kids from there and they need to go out and play. Cabell is one of the great programs in West Virginia so it will definitely be a measuring stick,” Tanner said.