RIVERSIDE VS. NITRO EALEY, MIDKIFF GENERATING BIG NUMBERS PREP FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 10/18/2002
Page: 3B
Headline: RIVERSIDE VS. NITRO EALEY, MIDKIFF GENERATING BIG NUMBERS PREP FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Byline: RICK RYAN

rickryan@wvgazette.com

Rusty Taylor of Riverside and Chris McGhee of Nitro are two of the top running backs in the Mountain State Athletic Conference, if not the entire state. But it could well be the quarterbacks who sway the outcome when their teams meet tonight in Quincy.

Kashif "Chiefy" Ealey of the Warriors and Derek Midkiff of the Wildcats just might be the spotlight players during what figures to be an offensive showcase.

Midkiff has thrown for 1,495 yards and nine touchdowns thus far, averaging 214 yards passing per game and completing 59 percent of his attempts. In Riverside's 56-28 victory at Nitro last year, Midkiff threw for 327 yards and three scores.

"They're unique in the entire state as far as playing the spread offense," said Riverside coach Dick Whitman. "There's not too many [teams] that stop [Nitro coach] Scott Tinsley. We haven't had a lot of success stopping him over the years. What he does is so effective, and their kids execute it so well."

Ealey, meanwhile, has shrugged off a subpar performance during the Warriors' lone loss, a 21-14 home setback to Ripley, to turn in four straight strong games.

In a lopsided victory over South Charleston, Ealey turned to the air, hitting on 8-of-11 passes for 167 yards and two TDs.

In the next three games, the shifty senior dusted off his running prowess, carrying a combined 22 times for 231 yards and five TDs with a pair of two-point conversions.

"It's a combination of Chiefy's maturity," Whitman said, "and also our offensive line has been playing better and blocking a little better. Chiefy's seeing the field good. Defenses are keying more on Rusty, and that's opened up avenues for the quarterback. The last three or four games, he's played well."

Taylor leads the MSAC with 1,073 yards rushing and has scored 11 TDs overall. McGhee, meanwhile, is fourth in the conference with 789 yards on the ground and owns 14 scores.