BARNESVILLE — Not many people associated with the Barnesville football team are accustomed to losing, so last week’s bounce-back win over Wheeling Central was especially pleasing for head coach Blake Allen.

The Shamrocks had their 41-game regular-season winning streak halted by a talented George Washington team from Charleston, W.Va., two weeks ago and then had to face the state-ranked Maroon Knights on a short week.

However, they dominated their way to a 43-14 victory.

“I could not be more proud of the way our kids have handled the last few weeks. First, the effort and grit they showed throughout the George Washington game and then the way they bounced back on a short week against a very good Wheeling Central team shows the heart and character of this team,” Allen said.

Friday night the Shamrocks (6-1) will look to celebrate Homecoming as Linsly (1-4) invades Shamrock Stadium for a 7 o’clock kickoff. This will be the fourth meeting between the two schools in a series that is deadlocked at 1-1-1. They tied 0-0 in 1907 before the Cadets won (32-0) in 1935 at Fulton Park. The Shamrocks won the most recent clash – in 2007 – by a 21-20 margin.

“It’s just another week and another challenge for us,” Linsly head coach B.J. Depew said Wednesday before his team practiced at The Highlands. “Barnesville is having a great year, but that is nothing new for them.”

The Shamrocks’ size could pose a problem for the Cadets.

“Our success over the last few years has all started up front and this year is no different,” Allen said. “It is a credit to the kids buying into the off-season program and continually working on their strength, footwork, and technique.

Depew said the size differential will be tough.

“Barnesville is big and strong. They have multiple weapons on offense, especially at the running back position,” Depew added. “We have faced some really good running backs this season, but I have a ton of respect for the (Trey) Toliver kid and the other kids that run the ball for them.”

Toliver has run for 988 yards and 17 touchdowns on 104 carries.

Koby Jones had added 516 yards and eight TDs on 40 carries.

“St. Clairsville had a pretty good offensive line. I don’t think we’ve faced a bad offensive line this season,” Depew added. “Barnesville will be as big as we’ve seen. They’re not only big, but they are physical and they want to impose their will on you, especially on defense where they make it hard to run the ball against them.

“We know we have our work cut out for us. We didn’t play particularly well as an offensive line two weeks ago against New Philadelphia, but we’ve been working at it over the off week correcting mistakes and improving the overall mentality.”

Allen said despite the Cadets’ sub-par record, they have the capability.

“Linsly is a dangerous team with athletes all over the field. Their quarterback has a tremendous arm and can make all of the throws,” he said. “They are also aggressive on defense and get off the ball quickly. Their athleticism will present challenges for us on both sides of the ball.”

Braden Wade has completed 67 of 131 passes for 810 yards, three TDs and eight interceptions. His favorite targets are Chris Upton with 22 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown; Justin Heckman (16-254-td) and Lucca Troullos (14-164).

Allen said Homecoming is a special time for the kids.

“Homecoming week is always fun for the kids. They are excited about it; these weeks are what make small-town high school football so special,” Allen noted. “I always tell them to enjoy it and embrace it, but compartmentalize and set it aside when it is time to focus on football. They have done a great job of that so far this week.

“We have a lot of respect for Coach Depew and his staff. They have consistently been one of the best programs in the Ohio Valley and play one of the toughest schedules I have ever seen” he continued. “We recognize the challenges they will present for us and our focus is solely on Linsly.”

The week off helped Linsly get somewhat healthy.

“We were pretty well beat up, so we are slightly healed up. We dealt with some illnesses, some injuries and some absences from practice for a variety of reasons,” Depew said. “It’s been tricky with a smaller roster trying to be healthy week after week, but we’re still not 100 percent healthy, and we probably won’t be for the remainder of the season. It will be nice we think, hopefully, to get a couple of guys back this week.”