MADISON — Despite a 32-0 victory over Lincoln County and the 5-5 record the win produced, Scott’s football team was unable to extend its streak of consecutive playoff appearances to seven seasons.

The Skyhawks were eliminated from the Class AA field by the slimmest of margins in the final West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission ratings.

No. 17 Scott (5-5) finished with 65 points for a 6.5 average; No. 16 Oak Glen (6-4) finished with 67 points for a 6.7 average to claim the final spot in the Class AA field.

The last time the Skyhawks failed to make the playoffs was 2002. Scott finished that year with a 6-4 record after a season-ending, six-point loss to Poca. A victory over the Dots would have propelled the Skyhawks into the playoffs that year.

“It feels very similar to 2002,” Scott coach Shane Griffith said. “Sometimes, programs have to cycle through themselves. That team provided inspiration for future teams to not come up short. Maybe this team will do the same.

“One of our players’ goals each year is to leave it better than they found it. Only time will tell whether they did that or not this year.

“In time, it might prove that it was a successful season. It wasn’t what we have come to expect and it doesn’t feel good right now, but this season might propel us farther in the coming seasons.”

Scott’s 10-game schedule

featured seven Class AA playoff teams — No. 1 Wayne (10-0), No. 3 Sherman (10-0), No. 5 Westside (9-1), No. 6 Bluefield (8-2), No. 9 James Monroe (8-2), No. 14 Chapmanville (6-4) and No. 15 Roane County (6-4).

“People have talked to me a bunch about not making the playoffs,” Griffith said. “We did make it. We just didn’t know it at the time. We definitely played a playoff schedule.”

Senior tailback Shannon Sanney, who began the season as a wide receiver, scored two touchdowns on runs of 16 and 41 yards in the Skyhawks’ season finale Friday.

Senior wide receiver Jordon Nunnery caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Nevin Honeycutt to give Scott a 19-0 halftime advantage.

The Skyhawks added a pair of defensive touchdowns in the second half, with Nunnery returning an interception 91 yards and senior safety Ronnie Reeves returning a fumble 82 yards.

The Skyhawks’ individual and team statistics against the Panthers were unavailable at press time.

Scott had to rebound from its heart-breaking 33-32 loss to Boone County rival Sherman, a defeat that left the players

wondering whether a Class AA playoff berth still was attainable.

“Monday was a rough day for us,” Griffith said, “not only because of the loss but also because we had been in so many close battles but always seemed to come up short. It was a somber feeling.

“But we realized there was still a little light left at the end of the tunnel. All we could do was take care of our job. That was our attitude Tuesday and the rest of the week. I told the kids not to worry about the ‘what ifs.’ I told them to go out there and do their jobs, to represent their colors, to represent their stripes, and they did that.”

Scott will lose 10 seniors to graduation, according to their roster on the WVSSAC Web site.

The Skyhawks are expected to return Honeycutt, junior

linebacker Jacob Blosser, junior cornerback Tyler Donnellan, sophomore lineman Kenny Green, sophomore tailback Dustin Mitchell, sophomore lineman K.D. Tabor, freshman lineman Caleb Linville and freshman kicker Johnathan Osborne, all of whom were starters or contributors this

season.