What type of effort warrants such an oversight of the game’s final outcome? You might want to ask Jacob Janicki, the only other player to win the award but not the game itself. As a stud wideout last season for East Fairmont, Janicki garnered the award in a losing effort against Buckhannon-Upshur when he hauled in 6 catches for 281 yards and 4 touchdowns. That’s the type of performance that demands attention…Much like the performance Friday night by Morgantown’s Levi Johnson in a heartbreaking 28-26 defeat at Wheeling Park.

Former Detroit Lions’ standout Doak Walker once remarked of his Hall of Fame teammate, quarterback Bobby Layne: “Bobby never lost a game, he just ran out of time.”

Perhaps the same could be said of Johnson and the Mohigans.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter in front of a highly charged crowd at Wheeling Island Stadium, MHS came clawing back behind the gritty running of Johnson who paced a Mohigans’ offense that racked up 459 total yards. Nothing summed up Johnson’s performance better than the Earl Cambell-like effort he put forth on a key third and short situation in the second quarter when he ripped through the Patriots’ defense and carried multiple tacklers on his back to convert for Morgantown and complete an 18-yard romp. On the night, the Morgantown senior established three career highs as he toted the ball 27 times for 201 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the second half. Despite their best effort, however, Morgantown answered the bell one time too few in a slugfest between two playoff caliber squads

For his outstanding performance in Morgantown’s narrow setback at Wheeling Park, Levi Johnson is THEGAMEBREAKER.NET’s Player of the Week for week six.