’Jackets dominate
By STEVE HEMMELGARN, shemmelgarn@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
WILLIAMSTOWN - Defending Class A state champion Williamstown dominated play Friday night in rolling over No. 13 seed Valley Fayette 62-6 in a first-round playoff game at Williamstown.
For its efforts, the fourth-seeded Yellowjackets will now host No. 5 Wheeling Central in next week's quarterfinals. The Maroon Knights blasted Moorefield 47-6 Friday night. Last year, Williamstown defeated Central in the semifinals en route to the state title.
The 'Jackets, now 9-2, didn't put away Valley (7-4) until the third quarter, although upping their lead to 28-14 at the half on two touchdowns in the last minute and a half. After the Greyhounds closed to 14-6 at 6:11 of the second stanza on an 8-yard TD toss from Jack Simms to Travis Brogan, Joe Palm capped a Williamstown drive with a 8-yard burst to paydirt at the 1:31 mark to make it 21-6.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, the Valley return man was hit hard at the Greyhound 25, with the ball popping loose and Williamstown's Aaron Jones catching it in the air behind the play at the Valley 20 and took it to the 14, from where Austin Williams scored on a reverse at 1:13.
After Valley lost starting quarterback Simms for the rest of the game with an injury early in the third quarter, 'Jacket QB Adam Kerns found Lane Knost over the middle with a pass that the fleet wide receiver broke away for a 65-yard scoring strike to go with a 72-yard TD bomb down the sideline from Kerns in the first period.
Kerns tacked on a 35-yard TD pass to Williams and David Huggins ran 20 yards with a recovered fumble for Williamstown before the third quarter was out as the Yellowjackets took control of the outcome, up 49-6.
Two more short-run scores in the final period by Aaron Jones and Zach Zide finished the game's point-production.
''I was impressed with our defensive intensity tonight,'' said Williamstown head coach Terry Smith.
''And Adam did a real good job getting the ball to Lane, who's so good when we get the ball to him.''
For the game, Williamstown amassed 509 yards to just 152 for Valley. Knost caught four balls for 153 yards and two TDs as Kerns threw for 222. Palm's 84 rushing yards and Matt Hendrickson's 69 paced the 'Jackets.








