Eric Little – Seven Ranges Radio
Last week was a rough one for the Mid-Ohio Valley, as Ritchie County’s Cinderella bid for a semifinal appearance ended, Wahama’s state title defense came to a close and St. Marys was upset by a very good group of Greenbrier West Cavaliers. As a result, just the Williamstown Yellowjackets remain. Here is this week’s game:
Class A #4 Williamstown (10-2) at Class A #1 Madonna (12-0) – Friday 7:30
Coming into last week’s matchup with pass-happy Bishop Donahue, Williamstown head coach Terry Smith knew his secondary was going to have to step up and play as well as they’d played all season. Jake Tracewell makes up part of that unit, and aside from being one of the best quarterbacks in the Little Kanawha Conference, Tracewell is also one of Williamstown’s most dependable defenders – somehow getting to the football nearly every play. Aside from Tracewell though, well, that was a different story. Smith knew he’d have to challenge his defensive backs to get the best out of them.
Hunter Neely and Tracewell both rose to the occasion, creating three takeaways with interceptions in Williamstown’s 54-12 quarterfinal romp over the Bishops. Neely returned one of his picks 15 yards for a touchdown while both other interceptions led to scores. It was a day where Bishops quarterback Jesse Padlow – widely regarded as one of the state’s best – was only able to complete 11 of 33 pass attempts. The Williamstown pass rush provided a great help to Neely, Tracewell and the rest of the secondary by keeping the pressure on Padlow all day long.
Offensively, Tracewell ran for four touchdowns and connected with Logan Lindsey on a 69-yard pass play for another. David Hastings and Dakota Watson ran for a touchdown each on a day where both players combined for 237 ground yards.
All told, the Yellowjackets will roll to the semifinals on the strength of an offensive effort that saw them rack up 506 yards of total offense. Which is impressive, but then you look at the team they’ll face for the right to go to Wheeling Island Stadium.
Madonna flexed their offensive muscles in a 77-50 shootout win on a frosty, frigid night at new Jimmy Carey Stadium in Weirton last Saturday. Quarterback Ross Comis ran for SIX touchdowns and threw for another on a night where he totaled 269 rushing yards on 26 carries. Elliott Nero ran for four touchdowns and 185 yards for the Blue Dons.
Far from a one-dimensional team, this is a Blue Dons group that has a number of players capable of running or throwing the ball for a score from anywhere on the field. It’s also a group that remembers the heartbreak of last year’s 43-42 overtime loss to Wahama in the state championship game and badly wants to get this core group of seniors back to Wheeling Island.
Williamstown knew Bishop Donahue wouldn’t be able to handle their run defense a week ago, but now they face a more balanced and deeper Madonna team. The Yellowjackets aren’t a team that can score with the quick strike capability of the Blue Dons, so the emphasis will be on controlling time of possession and ball control. Two excellent quarterbacks will be on display in Tracewell and Comis, and this game will likely be won by whichever of those two proves more capable at steering the ship.
Madonna is having a storybook season and is the only team remaining in Class A with an unbeaten record. But Williamstown is playing its best football of the year right now and got better after each of their two losses. No matter how hot they’ve been lately, the Yellowjackets are going to have to play mistake-free and create a couple takeaways somewhere in the secondary if they’re to make another trip to Wheeling Island Stadium. This is a potent and loaded Blue Dons team…and one that knows the mission is only halfway over.