Williamstown v. Magnolia extra points

I'll be honest, I all but begged sports editor Dave Poe to let me cover last night's game in New Martinsville.
Of all the area teams annual regular-season meetings, Williamstown-Magnolia is my favorite. The games are typical close and always entertaining. Friday night was no exception.
I hope my game story did it justice.
After the first two series, many got the sense the game was going to be one the teams' less-competitive meetings. Magnolia, which was hammered by River last week, punted. Then Williamstown went 72 yards on 14 plays to post a quick 7-0 lead. The Yelllowjackets moved the ball at will. And the Blue Eagles looked shell-shocked.
It didn't last long. They fumbled the kickoff, but recovered. Not only recoverd, they scored. Then blocked Williamstown's punt and scored again.
The score sent Williamstown assistant coach Ben Preston, who was recently voted "Most Likely to Suffer a Stress-Induced Aneurysm During a Game" into a holy fit. I can't print what he said, but it wasn't good.
It was Game On!
The two teams would swap leads three more times over the course of the game. Both teams had several big plays.
Cameron Powell used a 70-yard kickoff return to to set up Williamstown's final touchdown of the game. Matt Hendrickson scored from 13 yards out on a 3rd and 8 to give the 'Jackets 22-19 lead with 11:47 in the fourth.
That should have done it, but the Blue Eagles responded to the challege.
Starting at their 34, the Blue Eagles pieced together a drive, including a fourth down conversion, to get within field goal range. Justin Fox kicked a 31-yard field goal to knot the score at 22-all.
Williamstown was unfazed.
Taking over on their own 40, with 4:30 left, the Yellowjackets had some ground to make up. They dug a little deeper hole right off the bat as a holdng penalty gave them first and 18 from the 33. But they went to work in the traditional, typical fashion fans have come to expect and opponentns have come to loathe.
Eleven straight running plays, including a 17-yarder by Powell to erase the holding penalty, and Williamstown was in field goal range. A miss and the game goes to overtitme.
But wait, there was a Palm on the Yellowjacket roster.
Batton knew it. "It was the same kid who was booming field goals in the JV game against us last year, right," he asked after the game. Batton knew Palm could make it. He just hoped something would happen with the snap or the hold or maybe. Or his kids could block it.
Nope. Not this time.
Palm was true.
Magnolia, running a Chinese firedrill on the kickoff fumbled and Williamstown recovered. It took a knee with less then four seconds left to win.
It was a great end to what has turned into a phenomenal series.
Can't wait 'til next year.
I especailly enjoy going to New Martinsville. It is one of my favorite venues in the Mid-Ohio Valley. The Magnolia staff is alwasy first-rate and a class act from top to bottom. The fans are polite and always smiling. 'Course I'd smile too if I lived in a town as quaint as New Martinsville. It's a beautiful river town.
Brian Castilow, the atheltic director, is first rate. He should teach a class on how high schools should deal with media. He's not alone.
The whole community is great. Passionate and friendly.
See ya next week.