That Wheeling Feeling

WILLIAMSTOWN - Williamstown took Wahama out of its comfort zone and as a result the Yellowjackets are returning to Wheeling Island for the first time in three years.

Friday night in a Class A state semifinal game at Williamstown High School, the second-ranked Yellowjackets nearly pitched a shutout against one of the most prolific offenses in 2011 and defeated the third-ranked White Falcons, 24-7.

Williamstown (13-0) will meet the winner of today's Wheeling Central Catholic-East Hardy game in the championship game slated for a 7 p.m. start next Saturday (Dec. 3) at Wheeling Island Stadium.

Article Photos

Photos by?Jeff Baughan
Williamstown’s Trey King powers his way past Wahama’s Matthew Stewart. The Yellowjackets await the winner of today’s matchup between Wheeling Central and East Hardy.

"I'm happy for the seniors," Williamstown coach Terry Smith said. "We called them out and told them a lot of teams don't make it up there."

Wahama, which reached last year's state title game before losing to Wheeling Central, ends the campaign at 12-1.

"This senior class had a lot of success and have a lot to be proud of for what they did at Wahama High School," Wahama coach Ed Cromley said. "It was a fantastic season. Anytime you go 12-1, there are a lot of people envious of you."

Williamstown senior tailback Trey King did most of the damage with 164 yards rushing on 26 carries, but it was junior Eli Gray who provided the spark. With the Yellowjackets nursing a 7-0 lead late in the first half and pinned deep in their own territory, Gray bulled his way up the middle and outraced the Wahama secondary 84 yards for a touchdown.

Garret Butler's conversion on the point after extended the lead to 14-0 with only one minute remaining before intermission.

"We were just looking for just a few yards to get the ball away from our own end zone, but it ended up being a big run," Gray said. "I almost got caught, but coach tells me to zig-zag when you are going downfield and that's what I did."

A Williamstown fumble and a Wahama punt took care of the opening possessions in the second half. The Yellowjackets then forced the issue with a 10-play drive covering 77 yards. King got the call five times and gained a total 58 yards, including a 4-yarder which resulted in the third Williamstown touchdown of the game.

The extra point with 4:57 showing in the third quarter put the Yellowjackets in front 21-0.

Wahama did not enter the red zone until late in the third quarter. The White Falcons put together a sustained drive but failed to produce any points when running back Anthony Grimm was stopped for no gain by Williamstown defenders Aaron Jones and Zach Zide on fourth-and-one from the Yellowjacket 15.

"We knew coming in Wahama had a lot of good runners,but we did what we had to do," Jones said.

Williamstown took over on downs at the 11:54 mark of the fourth quarter and proceeded to march downfield. On the second play of the drive, King gained 41 yards. Butler provided the backbreaker with 7:27 remaining on Butler's 27-yard field goal.

Wahama's ground game could never produce a breakaway. In fact, the White Falcons did not have a rushing attempt cover more than 9 yards until their final drive which resulted in Grimm's 1-yard TD run with only 27 ticks left on the clock.

Grimm finished with 91 yards on the ground on 23 attempts, but the White Falcons were forced to do something they were not accustomed to and that was attempting 21 passes. Two passes were picked off one by Jake Tracewell and another by Zide.

"That's not our style, but it was necessary to try and get back in the ballgame," Cromley said.

Williamstown's first touchdown occurred after Wahama's third turnover of the first half. On first-and-goal from the White Falcon 4, Mike Adams broke several tackles and scored standing up. The Yellowjackets led 7-0 with 5:14 remaining in the second quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Wahama managed one first down on a pass interference penalty but was forced to punt. Williamstown took over at its own 4 but kept the drive alive when King gained 12 yards on third-and-long.

The very next play, Gray took off for the end zone.

"We were thinking maybe we could break one because they were playing us to pass," Smith said. "We thought maybe we could get to midfield then throw a couple of passes. Eli Gray just broke a tackle and went."

CLASS AAA SEMIFINAL

George Washington defeat Bridgeport, 21-14

By Rick Ryan

The Charleston Gazette

BRIDGEPORT -- George Washington knew if it made enough stops against Bridgeport's relentless offense, it would increase the chances of springing Ryan Switzer for a big play.

The Patriots came through on both accounts Friday night.

Switzer carried 26 times for 239 yards and all three of his team's touchdowns -- two on trademark long runs -- as No. 3 seed GW captured a 21-14 victory over the Indians in a Class AAA semifinal at frosty Wayne Jamison Field.

The win sends the unbeaten Patriots (13-0) into the Super Six finals for the second time in four years. They'll meet the survivor of today's Martinsburg-Morgantown matchup in the AAA title game at noon on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Wheeling Island Stadium

"We played some pretty good defense tonight,'' said GW coach Steve Edwards Jr. "We answered the call, we answered the bell. I can't say enough about the kids' effort. They really put in the effort tonight. We really deserve this opportunity. We really earned our chance to get there.''

GW broke a 7-all tie on Switzer's 1-yard scoring run with 7:56 left in the game then, following yet another defensive stop by the Patriots, Switzer tacked on a 55-yard TD burst to ice it with 1:50 remaining.

Bridgeport (12-1), the No. 2 seed, scored a touchdown with less than a second left to set the final score.

George Washington realized it couldn't afford to let Bridgeport dominate the ball and the time of possession with its stick-I offense, which churns out short gains and shortens the game.

So the Patriots earned defensive stops on nine of the Indians' first 10 full possessions -- forcing three punts, two fumbles and four failed fourth downs. That allowed them to recover from being down 7-0 after one period.

"I can't say enough about how our guys responded being down 7-0 early,'' Switzer said, "and forcing some big turnovers. We found a way to win, and that's what's most important. We just find a way. The guys stay together.''

Perhaps the biggest stop came with 2:28 remaining in the game when Bridgeport, down 14-7, faced a fourth-and-3 at the GW 30.

The Indians elected to hand the ball to workhorse running back Brett Hathaway and GW's defense cheated up to the line of scrimmage and, led by Austin Rosencrance, stonewalled Hathaway two yards shy of a first down that could have extended the game.

Hathaway carried the ball a staggering 49 times for 278 yards and one TD, a 1-yard run that out the Indians up in the first quarter.

"That was the key -- to make stops,'' Edwards said, "and I thought we had some good first downs. I said early in the week we'd have to have some good first downs on defense. I'm tickled to death the kids came up with the plays when we needed them. That gives us more opportunities to get our offense on the field and make some big plays.

"The more opportunities we can give [Switzer], the more opportunities he has to do something. And boy, he's really gifted.''

As if on cue, Switzer turned that final stop into points. On the second play after the stop of Hathaway, Switzer broke off a 55-yard run around left end for a touchdown to make it 21-7.

"Fortunately, I got past the line,'' Switzer said, "and that's when I do my most damage, when I'm in the open field.''

It didn't look good for GW to start the second half, as each of its first two possessions ended with Trevor Bell throwing interceptions on deep balls, and the third nearly ended in disaster when Switzer barely corralled a bad punt snap and managed to bloop a 25-yarder to midfield, giving Bridgeport excellent field position.

But a dropped screen pass by Hathaway on fourth-and-4 at the GW 35 set up an 11-play march by the Patriots to take the lead for good. Switzer's 1-yard run on third-and-goal came right behind fullback Dustin Crouser.

GW got an inspiring effort from Crouser, a junior who also plays linebacker. He went despite a shoulder so sore he wasn't sure he was going to play until right before gametime.

"They didn't know if I could play tonight until the last minute,'' Crouser said. "I did what I had to do. I went out and played my hardest.

"I think they underestimated us. I don't think they thought we were as tough as we were. We came out and pinned our ears back and came at it every play. We knew that's what it would take.''

Led by Hathaway, Bridgeport did hammer out 19 first downs and 345 yards on 63 running plays, but in the second half, it didn't register its second first down until 6:28 was left in the game. That gave GW chances to shake Switzer loose.

"It's obvious that's not the way we wanted it to go,'' said Indians coach Josh Nicewarner. "They gave us more than enough opportunities to put things in our favor, but we weren't able to capitalize. Things like that happen. They stepped up when they needed to, and we weren't able to execute -- that's it in a nutshell.

"A team like that plays nine, 10 guys in the box, and it's hard to move it. We weren't able to break a couple tackles when we needed to and get the extra yards when we needed it.''

The theme of the first half was wasted opportunities for both sides.

Each team lost two fumbles, with three of the miscues coming in the shadow of the opponents' goal line.

After Hathaway's 1-yard scoring run in the opening quarter, first Bridgeport averted disaster when John Koon muffed a punt return and GW recovered at the Indians 12. On the next snap, Switzer fumbled and Ryan Echard fell on it for Bridgeport at his own 7.

Then it was Bridgeport's turn to make a mistake.

On the 13th play of a typical Indians' methodical possession, Hathaway got the handoff on second-and-goal at the 5. Inches shy of the end zone and a possible 14-0 lead, he had the ball poked loose and GW's Adam Huffman recovered at his own 1.

That led to a 99-yard, six-play drive by the Patriots, who scored on a 42-yard sprint by Switzer around right end with 4:30 left in the second quarter.

GW had one last chance to break the 7-all tie before halftime when it forced a punt and started at its own 24.

A 34-yard pump-and-go hookup from Bell to Malik Hampton helped get the ball to the Bridgeport 25 with just over a minute to go. However, a 14-yard gain on a pass from Bell to Tino diTrapano ended with a fumble that Bridgeport recovered at its own 11.