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Devils, Jackets pass tests

Even though we are only in Week 4 of the West Virginia High School football season, it is never too early for any game to be labeled a big one — especially if all teams involved are playoff hopefuls. A pair of games last Friday could be billed as playoff type atmospheres and the Mid-Ohio Valley teams playing in them answered some huge questions about themselves.

For St. Marys, we knew they had the talented athletes to play against teams they were better than as evidenced by their first three decision where they allowed a grand total of 14 points. However, we had yet to see the Jodi Mote squad take on someone of the Blue Devils’ caliber.

Their first test finally came when they traveled to Marietta to take on the high-powered offense of coach Josh Schobe and his undefeated Tigers on Friday night. The Ohio-based team would have been classified as a AA squad in West Virginia, one step above their opponents, so one could label St. Marys an underdog.

The West Virginia school which has morphed into a Class A powerhouse over the last few years certainly didn’t play like underdogs.

The Blue Devils scored early to put their opponents into a hole and then survived a furious comeback attempt late by responding to two possible momentum shifting scores in the final period of play. It was exactly the kind of game you want to see in the playoffs.

Truth be told it is really hard to shut down a talented offense like the Tigers all night long. Marietta scored 21 unanswered points in the third to bring itself within seven but the Blue Devils didn’t falter.

The St. Marys offensive line dominated the game all night long against a superb opponent. The big fellas upfront constantly opened running lanes for their teammates to find and St. Marys rushed 51 times for 390 yards.

Meanwhile a short distance away in West Virginia, the Williamstown Yellowjackets welcomed Class A top-ranked Wheeling Central for its opening home game.

The Yellowjackets were reeling after a tough loss to neighboring Marietta the week before. The turnover bug, which bit the Terry Smith squad in their opening game against Tyler Consolidated, haunted the ‘Jackets again. The team tossed an interception and lost a fumble to give the Tigers good field position and a 44-30 victory.

Not only were the turnovers worrisome but the usually stingy Yellowjackets defense also gave up 500 yards of total offense on the night including 273 through the air. The aerial total was particularly troubling as Wheeling Central’s Isaac Rine was quite proficient tossing the pigskin around the yard.

Many in and around the Mid Ohio Valley wondered if Smith’s team could compete with Central if they turned the ball over or were porous against the pass versus the Knights.

Williamstown looked shaky early against Central. The Knights used a combination of the long pass and several runs to jump out to a 27-19 halftime advantage. However, the first half scoring was all Wheeling Central could muster as the Yellowjackets defense pitched a shutout in the second half.

WHS QB Trenton Tallman brought his team all the way back. He scored on runs of four and five yards to end the Knights hopes of an undefeated season.

The defense and special teams also responded in a big way in the fourth quarter. After the Williamstown punt unit pinned Central deep in its own territory, defensive end Trevor Hoosier found his way to Rine and took him down in the end zone for two points.

Both performances were exactly what you would expect to see from two of the top tier programs in the state and it will be a lot of fun to watch the two clash when they meet Sept. 30 at St. Marys.

Contact Joe Albright at jalbright@newsandsentinel.com.

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