Glenville State searching for first win
Freshman QB McNair to start
GLENVILLE — True freshman Jaylen McNair will make his second career start beginning at noon today when he will attempt to lead Glenville State College to its first victory of the campaign when the Pioneers tangle with host Alderson Broaddus inside the Multi-Sport Performance Stadium in the third annual I-79 Barrel Classic.
McNair helped the G-men (0-3) build a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter on No. 4 Shepherd last weekend at Morris Stadium, but the Rams tallied the final 21 points and left town with a hard-fought 42-34 triumph.
First-year GSC head coach Eric Smith, who had to plug in McNair because signal-caller Ja’Quay Garmon was hobbled, was pleased with what he saw. McNair finished 20 of 31 for 298 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.
“We’re still going to go with Jaylen McNair. He had a heckuva performance last week. He’s going to get the trigger and take the reigns on Saturday,” stated Smith, who watched the Battlers hold the G-men to just one score in a 19-7 home setback last fall.
“But, Ja’Quay Garmon is getting really healthy and he is knocking on the door. They both will play, but Jaylen is going to get the start.”
AB, which is now 1-2 following a 48-10 drubbing of visiting Lincoln University last Saturday, rushed for a school record 379 yards. Jamil Collison-Cofie led the way with 11 totes for a career-high 154 yards. Teammate Darius Hagans (10-82) also had a productive afternoon while quarterback Connor McWilliams finished 13 of 24 for 173 yards, two scores and one pick.
“They are just what they were last year,” added the former GSC offensive coordinator Smith, who watched the Pioneers post a 48-30 victory in the first game of this series back in 2015. “They have a lot of personnel changes and a lot of guys who were supposed to come back, but didn’t come back.
“They are very similar to us. They have a lot of new faces and we had a big transition as well. They are dangerous. It’s a good squad. We’re going to go down there and put on a show. Obviously, they have a lot of weapons, but at the same time we have a lot of weapons, too. It’s going to come down to who can make the least mistakes.”
GSC running back Dominique Gibson carried just 10 times versus the Rams, but finished with 56 yards. Javon Butler was McNair’s top wideout last week. He finished with five catches, two for touchdowns, and 106 yards. Giles Guy-Williams and Austin Ratliff also grabbed five receptions apiece.
“For three quarters we were right there in the thick of things and we had a chance at the end,” Smith added of last week’s tough loss to Shepherd. “In my opinion, we lost that game in the fourth quarter because of our lack of depth.
“Obviously, they are ranked in the nation for a reason. It (the loss) was definitely not from a lack of effort. Our guys played their hearts out and we’ve had a good week of practice.”