Breaking News
Local Sports

Williamstown football players compete in Iron Man event

By Jay W. Bennett 5 min read

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Lack of motivation doesn't appear it's going to be a problem this fall for the defending Class A state champion Williamstown High School football program.

Following the always grueling Ted Watson Memorial Iron Man on Thursday evening, which was spared by Mother Nature, Yellowjacket signal-caller Max Molessa was crowned champion with 351 points.

The six event format, which featured five teams of five members competing individually and as a unit, put their best effort into the sled push, bench press, tire flip, sled pull, dumbbell carry and the clean and press.

Molessa, who won the tire flip with a score of 77 (one point per flip), topped runner-up Jett Nestor's 343 and last year's champ Aiden Corbett, whose 337 was enough to stay ahead of Lynken Joy (333) and Louis Goodnow (322).

"I did it as a freshman. It's been a blessing every year," admitted Molessa, who was part of Team (Avery) Goff which took top group honors along with teammates Blake Brown, Cooper Billingsley, Keith Sutton and Holden McComas. "I mean you are coming out here competing and it's not easy for anyone, any year, so I mean respect to everyone else.

"We battled through it as a team collectively and we put in work and pushed each other. That's all you can ask for. You either want it or you don't. This event kind of makes the older guys push the younger guys where you know we need you. It's kind of like step up. You are in this with us and this is what it's going to be like the whole year so get your mind right."

The coaching staff used a snake draft to pick their teams. Team Goff was aided by Brown, whose 61 reps in the bench press set a record and helped him to 278 points, good for an eighth-place overall finish.

Nestor was a double-winner thanks to a new clean and press record of 64 as well as earning 55 points in the sled pull (one point every 5 yards).

Goodnow carried the two 55-pound dumbbells for 72 points (one point every 5 yards). Joy won the sled push with 44 points (one point every 5 yards).

Senior Colt Hesson, who earned a nod on the all-state first team a year ago, only competed in the bench press due to a season-ending knee injury.

"It was 7-on-7. Just cutting wrong," Hesson said of his ACL, which he's getting surgery on. "It may not be the full thing, but it's good enough just to come out here and do one event.

"You know, still get the feel of things and cheer on my teammates."

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Hesson is ready to do whatever he can this season.

"That's the goal," he added. "Do whatever I can to help my teammates.

"If they need some coaching, I'll come in and help out."

Head coach Chris Beck noted the top four scores actually would've been enough to win the event in 2022.

Landing outside the top five for the Yellowjackets were Will Sites (6th, 291), Ty Ott (7th, 280), Rex Anderson (9th, 261) and Landon Dodrill (10th, 247).

"I love this event. We started it in 2000," Beck said. "I mean, I don't know of anybody else in the state that does what we do on this. I think that's something we take a lot of pride in. This is unique to us on how we do it in our iron man. I've never been a part of another event that completely exhausts guys like this one does. I mean these guys are really exhausted.

"It really challenges them physically, challenges them mentally, and it's a good way for us to close out the summer. I love the fact that we do it with our teammates here and all these people here because you don't want to let any of those guys down. I think that's one of the reasons we get the exhaustion is because they are not going to quit because they know everyone is watching."

Overall, the head man was more than pleased with the effort of the Yellowjackets and the support from fans.

"I love the event and I thought our guys did really, really well tonight," added the coach. "The last few years it's been really, really cool. There are probably a couple hundred folks here. It's become a community event the last few years.

"We've incorporated our youth program and they come do a punt, pass, kick after we are done. It's just a program thing now. It's moved on from just the varsity to a program, slash, community. We invited the whole community out here. We want them to come and have a lot of fun with it. I love it."

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at /week.