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Williamstown visits Marietta looking to stay perfect

By Jordan Holland 7 min read

MARIETTA -- At 5-1, the Marietta Tigers are one win away from securing their first winning season since 2002.

Their first chance to get that win comes this Friday at Don Drumm Stadium, when two-time W.Va. Class A state champion Williamstown visits. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

"I have a ton of respect for their program," said Marietta head coach Jason Schob.

"It's typical Williamstown. They're a very good ballclub. They've got strong kids. They're very quick, disciplined and they play hard. They're not going to make mistakes to beat themselves. They're very opportunistic, so we can't make mistakes or they'll make us pay."

The Tigers are coming off a huge comeback win over Circleville last week. MHS trailed 17-6 in the fourth quarter, but Drew Warden threw two touchdown passes, including a 42-yarder to Will Tornes in the final minute, to rally.

"It was a huge win," Schob said. "It was one of those games we might've lost in the past. The kids were gutsy and found a way to win. Drew made a great pass to Will to give us the lead. People messaged me after the game saying it was like a movie."

Williamstown head coach Chris Beck took notice of the way Marietta has performed this season with games on the line.

"They're finding ways to win close games," Beck said. "In the past maybe they lose those close games, but they're finding ways to win them now. It's the mark of a program that's kind of turned the corner."

Beck's Yellowjackets know a thing or two about winning. Williamstown is 5-0 this season, most recently routing Poca 48-0. The 'Jackets have scored 36 or more points in every game and have allowed more than seven points just once.

"I'm really happy with our resilience," Beck said. "We keep getting better every week. This group's figured out who they are and how they want to play the game. They've been coachable. I'm really happy with them and how much they've improved."

WHS had massive shoes to fill at quarterback coming into the year after the graduation of Maxwell Molessa, but Lynken Joy has stepped into the position and played as well as anybody could have expected.

"He's doing a really great job," Beck said. "I think he's surprising some people, but he's not surprising us with how well he's throwing the ball. He's got nine touchdowns, one pick and 600-plus yards. He's efficient, making the right decisions and getting the ball in the hands of our playmakers. In the run game, he's being physical and running downhill. He's one of the best players in Class AA. He does a lot for us."

Schob compared Joy's playstyle to former Williamstown QB Dakota Watson, who was a lethal runner but could make big-time plays with his arm as well.

"It reminds me of the Dakota Watson days with what they do," Schob said. "They want to run him first, then throw play-action stuff off of it. Joy is a strong kid (who's) hard to bring down. He's the key focal point of their offense."

Joy gives the Yellowjackets balance on offense, which is something the Tigers have searched for all season. In the first five games, MHS leaned heavily on its running game while the passing game struggled to get going.

Against Circleville, though, Warden was 18 for 29 for 248 yards in a breakout game for Marietta's aerial attack. Consistency with the passing game will be a huge key going forward for the Tigers. If teams can't load up the box to defend Marietta's running game, it'll make the orange and black very tough to stop.

"For us to really maximize our potential, we've got to be able to do both," Schob said. "Drew and the receivers really stepped up last week. We graduated our top three receivers from last year, so it's taken time to develop cohesion."

Owen Riley had 139 receiving yards against Circleville while Tornes added 76. Seth Britton is one of the area's top running backs with 913 yards and nine touchdowns. For Marietta, though, it all starts up front.

"Their size stands out to me," Beck said. "They do a great job up front on offense and defense. They're in year three of their wing-T and they're executing on a really high level. They've done a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage and controlling the clock. Defensively, they're running a 3-4. They've got really good defensive linemen in (Teddy Bauer) and (Blake Bills), and then (Kobe Alexander) in the middle does a great job at linebacker playing downhill and finishing plays off."

Bills was injured in the Circleville game and his status for Friday is uncertain. Marietta also will be without tight end/D-lineman Junior Bass, who cannot play the second half of the season due to transfer rules.

"He played a huge role for us in our first five games," Schob said of Bass.

On Bills, Schob said, "He is a heck of a ballplayer. We're hoping to have him back."

Tim Simons stepped into Bass' role on offense as a blocker outside and "did a good job," Schob said. "We've been preparing Tim in case Junior couldn't be there. I'm pretty pleased with how he played."

Alexander got banged up two weeks ago and didn't get his normal workload on offense against Circleville. Schob said he'll be back in his starting role at fullback this week to complement Britton and Braydon Frye in the run game.

For Williamstown, the squad is in pretty good shape health-wise outside of typical bumps and bruises. Beck expects Friday's game to be decided in the trenches, where both teams specialize.

"Our offensive and defensive lines are playing really well," he said. "For us, it starts with Jensen Burge. He's doing a great job on both sides of the ball. He's playing very tough, hard and physical. Those other guys -- Ty Ott, Blake Brown, Jenner Burge and Christian Hoosier -- are all doing a phenomenal job on both sides of the ball."

The Tigers will start Grady Hartline at left tackle, Isaac Klintworth at left guard, Bauer at center, Aiden Wilkinson at right guard and Bills at right tackle. If Bills can't go, Wilkinson will slide to right tackle and Zach Carver will step in at right guard.

"We both rely on our lines so much to get things done," Beck said. "It's going to be a battle up front of who can play more physical. Last year, for two-and-a-half quarters, they whooped us up front. It'll be a challenge for our guys to see how much we've improved. We're going to see how much we've grown since then."

In last year's game at Williamstown, Marietta led 19-6 in the fourth quarter. Much like the Tigers did against Circleville, the Yellowjackets rallied behind the play of their quarterback Molessa and won 22-19.

"We just talked to the kids -- Williamstown is a tremendous program," Schob said. "They've had a ton of success for a reason. They're going to make plays, and the biggest thing for us is that we don't quit and keep fighting when they do."

Beck added, "(Playing Marietta) is an uphill challenge but it's one we look forward to every year. It's a local rivalry which is great for the players because everyone is familiar with each other. There's a sense of excitement that's maybe not there every week, and that's why this game gets a lot of attention. It's a chance for us to showcase our kids and communities."

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.

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