’Jackets host Raiders in double-A showdown
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WILLIAMSTOWN – A pivotal early season Class AA Little Kanawha Conference clash featuring No. 3 Roane County and No. 6 Williamstown is set for a 7 p.m. kick today at Yellowjacket Field.
The ‘Jackets of head coach Chris Beck had last week off and will open the home portion of the schedule following wins at Ravenswood and Tyler Consolidated.
“It’s never at a good time. That’s what I’ve learned,” admitted Beck, whose squad handed the Raiders a 45-21 setback last year in Spencer. “The only two weeks I think I would hate it is week one or 11.
“Week one would be the worst. I could live with week 11 to be honest with you. Two through 11 are about the same. I always complain no matter where it falls.”
Williamstown will be attempting to extend the all-time series lead to six straight victories. The Raiders lost to the ‘Jackets during their only previous meetings from 2012-15 when Terry Smith was the head man.
When asked how things were going in preparation for the Raiders this week Beck said, “we’ll see. I mean Friday is going to be a good one. We better get ready.
“I think they are a really, really good football team. They’ve essentially blown everybody out they’ve played, so if we don’t come play well we could suffer that same fate.”
WHS has been led in rushing by Daniel Cunningham and quarterback Breck Allen, who has completed 19 of 27 attempts for 271 yards with four touchdowns and zero picks. Allen and Cunningham join John Amrine and JP Strobl with a pair of six-pointers apiece.
“I thought Ravenswood we played pretty well for week one to be honest,” Beck said. “When I went back and watched film I thought we played a pretty clean game. Week one is a lot tougher, mistake filled, so really happy there. Week two was ugly, just ugly. I’d rather win ugly than lose pretty though.
“The good thing about week two is we got a lot to work on, so walked out of that with two weeks of good film to work on and try to get better on, and we’ll see how our guys respond this week because if we play like that again we’ll lose to these guys.”
The Raiders of head man Paul Burdette opened up with home victories versus Doddridge County and Buffalo before winning last Friday at Clay County.
“Roane is very, very good, but our guys are capable of more. Happy to be 2-0. Better than last year being 0-2,” Beck said. “We feel pretty good about that and it’s good to have conference games and local games. We’re just trying to get a little better every week and I think we are. I hope we show that Friday.”
Beck and his Yellowjackets know what to expect as the Raiders will look to come in and continue their ground and pound attack. Signal-caller Brennen Carpenter has attempted just nine passes, but completed eight of them for 236 yards with a quartet going for scores.
“It’s typical Roane. Well coached, very physical,” Beck stressed. “They don’t throw often but when they do they make it hurt. When they throw the ball it’s usually for a touchdown, so they keep you honest that way, but very, very physical. They’ve done a great job upfront. I think that’s where they’re replacing a lot of pieces and they seem to be really jelling together well.
“The three backs they got are all good, 1, 5 and 33 can all run it and hurt you. Really impressed with how physical they are on both sides of the ball. It’s typical Roane. They are just going to run the ball and be really physical, and you can step up to the plate and match that physicality or else it could be a long night.”
The Raiders, who have watched Koltyn Starcher find paydirt thrice, have received six touchdowns apiece from Javon Letourneau and Brodey Proctor, who had his junior campaign come to a close during last year’s game against Williamstown when he suffered a broken leg.
“Williamstown is always a solid unit, no matter what. Even last year when they were young they were solid and they are very well coached,” Burdette said. “They are very good on both sides of the ball. Nothing changes this year. I think they got a really good team with a lot of returners. Obviously, the (Christian) Hoosier kid is a stud on both sides of the ball and everybody knows that, so you got to know where he’s at.
“You got to be able to take care of him for sure, but they’ve got multiple athletes on both sides of the ball, especially on offense. They just got so many people they can feed the ball to and put you in a bind with formation and manipulation of plays. Coach Beck does a great job and it will be a challenge for us Friday night without a doubt.”
Roane County enters the affair healthy and thus far in the early going Burdette is pleased with the results.
“The biggest thing is these guys practice well. Well, they practice good. I won’t say practice well,” said the coach. “They practice good and we got a lot of guys in new spots on both sides of the ball.
“They are getting better each and every week, each and every day in practice and then every time we get out on the field in competition. Just everything continues to click. I’m not saying we’re perfect by any means, but we’re getting better and better each day, which is what you are after.”
Getting better on the daily is key for both programs and Burdette hopes that can continue this week as he looks for his first win versus WHS.
“I think it’s going really well. We’ve been very efficient in the pass game,” Burdette said of Carpenter, who had to replace four-year starter Jacob Greathouse. “We haven’t thrown the ball a ton, but when we have thrown it, it’s been pretty right. Brennen is doing exactly what we want him to do. I think he does a good job of running the offense and he’s a good kid, and he said it 1,000 times over he said ‘coach, I don’t care if we run the ball 1,000 times and never throw it, I just want to win.’ That’s the attitude to have.
“The defense has honestly been a very solid unit. Against Doddridge we gave up seven points. We gave up no points against Buffalo and we gave up seven points against Clay, so we’ve had more points scored on us, but that’s after the young guys have went in. Our frontline seems to be doing pretty well. They’re an attacking group. The thing about our defense is those guys have all spent time and effort in the offseason getting bigger and stronger, and up to this point it’s really shown in what they’ve been able to do.”
Coach Beck also noted the ‘Jackets are pretty much healthy. Junior Jackson Fulton, who scored six touchdowns a year ago, is out for the season. However, Trenton Hall is making his way back from a broken wrist.
“I think he’s going to be back for Chapmanville next week. He just started practicing again last week,” noted Beck.
“He was competing for a job at receiver and outside linebacker. I’m not saying he would’ve started, but he was right in the mix.”
Of note, today is youth day and all Williamstown Stingers football players and cheerleaders receive free admission and will be recognized during the game.
“It’s going to be a good one. At least I hope it’s a good one,” Beck said. “I don’t know. They look really good.
“Of course, it’s just so hard to tell with who they are playing and who we are playing this early how good folks are.”
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com