Williamstown Wins WVSSAC Class A Title
Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Gameday Hub, News, Non-PIAA
Shane Lux | December 4, 2022
Wheeling – Williamstown rolls to first state title since 2014 with 52-20 victory over James Monroe.
“I’m so proud of these kids,” said Williamstown head coach Chris Beck. “We talk all the time about setting goals – in life, it’s easy to say, I want to do this or that, but then you make excuses. Our young people need to get back to setting high goals and standards. Even if you fall a little short, at least you tried. That is what we wanted to do, we set the highest possible goal, and these kids accomplished that.”
Like Huntingdon earlier in the day, Williamstown was also trying the avenge a loss in the state title game – the Yellowjackets lost 42-21 to Ritchie County last season.
There was no denying Williamstown a second time as they amassed 414 yards rushing and 52 points to dismantle previously undefeated James Monroe.
Max Molessa rushed for 273 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Yellowjackets. Molessa rushed for 181 yards and three scores on seven carries in the first half while finishing the night 5-of-6 passing for 58 yards.
Williamstown made a statement on the first snap of the football as they forced and recovered a fumble by Chaz Boggs, then proceeded to drive 25 yards and scored on Rickie Allen’s 1-yard run 56 seconds into the game.
“We have a bunch of players out there that can make plays on both sides of the ball,” Beck said. “Max is an outstanding player, but one thing that separates our program is we have a bunch of depth and many players capable of rising to the occasion.”
James Monroe would tie the game at eight when Chaz Boggs scored on a 25-yard run. However, Molessa would score on a 64-yard run a little over two minutes later.
Chaz Boggs 25 yd run, Williamstown 8 James Monroe 8, 8:40 1st, pic.twitter.com/bkF59t7ChP
— Shane Lux (@PFN_Luxy) December 4, 2022
It was the first of two long touchdown runs by Molessa as his 55-yard run early in the second quarter gave the yellowjackets a 22-8 lead.
The Mavericks got one back on a 2-yard run by Cooper Ridgeway midway through the second quarter.
The Yellowjackets countered with a 9-yard run by Molessa with 63 seconds left in the first half giving the “Jackets a 30-14 lead at the break.
Molessa would add a pair of second-half touchdown runs of four and 17 yards, giving Williamstown a 46-14 early in the fourth quarter.
James Monroe would score their third touchdown when Layton Dowdy hit Chaz Boggs for a 48-yard touchdown pass.
Dowdy completed 6-of-10 passes for 117 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Boggs rushed for 44 yards and caught two passes for 58 yards.
Williamstown closed the scoring with Rickie Allen’s 5-yard run with eight minutes remaining. Allen also hit the century mark for the Yellowjackets, rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Allen 5 yd run, Williamstown 52 James Monroe 20, 8:37 4th, @WHSFootball2020 pic.twitter.com/c2FoSGtKMI
— Shane Lux (@PFN_Luxy) December 4, 2022
James Monroe finishes their season at 12-1 as the Mavericks made it back to Wheeling for the first time since 2007.
“We’ve had seven other times where we have made the final four but been unable to get here to Wheeling,” said James Monroe head coach John Mustain. “I know we can build off of this season and get better.”
Game Highlights:
Williamstown 52 James Monroe 20
Score by Quarters
Williamstown – 14 16 8 14 – 52
James Monroe – 8 6 0 6 – 20
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
W – Rickie Allen 1 yd run, (Max Molessa rush), 11:04
JM – Chaz Boggs 25 yd run, (Layton Dowdy to James Allen), 8:40
W – Molessa 64 yd run, (rush failed), 6:14
Second Quarter
W – Molessa 55 yd run, (Molessa to Louis Goodnow), 11:14
JM – Cooper Ridgeway 2 yd run, (rush failed), 5:35
W – Molessa 9 yd run, (Allen rush), 1:03
Third Quarter
W – Molessa 4 yd run, (Molessa rush), 8:57
Fourth Quarter
W – Molessa 17 yd run, (Molessa rush), 11:51
JM – Boggs 48 yd pass from Dowdy, (kick failed), 11:23
W – Allen 5 yd run, (kick failed), 8:37
Individual Stats
Rushing: W – Molessa 19-273, Allen 21-113, Lynken Joy 4-22, Harbour Haught 2-5, Cooper Billingsley 2-2, Team 1-0. Totals: 49-414. JM – Ridgeway 10-30, Boggs 5-44, Braydie Carr 8-12, Layton Dowdy 7-32, Allen 1-(-6), Ethan Ganoe 1-0. Totals: 32-112
Receiving: W -Louis Goodnow 2-22, Colt Hesson 2-13, Joy 1-23. JM – James Allen 3-58, Ridgeway 1-1, Boggs 2-58., Carr 1-8.
Passing: W – Molessa 5-for-6, 58 yards. JM – Dowdy 6-for-10, 117 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, Allen 1-for-1, 8 yards, Ryan Mann 0-for-1, 1 INT.
Interceptions: W – Molessa, Joy.
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