Football programs love to build a tradition of winning for their fans, but a community also revels at an opportunity for a Cinderella season-ending run at a title.
When Class A top-ranked Williamstown plays host to No. 9 Man at 7:30 tonight in a Class A playoff quarterfinal, one team will keep those playoff hopes alive.
Both teams sport five-game win streaks, and each seems to adhere to the claim that defense wins championships.
Williamstown (10-1) has been a perennial addition to the state playoffs. The Yellow Jackets have progressed to the Class A title game each of the past three seasons, losing each time to the budding dynasty of four-time defending champion Wheeling Central.
The Jackets' only loss came to Class AA No. 2 Grafton midway through the regular season. Since that loss, Williamstown has outscored opponents 233-27.
"Our defense has helped our offense by getting us good field position," said Williamstown coach Terry Smith. "It takes a little longer to get your offense clicking, but with the extra games and practices, I feel we've gotten better and better."
Out of the 10 opponents Williamstown played in the regular season, five made it to the playoffs, including two AA teams still alive in the quarterfinals.
Man (8-3) is competing in the playoffs for the first time in three years. The Hillbillies played four playoff teams, including two Class AA squads. Since a loss to AA Chapmanville, the Hillbillies have given up only 24 points in their last five games.
The Hillbillies last week contained Mount Hope's Da'Von Marion, West Virginia's regular-season rushing and scoring leader, in a 27-6 opening-round win. Marion had 155 yards, his second-lowest output of the season. That earned Man a three-hour bus ride to Williamstown.
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