<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=389wM8_1FIcuaRR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=389wM8_1FIcuaRR00" width="865" height="650" ><figcaption>Williamstown's Daniel Cunningham eludes Roane County defenders during the Yellowjackets' 26-9 victory Friday night. (Photo by Nikki Allen)</figcaption></figure>WILLIAMSTOWN -- Daniel Cunningham accounted for three touchdowns here Friday night for Williamstown and teammate Christian Hoosier put the icing on the cake with a blocked punt return for a score as the No. 6 Yellowjackets knocked off No. 3 Roane County, 26-9, in a Class AA Little Kanawha Conference showdown.Roane County kicker Brock Williams drilled a 35-yard field goal with 1:37 left in the half to give the visitors a 9-7 edge at intermission, but Cunningham took the second half kickoff and raced 89 yards to paydirt as Carter Hoops' extra point put the 'Jackets ahead for good."We felt like we left some points out there at half," admitted WHS head coach Chris Beck, whose 3-0 program heads next Friday to Chapmanville. "I thought the defense played lights out most of the game. I thought we did a really great job defensively. "We felt like we missed some opportunities and I think they did too. I think the kick return to start the second half was huge and then we got a stop and eventually hit the wheel. Proud of our guys. That's a really good football team."Koltyn Starcher, who led the Raiders with a game-high 16 carries for 67 yards, darted 14 stripes on the game's first play, but the Raiders were forced to punt.The RCHS defense then forced a three-and-out, but Mason Kern's punt was shanked as it went just 8 yards.After taking over at the 'Jacket 30, Javon Letourneau (11-59) had a 16-yard gain to get into the red zone. Following a Starcher 10-yard burst, quarterback Brennen Carpenter bulled in from the 1 to make it 6-0. Williams' extra point attempt was blocked by Hoosier as the scoreboard read 6-0 with 6:32 remaining in the first.Cunningham's 23-yard kickoff return and then a 47-yard quarterback keeper by Breck Allen, who carried 11 times for a game-high 89 yards, allowed the hosts to set up shop at the Raider 26. Following an offside penalty on the Raiders, WHS had it third-and-2 at the 18, but Allen was tackled for a loss of a yard by Quinton Cooper and the 'Jackets turned the ball over on downs following an incompletion. It proved to be the only two plays Williamstown had all night in the red zone.Near the end of the first quarter, Roane County head man Paul Burdette rolled the dice facing a fourth-and-2 at its own 27, but Starcher got 4 yards for a first down. The drive finally stalled on a fourth-and-4 snap from the WHS 47 when Hoops sacked Carpenter for a 10-yard loss.Taking over at the Roane County 43, coach Beck went into his bag of tricks. Allen took the snap in shotgun and threw a lateral out to Cunningham, who then fired the ball downfield to JP Strobl for a touchdown. Hoops' PAT was true to make it 7-6 with 8:20 to go in the half.The two programs then traded punts before Williams gave the Raiders their last lead of the game."Just coming in I knew we had to be more physical than them and the defense started out great, and then we got the offense going in the second half with the kick return and it just kept clicking and we kept making plays," said Cunningham."We had two weeks to prepare and we've been pounding that (trick play). It worked out perfectly. JP was wide open, the line blocked good and it all worked out good. It (the kick return) was great blocking up front. I saw an opening and just had to take it, beat one guy and got a great block and raced to the end zone."The Raiders, who dropped to 3-1 and welcome in Braxton County next Friday, drove into the red zone on their ensuing possession, but Hoosier stopped a Starcher run for no gain on a fourth-and-3 play from the WHS 17.Following an exchange of punts, Cunningham got WHS out of its own end when he took a reverse 26 yards. Two plays later Allen hit Cunningham on a wheel route that went for a 62-yard score as the sophomore tailback made a cutback at the 20 to get into the end zone.Roane County picked up a pair of first downs after falling behind 20-9 at the 3:09 mark of the third, but turned the ball over on downs at the 'Jacket 27. After the play, Raider Evan Greathouse was flagged for a personal foul and was ejected from the affair.The Raiders appeared to still have a shot at a comeback when Letourneau recovered a WHS fumble as the visitors took possession at their own 32 with 9:59 remaining. However, Williams had to punt after the three-and-out and Hoosier managed to break through, get a hand on it and then picked it up on one hop and scooted into the end zone from 11 yards out."I really thought 'hey, I'm tired so it means these guys are tired, so if I push hard enough I can get through and I can make a play' and that's what I did. I made a play," Hoosier said. "We practice that every week, scoop and scoring. It was beautiful. It felt amazing."The returning first team all-stater said even though they were trailing at halftime the mood at intermission was to just keep pushing."It started off pretty good," Hoosier added. "We expected a hard challenge and then we started showing them what we're made of and it started becoming easier and easier and easier, and they started giving up more and more because they knew they didn't have a chance."It (Cunningham's kickoff return) was amazing seeing him run. That was momentum. That was the most momentum you could get coming out of the locker room and scoring a touchdown."Koltyn Starcher added 67 ground yards on 16 attempts and had the Raiders' lone reception of 22 yards from Carpenter, who finished 1 of 8.Cunningham finished with 67 yards on nine totes as the WHS defense withstood 48 RCHS rushing attempts that resulted in 195 yards. Overall, the 'Jackets won the total yards battle 274-217."We made big plays tonight. That's what this team can do," added coach Beck. "They're kind of a grinding team and we're a little bit more explosive. At least we were tonight and I'm really proud of our guys."It doesn't get any easier. It's a three-game stretch for us. We got two 3A teams coming up in Chapmanville and Marietta. We know they've lost to Princeton and South Charleston. They're very good."At Yellowjacket FieldWilliamstown 26, Roane County 9RCHS (3-1) 6 3 0 0 – 9WHS (3-0) 0 7 13 6 – 26RC: Brennen Carpenter 1 run (kick blocked) 6:32, 1stWT: JP Strobl 43 pass from Daniel Cunningham (Carter Hoops kick) 8:20, 2ndRC: Brock Williams 35 field goal 1:37, 2ndWT: Cunningham 89 kickoff return (Hoops kick) 11:47, 3rdWT: Cunningham 62 pass from Breck Allen (pass failed) 3:09, 3rdWT: Christian Hoosier 11 block punt return (kick failed) 8:56, 4thTeam statsRoane County: First downs: 13; Rushes-yards: 48-195; Passing yards: 22; Total yards: 217; Passing: 1-8-0; Punts-average: 5-35.0; Fumbles-lost: 3-0; Penalties-yards: 9-75Williamstown: First downs: 9; Rushes-yards: 24-170; Passing yards: 104; Total yards: 274; Passing: 4-10-0; Punts-average: 4-32.0; Fumbles-lost: 1-1; Penalties-yards: 6-45Individual statsRoane County: Rushing: Team 2-(-1), Brennen Carpenter 8-21, Javon Letourneau 11-59, Brodey Proctor 11-49, Koltyn Starcher 16-67; Passing: Carpenter 1-8-0, 22 yards; Receiving: Starcher 1-22Williamstown: Rushing: Carter Hoops 1-7, Breck Allen 11-89, Daniel Cunningham 9-67, John Amrine 1-1, Jack Moore 2-6; Passing: Cunningham 1-1-0, 43 yards; Allen 3-9-0, 61 yards; Receiving: JP Strobl 1-43, Cunningham 1-62, Hoops 1-1, Amrine 1-(-2)Next games: Braxton County at Braxton County on Friday; Williamstown at Chapmanville on Friday.</div></body>

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WILLIAMSTOWN -- Daniel Cunningham accounted for three touchdowns here Friday night for Williamstown and teammate Christian Hoosier put the icing on the cake with a blocked punt return for a score as the No. 6 Yellowjackets knocked off No. 3 Roane County, 26-9, in a Class AA Little Kanawha Conference showdown.

Williamstown knocks off Roane in double-A showdown

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WILLIAMSTOWN -- Daniel Cunningham accounted for three touchdowns here Friday night for Williamstown and teammate Christian Hoosier put the icing on the cak

Williamstown knocks off Roane in double-A showdown

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